Filtering by Author: Susan Pigott

Ro-Biki 2mm Squared Notebook by Yamamoto Paper: 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.)

Ro-Biki Notebooks are unique for many reasons. First, they are an unusual size: 3.6 by 8.3 inches. Second, they contain paper made exclusively by the Yamamoto Paper Company. And third, they are offered with intriguing grid types, including 2mm squared grid and 5mm reticle.

I'm reviewing the Ro-Biki 2mm Squared Notebook. It has a russet-colored kraft paper cover that is waxed, giving it a lovely sheen, and it only gets better with age. The notebook features rounded corners and a chain stitch binding. The chain stitch offers much more flair than the usual pamphlet stitch. Plus, it makes the notebook extra sturdy. You can fold the notebook over on itself without worrying about any paper falling out or damaging the binding.

The notebook has 30 sheets (60 pages front and back) of 70gsm New Chiffon Cream paper. A 2mm grid is lightly printed on each page.

The paper is smooth and is thicker than Tomoe River Paper. It also has a more stationery-like quality.

The paper handles fountain pens perfectly. I tested it with ten different pens and inks. None of the ink feathered or bled through to the other side. Although I did not see any sheen in the writing test, shading was apparent with the wider nibs.

I did ink swabs in the notebook. All of the inks look fantastic on the paper, and some of the inks exhibited sheen, though it is not as noticeable as it would be on Tomoe. Bleed through occurred with many of the swabs.

I also tested a few other writing instruments, including several pens, Sharpies, and pencils. The only bleed through occurred with the Sharpies.

Ro-Biki Notebook Other Writing Instruments

I tried making a pattern using the 2mm grid, but it was really hard to see. This is partly because I'm having major problems with my right eye (I've been to the ophthalmologist three times this week! Yay!), but it's also just a very tiny and light grid. People who love writing small will love this feature, but for me it's not too useful. Obviously, you don't have to write within the 2mm squares. You can use the grid as a guide for larger writing or for drawing.

The Ro-Biki Notebook is well made and durable. Its unusual size makes it suitable as a "Currently Inked" journal, a bullet journal, or a place for lists of any kind. I doubt I would use it for writing lengthy journal posts simply because it is so narrow. But, the nice thing about grids is that you can write in any direction--you could even use the notebook in landscape for sketching or writing.

I purchased my Ro-Biki notebook so long ago, I don't remember where I bought it. But it is available at JetPens for $7.75 or from Vanness Pens for $8.00.

(I purchased my Ro-Biki notebook with my own funds.)

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Posted on May 21, 2021 by Susan Pigott and filed under Ro-Biki, Notebook Reviews.

Sailor Pro Gear Cocktail Kure Azur with Medium Nib and Sailor Manyo Nadeshiko Ink: 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.)

I won! I really won! Endless Pens did a giveaway on Instagram where you were supposed to come up with a creative new ink color and describe the ink. I suggested a color called Albuquerque Turquey, which I envisioned as a deep turquoise (to mimic the gorgeous New Mexico skies) with orange sheen (to represent the desert sunsets). I don't know if Endless Pens will ever make "my" ink, but I WON! The prize was a Sailor Pro Gear Cocktail Kure Azur (medium nib) with a bottle of Sailor Manyo Nadeshiko ink. Pardon me for shouting, but the past five years have been abysmal (toxic work environment, pandemic, losing my job), so to win a beautiful fountain pen and ink was like a little ray of hope.

Kure Azure Fountain Pen

The Kure Azur is part of Sailor's Cocktail series. Last year, Sailor re-released the entire series, and there was quite a scramble as people bought the more popular colors. I managed to nab the Après Ski (review here), but I couldn't justify buying the Blue Lagoon (regrets) or the brand new Kure Azur, even though I loved the colors.

The cocktail upon which the pen is based contains Blue Curacao liqueur, pineapple juice, grape juice, and apple juice (link for the recipe is below the photo). The result is a deep blue drink that gradually turns turquoise toward the top and is garnished with fresh orange (or lime or lemon).

Cocktail Image from Magic Skillet. — *Cocktail Image from* *Magic Skillet*.

The body of the pen is a deep, sparkly blue. The cap is translucent turquoise, and the finial is a lemon-lime color that sets of the turquoise nicely. I had a hard time capturing the turquoise color of the cap in my photos, but trust me, it's turquoise. All the trims are gold.

My pen came with a 21k two-tone medium nib that writes like a dream. My Sailor Tequila Sunrise (reviewed here) had a rough medium nib that required some nibmeistering, so I was thrilled that this one wrote perfectly out of the box.

Sailor Manyo Nadeshiko Ink

Ink Bottle

Sailor's Manyo collection is based on an anthology of poems called Manyosyu, which incorporates many different themes, but flowers are especially prominent. The ink colors in the collection are based on flowers mentioned in Manyosyu. Nadeshiko is part of the second release of Manyo inks.

Nadeshiko is, at first glance, a China blue color. However, in swatches you discover streaks of teal and lavender. The ink does not appear to have any sheen (I had to take pictures before my ink splats were completely dry).

The beautiful shading properties of the ink show up well on Rhodia paper but only in the swab and ink bottle where the ink could pool. In my Kure Azur medium nib, the ink seemed washed out. I also discovered that the ink is rather dry, barely smearing even after only five seconds. It is also not waterproof.

Chromatography demonstrates how unsaturated Nadeshiko is. It contains light blue and purple tones.

Unsaturated inks are best displayed in wide nibs, and Nadeshiko is no exception. With a ruling nib, the ink's deeper blues, shading, and pooling properties are quite evident.

Although I like Sailor Manyo Nadeshiko, it's definitely not the best ink for finer Japanese nibs because of its dryness and lack of saturation. In wide nibs, however, it has great potential. It's a unique blue with Sailor's cool color-shifting magic.

Many pen dealers still have the Sailor Pro Gear Kure Azur in stock for $272.00 (but it is sold out at Endless Pens). I wonder if the Kure Azur was overlooked by buyers because of the re-release of so many other desirable models in the Cocktail Series.

Sailor Manyo Nadeshiko ink is $25.99 for 50ml at Endless Pens (although they are currently out of stock).

(If you didn't get it before, I WON this pen and ink! Thank you, Endless Pens!)

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Posted on May 14, 2021 by Susan Pigott and filed under Sailor, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Washi Arts Momigami Paper Making Kit: 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.)

During the pandemic, I've become a paper-crazed woman. Not only have I been making my own paper (see my paper-making posts here and here), but I've also been experimenting with other paper-related crafts.

I am fascinated with Washi Paper (see my review of the Yamamoto Paper Tasting Washi here), and as part of a paper arts conference I attended online in March, I watched a video on using Konnyaku starch to make Momigami paper.

Konnyaku (pronounced "koh-nee-yah-koo"), also known as Devil's Tongue Root, Snake Palm, and Voodoo Lily, is derived from the Amorphophallus Konjac plant. Using Konnyaku powder and distilled water, you can make a jelly-like starch to coat paper. After application, you roll up the paper into balls to wrinkle it, resulting in Momigami or "kneaded paper." The Konnyaku starch not only strengthens the paper, but the more you work it, mashing it up and rubbing it against itself, the softer and more cloth-like it becomes. You can then use it for book cloth, collage, paper weaving, and even clothing.

I ordered a kit from Washi Arts that included .5 grams of Konnyaku powder, a recipe, and a variety of different papers to experiment with.

After mixing the Konnyaku powder with distilled water, I stirred it with a whisk every few minutes for twenty minutes. Then I let the mixture sit for several hours, stirring it occasionally. The result was a goopy, almost clear mixture with the consistency of thick syrup.

I coated each piece of paper front and back with the Konnyaku mixture using a soft paintbrush.

After that, I pulled the corners of the paper into the center and formed a loose ball.

Once all the papers were coated, I began kneading, rolling up each loose ball into a tighter one, then pulling it gently apart and repeating the process.

Then I used clothespins to hang the papers to dry overnight.

The next day, the papers were hardened from the starch.

I rolled the dry paper into balls to continue the kneading process.

I applied a second coat of Konnyaku to all the papers, front and back, and hung them to dry for another night.

I sat on the living room couch the next day with my stack of papers. Taking each one, I rolled and re-rolled it and rubbed the paper against itself. I probably spent two hours working the papers until they were extra soft and pliable. The result was a finished stack of cloth-like, highly textured paper.

Although I read that Konnyaku is supposed to make the paper waterproof, or at least water-resistant, my paper wasn't. Perhaps I needed to apply more coats of Konnyaku to make it waterproof.

Regardless, I was happy with how each of the papers felt and looked. I decided to use some of the paper for a paper weaving. My base paper was royal blue and I used grey, off white, and teal strips for the weaving. Because the paper was pliable, weaving was easy, and the paper melded together nicely. The weaving looks good flat, but it also makes a pretty cool paper lantern.

I used other Momigami paper as book cloth and endpapers for a small handmade book. The paper worked great as book cloth--the glue did not soak through--and the wrinkled texture makes the cover even more interesting. I love the textured look of the endpapers as well.

I realize this process may seem like a lot of work, but it's really quite relaxing. I thoroughly enjoyed painting the Konnyaku on the papers and wadding them up into wet balls, squishing them between my hands, and feeling the texture forming. It was even more fun to sit on the couch and crunch and rub the papers until they became soft and cloth-like. Paper kneading is a great stress reliever!

If you're interested in playing with paper, you can get the Washi Arts Momigami Paper Making Kit with either cool or warm colored papers for $35.00. There's also a mini kit for $15.00. Or, you can buy just the Konnyaku Powder (25 grams is $9.75 and 50 grams is $18.25) and use your own paper.

(I purchased the Washi Arts Momigami Paper Making Kit with my own funds.)

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