Field Notes - National Parks Edition Review - Summer 2019

July 21, 2019 by Lindsey Kinard in Field Notes

Hi all and welcome back to Duck's Doodles!

Today I'm taking a look at the recently released quarterly Field Notes, Summer 2019 edition.

I LOVE Field Notes, and something about the different editions just appeal to my collectors brain. And as someone who loves the National Parks, the announcement of this edition was just like Christmas morning for me.

So let's take a look!

All 9 National Parks editions. From top left- Yosemite, Acadia, Zion, Grand Canyon, Joshua Tree, Mount Rainier, Rocky Mountain, Great Smoky Mointains and Yellowstone

Design- Outside

Let's start with the most obvious feature of this set- the gorgeous covers. Each of the 9 notebooks in the set are adorned with an illustration representing a National Park.

The parks featured are Yosemite, Zion, Acadia (series A), Grand Canyon, Joshua Tree, Mount Rainier (series B), Rocky Mountain, Great Smoky Mountain and Yellowstone (series C).

These illustrations were printed using a special, 5 color process that allowed Field Notes to incorporate the color of the cover paper (listed as "100-lb. cover stock from the French Paper Company of Niles, Michigan" on the Field Notes Site) to be used in the printing process.

A close up of the detail on the Acadia cover. The cover is the light yellow seen in the clouds.

I'm just absolutely in awe that Field Notes was able to get the results they did on these cover designs. These illustrations are gorgeous representations of the National Parks unto themselves, but the fact that Field Notes was able to get them onto their standard sized notebooks with no loss of detail just speaks to the level of commitment they constantly have to their products.

This edition doesn’t come with a belly band, but each set has a backing card with the info that normally appears on the belly band (the name of the edition, the pages, the size etc.). The other side of the backing card has a short paragraph about this edition, a list of the parks (with checklist) and info on the quarterly subscriptions.

I’m a little bummed there’s no belly band, as I usually use them as a ‘holding cell’ for my yet to be used notebooks, but I also understand that the Field Notes folks didn’t want to break up the cover designs.

The three binding staples on all of these notebooks are a copper color.

Design- Inside

The inside cover is a slight change to the usual design- it still has the 'For Internal Records' section where you can put the date the book was started and ended, as well as a place to put your name and contact info. The only difference keeps it in line with the theme- it gives you a section to put the stamp that you collect at the National Park you’re visiting.

The inside back cover has the usual ruler, the brief Field Notes story and notebook specifications. It also includes a short history of the National Park featured on the cover; the history of the subject is always one of my favorite Field Note features.

The pages inside are a bright white color with grid print inside. The grid is printed in "“Green Earth” soy-based ink.

Writing Experience

If you’ve ever written in the memo book size of Field Notes, this is no different than any others as they use their standard paper here.

If you haven’t, the paper inside writes pretty smoothly no matter the type of pen you’re using. This notebook paper isn’t fountain pen friendly, but I’ve found that fountain pen inks on the drier side have minimal bleeding, you just have to be super sure they’re dry before you turn the page. These pages also don’t work well for Sharpie or other markers.

Verdict

In short- I love this edition and you should go buy a full set right now.

In long- I don't always love the designs that Field Notes put out but I always respect their attention to detail and care they put into their products. However, this edition really checks every single box for me.

Some of my favorite Field Notes editions are the ones where they choose to do things that celebrate something, rather than only be themed around it. This edition celebrates beautiful and unique things about America, and in such a way that feels very...very Field Notes for lack of a better term. This edition feels like it was an inevitable edition to be made, and I’m just so happy that Field Notes chose to wait on it until everything aligned to make a fantastic edition.

If you’d like to pick up a set for yourself, you can buy the individual packs of 3 for $12.95 (or get all 9 because 5% of the purchase goes towards the National Park Service, and that’s pretty cool)

Note- I’m not affiliated with Field Notes or Fifty Nine Parks. I purchase everything reviewed here and all opinions are my own.

Karas Kustoms - Retrakt V2 - Review

June 22, 2019 by Lindsey Kinard in Pen Review

Hi all and welcome back to Duck’s Doodles- I’ve had a flurry of new stationary goodies recently, one of which I’ll be taking a closer look at today- Karas Kustoms Retrakt model, V2.

Karas Retrakt v2 with the County Fair edition of Field Notes

A quick note, I don’t have the V1 but off of Karas site it seems the key differences between V1 and V2 would be the improved o-ring; they’ve built this model with a more secure o-ring to keep the parts from unscrewing on their own while in your pocket.

So let’s get to it!

Packaging

The packaging design is very reminiscent of a retro electronics box. Even the Karas Kustoms logo looks like something that might be found on the front of a 1960s radio

The packaging itself is just a cardboard box with some inserts to hold the pen in place during transport, simple yet durable, which generally reflects all of Kara’s items.

Also they send you a pretty cool sticker with it, and I’m a total sucker for stickers.

Pen Design

For those who don’t know, Karas Kustoms specializes in machined items. They offer a variety of pens, including fountain pens, and some other products like a pen holder and the occasional toy top.

This batch is offered in a variety of colors and body materials- the two toned options (half silver and half color) are all anodized aluminum, the all black is aluminum and there are brass and copper options.

I chose the aluminum because I like the two-toned look, plus I write notes frequently throughout the day and was concerned about the about sheer heft of other metals would work for my purposes.

For weight comparison, the Retrakt site lists the pen material weights as Aluminum Weight – 27.7g / 0.97 oz, Brass Weight – 61.8g / 2.18 oz and Copper Weight – 65.1g / 2.29 oz.

The top of the pen has a sizable band of knurling (the official word for that crosshatch pattern), which really adds to the pen looking “finished” in my opinion.

The clicking mechanism at the top is made of stainless steel, which I suspect is because it’s the most manipulated part of the pen and the Karas folks wanted to give it some more durability.

Clip

I’m a big fan of pens with clips- I like to use them to stick the pen I’m using to the front of my notebook, to the inside of my pen case and frequently to my clothes. As such, I like a clip that’s nice and tight and will stay that way through being manipulated.

And boy oh boy, is this clip here to stay. It’s actually just bolted onto the pen, so it’s as secure of a clip as you can get.

Clicking mechanism

One of my favorite parts of any pen is the capping/retraction noise. I like to hear a satisfying ‘pop’ or ‘click’. And with a name like ‘Retrakt’ I thought for sure I was in for a really great clicky noise from this pen.

Alas, the clicky noise never appears. The clicking mechanism doesn’t so much pop into place as it slides into place, so when you click the pen you get a brief, sliding, metal- on-metal noise. Not in a grating or unpleasant way, but not in the traditionally satisfying clicky way.

Writing Experience

This pen is very well balanced- when I saw the clip was bolted on I was afraid it would have a bit too much weight and “tug” the pen in the back but the size of the barrel does a good job counteracting that so it’s a comfortable writing experience.

The barrel itself is pretty thick, but no so thick that I’ve found it uncomfortable.

When you order a Retrakt you can choose the default refill option that your pen will be loaded up with, but the way the folks at Karas have designed this pen is that with a little bit of provided material you can accommodate different size refills.

I opted to get the Pilot G2 setup, since I’m a G2 fan and have plenty of extra refills lying around. The smoothness of the G2 refill flows really well with the balance of the pen, and overall has a nice writing experience.

Verdict

I like this pen, I really do. It’s not without fault, but nothing is ever perfect. I enjoy the writing experience and colors available are beautiful.

I can’t weigh in on if the V2 o-ring makes a difference, but it is a very secure connection when you reassemble the pen.

I enjoy the variety of refills you can have in this pen, it’s a unique feature to have a pen be designed with more than one or two types of refills in mind so this pen ends up being whatever you need (or want) it to be.

It’s expensive for sure, at $70 for the aluminum model. But you’re paying for a handmade, durable product made entirely in the USA. Plus you get a cool sticker, so it’s a win win.

If you’d like your own Retrakt you can order one here.

Here’s the cool sticker you get for ordering from Karas Kustoms

Field Notes - Mile Marker Edition Review - Spring 2019

March 29, 2019 by Lindsey Kinard in Field Notes

Hey there, welcome back to Duck’s Doodles!

Today I’ll be taking a look at the Spring 2019 Quarterly Field Notes- the Mile Marker edition.

So lets get into it!

A closer look at the Field Notes Mild Marker Edition. You can really see the foil on the Deer sign book

Outside

These notebooks are a standard Field Notes size at 3½" × 5½" and are themed around celebrating the USA highway system so naturally they’re modeled after signs. A green exit sign (my personal favorite since these things are a staple of my life in New Jersey), a blue interstate sign and a yellow deer crossing sign.

These designs are simple but attractive. They’re certainly not “original” in the traditional sense but these minimalist designs are the type of thing I love to see and it feels very much like a Draplin Design piece (just check out this postage stamp Aaron Draplin designed)

The borders of the sign and the writing is all foil, which gives it a nice shine as if these have the reflective designs of real street signs. I think it would have been a cool opportunity to have something else printed on the back but sometimes simple is better.

I also have to mention the small details- the staples are colored black on the deer sign and white on the other two notebooks and the mile marker design on the belly band for the edition. Something I always admire about Field Notes is the little details like these- they really bring the project together and demonstrate how much these folks care about their notebooks. These are little details you might not notice (or care about) but it’s things they notice and with things like this details are everything.

Inside

The pages inside are the usual Field Notes paper (Domtar Lynx Opaque Smooth 60#T in “White” for folks who are interested). The page design is a dot graph with the light grey ink. I’ve found dot graph paper to be the “Goldilocks design”; it’s not as open as a blank page but it’s not as restrictive as lined paper so it appeals to the most amount of people.

As always, the inside back cover features short blurb on the Field Notes company, the specifics of the notebook itself and some “Practical Applications”- a fun list of themed suggestions to use the notebooks on.

Inside the edition- showing off the back cover as well as the dot grid paper

Writing

The writing experience is pretty standard for a Field Notes notebook- fountain pens and sharpie bleed through and it handles things like ballpoints with no problem. This paper isn’t advertised as fountain pen friendly (as much as I’d love if it was!) so no surprises here.

The Map

The map is the “add on” of this edition. It’s a genuine impossible to fold glove compartment map, but loaded with some extra information.

There’s Field Notes usual background info talking about the origin of the Highway Program, a guide on changing a tire, a guide on jumping a battery, an explanation of the mile marker numbering system, a list of toll systems (E-Z Pass or bust!), a license plate checklist, time zones, the full map of the US highway system and, adorably, directions to get to Field Notes HQ.

I really enjoy the design of the map- the Field Notes site calls it “a beautiful and thoughtful data design solution” and I wholeheartedly agree. It’s a clean, crisp and thoughtful design. If you’d like to learn more about the project from the designer Cameron Booth, here is a link where it’s discussed.

Verdict

I love this edition. Full out. It’s not the most original but this edition just feels like a Field Notes edition. They’re simple, beautiful and meaningful designs. It’s celebrating something in a cool, thoughtful way. I’m a total sucker for things like this (I mean c’mon I love 99% Invisible as much as you other beautiful nerds). I can see why it’s not for everyone, and maybe it’s my love of all things road trips that is tainting my judgement here but I’m really excited to use these notebooks.

If you’d like to pick up your own, this edition is out of 35,000 and can be purchased here.

Lamy Safari Pikachu Limited Edition - Review

March 16, 2019 by Lindsey Kinard in Pen Review

Hi and welcome back to Duck’s Doodles!

Today I’ll be taking a closer look at Lamy’s China exclusive, Limited Edition Pikachu set. I was incredibly lucky to get my hands on it, and was able to thanks to Massdrop (Non-Referral Link).

Pokemon is one of my favorite game franchises of all time, so I was particularly excited to be able to snag this kit.

Packaging

The kit comes in a red and white box with a clear window that allows you to see the Pokéball clamshell box that the set comes in. This outer box has “Pika!”, pokeballs and lightning bolts all over and is colored like a pokeball.

Outside box featuring a sleeping Pikachu and the outside of the set’s box

I actually really like this outerbox, it feels like it fits with the the Pokémon franchise that often proudly puts Pikachu front and center on all their marketing. It’s pretty thin though, which is a little surprising considering the thickness of the pokeball case.

The pokeball clamshell case that holds the kit itself speaks when opened up, which is a very neat feature that feels like it fits with the fun nature of the product.

Accessories

This kit comes with the Pikachu Pen, two clip figures, a Pokeball pen holder, and a travel case.

The kit itself- the pokeball holder, the Pikachu figures, the pen and the travel case

The pen clip figures are of Pikachu’s face and one of a sleeping Pikachu. These figures are ADORABLE! The face clip has a bar around the back that you just slide the clip onto, and the sleeping figure has a small plastic saddle piece that goes under either side of the parallel pieces that make up the clip. The sleeping figure is a little trickier to get on so I think for now I’ll stick with keeping Pikachu’s face on here. Additionally, there are instructions included to help you have the sleeping figure clip into the pokeball stand if you would prefer to have it there.

The Lamy Safari with the Pikachu face clip in the Pokeball holder

The Pokeball pen holder is shockingly hefty. I’m pretty sure it’s made out of solid plastic, potentially with some weights at the bottom. The Safari fits perfectly in the slot in the top, and the bottom has a small flat spot to give the ball a surface to stand on. This pen holder is a pen accessory I didn’t know I needed until I had it in my possession. I can’t quite explain it but there’s something satisfying about grabbing a pen out of its designated holder instead of just out of a drawer or off your desk.

The pen case that comes with this set is yellow on the outside (of course!) and brown on the inside. The case has Pikachu’s face stamped on the front, “Lamy” stamped on the back and has a zipper in the shape of pikachu’s tail. It’s a nice sized carrying case to fit the pen, with pockets on either side with a smaller mesh net pocket on one side. This set comes with instructions for pen care as well as a certicificate of authenticity, which are tucked away inside the travel case.

I’m not sure how much use I’ll get out of this pen case but I do appreciate it being included as an accessory for those folks who travel with their pens. It feels like it’s made out of durable soft vinyl material, making it viable to use everyday rather than just a novelty.

Pen

The pen itself is a standard Lamy Safari, but is in an exclusive Pikachu Yellow color, with a red clip and a tail design on the cap.

Backside of the pen featuring the Pikachu tail

I have written about the Lamy AL Star, which is the aluminum version of the Lamy Safari so I already knew what to expect in terms of writing comfort and performance. For folks who are unfamiliar with Lamy pens, they’re comfortable and sturdy writers perfect for every day use that are often referred to as the work horses of the fountain pen world

The pen comes with a converter so you can use bottled inks or a standard Lamy cartridge will work. I had no issues writing out of the box with this pen.

Verdict

This is just an awesome kit. This isn’t just a bunch of cheap Pokémon items thrown together with a yellow pen. It feels like every item in this kit was thought about deeply and was only included if it was functional and matched the fun, whimsical tone of this set. There is not one thing in this set that feels like it was cheaply produced. I think Lamy knocked it out of the park with this one.

It is a bit frustrating for fans that it’s a regional exclusive but I’m glad there are vendors who make it possible to snag one of these beauties. Let’s hope they make kits for the other starters, I’d love to have Charmander, Bulbasaur and Squirtle themed pens too!

Note- I am not affiliated with Massdrop in any professional relationship at this time, just a customer.

Robert Oster x Pen Addict collaboration - Fire on Fire - Review

February 08, 2019 by Lindsey Kinard in Ink Review

Welcome back to Duck’s Doodles!

Today I’m looking at the Robert Oster and Pen Addict collaboration ink, Fire on Fire.

It seems like after YEARS of everyone begging him, Brad finally decided to go for it and make an ink. As soon as Brad announced this collab I jumped right on it- I’m a fan of all things orange, and the chance to support a creator in the community is something I couldn’t pass up. (And also, come on we’ve all been asking for so long for this there was absolutely no way I wasn’t going to be included in the first batch of orders)

So, without any further ado- let’s get into the review!

Coloring

This ink is (not surprisingly) orange! I don’t know how Robert Oster did it, but I’m impressed at just how spot on this orange is to the rest of the Pen Addict’s branding.

The top of the bottle has a slight sample and the ink name

Some of the orange inks I’ve encountered in the past are INCREDIBLY orange. Like, it hurts your eyes to look at orange. Thankfully, this ink is not one of those.

I find that the way that I write has an unintended effect of allowing inks to pool at slightly different places in the letters and this really allows me to get a good sense of the range that an ink can produce. This ink can produce a nice shade of lighter orange as well as a deep shade far closer to the red end of the spectrum.

A close up of the ink to see the coloring

With most inks that I’ve written with, you absolutely HAVE to use fountain pen friendly paper to get the color as advertised. I haven’t found that to be true here. I used this ink today while working and found that both on copy paper and in my Field Notes notebooks the color didn’t dissipate. This is an ink that mostly stays where you put it on the paper, and I think that this is the contributing factor. Other inks tend to separate out on non fountain pen friendly paper. This really takes away from the depth of colors, and in some cases changes the shade of a color entirely. So how well this ink stays down means you’ll get that orange-y goodness on different papers. (Though I feel by writing this blog I’m legally obligated to still recommend you use fountain pen friendly paper)

Feathering

As I said above, this is an ink that stays where you put it. I experienced a bit of feathering on copy paper, though that’s to be expected. Your mileage may vary depending on your set-up, but I imagine as long as you’re not using a pen that’s throwing ink down on the paper faster than you can refill it you won’t run into anything extreme.

Dry Time

This ink was 100% dry at 45 seconds, though it was VERY close to being entirely dry at 40 seconds.

Water Resistance

This ink is not water resistant, though it’s not specified to be so.

General Writing Experience

This is an incredibly solid ink. It goes down at a comfortable flow rate, writes on the dry side and feels nice going down on the paper.

I really enjoy the color- Brad had stated that he wanted this to be a good orange to use everyday and I think he nailed it.

I do feel it’s important to warn anyone out there, this ink will stain your fingers fantastically. It’s been 8 hours and there’s no sign of this coming off my hands anytime soon. Worth it!

Verdict

This is my first Robert Oster ink and I’m thoroughly impressed- the ink itself writes beautifully. I want to note I prefer inks with a shorter dry time, but the long dry time alone is not enough to deter me from using this ink on a regular basis.

The Fire on Fire ink is definitely going to be bringing some life into my notebooks.

The initial batch of this ink sold out, but will be available again shortly on Brad’s site. It is $17 for a 50 mL bottle

Thanks for reading, and happy writing!

Note- I have not been paid for this post nor am I affiliated with any company mentioned in this post. I purchased this ink myself and opinions are my own.

Retro 1951 Tornado - Cake and Pie editions Review (Goulet Pen Exclusive)

January 26, 2019 by Lindsey Kinard in Pen Review

Welcome back to Duck’s Doodles! Today we’ll be taking a closer look at Goulet Pens exclusive Retro 51 Tornados- the Cake edition and the Pie edition

For folks who are new here, I collect the Tornado line, so as soon as Goulet announced these I snatched them up!

So let’s jump in!

Design

The pie version features a teal colored background with cartoon versions of all sorts of delicious looking pies, including pumpkin, key lime, blackberry and cherry pie. Interestingly, instead of having the same teal color the top cap features a dark blue background and a heart with “Pie” in the middle

The cake counterpart features a dark blue (the typical “Goulet Blue” that the Goulets use in their branding) background with cartoony cakes- some of them are chocolate forest cake, bundt cake, red velvet cake and strawberry shortcake. Since the top cap of the pie version featured the shade of blue on the barrel of this pen, I was surprised that this top cap didn’t feature the teal color on the barrel of the pie pen. Instead, the cake version has an orange background and a heart with “Cake” in it.

A closer look at the pie and cake designs

Both editions have nice, shiny chrome hardware which compliments both designs well.

Additionally, both come packaged in the typical Retro 51 tubes, with their designs being mimicked on the outside and the tops featuring the Goulet signature.

Writing Experience

One of the reasons I collect Tornados is because I love the writing experience. If you’ve ever written with a Retro 51, you know just how smooth these pens are. They come loaded up with Retro’s standard rollerball refill but there’s many other compatible refills out there, so feel free to mix and match.

I also appreciate how well balanced the Tornado design is- the clip provides a nice counter balance in your hand.

Verdict

I’m a complete sucker for sweet treats- I love baking. So when two of my interests collided, it was an instant buy for me. So, if you like Retro 51s or are a fan of sweet treats, either these are good pens for you.

Both these editions are limited out of 500, and both are still available (as of writing this post) for $46.60 each on Goulet’s site- here’s the cake and here’s the pie .

In the interest of clarity, I’m unaffiliated with either Retro 51 or the Goulet company.

Uni Kuru Toga review- My Neighbor Totoro edition

January 05, 2019 by Lindsey Kinard in Pencil review

Welcome back and happy new year!

For the first post of the year I’ll be taking a look at Uni’s Kuru Toga mechanical pencil.

While my main focus is pens, I do find a space for pencils in my arsenal. This pencil isn’t your typical mechanical pencil- for those unfamiliar with this model, the pencil rotates the lead slightly as you write to ensure the lead is worn at an even pace.

A closeup of the rotation device in the grip

So let’s get right into it!

Packaging

This pencil was picked up at a Kinokuniya bookstore in New York City and was imported from Japan- as such a large amount of the writing is in Japanese.

The front of the packaging shows the art that’s featured on the pen itself; an adorable Totoro holding an umbrella in the rain. I don’t read or speak Japanese, but the pictures on the back seem to detail the rotation mechanism of the pencil and compares it to lead that does not rotate.

Now, for the most important thing about this packaging....it was incredibly easy to open. It has minimal plastic and a thin cardboard backing. I wish all products were like this- excessive packaging is a plague on the stationary world and I can appreciate simple but effective packaging.

Pencil design

The pencil itself is slightly smaller than a “typical” lead pencil, but feels well weighted. The clip has “My Neighbor Totoro” written on it in the same purple color as the eraser cap and the ring that connects the parts of the pencil at the bottom.

Folks who have read other posts of mine know I’m a sucker for a secure cap snap, and I’m the same way for clicks on pens and pencils. The Kuru Toga features a satisfying click mechanism to extend the lead out of the pencil.

The pen body, clip, eraser cap, and turning mechanism are all made of lightweight plastic. Even though this pencil is light, the clip and eraser provide a nice balance while writing.

The grip section shows off the turning mechanism, and is slightly “wavy” in shape to provide an actual grip.

The eraser is dissapointly small- I’m unsure if folks in Japan typically use hand erasers and therefore a large eraser on this would be a waste or if it was just a design choice on Uni’s part but this eraser is a quality eraser...I just wish there was more of it.

I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about the art on this pencil. I’m a Studio Ghibli fan (who isn’t?!) and this item is officially licensed by Studio Ghibli. The scene of Totoro holding an umbrella at the bus stop is iconic in pop culture, and this take featured here is a stylized version that feels perfectly at home on this pencil. The soot sprites are a nice Ghibli-esque addition.

Writing experience

I swapped this pencil out for my usual pens to take notes with at work and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed writing with it.

The balance and lightweight design of this pencil make it easy to write with for long periods of time, and the lead rotation made for a more even writing experience.

The grip section could be uncomfortable for some, but I tend to hold my pens and pencils low and it was perfectly comfortable.

This edition has .5 mm lead- I typically use this size and found that this pencil was comfortable to write with using this lead size, though Kuru Togas come in .3 mm and .7 mm for those folks who prefer other sizes.

Verdict

I’m shocked with how much I love this pencil. When I heard folks talking about this or the Rotring pencil it sounded like a nice novel idea- a rotating piece of lead sounds like it solves a minor problem everyone has run into but it wasn’t anything earth shattering. But after writing with this pencil for a bit I have to say it makes the experience of writing with a pencil that much better.

Also everyone loves Totoro, so if you can get your hands on this edition I highly recommend it- adding a little fun into your day makes those meetings less dreadful.

The Totoro editions pop up once in a while on eBay, Amazon or through various import sites, but the standard Kuru Toga editions are available through Jetpens.com

As always, thanks for reading and happy writing!

Note- I am not affiliated with any companies or products mentioned in this post

Pilot B2P (Bottle 2 Pen) Review

December 07, 2018 by Lindsey Kinard in Pen Review

Hi all, welcome back to Duck’s Doodles! Today I’ll be talking about Pilot’s B2P line.

I found these while poking around in my local drug store (because let’s be honest, if a store has a stationary aisle I’m legally bound to at least browse).

I found these mixed in with Pilot’s other pens, and figured I could give these a shot.

So let’s get on to it!

Packaging

These pens come in a set of three colors- black, blue and red. They’re packed in some standard cardboard and plastic packaging that was designed to be displayed on a hanger. The front is a vibrant green color, that features a plastic water bottle with the “B2P” name on the bottle’s label. Also on the front these pens claim to be the first pens made from recycled bottles - neat!

The cardboard packaging is thinner than some other similar packages, which is likely by design to play into the recycled theme of these pens.

The back lists some facts about the pens out, including that they’re made of 89% recycled “content”- I can only assume that this says content and not plastic because it might extend to the spring or label paper and not just the pen body. Additionally, there is a nice illustration on the back showing the recycling of a bottle and the bottles becoming the pens in your package. It all feels like it’s meant to drive home the recycled aspect of these pens.

Pen Build

A detail of the B2P pen- you can see the “water bottle lines” as well as the label clearly here

As advertised, this pen is made entirely of plastic. The pen body itself looks like a water bottle; in an adorable display of detail- there’s a label with the “B2P” logo and the pen itself has those indents that you often see on plastic bottles when companies are trying to minimize the plastic being used in their products.

It features the classic (and satisfying) hefty click of the Pilot G2 line and a clip that ‘s similar to the G2 (B2P’s clip is straight instead of curved), but as this pen does not have a grip the B2P line feels a bit lighter than its G2 counterparts.

I’d say this pen achieves what it wants to- it’s essentially the eco-friendly, lightweight younger sibling of the G2 pen.

Writing Experience

As stated above, this pen does not have a grip. However, the bottom of the pen curves to form the tip in a wider way than the G2, so for folks like me who grip low on the pen the lack of grip would be less of a problem. I don’t mind writing with pens that lack grips, but for folks who write all day it might be uncomfortable and is something to take into consideration.

The G2 refill in .7 mm is one of my favorites- this ink just glides out of the pen. There’s a good reason that the G2 is one of the most common pens, even among those who are not as deeply into the pen universe.

Verdict

These pens are an eco friendly take on a classic- I always appreciate when a company tries to offer new options, and doubly appreciate it when these options are eco friendly. Pilot didn’t reinvent the wheel, they just made the wheel out of fewer materials but it still gets the job done.

I don’t see these pens usurping the G2 any time soon (and they certainly aren’t ending plastic use) but I do hope they become more common- they’re good, light pens that offer a well known writing experience in a fun way.

In an ideal world, Pilot would actually make all of their pens out of recycled plastic- I’m sure a standard G2 made out of recycled plastic would be a hit. But, until the post-consumer G2 becomes a reality, you can pick up the B2P pens in the gel roller form (in colors or in the clear shown in this post) or in a ball point form.

Note- the links above lead directly to Pilot’s US site for convenience- I am not affiliated with Pilot in any way. You can pick these pens up in most office supply stores.

Field Notes - Clandestine Edition Review - Winter 2018

November 30, 2018 by Lindsey Kinard in Field Notes

Hello and welcome back to Duck’s Doodles!

Today we’ll be looking Field Notes’ latest release- the Clandestine edition.

This edition is all about the ciphers and puzzles, and was made in conjunction with “The Mystery League”, a game making company that designs escape rooms, table top games and scavenger hunts.

Outside

This edition features a black matte front cover, a grey back cover, and black text. The “Field Notes” text is a foil inlaid in the front cover. Well, on one notebook it’s “Field Notes”, the other two are *gasp* CIPHERS! As mentioned before, ciphers represent the theme of these books.

The back cover features a handy translation system, which includes Morse Code, Pigpen and NATO translations of the alphabet.

My only negative comment about the outside of this notebook is the matte material of the cover tends to hold on to finger prints. Something to consider if you’re particular about your notebooks like I am

The three pack spread out- here you can see the different cipher keys being featured in place of the “Field Notes” title

Inside

The inside features dot-graph paper. This was a nice return to form from the previous End Papers edition. The dots are a light grey, which is my personal preference as it I find anything darker can be a bit distracting or restrictive when it comes to dot grids.

Additionally, some of the dots in the various grids of the notebook are noted to be out of place which, you guessed it, is another part of a cipher.

The inside of the front and back covers contain the standard Field Notes things- the inspiration for these notebooks, the “if lost return to” section etc. But what’s different about this edition is that the inside each of these books there is some extra information about different types of ciphers and their histories.

A closeup of the first notebook’s blurb about ciphers- this one features information on

The back of the notebook features a breakout of several different types of codes based on the Latin Alphabet

Writing

Writing in this notebook is a standard field notes writing experience. Sharpies and fountain pens bleed through, but most others don’t bleed or ghost through.

Scavenger Hunt

The biggest part of this notebook is the scavenger hunt that was constructed around it. The subscribers were given a cipher key wheel to help with a subscribers only puzzle. However, I believe the puzzle that was hidden within the notebooks is able to be accessed by anyone, and the starting point can be found here.

It’s incredibly clear that this was designed to be a collaborative effort, so if you’re interested I suggest you join in the fun!

Verdict

What happened with this edition is that Field Notes wanted to create a giant scavenger hunt, and then created a notebook to go with it. And that’s not a bad thing! This edition feels like Gravity Falls: The Notebook. And I love it. I’m a huge fan of these types of things; I love when companies and people do these huge scavenger hunts and I do escape rooms for fun. These massive events are a good time and it feels like it really engages the community.

If puzzles aren’t your thing, or if you aren’t participating in the scavenger hunt, this is still a really cool edition to have. I love the black on black look- the matte black cover with the foil writing looks really classy.

This edition is currently available for $12.95 plus shipping on Field Notes’ website

Have fun, happy writing and happy puzzle solving

-Duck

Retro 1951 Tornado Review - London Skyline edition

November 09, 2018 by Lindsey Kinard in Pen Review

Welcome back to Duck’s Doodles!

Those folks who have visited here before know that I collect Retro 51s, so today I wanted to discuss one of my most recent acquisitions- Goldspot’s exclusive London Skyline!

Let’s jump on in!

The London Skyline pen with the latest XOXO Field Notes edition

The packaging tube features a seal letting you know this is a Goldspot pens exclusive

Packaging and Pen Design

The thing I love about Retro 51s pen tubes (other than that satisfying pop sound you get when opening it) is that it really gives you a chance to admire the detail of artwork on the pen. This is especially true on the skyline series, since so many little details are included on these pens.

This pen features some key London landmarks- Big Ben, the London Eye, the Tower of London, the Tower Bridge, the Shard, the London Underground (complete with people…and a little dog!) and a bunch more.

It also features some ‘distinctly London’ details- the naming of the boat “Victoria”, the red phone-booth and the blue police box/Tardis and has 6 Union Jack flags scattered around the pen. (Well I found six, let me know if you can find more!)

I really appreciate that so many things are packed into the barrel design, and it doesn’t look overcrowded

A closeup detail of the best top cap ever!

Top Cap and Hardware

So now we come to my personal favorite part of every Retro 51’s design- the top cap. The top caps just feel like they complete the pen. Some top caps are just plain colors, but others are specifically themed around the pen. And boy oh boy, is this one themed.

It features a PEMBROKE WELSH CORGI. IN. A. CROWN. Seriously? That is the most ADORABLE thing ever! This top cap really ties the pen together, as Queen Elizabeth II has had corgis for her whole life. And honestly, she has DEFINITELY put a crown on one of them before.

The hardware is a lovely chrome, which goes well with the coloring.

Glow in the Dark

I am a total sucker for anything glow in the dark- I always have been! This pen has one of the strongest glows I’ve seen, and it hardly takes any time at all to charge up.

The clean design of the buildings on the pen really comes through on the glow.

Verdict

This pen really is a really great addition to any Retro 51 collector’s arsenal. The design is beautiful and the glow is amazing.

Even if you’re not a Retro collector, if you have a special love for London (or corgis with crowns!) this is a great item to pick up.

There’s only a limited amount (650- the number of members of Parliament) so if you’re interested I would act fast!

They’re currently $48 on Goldspot’s website.

Note- this post is not sponsored by Goldspot in any way. But I do recommend you buy from them- they’re lovely, helpful people.

TWSBI GO- Review

October 26, 2018 by Lindsey Kinard in Pen Review

Welcome back to Duck’s Doodles!

It’s everyone’s favorite day….PEN REVIEW DAY!

Today I’ll be taking a closer look at the TWSBI Go in the Sapphire color. If you’ve been here before you’ll know my love of the color blue, so I had to pick this one up.

So let’s get to it!

Packaging

This pen comes packaged in a simple white box with a cardboard sleeve. The cardboard sleeve features the TWSBI logo. Inside the box comes the pen, kept secure and steady by a foam square as well as a picture instruction guide to loading this pen up with ink.

Pen Build

This pen is made entirely of plastic, with the exception of the nib and spring loading unit. This plastic feels very sturdy but is still lightweight.

A close-up of the TWSBI logo on the top of the pen cap

The pen is a bit more “stocky” than other similar pens, having a wider width than most of the others in my collection, giving it a hefty feel while writing. This heft also makes it a bit uncomfortable to post the pen, but the balance is otherwise perfect even with the spring loading unit.

The pen cap does not have a clip, but it does have a plastic loop that juts out to help avoid rolling. The cap also features the TWSBI logo embossed in red plastic. The pen nib sits within an extra plastic seal when it pops into the cap (and it is a satisfying pop), presumable to further help prevent drying. It’s a minor feature but it makes me feel like even on this affordable model, TWSBI really gave attention to detail.

As mentioned earlier in this section, this pen has a spring loaded piston for filling. Since this is a demonstrator pen you can see the loading unit within the pen barrel.

The grip of the pen is not much more narrow than the rest of the pen, and features some molding at the bottom. This is a pen that directs your fingers to hold it in a certain way because of these moldings. I hold my pens low and therefore this doesn’t bother me, but I can see folks who hold their pens higher or prefer entirely smooth grips being uncomfortable with this molding.

The TWSBI GO is only able to be filled by bottle ink as it is incompatible with ink cartridges, so this could be intimidating to new folks. But the amount of ink that can be held within the pen and the ease of the loading mechanism more than makes up for it.

Here is the TWSBI GO taken apart- you can see the extra plastic seal inside of the cap clearly here

Writing Experience

This pen is a medium nib and definitely falls on the more fine side of medium.

This nib is pretty stiff- I could get it to flex some when proper pressure was applied but it wasn’t so flexible that as I was writing it ever flexed. I had absolutely no skips while writing, both in the pictured example and while I wrote with it throughout the rest of the day.

This nib is fairly smooth writer, I was honestly impressed at the quality feel of this nib given the price point of this pen. Additionally, the thicker grip helps prevent too much of that writing “feedback” that some pens tend to give.

Verdict

Do you like demonstrator pens? Do you like pens that load easily? Do you like having nice pens that are sold at low prices? If you answered yes to any of these questions then you should pick up this pen.

While certain features have been dropped (example- the clip) to make this pen the price point that it is, nothing is missing that’s so critical I feel that quality was scarified. The ease of loading it is an attractive feature for newbies and full on pen addicts alike.

I’ve not owned a TWSBI before, but given how much I enjoy this pen I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out to pick some up in the future.

As always, thanks for reading and happy writing!

-Duck

End Papers- Field Notes Fall 2018 Quarterly Edition Review

October 13, 2018 by Lindsey Kinard in Field Notes

Welcome back to Duck’s Doodles! I apologize for the lack posting these past two weeks; sometimes you need to reshuffle priorities in life and this break helped me do just that. With that said I’ve gotten some great pen based goodies in the last few weeks so I’m excited to start writing regularly again!

One such goodie is the latest Field Notes quarterly edition- End Papers. So without any further hesitation, let’s get on to the review

Outside

The Timber Green and Nighshift Blue are shown off here, as well as the debossed writing

Let’s start with the most obvious feature of this edition- the unusual size. This notebook is tall and narrow, with its dimensions being 3.5” x 7”. The first pictures I saw had me concerned that the height would make it more flimsy but I was pleasantly surprised by how sturdy this book is. The covers give it a bit of flex so it wouldn’t be uncomfortable to tuck into a back pocket but keep it strong enough so that I wasn’t worried about throwing it into my work bag. The sewn bindings give the spine a genuine feel of being a vintage personal journal- the type of binding that is fun to break in and see wear.

This edition came with two books- one in Timber Green and one in Nightshift Blue. I’m always partial to blues so I particularly love this shade but the green adds a good variety to the pack.

The cover texture, debossed writing and general look of this edition reminds me of a collection of Hemingway books my grandmother had- which says to me they nailed the intent.

Inside

The size of this edition isn’t the only unique thing; the paper is lined on the right hand side and blank on the left, much like the Arts edition from the “Arts and Sciences” quarterly release.

This book features a similar paper and identical, sewn bindings to the Dime Novel edition. The paper in the Dime Novel edition is probably my favorite paper I’ve experienced in a Field Notes book to date so this was a nice treat. The lined pages are lined in a light grey color, which helps the vintage feel of this notebook.

The ‘end papers’ (that traditionally serve as structural binding in books) are faithful recreations of two very unique 19th century end papers . I also encourage you to watch the video posted in the page for this edition, it’s entirely mesmerizing to see how the paper is marbled to create these looks. Because of these end papers, the usual Field Notes information and “This notebook belongs to” page are on the first available non- end paper page.

One of the 19th century end papers recreated

Verdict

I wasn’t sure how to feel about this edition when it was announced- to be blunt I wasn’t thrilled. I enjoy the usual Field Notes size, as it’s much more practical for my daily use. I also was uneasy about the one side lined one side blank paper lineup.

But then I actually got this edition in my hands and I realized that while for some these are a perfect every day use edition, for me these are meant to be a special use notebook. This is meant to mimic the old school personal journals and they absolutely hit that mark.

This edition feels like it’s meant to be a very personal use item; meant to help you keep track of what you’ve done and where you’ve been while doing it. Maybe it’s because these notebooks remind me of the Ernest Hemingway books my grandmother left me when she died, or maybe the recent break has had me thinking about the things I want to keep track of in my life, but this edition feels like it’s going to have a special place in my heart.

This edition is currently available at $12.95 a set on the Field Notes site

As always, thanks for reading and happy writing

-Duck

Review- Field Notes Dime Novel Edition

September 21, 2018 by Lindsey Kinard in Field Notes

Hi all! Welcome back to Duck’s Doodles

Today I’ll be talking about one of my favorite subjects ever….FIELD NOTES!

Every Field Nut is waiting in anticipation for the next quarterly release, so I figured now would be a perfect time to discuss last year’s fall quarterly release, and one of my most recent Field Note acquisitions, the Dime Novel Edition

Field Notes Dime Novel Edition- Font Cover

Field Notes Dime Novel Edition- Back Cover

Outside

Let’s start with a discussion of the outside of the notebook.

As noted on the web page for the Dime Novel Edition, the folks over at Field Notes were inspired by the Beadles brothers. The brothers printed up inexpensive books on a variety of subjects, and then began to release novels in this format. Once the novels were printed up, the demand for pocket sized stories took off.

Field Notes used the orangey cover for their book, coming pretty close to the featured photo of an original (well worn) Dime Novel. Another clear bit of inspiration is the double lined black boarder surrounding the text, a very clear riff on the original Dime Novel black boarder.

One of my favorite details that is featured here is the Field Notes ‘seal’, embossed prominently in the middle of the book, just as the “One Dime” seal is featured on the original Dime Novels.

All in all, I’d say the folks gave this notebook the look of the classic Dime Novels that they were looking to emulate.

Inside

The insides of either cover contain their standard Field Notes items- a ruler, specifications, a start date/end date field, a place to return, general Field Notes info and the info on the specific edition.

There are a few items that are atypical about the inside of this edition. The printing press image on the first page, as well as the page numbers on the top left corners are the first two that jump out at me.

What’s notably different is the pages themselves- the paper feels a bit thicker than most of the other editions I’ve owned and instead of the traditional staples, the binding is sewn.

The paper is also blank, which I found to be a curious choice for this edition- though I suppose many folks aren’t fans of lined Field Notes and lined or blank would be the types of paper that would be at home in this edition.

Writing

This paper lends itself to a nice writing experience with a variety of writing instruments. It takes fountain pen ink and highlighting well, and did about as well as one could hope with a Sharpie marker.

There was some ghosting on the other side, and this paper did offer a bit more “feedback” while writing than some others, but it really added to the overall feel of the notebook itself

I could see some other folks not enjoying the way this book is bound- it seems to be more like three smaller notebooks sewn into the larger one, which makes it a bit awkward to have lay flat. So if you were planning on using this notebook for a regular writing notebook, that’s something to consider

Verdict

I love this edition. I love the paper, I love how durable the cover is, I love the sewn binding, I love the debossed printing, I love the size, I love the look. I love everything about this edition.

Truly, I think this is one of Field Notes best works to date. The detail and the passion that went into researching this edition is what Field Notes is all about. Fusing niche loves of American history with modern design and bringing it to a whole new generation of folks to enjoy.

These have sold out, but you can get your hands on them fairly easily on eBay or from various re-sellers. And if you can get a copy, I suggest you do.

Thanks for reading, happy writing!

-Duck

Rhodia Softcover Notebook- Review

August 21, 2018 by Lindsey Kinard

Welcome back to Duck's Doodles!

Today we'll be discussing my latest acquisition; my Rhodia soft cover notebook.

I'm not as much of a paper junkie as I am a pen junkie, but paper is slowly something I'm learning about since it is such a key part of the writing experience.

Rhodia is such a famous company for their quality notebooks that behave well with fountain pens, so their products have been on my list to try for a while now. I've had various Rhodia products sitting in my cart on no less than 3 websites, but I could never justify adding ANOTHER notebook, when I've still got stacks of Field Notes.

And then I made the trip with some family members to a different mall than the one we usually frequent. I was looking for some cards in the clearance bin, when my Mom asked if these notebooks were something I was interested in. Lo and behold there was a STACK of Rhodia notebooks! In the clearance bin!

So I did what any normal pen junkie would do and bought four- this soft cover notebook and 3 three-staples notebooks. (I would have bought the other few notebooks that were there but they were in pretty terrible condition).

Anyhow, on to the review!

Cover

This notebook is a flexible covered book. When I say flexible I mean FLEXIBLE. It's also one of the softest materials I've encountered for a notebook (it's leatherette), a pleasant surprise. It comes armed with an elastic band to help keep the notebook closed as well as a ribbon to mark your place. It's a lovely purple color, with the Rhodia name and logo embossed on the cover.

The notebook is a glued spine book, so you may have some struggles having it lay perfectly flat, but in the few days I've been writing in this notebook I haven't found it to be quite as significant of a problem as I've encountered with other glued spine notebooks. It also features a pocket on the inside of the back cover.

Paper

The paper inside is a 90 gsm paper branded as Clairefontaine, and has a dot grid. These dots are rather pronounced because of their darker grey color, but I haven't found it to hinder my writing. I also feel that these dots are a bit more pronounced because of the ivory shade of the paper.

This particular notebook comes loaded up with 80 sheets of paper.

The writing demo page for the Rhodia notebook

Writing Experience

I'm happy to report that the discussion surrounding how this paper deals with fountain pen ink is true; it's some of the best paper I've written on with my pens. In fact, it dealt well with just about every type of ink that I put on to it. There as minimal bleed through, with the only noticeable ink that had bleed through being the Sharpie marker.

I feel that rather than "soak up" the ink this paper really locks it in place and sets the ink. I have not really encountered any feathering from the inks I've written in this notebook with.

The smoothness of the paper lends itself removes a lot of the "feedback" that can come with other papers, so that's something to consider if you're interested in this notebook.

Verdict

I'd happily recommend this to anyone looking for a new notebook. The paper feels great, the dot grid is a plus and the color combination of the purple and orange is unique and fun (there's also TONS of other colors to choose from). The leatherette material that the cover is made of seems like it will wear well.

Rhodia's notebooks look and feel like you're getting a high end product, with the price tag to more than justify buying a product or two. I look forward to this notebook being a regular in my rotation.

Jinhao 993 Shark Pen- Review

August 10, 2018 by Lindsey Kinard

Welcome back to Duck's Doodles!

Today I'll be taking a closer look at Jinhao's 993 Shark fountain pen.

In case the name of the blog didn't give it away, I'm a big animal lover in general. Most of the animals I gush over are the traditionally cute, fuzzy ones (dogs, cats, red pandas etc.). One that I still love, but gushing over is much less acceptable, is sharks!

I. Love. Sharks.

Growing up in New Jersey, the beach and all sorts of water creatures were part of life. I was always particularly fascinated by marine biology as a kid, something my parents happily encouraged.

And then I was about 10 and my mom showed me Jaws. It was over, I had found my new favorite obsession. I mean, come on how COOL is that movie? Jaws has since become a regular viewing in my house, and my love for sharks hasn't changed.

All that being said, when I saw this pen I had to have it.

Writing sample using the Jinhao 993 Shark pen and Diamine's Flamingo Pink ink

Pen Build

Full body shot of the Jinhao 993 Shark pen

The pen itself is made entirely of plastic, except for the nib which is steel. For being entirely of plastic, it feels fairly sturdy. The plastic makes it lightweight, and the clear body of the pen is neat for those who enjoy demonstrator-type pens.

The "shark" part is actually the pen cap, which is a threaded twist on cap. The cap is postable and fits very snugly on the end. The shark fin replaces the clip, so while this is a clipless pen this pen won't roll away if you have the cap on or posted.

The nib is a hooded nib, something prior to purchasing this pen I had no idea existed. (Some quick research tells me hooded nibs make converter filling easier, keeps the nib from drying out and for those folks who write very low down it helps keep ink off their fingers- you learn something new every day!) This nib is an extra fine nib and is the only one out of this line's sizes that has a hooded nib, so if you're not a fan of hooded nibs there's other options.

The grip of the pen is a slightly triangular shape, in the vein of the Lamy Safari/AL Star grip, but not quite as dramatic. Calling it a triangle shape grip may even be a bit of an overstatement, as it really is just two slight indents on either side of the grip

The pen itself is compatible with Standard International short ink cartridges, but comes with a converter. This pen can also be pretty easily converted into an eyedropper compatible pen, but that's a discussion for another day.

Close up of the hooded nib and threading for the shark cap

Writing Experience

This is the first extra-fine nib I've ever owned, and considering that Jinhao is a Chinese company their extra fine nib is REALLY extra fine.

The nib itself writes well enough; I have two of these pens (one blue and one black) and in one of them I've noticed some minor skips and slight ink flow issues with various types of ink (primarily Noodler's and Diamine), but the other had no problems. I suspect it's just an inconsistency in the feed, which Jinhao has a bit of a reputation for. (On the subject of ink, the hooded nib really did make it a bit easier for me to load these up with ink.)

Scratchy isn't quite the word for how this EF nib feels, I would say it provides a lot of feedback; there is so much less room between your hand and the paper that you get a lot of the feeling of the pen writing directly on the paper. For those folks who enjoy a super smooth writing experience, this may not be the nib choice for you. For my personal tastes, the feedback sensation wasn't so great that I wouldn't regularly use this pen.

Verdict

Do you like sharks? Do you like pretty colors? Do you like great deals? If you answered yes to any of these get this pen. These pens make a great first pen for kids and fountain pen newbies, and are a cute addition to the collection of a fountain pen fanatic.

These pens are available in all sorts of colors, including orange, blue, black, purple, lime green, white, pink, magenta, red and yellow.

Truth be told, for the $3 I spent on these pens I was not expecting much from them and I was pleasantly surprised. They're no Visconti, but they get the job done and look adorable doing it.

They're available on Amazon in a 6 pack for $12 or individually from Goulet for $3.95 a piece.

Note- nothing linked in this blog is an affiliate link

Noodler's Ink- Liberty's Elysium- Review

August 07, 2018 by Lindsey Kinard in Ink Review

Welcome back to Duck's Doodles, today the topic of discussion is the Goulet Pens exclusive shade of Noodler's Ink, Liberty's Elysium.

This ink is marketed as "water resistant and semi-bulletproof" ink. (Noodler's defines their bullet proof classification as "Noodler’s Ink that resists all the known tools of a forger, UV light, UV light wands, bleaches, alcohols, solvents, petrochemicals, oven cleaners, carpet cleaners, carpet stain lifters, and of course…they are also waterproof once permitted to dry upon cellulose paper.")

For this ink test, I used the Starbucks' Reserve Field Notes. In addition to this ink test, I wrote with this ink for the day at work in my Three Missions Field Notes notebook and some standard copy paper.

Coloring

This ink goes down as a gorgeous shade of blue. It's a consistent ink that gives a depth to the vibrant blue color. It looks like a "traditional" fountain pen blue, something you might see used in a TV show with an older setting or in your grandparent's attic. This shade contrasts well on white paper, making it easy to read; something that I consider in all inks I try out.

There is no real sheen to the ink and very little variation as I was writing.

The name of Liberty's Elysium is truly perfect for this shade since it hits right into that sweet spot of blue shades that make me thing of the American Flag. Though this ink could have just as easily been named Goulet's Blue, since it's essentially the exact shade used in all of their branding, I'm glad they chose something with a little more flair.

Writing Experience

The ink itself goes down dry, so dry it deceives you into think it's dry when it's not....speaking from personal note taking experience on this one. Writing shortly after inking it up I found no skipping in the ink and the writing was generally smooth.

When I put this pen down for about an hour between meetings I found that getting it to start up again was a bit of a challenge, having to deal with some skipping before it would flow evenly again. Between this and the experience of loading it, I felt like this ink was a bit thicker and less watery than some of the other inks I've used in the past. Goulet's site does note that all Noodler's inks are handmade and that some some variation is to be expected; I'm hoping that the "thick" feel of this ink is from the particular batch of ink I received and not a property of the ink as a whole.

Feathering

On this test paper, the ink showed no signs of feathering. I also didn't see any signs of feathering on the copy paper I was writing on in the office.

Dry Time

This ink likes to take it's time to dry properly. I'd say on a paper that's made to take fountain pen ink this would take a good 15 seconds of dry time, but on this Field Notes book it took about 30 seconds to be dry.

I will note that when I do my dry time tests I tend to do 2 passes of the pen in a down stroke then up stroke, so there may have been a bit more ink going down on the paper than when you are writing normally, but even with this consideration I felt like a 30 second dry time puts it just to the edge of practical use for my every day writing experience and certainly is a consideration for any lefties out there.

Water Resistance

On this particular paper, this ink doesn't stand a chance of being water resistant. The water test on the right labeled "Smear Test" was allowed to dry for 10 minutes, then had 2 drops of water put on each test pattern, allowed to dry for 15 seconds, and then I ran my finger over it.

The "Blot Test" on the left had more water dropped on it than the Smear Test, and a picture was taken about one minute after I dripped the water with no further intervention.

Noodler's does note that their ink's water-resistant properties are really tested on dried ink on cellulose paper, so I wouldn't hold this test against them.

Stain Warning

The Noodler's ink clinging to the walls of of my Lamy converter.

Wow does this ink love to stain. It stains everything it touches. Which, considering I brought it to work, was thankfully only my pen and my finger tips. I ordered up the sample size from Goulet on this one, and when I saw how much it loved to cling to the side of the vial it came in I knew I was in for one stain-tastic ink. At first I was thinking that it was just the aforementioned "thickness" of this batch, and then I found out about Noodler's Infamous Bay State Blue. For those unacquainted with this ink, Bay State Blue's most famous quality is staining everything you love. From some research I've done online the Liberty's Elysium ink isn't as bad as Bay State Blue, but it still has a penchant for making the whole world blue.

Verdict

This ink is an ink that stays where it goes down; the limited feathering is definitely a point of appeal, but the longer dry time may make it impracticable for left handed daily use, or for someone like me who writes a lot and then tends to squeeze additional comments into notes I've just written. I'm willing to chalk the thickness and skipping of this ink as something due to the batch of ink I purchased, but the potential mild inconsistencies between batches is a consideration for anyone interested in buying it.

This ink is such a great writer and a the color is amazing, but I'm not sure that I want every pen I own coated in it. As my fountain pen collection grows, I'll likely dedicate one pen just to this ink, since I enjoy it enough to make purchasing a whole bottle worthwhile.

Liberty's Elysium is available in a 3 oz bottle (with some pretty cool labeling) exclusively from Goulet, which at the time of writing this is available for $12.50.

Pilot Metropolitan- Review

August 03, 2018 by Lindsey Kinard

Welcome back to Duck's Doodles!

Today I'll be reviewing a pen I've purchased recently, the Pilot Metropolitan.

Let's just jump right into it!

Packaging

The Pilot Metropolitan comes in a simple black box with Pilot's logo on the bottom right. The housing of the pen itself is a black plastic container that contains a solid foam block with holes cut out of it. One hole holds the pen itself and the other holds the provided ink cartridge. The pen houses a squeeze converter upon opening it up. I personally prefer piston converters, so I also went ahead and purchased the Pilot piston converter with this pen, but the fact that this pen ships with a converter option at all is great.

Design

The design I've purchased is the Pilot Metropolitan Orange Flower. The pen has a sleek design; both ends are rounded and the cap fits snugly so there isn't that awkward gap between the pen and cap that can appear with some pens. The orange color is a nice shade, muted enough that it doesn't travel into highlighter orange territory and the matte finish provides a nice highlight to the coloring. I use my pens at work, so this matte orange with a bit of flower for ornamentation looks fun but professional.

Pen Build

The pen and cap are made of brass, giving it a bit more weight than other pens in this price point. Even though the material is hefty, the barrel without the cap is surprisingly light weight. The extra weight with the cap posted provides a bit of counterweight for those who prefer that in their writing experience. On the subject of the cap, the satisfying "thunk" of a proper fitting click cap is worth purchasing this pen alone.

Capped, this pen is about 5 and a quarter inches in length, without the cap the pen is about 4 and a half inches, and with the cap posted the pen is about 6 inches in length (though the curved ends of the pen are deceptive and make it look shorter).

I enjoy the grip on this pen; it's a comfortable shape and a good length. It's a sturdy plastic material, a little on the softer side which makes it comfortable to write with. The position of the grip doesn't force my fingers to rest on the rim where the cap snaps in, something I've found occurs in lots of pens and can be uncomfortable when writing for long periods of time. Though it should be taken into account that I grip my pens and pencils low, so for those with a high grip or larger fingers this pen may not be as comfortable for you.

The metal clip to this pen is incredibly tight so it's perfect for clipping it to a shirt pocket or a thin notebook cover, but is less ideal for those who would like to clip it to a thicker surface.

It's important to be aware of the fact that Pilot's cartridges are proprietary, though the provided converter provides an easy alternative if you are a bottled ink fan.

Writing Experience

The ink flow on this pen is smooth from the get-go. The nib I'm using on this pen is a fine nib, and I'd consider this a true fine nib. A fair amount of ink flows to the paper, so this is a consideration when using wet inks or thin paper with this pen. This stainless steel nib doesn't suffer from the curse of the scratch that most nibs in this price bracket suffer from. This nib is also the stiffest nib I've ever written with, something to keep in mind if you prefer flex nibs.

For this ink test I wrote in a limited edition Field Notes Starbucks edition, though for my every day writing I've been using my Three Missions books.

As said above, this nib tends to put down a lot of ink, so this paper saw a lot of ghost writing on the back of the page.

Starbucks Reserve Field Notes with the Pilot Metropolitan

A writing sample from the Pilot Metropolitan

Verdict

While this pen isn't without it's issues, it's a fantastic buy for the money. This pen clocks in at around $15. The design is simple but nice, the nib is a great writer. This price point makes it accessible for entry level fountain pen users, and I could not recommend this as an entry level purchase too. I've heard so many stories of folks wasting more money than they ever expected when beginning their path into fountain pens because they wanted to keep their first purchases cheap, and they wound up with cheap quality (and poorly functioning) pens. The Pilot Metropolitan does not suffer from being cheaply built, and is much more like a mid range fountain pen. It's a great writer for experienced fountain pen users and newbies alike.

Thanks for reading and happy writing!

Lamy AL Star- Review

July 27, 2018 by Lindsey Kinard

Welcome back!

Today is *drum roll* fountain pen review day!

I've decided to review a classic fountain pen, the Lamy AL Star, in the Graphite Grey color.

This was given to me by a friend as a present (Thanks Kellie!) when I was just starting to get into pens. She works at an engraving store, and engraved a few beagles in the cap- an adorable, personal touch.

This pen came with a "starter set" of inks; it included black, blue, turquoise, red, green, blue-black and violet. It also came with a converter so you can load up whatever type if ink you please. These cartridges are proprietary, so only Lamy brand cartridges can be loaded into the pen. However, the converter is easy to use, and therefore a great option that provides more flexibility for those looking to explore other inks.

Lamy AL Star with the starter set of ink cartridges. Ink colors, from left to right, are Black, Blue, Turqoise, Red, Green, Blue-Black, Violet and the ink converter

A close up of the beagle engravings on the cap

Lamy writing sample, including dry times

Since I use my Lamy at work for taking notes, I loaded it up with the blue cartridge. These cartridges are a great choice, going down well on paper (I used Field Notes Three Missions edition), and drying fairly quickly. The dry time of inks is always a big draw for me, since I'm often using my pens to write down notes in meetings during work and I tend to jump around the paper. There was no real feathering from the ink, the only time I had noticed some was when I was writing on a very cheap piece of printer paper at work.

This pen came with a default medium nib, and writes very smoothly. Lamy tests all of their nibs before they leave the factory, so you can be assured that you're getting a quality nib. (Though you may just want to give it all a clean before you load it up with any new ink, just to clear any testing residue)

Then pen also features a grip with two indentations on either side, giving it a triangular shape. This shape lends itself to a very comfortable gripping surface, and also provides a bit of a guide on how to grip properly for those new to fountain pens.

In addition to the shape of the grip, it's an opaque grey color, allowing you to see the feed of the pen; a nice look for those who are experienced in fountain pens, and a great introduction to how fountain pens work for those who are less experienced. Similar to being able to see the converter, these pens feature a window so you can see the ink level in the cartridge.

I'm a person who posts the cap of a pen when I write (that's the term for when you put the cap on the end of the pen, for those uninitiated into pen addiction), and this pen writes comfortably when posted. I find that because of the aluminum material, the pen is actually too light when writing un-posted. On the topic of the pen's material, some people have commented that they prefer the Lamy Safari, the AL Star's plastic cousin, because of aluminim's tendancy to scratch. While I haven't had that issue at all, I'll be sure to update this post in the event this happens to me.

Another thing that I particularly love is the clip of this pen- I enjoy the design and how it contributes to the overall profile of the pen, but I use the clip in a functional way, to keep my pen and my notebook (usually Field Notes, as pictured). The clip has continued to stay fairly tight through it's daily use, something that I was concerned with initially. The downside, for non clip fans, is that the clip is not removable.

While I love this pen, nothing is perfect. My biggest complaint about the Lamy AL Star is something that plagues fountain pens at large; nib creep. This pen has some of the worst nib creep I have seen to date. It doesn't affect the writing performance in any way, but if you're a bit particular like myself this is just a piece of information to keep in mind.

I really appreciate this having been given to me as a starter fountain pen, because I think seeing the cartridge filling system helped me grasp the way that fountain pens really work. The cartridges make for an easy setup, and the converter capability makes it easy to continue to use as I grow further into this hobby. Lamy has a reputation for making pens that could be classified as the workhorse of the pen industry, and for good reason. What it lacks in flashy design, it makes up for in reliability.

Lamy AL Star comes in a range of colors, including blue-green, ocean blue, black and a limited edition pink. These pens are available for around the $40 price point, and are sold by most pen distributors.

Thanks for reading, and happy writing!

Retro 1951 Tornado- The Pen Addict edition- Review

July 24, 2018 by Lindsey Kinard

Welcome to the inaugural post of Duck's Doodles!

I wanted my first post to be a review, but I wasn't quite sure what I should start with. I collect pens and notebooks, particularly Retro 1951 Tornado pens and Field Notes notebooks (because both brands put incredible time into the attention to detail, just the type of thing my pack rat/collector brain loves).

Then, a short while ago, I acquired a Retro 51 Tornado themed around the Pen Addict from a fellow collector. I realized that this pen would be the perfect item for my first post, not only because of how great this pen looks, but also because of it's personal significance.

I began listening to The Pen Addict podcast (and then began reading The Pen Addict blog) not too long ago; from the jump I knew I had found my new hobby. I've been binge listening my way through the back catalog ever since to help me pass the time at my desk job.

Hearing the hosts, Brad and Mike go through the phases of starting their businesses (Nock Co. and Relay FM respectively) is truly what prompted me to start this blog. Thanks to Brad and Myke, for their countless episodes filled with the advice of "if you want to do something cool, just go and get started."

So, without further ado, let us get to the review

The thing that first struck me about this pen was it's orange coloring; the Pen Addict podcast and blog both have orange branding. However, instead of the brighter, matte orange one might expect from Pen Addict branded items, this pen has a more metallic, "burnt" orange coloring. This color looks great when paired with the color of the hardware. Instead of Retro 1951's "classic" shiny chrome color, this pen has a darker gunmetal grey color.

The Pen Addict pen with the latest edition of Field Notes

A closeup of the Retro 1951 Tornado's twist mechanism

This gunmetal color works very will with the Tornado line's signature machined grip on the twist mechanism. This adds some weight to the top half of the pen; this weight distribution can be a little odd to get used to at first if you've never written with a pen like it before, but overall contributes to a positive writing experience.

A closeup of the "button" area of the pen featuring the Pen Addict logo

One of my favorite things about all Tornado pens is the little "button" that is at the top of all of them; the button will always have a design tying back into the theme of the pen in some way. This pen has the Pen Addict logo on top and even includes the blue lines that you see on a typical piece of lined paper, more evidence that Retro 1951 really cares about the products that they are putting out.

The writing experience with this pen is incredibly smooth; I kept the default cartridge in, though you can easily swap it out for another compatible cartridge. I have noticed, through my time writing with Retro 51s, is that they tend to "hiccup"; the ink will stop flowing for a moment in the middle of a word and will restart letters later. I've seen this in all the Retros I have ever owned across several different types of paper, so while it could be user error I suspect it's linked to the cartridges themselves.

While this particular pen was a limited edition of 300 released in 2016, there is a different Pen Addict/Retro 51 collab available, The Ice-O-Matic (it glows in the dark and I can confirm it's REALLY cool). If you're a fan of the design I'd get one quickly, I can't imagine they'll be in stock much longer.

Many pen distributors carry the Tornado rollerball line, and other Retro 1951 products. Most Tornado pens are in the range of $20 (for the widely distributed ones) to about $45 (for the more limited releases).

Thanks for reading, and happy writing!