Posts filed under Papier Plume

Papier Plume ReBirth Ink 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 her latest book, Root Rot, is now available for pre-order!)

You know what's better than New Orleans? Artists in New Orleans. And what's even better than that? Artists in stationery shops in New Orleans. So this Tony Hollums inky collaboration with Papier Plume is obviously fabulous.

Brown inks with a vintage vibe are my favorites, so I was very excited to give ReBirth a try. This color tone skews more orange, giving it a very warm tone. It's giving copper or rusted iron, it's giving cinnamon, and where it shades, it's giving leather.

And it shades brilliantly. This can really be seen in Tony's artwork, which is used for the bottle's label, but it shows up even in writing with an extra fine nib. There is no sheen or shimmer to this ink. In fact, its dried state almost seems to have a matte finish to it, so it looks like terra cotta or dry clay.

The ink does feel a little bit dry when writing with it, and it dries quickly on the page, between 15 and 20 seconds.

Water drop tests show some water resistance. The coppery color washes away, but faint lines remain. This shows up in the chromatography, too, where a grey line stays put on the filter paper, while the orange tones travel up the sheet and split into a yellow and pink.

The ink comes in a blown glass bottle with Papier Plume's signature wax-sealed lid. Arguably my favorite ink bottle style available. The bottle holds 30ml of ink and it sells for $10. That's an "of course I want it" reasonable price. It is a limited edition, however, and bottles are becoming scarce.

This is a color I think I'll use often. The orangey-brown is perfect for autumn, while the whole effect sill makes me think of New Orleans, which is one of my favorite places on Earth.

(Brad purchased this ink from Papier Plume at the 2023 Washington D.C. Pen Show.)

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Posted on October 5, 2023 by Sarah Read and filed under Papier Plume, Ink Reviews.

New Orleans is a Pen Destination

(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!)

When you think of New Orleans, stationery might not be the first thing you think of. I'll admit, it wasn't even for me. But when I found out I would get to spend a weekend in New Orleans this spring, you can bet I looked into it. As any healthy pen addict would. Turns out, it's a fantastic place to indulge in stationery tourism. So I did.

The first place I went (and I don't just mean the first stationery store--I mean literally the first building I entered upon arrival in New Orleans) was Papier Plume in the French Quarter. It is located at 842 Royal St, conveniently near a million fun things, so you can't miss it. Patrick and Renso run the show there. You may have seen them at a pen show, but nothing beats seeing them in their beautiful shop in New Orleans. The store is gorgeous, beautifully furnished with art and antique furniture, with big windows that let in tons of light and a view of the iconic ironwork galleries across the street. And then there are the tempting wares--shelves and tables full of beautiful papers, glass dip pens, handbound leather journals, desk accessories, seals, Italian leather bags, and of course pens. Many in styles and brands from Europe that I had never seen in person before. Of course I caved. Happily.

I purchased a Jean-Pierre Lepine Indigo Classic in Cocobolo wood. I was charmed by its wee pocket size and lovely woodgrain. And I paired it with a handcrafted leather and marbled paper journal. The perfect souvenir match. The only reason I didn't buy any ink is because 1) we were traveling without checked bags and I feared for a delicate bottle in my backpack, and 2) I honestly couldn't decide on any one among the incredible selection. I'll be placing an online order soon, I'm sure.

Patrick and Renso were as warm and welcoming as their lovely shop and I can't recommend them highly enough. You can, of course, shop online--but I suggest a trip to New Orleans, instead. Also, a little bird told me that they'll be making an appearance at the Atlanta and Chicago pen shows.

Later that weekend, I ventured out to Scriptura at 5423 Magazine St. This shop is located in the Garden District of New Orleans, possibly one of the most walkable neighborhoods on earth if you love browsing beautiful architecture. And when you're done picking out all of your future dream homes, you can pop into this wonderfully appointed shop to purchase your housewarming invitations. This shop, which retains a rich historical character inside in keeping with its surroundings, caters mostly to paper and letter writing. Their selection of cards and papers is infinitely browsable and endlessly tempting. They also have a case of rollerball and fountain pens, including some nice pieces by Pilot, Retro 51, and Lamy. There are also shelves with a nice ink selection.

I picked out a lovely postcard, a notecard, a 2-pack of Cavallini & Co pocket notebooks with bugs on them, and a midi-size Paperblanks Flexis with 240 pages, a ribbon bookmark, and beautiful marbled edges. I hadn't encountered the softcover Paperblanks before. I think I'm in love.

I didn't get to chat much with the proprietors, but they showed me some of the past Retro 51 New Orleans special editions. It's probably best for my wallet that I couldn't buy them anymore, but you can bet I added my name to the list to find out about the next edition. They were also kind enough to let me use their outlet to charge my phone so I could continue taking pictures. As much as I devote my life to analog tools, my sketches would not have done the place justice. You really must see it for yourself, and I very much recommend that you do.

I did a lot of wonderful things in New Orleans. The city completely captured my heart. I know I'll go back someday, and when I do, I look forward to visiting my new pen friends there and shopping for souvenirs.

Posted on April 4, 2019 by Sarah Read and filed under Papier Plume, Scriptura, Travel.