New info - iPhone app for Montblanc

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

There's some new info about the Montblanc app for the iPhone. It is available in the Japan-appstore. I can't understand what the japanese is all about, but their are new some screenpictures.
iphone-img

It seems you can test different fountainpens, different nibs and color's of ink to write with on your screen. I tried to get it in my Netherlands-app-store. But did not work. Hope it will be available soon here to. Let me know if you got it, and tell us what you think.

appimg01 appimg02 appimg03

Moleskine Pen Clip

Thursday, July 16, 2009

I was looking at some Moleskine sites one day and came across the Danish moleskine site. They had a lovely looking pen clip. I was thinking that one is mine. A great idea, just your Moleskine and the pen together as a perfect team.
Moleskine Pen Clip
I ordered it online. The material looked great feeled great. I ordered the mat (you can also choose glossy). There's a 7 cm and a 9 cm version (2,75" and 3,54"). I got the 9cm one.
Moleskine Pen Clip
But was a little bit disappointed. It only can carry small pen's. Not the one's I have, like Parker Duofold or Montblanc 146 or 149.
Moleskine Pen Clip
Another thing is that I was affraid of damaging the fountainpens because their was no inlay at the inside to prevent the metal from scratching on the pen.
Moleskine Pen Clip
If you are not a foutainpen user this good be a great idea for you.

Conclusion:
Perfect pen holder, which can be attached to the spine of the notebook.
plus great idea!
plus good materials and finishing

minus not suited for (big) foutainpens
minus to bad their is not a preventing layer on the inside to avoid scratching on expensive pens

Parker Duofold Checkered Amber (medium)

Monday, July 13, 2009

Sometimes a purchased item launches a whole new area in your life. The Parker Duofold did this for me. In my younger days (school) I always wrote with fountainpens. Later on I now and then took a fountainpen and started to write with it, but it was never a keeper. I started with Parker Vector’s went on to Parker Sonnet’s (two), mostly medium and fine points.
Parker Duofold Checkered Amber
One day, I think 1,5 year ago I bought for myself a really expensive (in my point of view) fountainpen, it was the Parker Duofold Amber Checkered (medium). This pen opened a new world for me in writing. I started liking writing with this pen. He was my companion on all journeys, business-meetings etc.

Ups and downs
We had our up’s and down’s though. I once lost it. I was really sad about it. Such an expensive pen and I lost it! I didn't dare to tell it to my wife. But when I traded in my car for a new one I found it was lying very deep away in an corner of my old car. I told my wife “ladies and gentlemen, we got him”.
Parker Duofold Checkered Amber
I always had the pen in my jacket. One day I left my jacket on the couch and my doggies got my jacket (yes I still love them). But they also found my Parker. And off course it smelled after me as the leader of the pack…….. They crushed the cap, punched little holes in the barrel, they liked. Boy was I mad, mostly at myself. I went to my stationary-store and asked what I could do about it. I could buy a new cap which was hopelessly lost (new cap € 165,=) the nice lady advised me. She didn’t even blush when she mentioned the price…… A new barrel was also about that price, I decided that the cap was the only thing I replaced with a new one. The hardest part was that my Parker must been sent to Parker England to make a matching cap. Then my stationary-shop moved from one place to another and they lost my Parker somewhere, but found it again. All and all my Parker was away for almost two months.
Parker Duofold Checkered Amber

Medium or fine?
So we have a nice history together. During the last year I became more and more a writer who loved fine-nibs (like my old Sonnet’s and Vector’s). I asked the nice lady again at the stationary shop if I could change my nib for a fine-nib. “Yes” she said with a smile “sure that’s possible” and again without blushing she mentioned “that would cost you € 160,=”. Aaaaaarrrrrgh #@###%%! I almost could have bought an entire new Parker Duofold for all the money I spend on it. Well I did not bought a new ‘fine’-nib. But bought several other new fountainpens with fine points. And when I am at home my Parker Duofold just lies in his nice box looking at me as if he is saying “why don’t you buy me a new fine-nib, so we could spent some more time together”.
Parker Duofold Checkered Amber

So after what we have gone trough I don’t think we ever can be separated. I will not sell that pen even if it was the last thing I own (figuratively speaking). So what could I say when I write this review about my Parker…….

History
I found that the history of this pen goes back to 1921 when the pen was released at a price of $ 7,=. For that time it was a huge amount of money for a pen. The pen was made of red rubber and became even with the high price a huge success.
Parker Duofold Flattop
Writing
The checkered collection nowadays looks great , feels great, and is not to shiny to write with. It is classy but not to classy. The ink comes in cartridges, or you can use it with a converter. The nib is 18K gold and writes wet if you have the medium nib.
Parker Duofold Checkered Amber
The text in the picture above says (if you can't read it):
Tuesday, july 14th, 2009

For my written piece in this pen-review I filled my Parker Duofold (medium-nib) with Quinck Blue Black. The paper is my dearly beloved Moleskine.

The pen is writing very smooth, with a great flow on this paper. Although their is slightly bleedtrough on this paper.

This pen is my partner!

Woodworker

Facts
lenght: 136mm (5,35") - with cap over the nib-side (I think you call it capped??)
lenght: 128mm (5,00") - without cap and ready to write
niblength: 23mm (0,91")
barrel: 12mm (0,47")
price: about $ 415,= to $ 445,= (€ 300,= to € 320,=)

plus I like the fact that it is a classy pen, but not a big show-off.
plus The pen writes great, never hesitates but always writes.
plus The size of the pen is great for my woodworking hands...... (haha some of my friends will laugh when they read this)

minus If I have to mention a minor, it would be the material should have been dogproof, but that's not a fair one ;-)
minus I also don't like the medium-nib. It is to broad for me. But that is also not fair, because maybe you like something broader to write with.

Conclusion
I like the pen. And I think if I saved more money the nib will be changed for a fine one. We have a history together. Anyone who likes the checkered style and wants to have a friend, just buy it! He (hmmm or she) will never let you down.

Montblanc Foutainpen App for iPhone soon?

Saturday, July 11, 2009

I saw this in a blogpost of Zeptotools an iPhone App developer blog. I like the idea of it!

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Hi everyone,

Regarding our goal to create alternative stationary for future, that does not mean to eliminate traditional ones. What we try to do is to renovate them for future style, so iPhone app is the new way for the renovation…

iShodo was born in December and have been loved by many users since its released. We are really happy our app is loved by many users. Regarding the app, her sister was born!!!

She is s fountain pen application. As for fountain pens, many people would use the fountain pens by MONTBLANC. The company is one of the most famous stationary makers in the world, and the new application was created in collaboration with the company! The same technology as iShodo is applied to her to realize the reality of the way to write with a fountain pen.

The baby’s face is now open to the pubic at Mitsukoshi in Nihonbashi, Japan. I put some pictures of her on this post. She will stand with her feet and start to walk before so long. First in Japan, and soon after that, she will be able to visit your iPhone around the world!

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Oxford Activebook

Thursday, July 9, 2009

This notebook is called Collegeblock Oxford "Activebook". Oxford calls itself The European Premium Brand. Well it is not English, the brand comes from Germany and is part of the Hamelin Paperbrands GmbH.
Oxford Activebook
Facts:
The "Activebook" is a so called Twin Wire Notebook with 80 pages 80 gram/m2. You can get it in DIN A4 and DIN A5, both in squared 5mm and ruled 6mm. In the picture you see the black-version. They also have an orange version. On one side it is microperforated, and is punched with four holes. It has a repositionable flexible bookmark divider and integrated pocket for storing notes, business cards, invoices etc. It is a professional notebook with a hard-wearing polypropylene cover. Twin-wire binding allows books to lay flat on desktops. Framed pages are oversized, punched and perforated for easy filing as standard size sheets. It has the same height as a Moleskine Large notebook but is one inch broader. This book costs about € 9,= or $ 6,50

Oxford Activebook
Oxford calls this book a book ..... "for demanding and well organized people and acadamics". Well what a lyric.

Paper:
The paper is smooth! Very smooth, no bleedtrough with any ink I know. The paper has a somehow slippery surface, so it takes a while for most fountainpen inks to dry. I never wrote on Rhodia paper but when I read stories about it I think the paper is comparable to Rhodia paper.
Oxford Activebook

Details:
Oxford Activebook
In the front their is a little pocket for storing notes, business cards, invoices etc.

Oxford Activebook
The repositionable flexible bookmark divider comes in very handy. Especially when you bought two books. Because you then have two dividers wich you can carry on to the next book.

Oxford Activebook
In the front just before the pocket you find a time-zone table.

How I used it:
I used this Activebook on sales meetings with my clients. Between two clients I moved the divider to the next clean page. Back in the office I teared out all the notes and archived them in the clients dossier. Last two or three months I made a switch to Moleskine Black books which have the advantage of having all the notes at hand in one book. I often think back on this lovely book, with no bleed trough paper.

I give it an 8,5 of 10 points
Hamelin Paperbrands became the new name for John Dickinson Stationery in June 2008. John Dickinson Stationery's heritage spanned over 200 years and the company continues to lead the market in terms of its strong brand portfolio and commitment to building customer awareness of its brands and services. Also in June 2008, the company moved to a brand new £10m purpose built Head Office, warehouse and distribution centre showing a further commitment to its customers and the importance placed by the business on continually driving improvements in service levels. Oxford International is a range of notebooks for people looking for something lightweight and with many innovative features.

Review Noodler's Black

Saturday, July 4, 2009

In my first shipment of Noodler's Ink there was also the most famous Noodler's Black. I never wrote with black ink in my little Moleskine black-books. My first impression of this ink was "wooow this is smooth, and what a great flow". It writes just different with this ink.

Review Noodler's Red-Black

Friday, July 3, 2009

I love my Moleskine Journals. I take them everywhere with me. On the job I use one notebook that contains all of my notes, projects etc. In my quest to find good inks that match with this beautiful thin paper I deceided to buy some Noodler's. That name was praised by many of you on the net.