We recorded on Tuesday this week, as I took off for Chicago shortly after the show to visit Uni-ball North America HQ. I’ll recap the event on next week’s show, but this week I went over the prep for my talk, and what I was packing for the trip.
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(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!)
If you're following the stationery sensation that is Plotter, you probably already know that the temptations on their tables have gone beyond their elegant binders. Among their accessory offerings is the Plotter Mesh Case. They come in various sizes and colors, though the one I have is different from the ones that appear on the site. This one is in landscape orientation, with the opening on a long edge, and it is a pale pink color that is not currently listed online. According to the Plotter Instagram post, this was a limited edition for the Chicago Pen Show.
The cases are sized to fit the Plotter binders, but they're handy for lots of things. It should be noted that I couldn't fit a standard A5 notebook in the A5 mesh case, but the design of the case allows it to hold a lot more than you might think. I was able to fit a small novel, a few pocket notebooks, a handful of pens, and plenty more inside. It seems very flat and 2D when lying on the desk, but it has some secret ballooney power that expands to fit a whole bunch of items.
The case has a hinged opening that is spring-loaded, so it pulls open easily and self-closes when you let go. The closure is firm enough that nothing falls out when the case is held upside-down. It's actually very satisfying to open and close it. The only downside to the design is that you can't make it stay open if you want it to. If you're storing a bunch of markers in the case and you want a different color, you can't just reach in and grab another. You're going to need both hands to open the case every time.
The body of the case is separated into two compartments. The front is a mesh pocket that allows you to see what's inside at a glance. The back compartment is solid PU leather. Both appear to have about the same volume.
Overall, I think this is a nice product, and the prices listed on the Plotter site are very fair. The A5 case on the site is listed at $22. That's right in line with similar products you might find from other brands, though the construction of this one is nicer than many I've used.
The only issues I had were the slightly-too-small size (I would like to be able to fit an A5 notebook inside), the fact that there's no way to keep it from snapping shut, and the unpleasant odor that comes with some PU leather. This one was particularly stinky, even after I propped it open with a pen stand to let it air out for a few days. I have a pretty sensitive nose, so it may not bother others as much as it bothered me. And it didn't bother me enough to stop me from eyeing the other sizes and colors available.
(This product was purchased from Plotter at the Chicago Pen Show.)
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(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)
The latest ink that I've been using in a couple of my pens is a dark brown ink from Sailor's Yurameku line called Zare Gokoro. This particular ink looks almost black when wet, but dries to a lighter shade that has some brown-black to dark brown hues that show through.
There are several Sailor inks in my collection, so I'm always excited to try something new from this Japanese brand. Zare Gokoro looks exciting due to the marketing copy that claims this "mysterious" ink changes color as it dries. How can you pass that up? I already have some inks in my collection that do this, but they're most iron gall inks. In this case, Zare Gokoro is a water-based dye ink. How does it stack up against the iron gall alternatives?
Like all Sailor inks I've used, this ink flows well, doesn't feather or bleed, and is incredibly consistent and easy to use. It's an incredibly slow ink to dry, though. In my tests, it takes at least 30 seconds to dry to the point where it doesn't easily smudge. For areas where more ink has pulled up in the valley of a direction change from the nib, it can take up to a minute to dry. This is a really slow drying ink.
I was really curious to see how the ink color changed as it dried, so that was the first thing I was focused on after inking up the pen. Sure enough, writing with the ink lays down a dark line that looks black to my eyes. I wouldn't even call it black-brown because I can't discern any brown while this ink is wet. Magically, the ink color lightens as the ink dries, revealing a dark brown with mild shading. In some areas, you can even detect some dark red or rust color. It's really fun to watch this transition happen as the ink slowly dries.
Since this is an ordinary water-based ink, it doesn't fare well when introduced to water. It doesn't wash away, but just a little bit of water rinses away the darkness of the ink and leaves behind a de-saturated blue color instead. You would be able to read what was on the page as long as the paper survived, but it might be difficult in some areas.
Overall, I was expecting more out of this ink. The color changing behavior was interesting since most inks get a little darker as the dry, not lighter. Iron gall inks also get a bit lighter as they dry, which is something I've always liked about them. It was one of their unique qualities aside from their water resistance. The super long dry time, lack of much shading, and the price all put me off this ink.
At $20 for a 20ml bottle, you're paying a premium for the Sailor name, and I don't think the price justifies the ink performance in this case. There are so many other interesting and well-performing inks on the market, so it's easy to point in almost any other direction here.
(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!
