The Pen Addict Podcast: Episode 265 - I Know It All And I Can't Tell You

Keeping secrets from Myke, especially concerning brands he loves, is one of my favorite things to do. We discuss the teasing of the latest Kanilea Pen, the new special edition Pilot Vanishing Point, and the full release of the Aurora Minerali. We also chat about my recent reviews, and how giddy I am that the Uni-ball Signo DX 0.38 mm has made it to US store shelves.

Show Notes & Download Links

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Apica CD Notebook Wear Cover 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.)

I love when a notebook cover turns a simple book into a whole system, with added handiness and productivity potential. Apica makes some fantastic notebooks, and it's nice to have a cover like the CD Notebook Wear Cover that will keep them safe while adding a few useful frills.

This notebook cover says that it's made from Italian faux leather. I'm not sure how fake Italian leather is different from fake any-other-kind-of leather, but it doesn't mimic leather very well. It feels like a rubbery vinyl. And that's okay, little notebook cover. You don't have to pretend. You be you. I'm unsure whether the materials in the cover qualify it to be vegan. It is very durable, and doesn't show much wear, despite being dragged around for a few weeks. There are a few dents, but no scuffs or scratches. I personally prefer cloth or canvas covers, but this is a nice, affordable leather alternative. It's also easier to keep clean than leather or canvas, so it will likely look better longer.

The front is embossed with the Apica notebook cover design. I think it looks quite classy. Inside, it's similar to other notebook covers. An A5 notebook can slide into each sleeve, or a notebook can go in one and a notepad in the other. If you put a notepad in, you won't be able to use the back flap as a folder, though. It can also hold one larger A5 notebook. I tried a Leuchtturm 1917 hardcover in this one and it fit just fine, though the brand mixing made me twitch a little. There are two ribbon bookmarks, which is a nice touch. Inside the front cover is a business card slot, but it's large enough to hold a small stack of 3x5 cards. Possibly also large enough for a business card to slip right through, I'd think. On the back, inside cover, there's a pen loop. It's a fairly decent size, though some bigger pens may not fit. I did find that the placement of the pen loop caused it to get in the way of the notebook a little. I don't know if more use might train it to behave better or not, but it was a minor annoyance.

The notebook it comes with is a standard Apica CD A5 notebook, and it's very nice. The paper doesn't feel overly thick or coated, but it held up to everything I threw at it, including my very wet, flexy Pilot FA nib. There was no bleedthrough and almost no showthrough.

The listing for this product says it also comes with a pencil board or writing guard to place between pages, but there wasn't one in the sample I received, so I can't speak to its usefulness.

I think this cover would be excellent for meetings or class notes. The one bummer is that they're only available in navy, red, and brown. I'd love to see some fun, bright colors. I'd have loved these as a college student--they're compact enough that I could fit a day's worth of class notes into a reasonably sized bag, and have everything I'd need handy. The fact that they can hold larger notebooks as well makes them nicely practical for other uses, like journaling or writing blog posts about stationery.

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

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Robert Oster River Of Fire Ink Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

In Australia, Robert Oster has been producing some unique, beautiful inks that I'm sure we've all heard of. One of the more famous ones is Fire and Ice, which has a lovely blue shade and gobs of red sheen. Be careful looking at the collection of Robert Oster inks — you'll want to pick up a surprising number of delicious inks to try.

One of the new inks for 2017 is River of Fire — a gorgeous dark green with hints of blue and subtle red sheen. It's a beautiful ink that performs admirably at a decent price.

From JetPens, here's a short description of Robert Oster and his inks:

Inspired by the rich scenery and culture of Australia, Robert Oster inks are available in a stunning selection of vibrant and contemplative colors. Made with a commitment to environmental friendliness, all Robert Oster inks are non-toxic, 100% made in Australia, and bottled in PET plastic bottles from the country's first carbon-neutral plastics plant.

The environmental-friendly aspect is pleasing enough, but throw in the lovely colors and you've got a real winner.

River of Fire is a lovely green with hints of deep blue. It reminds me of a glimmering river, shifting from dark green, light green, and blue as it flows. It's a beautiful shade, and there's plenty of it. The saturation is phenomenal, and you never feel like it's not dialed up enough to let those gorgeous colors shine through. This is an ink that deserves a fat, wet nib to showcase its beauty and hidden attributes.

While the main color for River of Fire is medium to dark green, it has a lovely amount of shading between the greens. It shades easily and often, regardless of nib. There are blue undertones, and those come out more when using a wetter nib, so keep that in mind.

Like its cousin, Fire and Ice, there's a bit of red sheen at times. It isn't as prominent as the sheen in Fire and Ice, but it's there if you have the right light. To my eye, it's mostly red sheen, but I pick up blue/green sheen as well. It's a real delight when you see these characteristics pop up when you aren't expecting them. What looks like a normal, nicely shaded green ink has some sheeny tricks. To get the best results for sheen, use a really wet nib and Tomoe River paper.

The bleed and feathering factor of this ink is incredible. Even when using wide, wet nibs, this ink keeps its cool. I've tried it on all the paper types I own, and I haven't seen any bleeding, feathering, or show-through. It's really incredible. That green goodness stays where it's supposed to.

Another surprising attribute of River of Fire is the dry time. The dry time ranges from 5-20 seconds depending on the nib and paper, but I was shocked to get consistent 8-10 second dry times using a 1.1mm stub (broad side) on Clairefontaine. That's incredible. On other papers, the dry time is more consistent with other inks, coming in around 15-20 seconds in the darker, pooled areas. For most writing conditions, 10-12 seconds seems to be the average.

The flow and lubrication of this ink is also top-notch. It starts consistently, has no issues with skipping or stuttering, keeps well when uncapped for a couple of minutes, and lubricates the nib well. This really helps out when using a wide nib, because the ink flow has no problem keeping up with the amount of ink required in such a large nib.

I'm still only dipping my toe in the Robert Oster well, but I know I'll certainly be trying out others. If there was a "one of each" sampler pack of Oster inks, I'd be all over it. It's a slippery slope, but one worth sliding down if you enjoy unique, well-behaved, nuanced inks that pack a punch.

JetPens has a huge range of Robert Oster inks available, and at $17 for a 50ml bottle they are an excellent value.

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

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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, which I am very grateful for.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!