East West Everywhere

Then it might be time to check out a Hobonichi! Hobonichi is having a sale on its planner covers and accessories. Head over here to check it out!

Now more than ever that I realize how important pattern is in our lives. Since the global pandemic has provided us an opportunity to reexamine the priorities in our previous lives, some recognizable details that allow us to reminisce that “good ol’ days” can spark small joy. I was elated to learn that Hobonichi will announce its 2021 line-up in the month of August and begin the sale promptly on…

Happy Tuesday! I have long enjoyed Pilot Vanishing Point (VP) for its convenience and ingenuity. Imaging my bliss when I learnt that Platinum is releasing a retractable fountain pen as well. Some of the early impressions on this pen is a mixed bag. Some observers worry that the plastic body will not withstand daily usage. Some commented that the clip placement ruins the overall aesthetic and…

It is that time of the year again. Hobonichi is gearing up for next year’s planner line-up with preview. Stay tune on this page as one sneak peek is released day by day through the month of August. The sale will begin officially on September 1, 2, and 3 at 11 AM Japan time.

Even though I will not use a Hobonichi next year, I am still curious to what the pine-up will be. Will you monitor the page…

Happy belated new year! I hope everyone has a peaceful beginning of 2019. As some of you may notice, pictures from most entries have disappeared from this blog. Due to Flickr’ recent change on storage policy, I have downloaded all (if not most) photos, uploaded them to another cloud-based storage, and deleted the copies on Flickr. Though the downloading process only involves mouse movement,…

Brownie planner A5 Slim

No, we do not have a crossover between pastries and stationery (though I wish that combination will happen more often); my planner pick of 2018 is named after a dessert. I have been dragging my feet on talking about this planner, partly because it is not as accessible as Hobonichi, Midori, Maruman, and other arrays of Japanese planner; nonetheless, Browniewas voted by users in Japan as number 2…

It is hard to believe that August is already here, let alone the next year. I am a bit late to the scene but as usual, Hobonichi has announced previews and releasing schedule for 2019 planners. If you have purchased from Hobonichi directly, you may recall that on the first day of release (September 1) the “traffic” is as bad as grand opening of a highly anticipated store. One important change…

New post! A review on Yak Leather Pen Case

Even though pen pouches in various formats are reviewed a few times in this blog, actual fountain pen case/storage is a rare sight. Besides the one I have cobbled together several years back, most of my fountain pens still live in their original packaging and are collectively stored in a plastic tub. Thanks to staff at Pen Boutique, I received a black 12-pen leather case by Yak Leather, as well…

Platinum Century with SF and UEF nibs

I have always wondered how similar are the Pilot Falcon and Platinum Century soft fine (SF) nibs. This curiosity was left on the back burner for several years because many fountain pen enthusiasts commented on how Platinum’s SF nib does not flex as much compared to Falcon. Curiosity kills a cat. More than a year ago I purchased a Platinum Century with SF nib on Amazon on a whim and it is a road…

I came across an older article that analyzes how ballpoint lens has runes cursive writing. It reminds me of my own schooling; younger grade students (first and second) were disallowed to use ballpoint pens, for the reason that ink was too smooth. Writing itself consisted of many fine motor skills and requires more developed muscles to exert control. Do you agree with th article?

When I encounter articles that mentioned stationery stores back home, my heart usually skips a couple beats. Taiwan, very similar to Japan, is a stationery paradise. Here, Junee Lim of Alt. Haven wrote about a well-known fountain pen store, which I happened to stumble upon several years back. My little sojourn to stationery shops in Taipei is reported here. Where do you like to shop in your…

Creative Boom, a UK-based online magazine, published an article that listed 22 online stationery stores for addicts. Have you been to any of them?

Happy belated new year! I hope the new year has treated you well. While perusing the news, I have stumbled upon a photo essay on one of the last pencil factories in America in The New York Times Magazine. Even though pencils are not often featured on this blog, it is an indispensable and constant presence in daily life. A seemingly humble pencil is a silent giant with many moving parts. Enjoy!

A quick note on Kaweco Perkeo

My one gripe about Kaweco is that almost all models come with stock stainless steel nibs.* Do not get me wrong, I am a proud owner of Lilliput and Ice Sport, but I just wish that some of the “higher” models are differentiated with a nib in different material. Last week, Goulet Pens has a buy one get one 50% off offer on Kaweco Perkeo, which I could not resist. Against my better judgement, I got…

Posts on Hobonichi planner are no strangers to this blog, but I often wonder whether there are alternatives to Hobonichi that will work for my current two-planner situation. Plus, trying out new stationery items is always fun. Obvious win-win! (more…)

Have you been following Hobonichi’s feed for news about the imminent 2018 release? The wait is almost over as the store will be active for purchase on September 1, 2018 at 11AM Japanese time (that is August 31, 2018 at 7pm for Pacific Standard Time; August 31, 2018 at 10pm for EST; September 1, 2018 at 3AM BST; September 1, 2018 at 4AM CEST). The Hobonichi store layout has some useful changes. A…

KWZ ink started with Konrad Zurawski’s wish to improve saturation in one of his ink. This passion has flourished and it has caught the stationery world’s attention with its extensive iron gall line.  The premise of Konrad’s story and ink offers reminded me of Organics Studio; I have reviewed its Foggy Bottom, an ink specially made for one of the D.C. Fountain Pen Show several years back. (more…)