The Chic Sparrow American Dream Deluxe Notebook Cover (Traveler's Notebook Size): A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

A few weeks ago I did a review on the Camel Traveler's Notebook. Although I like the Traveler's brand notebook covers, I've always wanted a more substantive cover–one with pockets and more elastic bands. So, I ordered a Chic Sparrow notebook in narrow (which fits Traveler's Notebook refills).

Chic Sparrow offers all sorts of leather covers in different styles and colors. I opted for the American Dream Deluxe because I wanted blue leather (a color they call "Tranquility"). The deluxe version includes pockets. You can also opt for embossing, but I didn't want to pay extra for that.

My Chic Sparrow arrived seven business days after I ordered it. It came in a soft mailing package and was wrapped in brown paper tied with twine.

I must say the leather and craftsmanship on this cover are top notch, and I love the Tranquility blue color. The leather is thick and beautifully stitched.

The Chic Sparrow brand is embossed on the back, but the branding is subtle.

There are three card slots and one large pocket inside the front cover and one large pocket inside the back cover.

The notebook has four thick elastics, so you can easily include four (or more) notebooks. The elastic on my American Dream Tranquility is white, which will show every bit of dirt. Unfortunately, you don't get to pick the color of elastic when you order the notebook. I would have preferred a dark blue or turquoise.

The notebook has a leather pen holder stitched into the cover. It's a good size and will accommodate many pens (fountain or otherwise). I discovered my Faber-Castell Ambition in Blue Ocean (review here) is a perfect match for the Tranquility blue.

I've put four notebooks plus my plastic zip holder in the notebook. I'm sure that it could hold several more notebooks, but I don't want it to be too thick.

Chic Sparrow makes their notebooks in small batches. So, when you go to the site, you may discover that the notebook in the style and color you desire is not available. It's worth waiting for the one you want. Just fill out the "in stock reminder" to be emailed when the product is available again. Be sure to order it quickly, though, because they run out fast.

The American Dream Deluxe in Tranquility without embossing costs $89.99 plus shipping. I got 10% off with a coupon since I was a first-time buyer. As always, value is highly subjective. Some people wouldn't want to pay such a high price for a notebook cover. But, for me, the fact that it is handmade and its quality and craftsmanship justify the high price. This is a gorgeous notebook cover, and it is going to be my every-day carry notebook. So, it was well worth it to me because it is going to see lots of use and abuse.

Pros

• This is a beautifully-crafted, handmade notebook cover with excellent-quality leather and precision-stitching.
• Unlike the Traveler's Notebook brand covers, the deluxe ChicSparrow cover comes with four elastic bands and pockets inside the front and back covers.
• The deluxe version also has a leather pen holder that is stitched into the cover and is quite sturdy.
• The Chic Sparrow comes in all sorts of colors, not just brown and black.
• This cover can accommodate at least four notebooks (and plenty more, depending on how thick you're willing to go).

Cons

• The Chic Sparrow notebook cover is more expensive than the Traveler's Notebook brand covers, but you get more bang for your buck.
• You can't choose the elastic color for your notebook. It would be great if they would offer that as an option.
• Because notebooks are made in small batches, you may have to wait a while before you can order the style you desire.

**I purchased the Chic Sparrow American Dream Deluxe in Tranquility with my own funds and was not compensated for this review.

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The Pen Addict Retro 51 Is Here!

My first pen collaboration could not have turned out any better, and I have my friends at Retro 51 to thank for that.

The Pen Addict Retro 51 Tornado Rollerball features a Classic Orange Lacquer barrel, Antique Silver accents, and a Pen Addict logo finial. This color/hardware combination has not been used before by Retro 51, and is exclusive to The Pen Addict.

This is a limited edition of 300, and as of this writing there are only about 50 left. Act fast if you are interested because they won't be around long!

KWZ Iron Gall Green #4 Fountain Pen Ink Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

KWZ Iron Gall inks are no strangers around here, and that's for good reason. These inks are pretty, well-behaved, and stand the test of time. Previously, we've written about KWZ's Iron Gall Blue #1, Blue #4, Gold, and Gummiberry colors, but the Green #4 is a new one for me. I've had this sample for quite a while, but this one went unnoticed behind other samples until I did some cleaning in the ink supply drawer. Once I realized I'd never tried it, I put it in a couple of pens immediately to give it a shot. Just like the other KWZ inks, I was happy with the results.

To provide a little background, this ink is categorized as "Iron Gall," which really means it's nearly permanent once it meets paper. A chemical reaction happens between the ink and the page that makes it highly resistant to water damage, fading over time, and losing its color over the years. Iron Galls are great for archival quality projects, and this Green #4 is just as good at the job as the others. Vanness has a great overview of what makes the KWZ Iron Gall inks special if you're interested in learning more.

Once you get past the Iron Gall archival aspect of this ink, there are only a couple of other things to consider when using it. For one, you might be surprised when the ink dries either the same shade as when it's wet, and (in some cases) it actually dries darker. Most inks become lighter as they dry, which can diminish some of the original pop of the ink color. Not so with the Green #4. It stays the nice medium-green color and dries a bit darker in the wetter spots.

The other thing to remember when using an Iron Gall ink is that it should not stay in your pen for long periods without being used. To me, I don't view this any differently than other inks, in so much that I like to clean out pens if they've been unused after about a month. If you're mindful about how long the ink has been in your pen, you should be fine. However, if the pen you're using has special sentimental value, or is difficult to replace, you might be a bit more careful about keeping it clean. Either way, these KWZ inks are fairly gentle, and I've never had an issue with pens getting clogged or becoming difficult to clean.

Now, after those differences, the Green #4 acts just like any other ink. The color is a wonderful woodland green with brown hints and a very subtle gold shimmer in certain lights. I wasn't really sure about the color when I first started using it, but I grew to love it because it has an abundance of character.

The shading is a large part of that character, along with the subtle shimmering effect. The shading isn't dramatic, but it's definitely noticeable in nibs from the F size and higher (German standard). It's a perfect amount of flare for the color.

The other fantastic quality of this ink is the dry time. In most cases, it's dry between 8 and 12 seconds. In fountain pen terms, this is very quick. Really, it's astonishing how quickly it dries, and the other KWZ IG inks are pretty close to this as well. Definitely something to consider if quick-drying inks are your preference.

At the end of the day, the KWZ Iron Gall Green #4 is a lovely medium or dark green ink that behaves wonderfully in all pens and on all papers. Just like the other KWZ IG inks I've used, I highly recommend this color. It's a very strong contender in the "work safe" green ink category, and it gets bonus points for being permanent.

You can find KWZ Iron Gall inks at Vanness Pens in 60ml bottles or 4ml sample vials.

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