Story Supply Co. Pocket Staple Notebook Edition 407 Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter.)

I'm late, and not even fashionably so, to the Story Supply Co. party. They launched right when I hit pocket-notebook-overwhelm in my own stash, and I was on a self-imposed moratorium. And even though I loved their name (I love stories more than I love pens--shh, don't tell), and I love their awesome mission to bring writing and creative expression to underserved communities--I still was not allowed to buy any more pocket notebooks.

I'm really sorry I waited. These notebooks are delightful. I can already hear my stash growing again.

This 407 edition was named to honor the 407 Kickstarter backers who helped launch the brand. I would also like to thank those folks--you've done the world a great service. This special edition has a wine-colored 100 lb cardstock cover, embossed with the logo. The cover has a gorgeous linen-finish texture to it. It feels fantastic, and it's both rugged and elegant. It's bound with copper staples and the standard 48-pages, here in 70 lb dot grid.

Every writing tool I tried loved this paper. It was a bit smooth for a soft pencil, but I had no trouble even with my broad, wet fountain pen nibs. To really put it to the test, I dragged one around with me on a four-day writer's conference, using it to take notes on panels, write down people's contact info or book titles, and as a general daily journal. I was deliberately hard on it. And if you look closely at the notebook that's outside of the label in the picture--the one that's face-down--you can kind of see fingerprints on it. As in...it still looks new. I was almost disappointed in its durability because I wanted it to look as loved as it is. But you're just going to have to take my word for it--or, better yet, try them out for yourself.

For every pack you buy, a Story Supply kit will be sent to a kid in need--and those voices, those stories really need to get on paper. So load up! Forget whatever silly rules you have about pocket notebook quantity limits. You'll get some great notebooks, and so will the next generation of storytellers.

(Story Supply Co. provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on June 8, 2017 by Sarah Read and filed under Story Supply Co., Notebook Reviews.

Diplomat Aero in Sunset Orange: Update and Giveaway

(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 wrote a review of the Diplomat Aero in Sunset Orange. I noted a few things that I felt detracted from the quality of the pen: (1) the fact that the cap did not post securely; (2) the painted-on logo which could eventually wear off; and (3) the nib’s stingy ink flow.

Hillary from Points of Distinction, the US distributor of Diplomat, wrote me to address those weaknesses. First, the factory is redesigning the inside of the cap so that it will post more securely in the future. Second, all orange Aeros have engraved logos rather than painted ones, so if you purchase an orange version, the logo should not wear off. Third, she offered to send a replacement nib to replace mine, in case it’s faulty. That’s terrific customer service! It’s really great to know that a company stands behind its product and is working to improve it based on customer feedback.

In addition, Pen Addict is giving away the Diplomat Aero in Sunset Orange which was used in the review to one lucky reader, including the spare nib. Read the Termas and Conditions below and enter away!

Posted on June 7, 2017 by Susan Pigott and filed under Diplomat, Giveaways.

Sailor 1911 Large Ballpoint Pen Review

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

Sailor are known for their high-quality, well-made fountain pens. There are several Sailors on my wishlist, but they can take some time to purchase given the high price tag. After all, well-made goods cost more than cheaper ones.

When I received the 1911 Large ballpoint to review, I was curious to see how it performed since I only associate Sailor with fountain pens and inks. The 1911 looks similar to the fountain pen version of the pen, except it uses a twist mechanism to extend and retract the refill tip.

At first glance, the top portion of the pen seems too large compared to the grip section. I've seen fountain pen versions of the 1911, and they don't have the same "out of balance" look since the body is longer and untapered at the end. That thought hasn't stopped popping up every time I look at the pen. And, it adds a bit of extra heft to the top of the pen while writing, too. This can cause some balance problems if you're not accustomed to writing with a top heavy pen.

Initial impressions weren't bad, and I was excited to see how it wrote. That's where my impressions took a big hit, and they're still struggling to recover. Yes, this is a ballpoint refill, and I was expecting something in that ballpark, but the writing experience with this refill was less than satisfactory. It's perfectly smooth (almost too smooth), but it skips and constantly looks like the refill is almost dried out due to the light black to medium gray tone it puts down. The lines are not sharp and tend to deposit artifacts outside of the main line as you write. When compared to my favorite ballpoint refill, the Schmidt EasyFlow 9000, it just doesn't compare.

Shortly after writing a few lines to try out the refill, I was optimistic that I could just swap in another refill that worked better. But, as I went through my stash of regular refills and eventually crossed them all off the "compatibility" list, I realized that this refill is proprietary to this pen and that I was just stuck with it. Bummer!

For that reason alone, I find it difficult to recommend this pen. The refill looks like a standard Parker refill that has been slightly modified to make it unique to Sailor. That doesn't feel right, and the fact that their stock refill is mediocre just hurts more.

Maybe I'm being harsh on this pen. After all, it's beautiful! This complaint is similar in nature to buying a $150 fountain pen that has significant nib issues that make the writing experience negative without some kind of nib tuning. It just shouldn't happen. With this pen, however, tuning isn't an option due to the proprietary refill.

At nearly $100, that's just unacceptable. This pen oozes executive class on the outside, and it feels great when you pick it up and operate the twist mechanism. Once you start writing, however, the experience is similar to the dollar-a-dozen Bic stashed in the office supply closet. At this price, you're not far off from the fountain pen version. My recommendation is to spend a little extra money on the fountain pens that Sailor has figured out and perfected!

(Pen Chalet provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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