Swimming in the Bleu Ocean
Have you had the opportunity to try J. Herbin’s latest 1670 Series Anniversary ink, Bleu Ocean?
In lieu of testing it in a fountain pen, I opted for the “everything else I could find in my studio” approach Continue Readering »
Pen Tests Are Part of The Fun
I believe one of the joys of writing with a fountain pen is being able to explore so many different options. From the various nib types to literally hundreds of different ink options in every imaginable color, this allows you to customize your experience which in turn, can make every writing task seem less of a chore and more like like something to look forward to. Rhodia and Clairefontaine papers are consistent performers when paired with these water based inks and can help make your writing experience become even more enjoyable.
Do you have a pen test page like the one above? This is always a fun way to compare which inks are your favorites in which pen. I know some people who choose famous quotations when trying out new inks. Me? I always found myself writing the alphabet or doodling with a new pen/ink.
Image courtesy of heymatthew on Instagram
Ever Try Clairefontaine Triomphe Paper?
In yesterday’s blog post, I used an image of a Clairefontaine Triomphe writing tablet. Especially popular with fountain pen users, this extra-white 90g paper is extremely smooth- more so than regular Rhodia and Clairefontaine papers, although I think the paper in the Rhodia R tablets comes pretty close. All of the fountain pens tested (with varying nib widths) wrote true to size with no bleeding or feathering.
Because of this paper’s super smooth surface, Continue Readering »
Friday Link Share!
Three Good Things at Little Flower Petals
Journaling Through Your Injuries at Creative Write Now
Where do you get creative? at Lifehacker
List It Tuesday: Been There Done That at Daisy Yellow Blog
Creative Thinking Exercises for the Workplace at Chron
Packing for India at Urban Sketchers
Marker Review…..2nd Edition at Draw Doodle Decorate
Name that Pen at PENS PAPER INKS…WHATEVER!
This Old Notebook at Patrick Rhone
You Can Have my Notebook When You Pry it From My Cold, Dead Fingers at The Digital Reader
The Post Office at Collage Journeys
12 Most Inspired Online Resources for Creative Juice at 12Most
Pen Shows: The 2013 Philadelphia Pen Show Review at Anderson Pens.net
Robin Quivers gives Howard Stern a $1700 pen at Examiner.com
Writing works wonders: Personal growth, creativity among benefits of journaling for children at The Joplin Globe
F. Scott Fitzgerald on the Secret of Great Writing at The Passive Voice
51 Examples Of Matching Ink To Pen To Paper at Inkophile
Lisa Cargile’s Pencil Photography. at Pencil Revolution
Waterman Early Crusader at Fountain Pen Restoration
The Power of Handwritten Notes and Reminders at Journal in a Box
Myths About Our Right and Left Brains at Psychology Today
Final Friday Link Share of 2012
Handwritten Review: Rhodia Dot Pad at Ed Jelley
Good Grammar Kills No One at Icy’s Blunt Pencil
J. Herbin 1670 Rouge Hematite Anniversary Ink at The Well-Appointed Desk
2012 Planner Tally at Plannerisms
Book Review: Raw Art Journaling at A Penchant for Paper
Deep Letters Correspondence Project at LadyKayy
The Return of Writing at Inc.com
How to Write Emails that Get an Immediate Response at ProBlogger
Hilarious Video Proof: Your Ability to Make Realistic Sound Effects Is Gender-Based at Open Culture
New tangle pattern Kabbidge at Life Imitates Doodles
Make Writing Your Only Plan at The Passive Voice
Non-Writing Spouses at The Passive Voice
Pilot Capless Hand Written Review at Inktronics
Quintessential Conversion: The Ultimate Warehouse Loft at WebUrbanist
Use a “Done List” to Keep Yourself Feeling Efficient and Motivated at Lifehacker
Ink Links at The Pen Addict
17 Tips From Instagram’s Power Elite For Amazing Travel Photos at Mashable
Writing Tips: Every Word Matters at Writing Forward
Top 29 Best Ways to Stay Creative in Life Inspirational at AllInfographics
I will Catch Up at My Supply Room
Unplugging The Geek… Exploring New Geekdoms at Blessed are the Geeks
20 Business Tools for Entrepreneurs at Under30CEO
Ѧяt ʝ◎üґη@ℓḯᾔḡ ⑴ø𝟙 at Daisy Yellow
Image courtesy of properadhd on Instagram
there are others who know of the amazingness…
Fan letter from Thomas Quicksell – blogger for Blessed Are The Geeks
“I have to say I have loved Rhodia since 2009. My first notebook being the Reverse Book, classic orange, and I was so impressed with it’s quality as well as it’s ability to induce creativity. It was hard where I lived in the States to get Rhodia items. In Rhode Island the best place I found was at a Hip little pipe tobacconist. But now that I am living in London, England there are so many great places that sell Rhodia. When I found RhodiaDrive I was really excited, I finally felt like there where others who knew of the amazingness. So I figured I would grab my bag, dump it out and join in with the sharing! Continue Readering »
Black Friday Link Share
10 Excellent Reading Nooks at The Passive Voice
Ending A Journal at Kaizen Journaling
Journal-Writing can be Self-Care During the Upcoming Busy Holidays at Yahoo News
An Ink Blotter and Why You Need One at Inkophile
Ink Links at The Pen Addict
Rosewood Writes Green via The Fozzy Book on Instagram
Getting warmed up with recent Blick’s loot at Lung Sketching Scrolls
Journal Writing a Just-for-Fun To-Do List at Personal Journal Blog
Lamy Accent Hand Written Review at INKTRONICS
Pics from Saturday at the 2012 Ohio Pen Show at Fountain Pen Geeks
What are professional reviews for? at Seth Godin’s Blog
The 10 Most Beautiful Libraries in the United States at mental_floss
Abandoned Suitcases Reveal Private Lives of Insane Asylum Patients at Collectors Weekly
Writing Down the Ink #7: Sailor Sky High at Peaceable Writer
Updated Ink Nouveau and Write Time Podcasts at Ink Nouveau
Improve Your Memory with The Chunking Technique at lifehacker
Review of the Quo Vadis Habana Notebook Large at Life Imitates Doodles
Featured Pen – Ken Cavers Bamboo at PENS PAPER INKS…WHATEVER!
The Unofficial Guide to Creative Prompts | Challenges | Inspiration at Daisy Yellow Blog
Staedtler Textsurfer Classic Highlighter at A Penchant for Paper
Watch the “Biblio-Mat” Book-Vending Machine Dispense Literary Delight at Open Culture
Good Reason to Keep a Rhodia Graph Pad in Your Sewing Bag via loveyoumuches on Instagram
3 Signs It’s Time to Quit Your Day Job at Inc.com
A New World at Spiritual Evolution of the Bean
Image courtesy of Adelle Ang. Follow crabbyphatty on Instagram.
Guest Post: Dave Marler reviews the Rhodia ePure
Like a child on Christmas morning, I excitedly opened the package from Exaclair knowing inside I would find the Rhodia ePure samples sent my way from the home office.
This would be my first experience with Rhodia products and I looked forward to seeing what all the fuss was about. Continue Readering »
Testing different writing supplies.
This might sound silly but I think one of the things that helped me to become a better writer was by testing all different kinds of pens, inks, and papers. At the very least, it helped me to become more comfortable with the tools of writing and to never fear the blank page. Continue Readering »
Kaweco and Rhodia
Kaweco is a German pen company whose tagline is “License to Write”. They have been manufacturing pens since 1883. I’ll admit that I don’t know much about these pens but judging by the following reviews, people seem to really like them.
Review: Kaweco Liliput Al Fountain Pen – Medium on Gourmet Pens
Kaweco Sport Classic fountain pen review on PenInkcillin Continue Readering »
Friday Link Share
Why Talk Therapy Is on the Wane and Writing Workshops Are on the Rise at The New York Times
The Magnificent Seven – Part 6 at Dave’s Mechanical Pencils
Delete Everything and Rewrite Your To-Do List to Make it Doable at Lifehacker
Kaweco Allrounder vs. Student: The Purchasing Debate at The Well-Appointed Desk
This is the Modem World: An ode to the trapper keeper at Engadget
This iTypewriter Is The Most Ridiculous iPad Accessory You’ll See All Week at Cult of Mac
Wearever Pens at My Supply Room
The Excited Baby Goat That Got Into the Coffee Pot at Mashable
Sun-Star Belt Type Pen Jacket Review at Pocket Blonde
Bic Pens ‘For Her’ Get Hilariously Snarky Amazon Reviews at Huffington Post
Stationery Store Series: Tackle & Books, Scotland at Palimpsest
How we grow out of our creativity at The Passive Voice
2012 Washington DC Fountain Pen Supershow at East…West…Everywhere
How Many Ways Can I Draw Lines? at Daisy Yellow
Taking A Step Back at The Pen Addict
The New Furby Review: Absolute Horror at Gizmodo
10 of the Funniest Essayists of Our Time at The Atlantic
A Week’s Worth of Journaling Prompts: Questioning Authority at Writing Through Life
Wed. Review- Lamy Nexx & Nexx M at Ink Nouveau
August 2012: Choosing Tools for Alaska at Apple-Pine
Words To Live By at Dion Dior & More
Best 3 mile hike in the world, Bryce National Park, Utah at Budget Travel
5 Common Words That Create Failure at Inc.
Like Bread and Butter at The Leadhead’s Pencil Blog
Which Scientist’s Notebooks Are Still Too Radioactive To Handle? at How-To Geek
3 Writers Who Inspire Me at Harvest Moon by Hand
O’s 2012 Summer Reading List at Oprah
How Not to Die Using a Neti Pot at Forbes
“In Your Bag” Photo Submission by Cathy Dwyer
Sandra Strait Reviews the Clairefontaine Graf-It Pads
We recently sent our friend Sandra Strait a Clairefontaine Graf-it pad to try out. She put this paper to the test by drawing in it with a multitude of different products including: pencil, colored pencil, alcohol markers, watercolors, drawing pens and more. Continue Readering »
Friday Link Share
What do you think of the wall of Rhodia? I think it looks like Tetris.
Post-It Iterations Take Classic Notes to New Levels at WebUrbanist
Featured Pen – TWSBI Vac 700 at Whatever
Marbled-Edge Ledgers at Notebook Stories
The Extravagant Tale of a Mere Pencil: Palomino & Blackwing at the Blog of the European Paper Company
Stockholm’s underground subway art at BBC
Delfonics Utility Bag Review at The Well-Appointed Desk
J. Herbin Vert Pre Fountain Pen Ink Cartridge Review at The Pen Addict
What Do You Do When You’re Angry? ~ Deborah Lange at Elephant Journal
New Favorite Eraser: Pentel Hi-Polymer at Little Flower Petals
Fascinating Liquid Art by Markus Reugels at abduzeedo.com
Antique E. Wolff London Pencil Lead Case on Etsy (InkLinks)
The Lost Art of Hand Lettering at Serifs & Sans
Links From Montblanc to Calligraphy to Watercolourists at An Inkophile’s Blog
Image courtesy of Eric Ink – follow ericink on Instagram.
Friday Link Share
I really like this pencil but I think I’ve broken it or are missing a piece. I put it back together in what I think is the right order, but it doesn’t seem to work. If you look at the silver front part, there is what looks like a pen tip sticking out. I believe this is where the lead should come out but that tip thing just slides in and out without grabbing a hold of the lead. Any suggestions?
I accidentally missed last week’s monthly Link Share post so I’ve gathered a few for you today.
Stay cool!
Shades of Orange at A Penchant for Paper
Earl Shaffer’s Little Black Notebook at Notebook Stories
Workspace for epic cartoons at Well-Appointed Desk Continue Readering »
What are Your Favorite Blogs?
We’ve received a lot of feedback from our readers about how much you enjoy our Friday Link Shares and I appreciate knowing that you like reading these as much as I do discovering it. I typically search for content for these posts amongst my 150+ blog subscriptions but will also scour Twitter and Facebook for interesting articles to further enhance the list.
As I am always looking for new content, I would love for you to tell me your favorite blogs so I can check them out. My personal favorites include a plethora of stationery/pen/ink reviewers, tip sites such as Mashable and Lifehacker, and funny sites such as The Oatmeal.
If you have a personal site you’d like me to review for possible addition to our Rhodia Drive Blogroll, please feel free to list that as well.
