The Pen Addict Podcast: Episode 347 - It’s Only Pens

*Sailor 1911 Red Mozaique, via Anderson Pens*

It’s only pens? IT’S ONLY PENS??? Ok, it’s only pens. Let’s not get too worked up here. Myke and I drop the news about our 2019 Kickstarter, and welcome San Francisco to the World Tour itinerary. I also give my very early first impressions of the Wancher Dream pen, and talk a lot about Sailor without saying much.

Show Notes & Download Links

This episode of The Pen Addict is sponsored by:

Freshbooks: Online invoicing made easy.

Harry's: Quality shaving and grooming products, at a fair price.

Posted on February 22, 2019 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Podcast.

Midori MD Goat Leather Notebook Cover - A5: 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.)

In 2017, I reviewed the Midori MD A5 Notebook (Gridded). I use this notebook for poetry writing. The paper is fantastic, and the grid lines mean I can write in portrait or landscape as my mood dictates.

Every time I go to the Midori page on JetPens, I gaze at the Goat Leather cover for the A5 notebooks. I click through all the photos. I read the reviews. I imagine how goat leather might feel between my fingers. I think of the lovely leather smell. Then I look at the price ($84.00) and tell myself, “No. Too much. I mean, the leather doesn’t come in cool colors like blue or burgundy. It doesn’t have a closure. It won’t hold fountain pens. No. No. No.”

Well . . . obviously I caved, because here I am reviewing the Goat Leather cover.

It comes in a simple cardboard box with a label identifying it as the Midori Goat Leather cover (it even has a line-drawn goat).

The cover is wrapped in a simple black pouch to protect it from scuffing.

Made from a single piece of goat leather, the cover is a light cream color with simple stitching around the borders and a seam along the back.

Inside, there are two pockets for inserting the notebook.

Each one has a small cut in the leather that can serve as a pocket for cards or maybe even a smaller notebook, but both are really just slits in the leather, not actual pockets.

There is also a small pen loop. It’s so small even a thin fountain pen like a Parker 51 won’t fit.

But it will accommodate a small pen like the Caran d’Ache 849 Nespresso Ballpoint.

I carry my pens in dedicated fountain pen cases, anyway, so the fact that the pen holder is small doesn’t bother me. I’m sure I could stretch it to accommodate larger pens, but I like the simple aesthetic of the notebook and the pen holder sits flat if you don’t want to use it.

The only branding on the notebook is a tiny “Midori” imprint on the inside back cover.

The Midori A5 Notebook fits perfectly, of course, since the cover is made specifically for it.

Although the goat leather is a rather bland tan color, you’re supposed to place it near a window with lots of sun for two or three weeks. The cover will gradually change from light tan to beige to amber.

I really, really want to use my cover right away, but I’m going to leave it in our Florida Room for the requisite time and watch the color evolve.

And how does the leather feel? Well, it’s exquisite. It’s much softer than cow leather--so silky smooth, yet it also has a beautiful texture when you look at it up close. Even the inside grain is much smoother and softer than cow leather.

Although I still think that $84.00 is an extravagant price for this simple cover, I wanted something special to protect my Midori MD, since I plan to carry it everywhere for poetry writing. I expect it to develop a gorgeous hue the more I use it. I’ll follow up with pictures in a few months.

You can purchase the Midori MD Goat Leather Notebook Cover (A5) from JetPens for $84.00.

(I purchased this cover with my own funds.)

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Posted on February 22, 2019 by Susan Pigott and filed under Midori, Notebook Reviews.

Robert Oster Thunderstorm Ink 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. And check out her first novel, The Bone Weaver’s Orchard, now available where books are sold!)

Robert Oster is an ink wizard. Thunderstom is a newer offering in his lineup of enchanted and enchanting inks. At first glance, it looks black. Just plain old black. But when the light hits it, Ah! Maybe it's navy! Then, do I see teal? Purple? What is happening???

If I had to classify the color, I'd call it a blue-black. It's subtle enough to be a good work ink, but has the complexity to bring some fun to your desk. Fine layers of it show up as a smoky grey-blue and concentrated areas look anywhere from navy blue to black. The color is almost impossible to photograph. Its closest color relatives that I've encountered are Aurora Blue-Black and Kobe 7, though both of those have crazy sheen and Thunderstom has none. Even where it pools it looks like it has a matte finish, which adds to its deep color complexity.

It's very well lubricated and flows out of the pen nicely, but also dries quickly. It has no water resistance--the drip test pretty much erased it all. It doesn't bleed or feather on Rhodia paper or on the ink sample card. It does on regular printer paper, but that's expected.

The most surprising thing about this ink was the chromatography test. I mean... Pink? I did not see that coming! How does blue and grey come from pink? With magic, I guess. But the colors that split were cobalt blue and pink, and somehow they make this awesome, subtle color.

This isn't one of those colors that leaps out at you from first sight, but it gradually makes its character known the more you see it. If you're looking for an ink that can subtly liven up some boring paperwork that still has to appear businesslike, this is a great choice. It's $17 for 50 ml at JetPens, which is fantastic value for ink these days. It's one color I'll always have a use for.

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

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