Tom Bihn Sketchbook And Pen Review

There are few companies in the world that I respect more than Tom Bihn. Their designs, quality, aesthetic, and philosophy speak to me on a personal level like no other. They have also been a great supporter of the blog and community for the past several years, and when they told me they were sending me a secret package recently, I had no idea what to expect.

I guessed it might be related to the Field Journal I reviewed last year, and I was happy to be right and wrong at the same time. It was writing related, but wasn’t a bag at all.

The Tom Bihn Sketchbook & Pen was a huge surprise, and had me grinning from ear to ear. And when I read Tom’s story of how it came to be, I was even more excited about it. I can now use the tools of the master!

The sketchbook is simple. The pages are approximately 5” square, allowing it to be used in any orientation, and blank, to keep the slate clean. It is spiral bound to allow you to tear and share your ideas, with strong cardboard covers for stability. The Organizer Pouch design on the front cover is a great added touch.

The included pen is the world-famous Bic 4-Color, but in the more portable mini size. As Tom states, having these four colors available in one pen allows him to “delineate layers, processes, ordinal priority, whatever makes sense at the moment.” I don’t have his skills, but I absolutely use different colors to denote different things when sketching, so this is a great match.

If you expect this paper to be used with pens other than ballpoints or pencils, you will be disappointed. I’m willing to give this a pass because this is Tom’s notebook, designed specifically for him. He had to order them in a large enough quantity to get the price down and couldn’t use them all himself!

If you want a fun product with a specific purpose from a great company, then the Tom Bihn Sketchbook & Pen is a no-brainer, especially for only $10.

My thanks to Tom Bihn for sending me these products at no charge for review.

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Posted on May 15, 2017 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Tom Bihn, Notebook Reviews.

Col-o-ring Ink Testing Book: 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.)

Once upon a time there was the Maruman Mnemosyne Word Book with lovely textured, cream-colored cards that many pen afficionados used for ink sampling. And then, suddenly, they were gone. No longer produced. No longer stocked. And, lo, pen addicts across the world knew not what to do—go back to gasp index cards?

No! For along came a fountain pen Queen with pink hair to save the ink-testing world. Ana Reinert of The Well-Appointed Desk kindly created the Col-o-ring Ink Testing Book. And all was well again.

The Col-o-ring Ink Testing Book is a single-ring-bound book of 100 cards made of 100lb/160gsm acid-free white paper. Each book has a thick brown cardboard cover and back.

When you put a Mnemosyne card next to a card from the Col-o-ring notebook, you’ll notice several differences. First, the Col-o-ring cards are slightly smaller (2 inches by 4 inches vs. Mnemosyne’s 2.1 x 4.1). Second, the Col-o-ring paper is white whereas Mnemosyne is a yellowish-cream color. Third, the Col-o-ring cards are smooth whereas the Mnemosyne cards have significant texture.

*Col-o-ring on left; Mnemosyne on right*

I much prefer the Col-o-ring cards to the Mnemosyne. Although I love Mnemosyne’s texture for swabbing, it isn’t so great for nibs, especially flexible nibs which sometimes catch on textured paper. The Col-o-ring paper won’t catch your nibs. I also prefer Col-o-ring’s white paper to Mnemosyne’s cream. Inks look different on cream paper than true white paper, and when I’m testing ink, I want to see the actual color, not a slightly yellowed version.

I received a new batch of ink samples from Vanness Pens, mostly Kobe and Kyoto inks, so I used my Col-o-ring book to do initial swabs, splats, and swirls. I am so impressed with this paper. It is thick, smooth, and offers plenty of space for ink testing.

I like to do my swabs at the bottom so I can see the colors quickly when I fan out the cards.

The paper takes swabs well, though it does curl up slightly when it dries. Like Tomoe River Paper, it displays sheen beautifully:

Col-o-ring books are a steal at $10.00 a piece. The only problem is getting them! Queen Ana is hurriedly trying to meet demand, so be patient. She has pen shows to attend, pink hair to maintain, and other queenly duties. You can sign up here to be notified when the books are back in stock.

All hail Queen Ana!

(The Well-Appointed Desk provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

Posted on May 12, 2017 by Susan Pigott and filed under Col-o-ring, Notebook Reviews, Ink Reviews.

Kokuyo Neo Critz Pencil Case 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.)

The Kokuyo Neo Critz is a cleverly designed nylon case great for taking a fistful of pens or pencils on the go. It works well in bags and converts to a pen cup, so you can perch it on your worktop of choice and have easy access to all of your tools.

The case is made of lightweight nylon fabric with a foam core that adds a bit of padding to protect the contents. The bottom half of the case has extra reinforcement so that it remains sturdy when acting as a pencil/pen cup. There is one main compartment that holds a good twelve to fifteen pens or pencils, and a smaller pocket that can hold an eraser, lead box, and sharpener. The case zips shut along the top and side. The zipper works from either end--so you can access the pens by just opening the top of the case if it is tucked in a bag. To fully open the case, unzip from the bottom. When zipped, it has a teardrop-shaped profile that is slim enough that it fits well along other items without being too bulky.

To convert it to a pen or pencil cup, unzip it from the bottom and fold back the softer upper half of the case. It's a clever, convenient design. I think it would work very well for colored pencils, journaling supplies, or for urban or nature sketchers who need their tools handy in a variety of locales. The thing I've actually found it to be most handy for is knitting and crochet supplies. The wee pocket is great for holding stitch markers and small notions, and the main compartment holds plenty of hooks and double-pointed needles. It's slim enough that it doesn't take up too much space on the table, but still gives you fast access to your tools.

All of Kokuyo's cases focus on efficient, convenient design. Their styles address a multitude of needs, but I think this one is the most promising for carrying a larger number of pens or pencils. It would even work well for fountain pens, with its easily-identifiable top and padded sides--but of course the pens would be touching, which might be a deal-breaker for some.

There are lots of fun colors to choose from, and they're a decent price. I have a feeling my eldest kiddo is after this, so I may have to grab another.

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

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Posted on May 11, 2017 by Sarah Read and filed under Kokuyo, Pen Case.