Casual Sunday - October 18th, 2015

It's Sunday, which means it's time to pour a cup of coffee, snuggle up next to the pooch, and catch up on current events.

Interesting Reads:

Things that made me drool:

Purchases:

Thanks for checking out this week's issue of Casual Sunday. Check back in on Tuesday morning for a brand new blog post or subscribe to the RSS feed at the bottom of the page. Thanks for your support!


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Kaweco Sport Deluxe Clip - A Mini Review

The Kaweco Skyline Sport is a true pocket pen. I reviewed the mint version a few weeks ago and am still in love with the pen's design and performance. The pen is full-sized when posted but tiny when capped. The threaded cap ensures that the pen is leak free as it tumbles around in a pocket or bag. I usually throw my pen into my Timbuk2 Messenger Bag, which is full of cavernous pockets and pen slots. It's easy to lose the pen amidst the chaos of my bag, and there's no way to secure the pen for easy reach, since the Kaweco doesn't come with a clip.

I found a Kaweco clip while browsing JetPens, but the reviews mentioned that it slides around on the pen cap and is too loose to be trustworthy. The clip is also pretty plain looking, considering the beauty of the pen, and I wasn't prepared to pay for shipping for a three dollar item.

I searched around the net and found that there is a pen store in downtown Cincinnati that just happens to carry the full Kaweco line. I ventured downtown and asked the friendly store owner about the clips. He pulled a small plastic bag from under the counter containing the clips that I saw online, but he also pulled out a deluxe version. I splurged and walked away with the deluxe version, which looked to be much sturdier than the basic version and matched the pen in level of design and attention to detail.

I slid the clip onto my mint Skyline Sport and was on my way. The clip hasn't budged since. It holds firmly in place, and the clip itself is incredibly sturdy. It takes some effort to clip the pen to anything thicker than a piece of paper, but this means that the pen won't slide off during travel. I typically clip the pen onto a bag pocket, but I wanted a more rigorous test, so I wore it clipped to my pants pocket for an entire day. Eight hours later and my pen was still firmly attached and hadn't leaked a drop.

At six dollars, the Kaweco Deluxe Clip is a no brainer. Its elegant design and etchings match well with the cap emblem on the Skyline Sport, and the clip looks like it was on the pen all along. Just be sure to buy the right color to match your pen's logo, since the clip comes in several colors. I am extremely satisfied with the deluxe clip and think that it's a must-have for any Sport owner.


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TWSBI Diamond 580AL Review

The TWSBI Diamond 580AL is regularly at the top of the list for fountain pens between $50 and $100. In fact, TWSBI is one of the few manufacturers that offers a fountain pen in the price range. I spotted the orange version of the TWSBI Diamond 580AL a few weeks ago, but this version is no longer in production. I love the Dyson-like look of the orange version, but the silver version is a close second. The Diamond 580AL is a demonstrator, so it takes on the character of the ink inside. All I need is a bit of Diamine Pumpkin, and the TWSBI is fit for any Autumn day.

I'll be using Noodler's Bulletproof for most of this review, but Diamine Pumpkin just looks so darn good in this pen! Who's ready for Fall?

I'll be using Noodler's Bulletproof for most of this review, but Diamine Pumpkin just looks so darn good in this pen! Who's ready for Fall?

I ordered my TWSBI from Amazon, since the company sells directly via the site. My package arrived a few days later, and I opened the envelope to find a sturdy cardboard box, emblazoned with the orange TWSBI logo. I'm a sucker for orange, and I just can't get over how great this logo looks, especially on the cap of the pen. A plastic display case was padded inside the cardboard. Aside from the pen, the box also included a small wrench, piston grease, and a set of instructions.

The TWSBI Diamond 580AL is the Aluminum version of the TWSBI Diamond 580. My version came in silver, but TWSBI also offers the pen in purple (not quite my style). The pen is approximately $10 more than the Diamond 580 but comes with an aluminum grip, piston mechanism, and piston housing, which are easily worth the price bump. Apparently TWSBI pens are notorious for cracking, and the aluminum pieces, along with new o-rings in the 580, are meant to address this issue.

The Diamond 580AL is larger than the pens that I have traditionally used, and the plastic body has a surprising amount of weight. I couldn't help but compare this demonstrator with my other demonstrator, the Lamy Vista. The orange TWSBI logo on the cap is crisp and high quality, while the Lamy logo looks like a sticker. The TWSBI nib is etched with intricate nib designs, while the Lamy nibs, as usual, are plain. The Lamy is an excellent pen, but it's easy to see where TWSBI spends some of the additional money. The TWSBI clip does seem weak in comparison to the Lamy clip, but the Lamy clip is Hulk-like.

The TWSBI Diamond 580AL features a threaded cap, with an o-ring to ensure that the cap is secure. I first experienced a threaded cap on my Kaweco Skyline Sport, and I love knowing that the pen won't accidentally come uncapped in my pocket or bag.

Most TWSBI pens come with a piston filling system, which is usually reserved for much more expensive fountain pens. This means that the user simply has to dip the pen nib directly in ink and twist the post-end of the pen to draw in ink, instead of using a cartridge or converter. Most TWSBI pens also have quick-fill ports that can be exposed by unscrewing the nib. TWSBI makes a custom ink bottle that makes it easy to fill via the port . The ink chamber in the 580AL holds a massive amount of ink, and I've used the same fill for weeks now.

Twist this piston mechanism to draw in or push out ink. Think of this pen as a giant converter.

Twist this piston mechanism to draw in or push out ink. Think of this pen as a giant converter.

The TWSBI Diamond 580AL can be posted, but I find it much more comfortable to use when unposted. Posting the pen looks absurd and completely throws off the balance in hand. This is a big negative for me, since it's a pain to keep up with a loose pen cap.

The extra length may seem minimal, but it completely throws off the balance of the TWSBI.

The extra length may seem minimal, but it completely throws off the balance of the TWSBI.

Aluminum touches add a quality look and feel to the pen, but the aluminum grip section becomes slippery after long periods of writing. I find myself mashing my fingers together to keep the pen grip from slipping. While short spurts of writing are fine, hand fatigue is a common occurrence over longer writing sessions.

Noodler's Bulletproof is known for nib creep, but it compliments the beautiful etchings on the TWSBI nib.

Noodler's Bulletproof is known for nib creep, but it compliments the beautiful etchings on the TWSBI nib.

I ordered the fine-nib version of the TWSBI Diamond 580AL and am positive that I made the right choice. It's worth noting that TWSBI nibs can easily be unscrewed and replaced with different sizes. The pen produces a line that's somewhere between a Kaweco fine and a Lamy fine, both thicker than their Japanese counterparts. There is little nib flex, as is common with most steel nibs. TWSBI nibs are very smooth. I did notice occasional skipping when using my Diamine Pumpkin ink, but had no problems with Noodler's Bulletproof.

The TWSBI Diamond 580AL Silver pen is a good fountain pen for the price. I use the generic term "good" because there are several issues holding this pen back form absolute greatness. The slippery grip is the biggest obstacle, since long writing sessions result in hand cramping and fatigue. The aluminum touches are a clear plus, but the few remaining black plastic components and o-rings seem out of place and cheapen the pen's look. The nib did have occasional flow issues with some inks but performs well most of the time. I'd rather forget how poorly the pen posts.

Should you buy the TWSBI Diamond 580AL? If you're looking for a classy demonstrator with a huge ink reservoir and piston filling system for an affordable price, this very well may be the pen for you. If you're looking for a comfortable writer for epically long writing sessions, you may want to look elsewhere.

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Casual Sunday - October 4, 2015

It's Sunday, which means it's time to pour a cup of coffee, snuggle up next to the pooch, and catch up on last week's events.

Interesting Reads:

Things that made me drool:

Purchases:

Thanks for checking out this week's issue of Casual Sunday. Check back in on Tuesday morning for a brand new blog post or subscribe to the RSS feed at the bottom of the page. Thanks for your support!


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Midori Traveler's Notebook Lightweight Paper Refill Review

I love to see pens in action, and Instagram has a great community of fountain pen addicts, posting awesome pictures of their prized pens. With good pens comes good paper, and it appears that the stationary community on Instagram is just as strong. Although I can appreciate a nice notebook, my tastes are relatively simple. I replenished my supply of Muji blank notebooks during my last trip to Japan and have had little reason to consider anything else. These notebooks are high quality, great for fountain pens, and ridiculously inexpensive. Muji notebooks have been my gotos for some time, but my journey down the Instagram rabbit hole yielded some interesting finds. I noticed countless Hobonichis and Field Notes notebooks, but these just aren't for me. The Hobonichi planner is beautiful, but my appointments have to live in Outlook, and I take notes in spurts. Sometimes it's a waste for me have one page for each day, and other times it simply isn't enough. I started to notice that a weird-looking leather-bound notebook was popping up over and over again. There are thousands of images with the tag #Midori. Intriguing... What is this mysterious thing?

I love fountain pens because they have character and stick around like a firm friend. Notebooks yield zero emotional attachment for me. They will inevitably be filled and filed, probably never to be read again. The idea of a notebook that ages and matures, yet can be changed and customized is alluring. The Midori Traveler's Notebook is essentially a flap of leather that comes with a rubber band and a few bits of string. The full-sized versions go for $60 on reputable stationary sites; however, Amazon currently offers them for $36. Refills and customization options are seemingly endless, which is the notebook's major selling point. Notebook refills are typically 64 pages, which is great from someone who feels anxiety when given a several-hundred-page notebook. I was prepared to pull the trigger, but decided that it would be wiser to spend $8 on a refill first, to decide if I liked the paper size and quality. $36 is a lot to spend on a notebook that might not work for me.

After a bit of reading, I settled on the Midori Traveler's Notebook Refill #13 Lightweight Blank Paper (now that's a mouthful). The kraft paper covered notebook comes with 128 pages of the legendary Tomoe River paper, which I'd heard about on the Pen Addict Podcast. This refill seemed like the best bang for the buck, considering that it had double the pages of the standard refill.

The notebook arrived, awkwardly smashed in my mailbox, with zero concern for the delicate Tomoe River paper that I had agonized over. Despite initial concern, the notebook was in pristine shape.

The Midori Traveler's Notebook paper is about an inch wider than a Field Notes notebook, and three or four inches taller. Although the refills aren't as wide as the Muji notebooks that I typically use, they sit comfortably within the the range of both portability and usability. But what about the paper quality?

The Tomoe River paper is tissue-paper thin but amazingly sturdy. My black Noodler's Bulletproof ink lays down crisply on the page, with no feathering. Dry time is longer than normal paper, but not long enough to be a deal breaker. While there is enough ghosting to prevent use of the back of the page, there isn't any bleed through. It's worth noting that I tested the paper with a fine Kaweco nib, so I'm unsure of how the paper performs with a broader nib. This paper is clearly designed for fountain pens. I do wish that the notebook cover would lay flat, but I'm hoping that this will improve after a breaking-in period.

I'm very pleased with the quality of the Midori #013 refill. I do prefer grid or dot grid paper, but the Tomoe River paper is so thin that it would be easy to pick up a grid guide to place underneath it. I played with the paper a bit and felt that it was the right size for me, so I pulled the trigger on the full-sized Midori Traveler's Notebook. I just wasn't expecting to like the paper this much! Considering the price and performance, I think that this refill will be the star of my notebook-to-be.


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