A New Colour for my Jinhao 159s

Tags

jinhao 159, purple, waterman tender purple

I really enjoy writing with my Jinhao 159 pens. I first wrote about them in May 2015, and then it was chosen as my Pen of the Month for November 2015. I popped it into my beloved Franklin Christoph notebook and then included it as part of the prize for my 500 Subscriber Giveaway. I have had it continuously inked since the day it arrived from China through an eBay purchase. I often use it in pen tests for new notebooks. It’s a thick pen but I love writing with it. It’s inexpensive but always writes immediately, right out of the box or after a long sit in my pen case. I even bought a second one for myself as a backup!

For the longest time the only place I could find them was eBay. And then Goulet Pens started carrying them. Both of mine were black. I sort of liked the other colours on the Goulet Pens website but never ordered one. I guess I thought two in basic black were enough.

Well that all changed when I saw a PURPLE one on eBay!! And yes it’s just as gorgeous as it sounds.

The picture is not picking up the true purplishness; it looks more pink than it actually is. But still beautiful! I keep waiting for Goulet Pens or other retailers to carry it but so far I have not seen it. If you want to purchase one let me know in the comments and I will track down the seller I bought it from.

A closer look at the glorious nib. It looks like a hair is stuck to the end but it’s not; I tried removing it but just ended up with purple ink all over my fingers.

I’ve read elsewhere how some folks are disappointed with the Jinhao 159s, how they have to replace the nib, or the converter they come with is crappy. I must say I’ve never had a problem. They write instantly and never skip (so far so good and I’ve been using them for over a year now). And even though I said in my May 2015 review that I wouldn’t recommend it for long writing sessions due to the weight, I guess I’ve become accustomed to it because I can write long letters and long journal entries with it, with no problems.

And speaking of writing, I inked it up with Waterman Tender Purple (of course) and wrote in my journal.

I think my limit for this pen is three. I think. Until the next groovy colour comes out 🙂

Happy journal writing everyone!

 

Journal Writing Wednesday: 30 pages

Tags

delta journal, franklin christoph, jinhao 159, nanowrimo, parker urban, visconti rembrandt, zara.com

What I’m currently using: the Paperblanks Blue Filigree journal, Winnable Executive Journal, the Seven Seas Writer, and the Franklin Christoph Notebook, which I started during my recent trip to Phoenix.

Total pages written since this post (Nov 4): 30

Total pages to date since project inception (Dec 11/13): 1372

Total pages written in 2015: 532

My Jinhao 159 goes everywhere with me. I will announce the pen for December on November 25.

Purchases: I bought a few things in Phoenix but can’t decide what to review on Sunday. Check back and see!

Some points covered this week in my journals:

• I have not been successful at NaNoWriMo this year. I know the month isn’t over but I doubt I will be able to produce anything of significance this year. But I am ok with that. Before I left for Phoenix three friends and I attended three NaNoWriMo workshops at our local library, hosted by the Calgary chapter of NaNoWriMo: Wonderful Worlds, Electric Edits, and NaNoWriMo Q&A. They were very enthusiastic individuals and I learned alot. It was great to be in the company of so many writers. If you get a chance to attend a NaNoWriMo event in your area I strongly encourage you to do so.
• For me the pen(s) and notebook(s) I take with me while traveling are far more important than the clothes and shoes. So I take a lot of time, even when I’m only gone for six days, to choose the gear that is the right combination of writing instrument and paper. I wrote out my packing list using my Delta and my Rembrandt, so they came with me, along with my Jinhao 159 and my Parker Urban in black. Four pens for six days – sounds about right! And I wanted to show my sister the Franklin Christoph notebook so that went into the backpack too. It was an absolute joy to sit at my sister’s kitchen table and reflect on the days. We had a fantastic time in Phoenix, eating, sleeping, reading and pen shopping! Big thanks to my big sis for making it possible. Love you.
• Speaking of clothes, they are really the last thing on my priority list. Seriously, I hate clothes shopping. I force myself once a year, usually. So it came as a surprise to me when I spotted a coat in this month’s Hello magazine and it inspired me. I tore out the page (it’s ok, I own the magazine) and immediately pasted the picture in my journal and wrote about it. If you’re interested it is the Houndstooth Cape from Zara.com. It doesn’t come in my size but I love it. I may have to go on the hunt for one.
• Every day I fall a little bit more in love with my Delta. I am *slowly* learning how to NOT post the cap. It does not post as securely as I would like so I leave it off. And I would be very upset if I damaged the resin in any way. It feels so incredibly light without the cap but I’m getting used to it. I wrote alot with it when I was in Phoenix.

Until next post, happy writing!

Journal Writing Wednesday: 14 pages

Tags

hollow city, inspired blue, italix english curate, jinhao 159, kindle, library of souls, miss peregrine's school for peculiar children, ransom riggs, twsbi eco, united inkdom, waterman

What I’m currently using: the Paperblanks Blue Filigree journal, Winnable Executive Journal, and the Seven Seas Writer. Finished the Believe In Yourself journal!!

Total pages written since this post (Oct 21): 14

Total pages to date since project inception (Dec 11/13): 1328

Total pages written in 2015: 488

Ok so I will put my red Visconti Rembrandt away and take out my…….Jinhao 159! Yes my fave Jinhao is the November pen. It will probably be inked with Waterman Inspired Blue. I love that combination.

Purchases: I wrote about my Nemosine Singularity this past Sunday. I’m not sure what I will write about this Sunday because there haven’t been any new purchases. I’ll think of something.

Some points covered this week in my journals:

• I entered a contest on United Inkdom to win an Italix English Curate. Lovely pen, great site. I didn’t win 😦
• My TWSBI is squeaking when I write with it. I think I just have to clean it out so that’s on the list for this weekend. Really annoying.
• I hadn’t plugged in my Kindle for a long time but I did this week. I got a great surprise: Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs was delivered! It is the conclusion of the Peculiar Children trilogy. Apparently I bought it months ago as a pre-order and completely forgot about it. Such a good series. Check out Miss Peregrine’s School for Peculiar Children and Hollow City, the first two books in the series.
• We had a sobering and shocking event happen on our street last week. There was a double homicide and the street was completely blocked by police vehicles for 5 days. Scary and incredibly sad for the community. Our prayers are with the families.

Until next post, happy writing!

Franklin-Christoph Notebook

Tags

a5, firma-flex journal notebook, franklin christoph, grail notebook, jinhao 159, pilot varsity, saddleboot notebook cover, seven seas writer, sharpie

People talk about “grail” pens, meaning those pens you long for and cannot afford, or perhaps are very rare and difficult to find. But the idea can apply to anything really, and today I am excited to share one of my “grail” notebooks, the Franklin-Christoph Firma-Flex Journal Notebook in a Saddleboot Leather Notebook Cover in A5 brown.

I have been excited about Franklin-Christoph for a couple of years now. I’ve heard good things about their pens and inks, and I am in love with their Penvelopes. I’ve watched YouTube videos about their notebooks and read reviews of their notebook covers. I think the best thing about Franklin-Christoph is international customers can enjoy free shipping just as their domestic customers do, although at a higher price point. For US destinations free shipping kicks in at $50. For international, shipping is free at $75. The Saddleboot Notebook Covers in A5 are $69.50 US and do not come with a notebook. The Firma-Flex Journal Notebooks in A5 are $14.50 US. So that put me in the free shipping zone! With some of my latest World Mail Panel Survey money to spend I finally felt the time was right to pull the trigger on this expensive notebook and cover. It was thrilling to click the Calculate Shipping button on the site and see it read $0.00!

The package arrived a couple of weeks ago. No invoice in the box, no note from the company. Very different from the service experience with Goulet Pens or WonderPens. But super fast shipping and excellent packaging.

The notebook arrived in its own suede bag. Fancy!

And here it is. The Franklin-Christoph Celtic logo is embossed on the front. The leather smells really good and feels butter soft. The workmanship is superb.

Franklin-Christoph’s Saddleboot Leather is vegetable tanned and comes in maroon, black and brown. I chose the brown and it has a cream contrasting stitching.

A second Franklin-Christoph logo on the back.

There is a pocket on the back as well.

Here is the inside of the notebook and the cover. I apologize for the blurry picture; I didn’t notice until after editing.

The notebooks themselves are a work of art. Each type of notebook is indicated by the colour of stitching: ruled is maroon, graph is olive green, dots is purple, and blank is grey. I wanted ruled so the stitching is maroon. The Celtic logo is on the front and that circular indentation on the right of the logo is the metal closure button on the cover. And as expected the notebook fits perfectly into the cover.

Each notebook has 192 pages. The ruled lines are 7mm apart on the A4 and A5, and 5mm apart on the A6. Ruled, graph and dots are 30% black (light grey) with top and bottom margin lines in maroon. Above you can see the ruling and the black nylon page marker.

The paper is 90gsm and made from sugar cane extract. It is pH neutral and acid free. In certain lights the paper seems to have a purple glow. I can see it but I don’t think it’s coming through in the photos.

I did a quick pen test on the back page of the notebook. The paper took fountain pen ink beautifully, as well as gel ink, with the exception of the Pilot Varsity, which showed some feathering.

Here’s a closeup and you can see the feathering for the Pilot Varsity.

As for show through, only the Pilot Varsity and of course the Sharpie marker were visible on the underside of the paper. The paper was very absorbent and smooth. I really enjoyed using the fountain pens on it.

I was curious to see if the Seven Seas Writer notebook would fit, and it did! Not as perfectly as the Franklin-Christoph Firma-Flex but pretty close. Not that I don’t love the brown vinyl notebook cover that I purchased for the Seven Seas Writer, but there is really no comparison with this beautiful leather cover. Franklin-Christoph notebooks are certainly more consistently available than the Seven Seas Writer.

And last but not least we come to the pen loop. It is leather but has an elastic piece on the left which allows for different pen sizes. My Jinhao 159 is the widest pen I own and it fit very nicely.

The attention to detail for this cover and notebook is impressive. I can wholeheartedly recommend Franklin-Christoph and this notebook/cover combination. I think their shipping rates are great and the quality of their products is well worth the price. I can only imagine how delightful their pens, inks and other leather accessories would be. I don’t know when this notebook will go into the rotation as I don’t want to write in it (besides the pen test). But it will probably be next in line because I find myself taking it out of its suede bag and just looking at it.

It’s just that beautiful.

Details of the Thank You for 500 Subscribers Giveaway

Tags

inspired blue, jinhao 159, pentel slicci multipen, staedtler, studio oh!, waterman, winnable executive journal, zebra

As promised in my Thank You post, here are the details of the Thank You for 500 Subscribers Giveaway.

Prize No. 1 is a bottle of Inspired Blue Waterman Ink, a Jinhao 159, and a Winnable Executive Journal in black. All are brand new. Click on the links to see my reviews of each.

I love my Jinhao 159 and use it all the time, usually inked with Waterman Inspired Blue, in my Winnable Executive Journal in brown. I think it’s a great combination and I’m hoping you will agree.

Prize No. 2 is a set of three Studio Oh! notebooks, in the Chalkboard theme by Valerie McKeehan, a Zebra V301 Fountain Pen with refills, and a set of ten 0.3 mm Staedtler Triplus Fineliners. All are brand new.

I haven’t reviewed the notebooks so I will tell you that each of them has a quote on the cover: Where There is Great Love, There are Always Miracles – Willa Cather; It is Never Too Late to be What You Might Have Been – George Eliot; and Life is But a Dream. Here is a link to them on the Chapters website; they have 80 pages each and are lined.

I guess I haven’t reviewed the Staedtler Triplus Fineliners either, although I thought I had. Can’t find the review now so here is a link to the 0.3 mm version on Amazon.ca. Please note mine do NOT come with the thick plastic case; they are in a clear plastic bag.

I love these Studio Oh! notebooks; the paper takes fountain pen ink very well. I still really enjoy my Zebra V301 fountain pen, and you can find refills on Amazon at very reasonable prices. And of course Staedtler markers have their own solid reputation. I have a few sets and wanted to share.

Prize No. 3 is another set of Studio Oh! notebooks, this time in the Botanical Blooms theme, which I briefly mention in the linked blog post. I’m also including a smaller (5 x 3.5), lined notebook from Dollarama, featuring mugs, teapots, cupcakes and teacups on the cover. I love using these in my purse. And finally I’ve included a Pentel Slicci 3 barrel multi-pen in blush pink, with four 0.3 mm refills: Baby Pink, Blue Black, and two in Golden Orange. Each item is brand new.

Prize Nos. 4 and 5 are Pentel Slicci 3 barrel multi-pens with four refills each; enough to fill the pen and one to spare.

Prize No. 4 is a pink barrel with four 0.4 mm refills: Green, Purple, Orange and Milky Blue.

Prize No. 5 is a purple barrel with four 0.4 mm refills: Green, Milky Blue, Purple and Lime Green.

The rules to enter are as follows:

1. You must be 18 years of age or have parental permission to enter.
2. Be a subscriber to this blog.
3. Leave a comment on this post telling me which prize you would like, and your second choice if the one you want is already gone after I have chosen your name.

The giveaway is open internationally. It runs from today, Saturday, August 1, 2015, to Saturday, August 22, 2015. I will use random.org to choose the winners. I will announce all 5 winners on Sunday, August 23, 2015, on this blog. The winners will have until Sunday, August 30, 2015 to contact me with their mailing details, using the Contact Me button at the top of the page, next to the About button. If I don’t hear from a winner by midnight on Sunday, August 30, 2015 I will pick another winner and announce it on Monday, August 31, 2015.

I think that’s it. This is my first-ever giveaway so let me know if I’ve forgotten something important! Best of luck to everyone! And thanks again for supporting me, it means a lot!!

Notebooks from Erin Condren

Tags

erin condren, jinhao 159, lifeplanners, notebooks, parker urban, spirograph

A co-worker of mine purchased one of the Erin Condren Lifeplanners and as I’ve said previously, I was tempted. Boy was I tempted. But I bought two basic notebooks instead, and a few accessories, and they arrived this week.

I think it took about 10 working days from order to delivery. Personalized items take more time but they do have a number of attractive options that are ready to ship.

The packaging is exceptional; very bright and cheerful.

On the left, some elastic bands for keeping the notebooks closed. On the right, Party Pops Markers. Really nice pens with extra-fine tips. And I’m a sucker for pens in their own case. Sigh. Like I need more markers!

These are the freebies that come with each order. On the left, a postcard, and on the right, a sticker for your notebook. And on the bottom, a package of gift tags.

Here you can see all of the gift tags. The website says this is for “gifting on the go.”

I included a couple of pen holders in the order.

This is one of the cover designs that is available for the planner as well as the notebook. This is the Alphabet – Keep It Simple design. You choose the letter and the colour of the large letter as shown here. The covers are laminated. And the bookmark is thick plastic; very sturdy feeling. Both notebooks measure 7″ x 9″ but they are available in 8.5″ x 11″ as well, for $5 extra.

And here’s the second design I chose, again available for the planner as well. It is called Favorite Things – Keep it Simple. I think this is my favourite of the two covers because it’s so much more personal than just a name or an initial – it’s literally everything I love! You can personalize this by typing in all of the words you want to see on the cover. You can also add photos, or change the font. Erin Condren really allows for a high level of customization.

The cover design is carried over to the inside. I love the designs on the take note! page – anybody remember Spirograph?? I had one as a child and loved it. It’s nice to know they are still available on Amazon.

More spirographs! I might colour them in for fun. And the notebook pages begin. The paper is very good. The weight is 70lb and you can certainly tell. A pen test is included further down.

There are 132 lined pages, each a different colour, followed by 21 blank pages.

Such an inspiring design. I am a lover of colour so the pages really appeal to me.

This is the last page of both notebooks. I laughed out loud when I saw this because this is one of my favourite quotes.

The back cover of this design carries on the favourite things theme.

The bookmark is included with each notebook. It is thick – thicker than a credit card – and snaps into the rings very easily. It’s a nice touch. You can also purchase dividers and undated calendar pages. So many options.

The pen loops are super sticky – just as good as the Leuchttum 1917 ones. And the loops themselves are stretchy – I didn’t try my Jinhao 159 but the Parker Urban had no problems. And of course the Party Pop Marker fits perfectly.

And here is the pen test. I didn’t like the feel of the rollerball and ballpoint pens on this paper, and I was very happy to note it took fountain pen ink like a dream.

Slight bleed through (those Sharpie markers) and some show through, but nothing to worry about. Fountain pen friendly!

Overall I am very impressed with the quality of these notebooks, and the customization options are numerous. There are more accessories and lots more cover styles available so check out the website. I was also emailed a $10 off coupon for my next order. I don’t know when that will be, as the exchange is brutal right now and shipping is a flat fee of $20 to Canada. Each of these notebooks cost $22 due to the personalization. Worth it, in my opinion, but still pricey. You get the quality you pay for.

After helping me with this review my assistant took a long overdue nap. 🙂

Jinhao 159 and X450

Tags

bleu pervenche, goulet pens, jinhao 159, jinhao x450, serenity blue

I’ve been hearing lots of good things about the Jinhao 159, from folks talking on Youtube and the FP Geeks forum, to Brian Goulet’s video about this inexpensive Chinese pen. Goulet Pens offers them in Black, Orange and Yellow, for $12.50. I had previously purchased a Jinhao X450 on ebay in June of last year, and it was ok. So I bought this 159 for around $5 including shipping on ebay. It took a long time to arrive – nearly 6 weeks – and I was beginning to lose hope. I really enjoy using this pen, although not for long periods, which I will discuss later. And in doing the research for this blog post I realized I didn’t do an actual review of the Jinhao X450 so I will compare the two pens in this post.

Here is the 159. Of course one is put in mind of a Montblanc 159 and it is definitely an homage to that iconic pen. It’s not an exact knockoff though as it has Jinhao on the silver band on the cap, and no white star on the top of the cap. I have never held a Montblanc so I have no idea if it’s close in the feel or not but it certainly looks like one.

The pen takes international cartridges (short and long) and comes with a converter. I always prefer the performance I get out of a pen using a converter and this pen is no exception.

The pen weighs 50 grams and believe me you can feel it. It’s an extremely big pen and I would not recommend it for long writing sessions. My hand got tired after writing for about five minutes. But I love the look of it and the weight of it, to be honest. When posted the pen feels perfectly balanced. The nib is smooth and the flow is super wet. I put J. Herbin’s Bleu Pervenche in it and it’s a gorgeous combination.

Here’s a closeup of the nib. It says Jinhao but also 18K. Brian Goulet explains in his video that the nibs are all stamped 18K but only some of them are gold plated (the two tone ones). The nibs on the 159 are stainless steel.

Here’s a writing sample. A great writer but I found after just one page my thumbnail was digging into my index finger. It just wasn’t super comfortable. This made me think of my X450 and I wondered how the writing experience compared.

In June 2014 I bought the Jinhao X450 on ebay. I can’t remember how much I paid but currently these pens are available on ebay for just over $5. And I think it’s good value for the money, for both the X450 and the 159.

The pen is a rich royal blue with gold coloured accents. And the nib is a beautiful two-tone. I don’t see 18K anywhere so it may not be gold plated. It’s lovely to look at and great to write with. This pen is much smaller in girth than the 159 and notice the grooves on the indented section. Those grooves really enhance the writing experience for me.

When I first got this pen I put a J. Herbin Eclat Sapphir cartridge in it and I wasn’t pleased with the results at all. Perhaps the cartridge was old or something but the pen skipped and went dry almost immediately. For this post I put a standard converter with Waterman’s Serenity Blue in it and the writing experience has been the exact opposite: great flow with smooth writing. A good writer indeed.

I wanted to show you the caps and bands because the pens don’t even look like they come from the same manufacturer. The X450’s band has a written Jinhao while the 159 is printed. The clips are not the same size, nor do they have the same design. The 159 sports a chariot driven by two men brandishing a whip while the X450 has three simple dots. The X450 has a snap cap and the 159 is a screw top. Interesting pens that’s for sure.

And finally a size comparison. From left: Pilot Metropolitan, Jinhao X450, Cadence, Jinhao 159, Monteverde Prima in Purple Swirl, Lamy Al-Star and Visconti Rembrandt. The 159 is the biggest and heaviest pen I own. Thank goodness it’s fun to write with.

Please let me know your thoughts on the Jinhao 159 or the X450, or even just the brand in particular. At these price points it’s fun to experiment. 🙂

 

Journal Writing Wednesday: 4 pages

Tags

bridal shower, drinking tea, green swirl, jinhao 159, monteverde prima, stationery shopping, tiger eye

What I’m currently using: the Paperblanks Blue Filigree journal, Winnable Leather Journal, Winnable Executive Journal and the Believe In Yourself journal

Total pages written since last JWW post (May 13): 4

Total pages to date since project inception (Dec 11/13): 979

Total pages written in 2015: 239

Monthly Pen for May: ONLINE in Black

Next monthly pen will be chosen on May 27

Purchases:

I wrote a post about my Monteverde Prima Tiger Eye in this post. This Sunday I plan to write about my Jinhao 159, recently purchased on ebay. And earlier this week the second pen I bought from an FP Geeks member arrived.

I bought a new notebook this week: another Winnable Leather Journal. I am very close to finishing my first one and I realize it is unlike any other journal I own currently. Its design is uniquely perfect for ephemera and pictures I like to paste in my journal.

Some points covered this week in my journals:

• I’m sorry to say I’ve given up on my ONLINE pen. It just won’t behave. Next week I will choose another one, thankfully.
• I finally got my Monteverde Prima in Green Swirl working and I’ve been using it every day. Love that pen.
• I forgot to write about this at the time but I spent an amazing evening with my sister and my niece’s future mother-in-law, organizing a bridal shower. There was a lot of love in the room and we had a ball deciding how we would celebrate our beautiful girl and the fact that she’s getting married. Can’t wait!
• Spent a great afternoon with my sister, stationery shopping and drinking tea. Bliss!
• Had a fantastic long-weekend bbq with friends, which included lots of food, sunshine and a poker game, which I have not played in a very long time. I had no pain and lots of fun. Love you all.

Until next week, happy writing!