Raymay Kenko Adjustable Book Stand 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!)

If you are happily ensconced in an analog bubble, as I am--and I suspect a number of you are--it can be galling when digital necessity rears its ugly head. I love to write a lot, and I love to do that with pens in notebooks, which does neither of us any good if I'm writing down thoughts I'd like to share with you. Thoughts like: This Raymay Kenko Adjustable Book Stand is the bee's knees and is a super handy tool if you spend a lot of time typing up handwritten work.

In the course of half an hour, my thoughts on this product went from "This seems pretty handy" to "Oh, this is nice" to "Okay, now I can't live without this" to "This is my book stand 'Stan' and we're best friends now."

The design for this product has been fine-tuned over the course of 58 years, and its simple perfection reflects that. The frame is made from steel, with a thin but strong supportive base. The kickstand can slide up and down the center bar to adjust the reclining angle. The kickstand is tipped in silicone so it doesn't slip against the steel base. At the very front of the base is a hinged bar with silicone-tipped arms that hold the book open for easy viewing. The whole thing folds down flat for easy transport.

The steel is strong enough to hold heavy books or tablets, and the silicone prevents the support bar from scratching pages or screens. It can hold a book up to A4 size, and does well with smaller notebooks also. I imagine a very small notebook might not work as well with the front page holders. Very beefy novels may not fit on the base, either, as the front strip is a bit narrow and doesn't leave enough room between the back support and the page holders for Epic Tomes. But for general use cases, it's perfect.

I tried this out with A6 and B6 hard and softback notebooks, and all were well supported and stayed open nicely to display the work inside. Having the pages upright and facing me has helped tremendously with my work, which can sometimes consist of typing up 400-600 pages of scribbles. It has saved me back, neck, and eye strain. Needless to say, Stan the Stand now has a permanent place on my desk.

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

---

Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

Monami Olika Fountain Pen Review

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

After spending some money on luxury fountain pens, it can be challenging to see the sub-$10 tier as anything but a stepping stone to the luxury pens that we grow to love. After all, they are works of art that work exactly as we expect. They become part of our sacred everyday carry. But, there's still something to be said for the more affordable fountain pens in this lower tier. Every time a new pen comes out in this price range, I automatically dismiss it as "junk" without even trying it. Shame on me for doing that, because there's no rule that says any pen under $75 can't write beautifully. And that's exactly what the Monami Olika has reminded me.

At first glance, the Olika is a plastic-barrelled pen that seems more like a gamble than a solid entry level fountain pen. Luckily, $6 isn't much of a gamble, and I'm really glad I tried it out.

Like other entry level pens, the color of the barrel matches the color of the ink. In the case of the transparent models, the rubbery grip section matches the color of the ink inside. I've always enjoyed the matching nature of these cheap pens, and the Olika is no different. I opted for the standard blue model, but was pleasantly surprised once I popped the cartridge in and started writing. The blue is a vibrant, exciting shade that flows smoothly and even has a bit of shading quality. It's not at all what I was expecting, but that's a good thing!

Along with the pen, you also receive three ink cartridges in the color you chose. This is a generous inclusion for such a cheap pen, especially considering the price for a five-pack of cartridges ($5.50, same price as the pen). Even though JetPens doesn't state this, the cartridges will fit most standard international sections. The only difference between this cartridge and the international short cartridges are the diameter and length.

The production quality of this pen is on par with the price. It feels better than the Platinum Preppy, but very similar to the Pilot Petit line. It can surely survive several incidents in your bag, but it will eventually break if you use it a lot. These pens aren't meant to be disposable, but they're also not heirloom quality.

Writing with the pen is comfortable. It's a leightweight pen that features a soft grip section, so long writing sessions are a breeze. The nib I chose is the fine, but you can also pick up an extra fine variant. The extra fine nib only comes on the transparent model, while the fine is reserved for the fully colored barrels.

I've used this pen a lot more than I expected I would. My only regret so far is only purchasing one color. I'll be correcting that on my next order.

The Monami Olika is available in several vibrant, fun colors, and each pen includes three cartridges and costs $5.50. These make great gifts, excellent beginner pens, and fantastic portable pens.

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

---

Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

Caran d’Ache 849 Claim Your Style Ballpoint Pen Giveaway

Image via Goldspot

It took me a while to “get” Caran d’Ache as a brand. I admired them from afar, but always questioned whether the price tag was worth it. As I’ve used more and more products from them over the years, I figured out for myself how great they are, and now I look forward to their new releases.

The 849 Claim Your Style Ballpoint is the latest, designed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 849 model. There are six color ways to choose from (all amazing!), and the winner of this giveaway will be able to choose their favorite and Claim Your Style. Read the rules below and enter away!

Caran d’Ache 849 Claim Your Style Ballpoint Pen Giveaway