Do the new 2024 Lamy Safari Limited Editions pass the vibe check? It’s a mixed bag, which I explore on this week’s episode. Myke and also discuss the new Keepbook from Studio Neat, my Girologio experience, and a knockout new Retro 51.
This episode of The Pen Addict is sponsored by:
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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 her latest book, Root Rot, is now available for pre-order!)
Last year, overwhelmed with work, school, travel, and writing, I aimed to simplify my life by trying to use stationery with multiple uses. Less to carry, more versatility, everything I needed at hand. It got me through a tough year. But I missed using some of the things I love. Did the purely utilitarian approach work? Yes. Is it for me? No. I want to indulge in the endless variety of stationery glee.
This year, overwhelmed with work and more work, and writing and more writing (but no school and much less travel), I'm reverting to the more playful approach to my notebooks. Which means lots and lots of notebooks.
In this post, I'll focus on my daily carry notebooks. Because if we talk about all of them, we'll be here all day.
First up, the planner. The nerve center. The external hard drive of my brain. I'm using a Hobonichi Techo Weeks this year, which I know from extensive field testing, is the best layout for me. Seeing a month at a glance is essential, as is the week-at-a-glance page, and room on the right page to make my to-do list is the perfect time management setup for me. One adaptation I make is that I add the Weeks Memo Book tucked inside the cover for some extra blank note taking pages. In that, I do time-blocking for busier weeks and make important long-term notes that I don't need in the back of the book itself. A Weeks Mega would eliminate the need for the extra memo book, but the Mega only comes in plain, boring covers and I need the fun, pretty covers. Notably (for me), I'm not using the zippered cover for my weeks this year. I always have in the past, but I've found I'm much more likely to use my planner if it's not in a case. I've also come to realize that having my planner and wallet in one system doesn't work for me, as I need to take my planner a lot of places where I do not want to bring my wallet. I also hate how the ribbon bookmark gets shredded by the zipper. And why would I want to cover up the pretty design on this one? So far, after December and January use, it's working great.
My writing notebook right now is the Pebble Stationery Cosmo Air Light A5 notebook with a fresh sheet of blotting paper. That's where new drafts are written after they're planned. I reviewed this in the past, and I love it, but it's filling up fast, so it will be switched out in the next few weeks. The planning for these stories happens in my commonplace book.
My commonplace book for this year (and a good part of last year) is my Plotter Bible Size. I got the Plotter Mini 5 at the Chicago Pen Show last May to try them out and see if I liked the setup. I did, alas. So I went all-in on the black leather Bible Size version, and I have no regrets. I have different sections separated out with their project manager inserts, so I can keep adulting stuff apart from writing stuff apart from hobby stuff. No work things go in this notebook--I have a separate notebook just for work, currently a Leuchtturm 1917 softcover (not shown, because work stays at work!). When I do travel this year, this will be the only notebook I bring.
Lastly, and a recent addition to my lineup, is a separate reading journal. Normally, reading journaling goes in my commonplace book, but this year I wanted to give it more space, and its own space. I also found myself missing my Traveler's Notebook that was my steadfast companion last year. Last year's was the passport size, but I still have my treasured early edition regular size, from back when Traveler's Company was still Midori. I got some fresh inserts and bands from Etsy and JetPens (indulging in a few older book-related ephemera), and that's where I'll track my reading and book reviews for this year. There's a blank insert; a monthly planner page where I can track start and end dates, book club meetings, literary award jury deadlines, etc.; and a grid insert for making lists. I also picked up the zipper and pocket cloth insert for holding stickers, bookmarks, a pencil, and page flags. So far, I love the setup, but only time will tell if I'll actually reach for it. I hope I do.
Other things not shown, notebook-wise, are the three notebooks in which four different books are being written. No, that is not logical or efficient, but that's how deadlines work, sometimes. I don't carry those every day--just when I'm working on that particular project. If I have inspiration related to one of them while I'm away from my home desk, it goes in the commonplace book. The Plotter works perfectly for that, because I can remove the Plotter page with those notes and tuck it into its relevant book. I also still have my old short story notebook, because I'm still working on edits to drafts that are in that book. And then there's a notebook on my nightstand where sleepy Sarah writes things down for future Sarah (often nonsense).
I like this, enjoying a variety of tools and letting each one do just the one thing it's best suited for, rather than picking one thing that does a bit of everything but none of it perfectly. The simplicity of one tool is still appealing, but I also like that I can take just my reading journal with me somewhere, and leave the rest of the world behind. There's a simplicity in compartmentalizing, too. Even if it looks like I'm living in a fort made out of notebooks. I'm happy in my fort.
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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.)
There are many pen makers and brands that have a product or two that feature an annual (or even more frequent) special colorway that are fun to collect. Lamy may be the most well-known with their special Safari and AL-Star editions, and some folks really get into collecting them all. For me, I don't need them all, but I really enjoy the change and unique colors that are bolder than the normal color lineup.
One of those companies that does special colorways on a regular basis is Opus 88. I'm really behind on this one, but I absolutely love the 2022 Color of the Year version of their Demo pen. For one, the Demo is one of my favorite fountain pen designs, and I'm a huge sucker for purple stuff — especially when some of that purple is translucent. The purple acrylic on this pen is delicious, and I love having it on my desk just to see it. The red ebonite accents also go really well with the purple, and I've gotten so many compliments on this pen in the short period that I've had it.
Opus 88 aren't new to the game of matching up colors that might seem a bit odd in theory. A lot of their designs feature bold, vibrant colors that do a great job of complementing each other. There's an understanding of the color wheel in their product colors that I wish I had. Instead, I'm more than happy to see what they come up with.
The Demo is a classic at this point. The long, wide shape looks and feels great, and allows for a large amount of ink in the eyedropper reservoir. The ebonite grip, butt, and finial of the pen have a lovely terracotta vibe due to the flecks of dark material in the ebonite that give it an earthy clay appearance. And the clip, like all Opus 88 Demos, is sleek and strong. The clip material isn't very thick, but it has plenty of holding power.
Since this is an eyedropper filling system, there's an o-ring at the top of the grip threads that keep the ink sealed inside. Filling the pen is a matter of unscrewing the grip section and filling the reservoir with ink using the included eyedropper. When you're ready to write, just unscrew the back piece to open the ink reservoir to the feed and nib, and you're ready to go. When the valve is closed, the ink supply is shut off from the nib and you can travel with peace of mind. In my experience, there's no delay in ink delivery when opening the valve after not using the pen for a few hours. This will change as more time passes, but even if the feed dries up, you can quickly bring it back to life by opening the ink supply. If you need some help or a visual demonstration of how this system works, Vanness have a helpful video of how it works on the product page.
A first for me, I tried the #6 Jowo EF Flex nib with this pen. I've used many small flex nibs in the past, and I'm a huge fan. What you need to understand about these nibs is that they're not flex-y in the way that you probably assume. A lot of flex nibs are made so that you can get a crazy amount of line variation with a little pressure on the nib. This is great for fancy lettering or drawing, but not the intended use for a small flex nib. In the case of this EF flex nib, it just makes for a cushioned writing feel. Most small steel nibs have a hard feel due to the small tip size. There's no flex or movement when writing with the pen, and this can feel a little firm — which isn't a bad thing at all. This gives you a lot of fine control and instant feedback, which is perfect when working on small details.
But, if you want a fine tip that also has a softer feel when writing, then small flex nibs are wonderful. This EF lays down a small line, but it feels softer and bouncier when writing since the nib is flexing a bit. You can still get some good line variation with the flex nib, but it's not dramatic. This mostly serves as a way to make the writing experience feel softer, like adding a soft-ride suspension system to a car. I really enjoy this type of nib for general purpose writing, but it's not for everyone or every situation. Of course, you can pick a standard nib size or even a 1.5mm stub nib to go with this pen. And if you decide to try out a small flex nib and end up hating it, it's pretty easy to swap out these Jowo nibs for something else.
I'm no stranger to the Opus 88 Demo, and this won't be my last one simply because they keep introducing new and exciting color combinations. I couldn't resist this purple one, and I'm sure there will be other cases where I'm in the same position. The Demo is a fantastic platform, so I know that I'll be getting a great pen regardless of the color. If you haven't tried one out yet, there's no better time than the present.
Even though this 2022 version is a couple years old now, it's still in stock. At $130, you're getting a great pen that can hold an entire sample vial of ink inside. If this purple/red combo screams out to you like it did me, pick one up!
(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount 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.
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