The Pen Addict Podcast: Episode 437 - That's Not My Handwriting

May I borrow a pen?

I did a little - ok, a lot - of pencil proselytizing this week, as graphite has become my writing medium of choice as I swap over to writing left-handed. We also discuss Graf von Faber-Castell redeeming themselves with their 2021 Pen of the Year, perforated notebook choices, and buying second-hand pens.

Show Notes & Download Links

This episode of The Pen Addict is sponsored by:

Pen Chalet: Click the ‘podcast’ link at the top of the website and enter the password ‘penaddict’ for this week’s special offer, and to get your code for 10% off.

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

Good Made Better: Magnify the delights of life. Get 15% off your Penwell purchase with code PENADDICT.

Nakabayashi Lifestyle Tool Wall Box 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 latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)

You know those sweet antique steamer trunks that fancy travelers always had, where they opened up to be an entire wardrobe with drawers and compartments and hangers and everything? This is like a mini one of those for your stationery. How clever is that?

The Nakabayashi Lifestyle Tool Wall Box is made of firm cardboard, reinforced with steel, with a textured paper surface. The box can be decorated, but also looks good with its plain minimalistic design. The interior is also lined with strong magnets, so the box can stick to metal surfaces or a fridge, which is a feature I didn't think I needed until I tried it. Once I tried it, I realized that is probably where mine will stay. Partly because it's extremely useful and partly because the magnets are so strong it's actually really hard to get it off the fridge.

The box folds open lengthwise, and inside are a series of small compartments for all your desk necessities. The left side has one larger compartment that is perfect for scissors or a handful of pens, or both. The top flap of the box folds up on that side, so if you're using it as a pen stand or on your fridge, you can fit even taller items on that side. On the right are three smaller shelves--two like pockets, and the bottom one like a shallow tray. There is also one tall, narrow pen slot toward the middle. These pockets are great for washi tapes, sticky notes, clips, pencil sharpeners, or other wee sundries.

At $18, it's expensive for a cardboard box. But it really is well constructed and cleverly designed--more so than some similarly priced fabric pen pouches. When closed, the box is held shut by its magnets and fits well on shelves or in bags, and the hard cardboard keeps your items safe. They're ready for a jaunt across campus or a steamship across the Atlantic, whichever.

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

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The Penwell Craftsman, Now on Kickstarter! (Sponsor)

The Penwell is one of the more fun and functional products on my desk, and with the launch of the new Craftsman model on Kickstarter, Good Made Better has me making room for another.

The Penwell is a writing tool that makes using capped pens handy, and the new Craftsman model brings that same function in a heavy, handmade concrete form. Available in either a Standard model or Deluxe (which doubles the weight with a heavy brass base), the Penwell stays put on your desk and manages your pen cap so you're able to efficiently use your favorite pens for stop and go writing with only one hand. The Craftsman is now available on Kickstarter in three colors and starts at $59 for the Standard, $79 for the Deluxe.

My thanks to Good Made Better for sponsoring The Pen Addict this week.