Equology Scholar Planner (another post with too many pictures)

I don't know if anyone remembers when I posted about the Moleskine planner that I bought a while back. I loved the size and all of the features that it had. After using it for a while, however, I realized that the size wasn't right for me. I thought that I would be able to carry it around in my pocket but it was too thick. It is a great planner but I decided that for 2010 I would get something bigger that I could lay out flat on my desk. I was in luck. Karen, with Exaclair, was passing out some planners for reviews. I requested the Scholar and soon received one.

From Equology Planner

The Equology line is made by Quo Vadis and is made of recycled materials. The paper is 100% recycled and the agenda is made of 88% recycled materials. It measures 6 1/4" x 9 1/2" (16x24 cm for my European friends), has a removable, flexible cover and includes some very nice features.

From Equology Planner

From Equology Planner

From Equology Planner

I really like the cover. It is a textured rubber material that looks nice and seems to take some abuse. I also really like the size because I can lay it flat on my desk and it doesn't take up much space. I have been carrying it in an old Eagle Creek folio that I have, and even though it isn't a perfect fit it stills makes a nice little kit.

From Equology Planner

From Equology Planner

Now for all of the features. Let's start with the tabbed pages. This is a nice addition that aids in finding your current page. After each week you just tear off the tab and it is simple to find the current week.

From Equology Planner

Of course there is the standard "Personal Notes" page for your name and related data. Excuse the small picture. It is, after all, personal data.

From Equology Planner

Next, we have a "Notes" page,nice for quick notes on the go, and a "Time Schedule" section. You could use these two pages to quickly plan out a week, or a day. I would recommend using pencil for this.

From Equology Planner

From Equology Planner

Following the "Time Schedule" is the page for "Anno-Planning". These two pages allow you to note events that will happen throughout the year and it also lists holidays.

From Equology Planner

The actually planner starts next but we'll go ahead and take a look at the features in the back of the planner, which are mostly maps. Eight to be exact: North America, Canada, United States, South America, Australia and New Zealand, Europe, Asia and Africa.

From Equology Planner

From Equology Planner

From Equology Planner

From Equology Planner

From Equology Planner

From Equology Planner

Finally, we have a three year calender. (somehow I missed shooting it)
In the very back, tucked neatly into the cover is an address book for contacts.

From Equology Planner

Now for the planner itself. The Scholar is a weekly planner with ample space for writing in and a section for priority items. Each week is numbered, as are each of the days. I did a few writing tests with different types of pens.

From Equology Planner

From Equology Planner

From Equology Planner

As you can see, the Sharpie was the only pen with bleed-through. Even the two fountain pens that I used did not bleed-through, though they are both fine points.
I have been very happy with this planner and will most likely order a refill when this one runs out. I like the space for writing, the size and the fact that it is made from recycled materials. I think that my favorite piece is the cover. I love the texture and feel of it and, if I decide to try another planner, I can always use the cover on a notebook. Thanks again Karen for the opportunity to try out a great product. Nr

Lie De The

Lie De The is another great color from J. Herbin that Karen was gracious enough to send me. It is probably my second favorite color, that I have tried, after Eclat De Saphir. I first noticed it while visiting Wolf's blog and seeing this post. His Lie De The looks much lighter than mine but it is probably because he is using an EF nib. Unfortunately, I could never get a picture that captured this ink's color.

From Lie De The

From Lie De The

It is a brown ink. Out of my medium and fine nibs it is dark brown. To me, it is a great manuscript or a manifesto color. When I use it, I know I should be writing something meaningful.

From Lie De The

From Lie De The

If you are looking for a color that is a little different and interesting I would recommend trying out Lie De The. Thanks again, Karen. Nr

Clairefontaine Cloth-Bound Basic Notebook

Are you looking for a simple notebook that doesn't scream, "Look at me! I'm an artist!" yet you still want the same type of quality? If you answered yes then the Clairefontaine Basic line is for you. It looks good without drawing too much attention and the paper is wonderful to write on.
Would that make a good ad or what?
I received this one from Karen at Exaclair when she sent me a box full of goodies. I requested this one because I really like the clean look of the cloth rather than spirals.

From Clairefontaine Basic

Like the name suggests, it is a simple notebook but the quality goes way beyond basic. The paper, of course is 90g and the cover has a great marble look to it.

From Clairefontaine Basic

From Clairefontaine Basic

I love the cloth binding because there is no annoying wire to get caught on things.

From Clairefontaine Basic

From Clairefontaine Basic

These are great notebooks for the price. The one I am reviewing is a medium size and it is perfect for sliding into a bag. I tried several pens on the paper and it performs beautifully.

From Clairefontaine Basic

The medium notebook runs for about eight dollars and the large size runs for about twelve dollars. Great prices for such a good, useful notebook. Nr

My Weekend

I had a fairly peaceful weekend at the beach. The sunset Saturday night was beautiful. I hope you enjoy and have a peaceful week. Nr

From Sunset

The other 31 pictures I took (of just the sunset).

A Lifetime Restored

Before you go any farther, read this.

Now that you have a little background info to go by, let's make a comparison:

From Lifetime Restored

As you can tell from the pictures this poor Lifetime had succumb to the years. The clip and nib were tarnished and the barrel had lost some of its sheen. Also, the pen did not write because it needed a new sac. Well, I called on my fellow pen freak and friend Mr. Goodpens for help. He happily obliged because he is a good guy. Never met him. I don't even live in the same timezone as he does but I have a feeling that if I did we would be hanging out on weekends. He cleaned her up, replaced the sac and gave me a new pen to love and enjoy.

From Online Edits

From Online Edits

This pen really is a joy to use and it writes somewhere between a medium and fine nib. I did have to get used to its huge nib. Most of the fountain pens that I have have smaller nibs.

From Online Edits

I first loaded it with Noodlers Black but that has been used and it now is filled with my new favorite, J. Herbin Eclat De Saphir. Ahhh, writing euphoria.

From Online Edits

From Online Edits

Again, Mr. Goodpens has given me a new old friend to confide in and I am very thankful for it. Go check him out at Goodpens and let him know what great work he does.

You can also check out his previous work here. Thanks Dunkind.Nr

Bleu Nuit

Again, I must thank Karen at Exaclair for another wonderful ink. This time it's the Bleu Nuit, which is a black blue color and a nice deep blue.

From bleu nuit

Bleu Nuit is a good classic color to have around and performs well. I used my Piccadilly medium notebook for this post and there was some feathering, but no bleed-through.

From bleu nuit

From bleu nuit

This is a lovely color but I have grown attached to the Eclat De Saphir and so I haven't used this one as much. I intend to keep it loaded and use it more because I do love blue black.

From bleu nuit

From bleu nuit

It's hard to go wrong with the Bleu Nuit. One thing that I do need to find out from Karen. Is this a scented ink? When I looked at the J. Herbin website I noticed that it is not listed as scented, but I sure am getting something from this bottle. It is a nice fragrant smell so I don't mind. Nr

Eclat De Saphir - My New Ink

Quite a few months ago I became addicted to blue ink. I used to be the guy that believed that if you weren't writing with black ink then you might as well not be writing at all. That all changed and now I only get slight urges to write with black, blue is my new black. Obviously, I was excited when Karen from Exaclair offered up some blue ink for review. I requested Eclat De Saphir or Bleu Nuit. Karen, being the kind person that she is, sent both. Around this time I also acquired some Hero 616s and I was dying to try out both the ink and the pens. I like both of the inks but there is something about the Saphir that is perfect for me. It is what I have been looking for in a blue ink.

From eclat de saphir

It is a very vibrant color but it also has a deepness to it. I get no feathering in my journal and no bleed through. It writes wonderfully. I have filled and used three fillers full of this ink in my journal.

From eclat de saphir

This is a nice crisp color and I plan on using it until I run out.

From eclat de saphir

I hope you enjoy this ink as much as I do. Remember, you can view more pictures on my Picasa Album and on my Flickr page. Thanks for stopping by! Nr