AMBITION COLORS THE CONCEPT Just like the three different colors that you get you also get three different layouts for the paper: Graph, ledger, and datebook. My thought about this series is that it should be used as a system and that is how I plan to use it. Graph paper for notes. Datebook for, well, a datebook and the ledger to keep up with expenses. I think if I could get them all into one leather, nicely made cover I could slip all three into my back pocket or a bag and be ready for anything. THE GILDING FINAL THOUGHTS

Yep, Field Notes strikes again. I open my inbox and there lies an email with an offer so enticing I just couldnt pass it up. Today only, place any order (and that means ANY order) and you get a free 3 pack of their Pitch Black series. They are dot grid and, well, pitch black. The last time I cashed in on this deal I was a cheap ummm, lets just say I paid for a pack of pens and got three free note books. Sorry Jim. This time around I tried to be better so I ordered the Expedition Series. I plan to be spending more time I the woods in the coming days and thought they might be a good choice for journaling my adventures or the lack there of. Anyway, head over to www.fieldnotesbrand.com before midnight and place an order. You cant beat free or at least breaking even.

So, I ordered a pack of these today. They were just too sexy to pass up. I mean they are gilded. They are embossed and you get a ledger, a date book, and a graph book. It was just too much for me to handle. If I work up the courage I may order an Everyday Memo Cover as well. By the way, hows the new layout working?

Im sitting here looking at what is around me and thinking to myself, "I should really start posting on my blog again. I mean its only been 3 YEARS!" So, Im toying with the idea. I lost my love for a while. Got into other things, but the lust is coming back. Im using new systems and trying to rotate my pen usage. Im getting better at merging digital and analog and Im actually having fun again. No pictures on this post but how about a list? Evernote Classic Large Moleskine Notebook iPad Mini MacBook Pro Pilot Vanishing Point F with J. Herbin Bleu Nuit ink Sharpie Pen retractable blue Uniball Jetstream .7 black Pilot Hi-tec-c .4 black Lamy Safari M with Noodlers Zhivago ink Theres also a Pilot G-2 mini black in my pocket. Did I mention the lust?

I was a little bummed because I left all of the Halloween candy that I stole from my 3 year old at home, but thats ok because THIS IS AWESOME!!!! Jetpens AWESOMER than AWESOMENESS AWESOME Giveaway

Next week I start a new chapter in my life with a new job. I have made many friends at my present job and a few of them took time out of their busy day to spend time with me before I left. It really meant a lot to me. They got together and got me a very nice present to thank me for my service. Though, I do love the present it is their friendship that I will cherish the most. Nr From Drop Box

I wanted to do a quick post about what I am doing with my notebooks. As some of you may know, I carry a pocket notebook with me just about everywhere I go for notes. Ive tried Moleskine Volants and Cashiers, Mead pocket notebooks, Field Notes and Clairfontaine staplebound notebooks. I have found the Clairefontaine to hold up best in a back pocket. Like many of you, I am constantly searching for a perfect setup so I try out many items. Ive gone through several Field Notes and Clairefontaine notebooks and I needed to consolidate many of my notes. Recently, Ive been carrying a Rhodia Reverse Book in my pack and decided it would be a good place to move my "pocket notes" to. Ive loaded my Lamy Safari with J. Herbin Lie de The and I have been carrying it everyday, so I used it for the consolidation. Life is wild at the moment so I snapped one quick picture and wanted to share. I hope that everyone has a wonderful week! Thanks for dropping in! Nr From Safari

From Carnival Head on over to Note Booker, Esq. to read what the carnival has to offer. Nr

I was very fortunate a while back to receive something a little different to review here at Unposted. The kind folks over at Classroom Friendly Supplies sent over a pencil sharpener for me to review. I thought Id begin with a 360 degree photo shoot. From CRF Pencil Sharpener From CRF Pencil Sharpener From CRF Pencil Sharpener From CRF Pencil Sharpener I have to say that this a one solid product. I bet that it could be dropped more than a few times and still continue to work. You maybe asking yourself, "How does this thing work?" Well, Ill do my best to explain. First, you have to pull out the silver piece on the front. From CRF Pencil Sharpener Next you insert the pencil and begin to crank. You want to crank until you feel that the pencil is not being sharpened anymore. The piece that pulls out will not be back to its original position , but it will be close. (excuse my picture, I pushed the piece in) From CRF Pencil Sharpener From CRF Pencil Sharpener Now press the black release button and pull your pencil out. This thing sharpens to an extremely sharp point. As you can see, all of the shavings are caught in the plastic box for easy removal. From CRF Pencil Sharpener Here are some extra pictures. The second one is a close-up of the mechanism that holds the pencil in place. From CRF Pencil Sharpener From CRF Pencil Sharpener Overall, I like The Classroom Friendly Pencil Sharpener and I think that it is about as easy to use as an automatic pencil sharpener. This is a small business that needs your support so check out their website . These are $19.95 with free shipping and they come in blue and green. I do love the retro look that they have. Also, if you would like to see a video of one in use it is on the website. Thanks again for stopping by! Nr

Last week I posted about a couple of Sheaffer cartridge pens that I have and I mentioned that I was going to do another post about a different body style. I know that you have all been patiently waiting so here it is. From School Pens 2 The two red ones I picked up at the antique store and the blue was my Great Uncles. This blue pen is the first fountain pen that I ever had. Unfortunately, I broke it. From School Pens 2 The barrel had been cracked from over-tightening and Seth fixed it for me, but somehow I broke it again. How shameful. The nibs on these pens are simply labeled M and F, and one reads Sheaffers while the other two read Sheaffer. From School Pens 2 From School Pens 2 As I said before, this are great fountain pens for first-time users as well as good everyday pens. They are great writers but are not expensive and they should be readily available. My next post is going to be a little different so be sure to check back soon. Thanks for stopping by! Nr

The first fountain pens that I ever had were a pair of Sheaffer School pens, or cartridge pens. They belonged to my Great Uncle and one was black and the other was blue. They werent rare finds, but I always loved them because they were easy to use and good writers. Unfortunately, one was lost years ago and the other is broken. The good news is that I was able to find several similar pens at an antique store and that my pal Seth from Goodpens sent me a demonstrator version. From School Pens These two pens are the same except for the barrel color and nib. The clear one is what Seth sent me and the other one I found at the antique store. This style is different from the ones that I originally had and I believe that these are the older versions. From School Pens The clear one has a 304 nib, fine, and the green one has a 305 nib, medium. The medium nib seems to have been damaged because it is bent downwards like a birds beak, but it still writes well. The fine nib writes great and has no issues. From School Pens As far as I know cartridge pens will only accept cartridges, but I just wash them out and use a syringe to refill them. From School Pens If you are into fountain pens and dont have any Sheaffer cartridge pens I suggest that you grab some. They are cheap, light-weight, and easy to maintain but they write amazingly. Ill post the other models that I have in a few days. Until then...Nr

Last month (yes, I am behind) I received a nice little package from @poppin while on the way out of town. My wife looked at me like I had lost my mind because I was so excited. I have to say that the packing was very cool. I didnt get a picture of the box, but I did snap this one . Poppin is a new office supply company that wants to make you happy. It sure worked for me. They sent me an entire box of pool blue ballpoint pens. It also had a nice little hand-written note in the box, always a plus. From poppin What a great everyday pen. A nice simple design and a nice writer. If you lose one or if you have a co-worker with sticky fingers its no big deal. I should have done some research on the price, but I believe that Poppin products are very reasonably priced. From poppin From poppin They are refillable and take a standard ballpoint refill. The pen is lightweight and the clip keeps it nice and secure in your pocket. From poppin From poppin Head over to poppin.com to sign up for the site and to find out about their products. I dont think you will be disappointed. I want to thank @poppin again for the great box of pens. Nr

I guess that you could consider this post a continuation of my last one. I really want to talk about the eyedropper pen that comes with the Noodlers Baystate Blue because it is an interesting concept. From Noodler's Rollerball_Fountain Pen The pen is a Platinum Preppy that comes pre-fitted with an o-ring and silicon grease to prevent leakage. From Noodler's Rollerball_Fountain Pen From Noodler's Rollerball_Fountain Pen When you first open this pen it has the standard fountain pen nib installed, but it also ships with a roller nib. The roller nib was part of the reason that I made this purchase, so it went on first. As I mentioned in my earlier post, all that you have to do is pull out the fountain pen nib and push on the roller. Simple and effective. From Noodler's Rollerball_Fountain Pen From Noodler's Rollerball_Fountain Pen I think that these Platinum pens write pretty good for the price and to be able to eyedrop (?) them is great. The roller adds a new dimension. It is based on the stylographic pen style. There is a simple wick that soaks up the ink and distributes it to the roller. I love this roller, but I do have one suggestion: shorten the length of the metal section. I find that it flexes a little with writing pressure, which is a little uncomfortable for me. Of course, the Platinum nib writes great. From Noodler's Rollerball_Fountain Pen From Noodler's Rollerball_Fountain Pen I really love the option of nibs on this pen. I having been using it a lot since I got it and plan on using it much more. According to some of Nathans YouTube Videos the roller nib can be disassembled and cleaned. I havent tried it yet, but I am sure that I will. Next up is to get the Nib Creaper Roller and compare. Until then, take care. Nr

So here I am, finally getting around to posting about my new Lamy setup that I ordered from Goulet Pens . It is nice. From Baystate The Lamy Safari that I ordered last year came with a medium point which I do like, but I tend to lean more towards finer points. I decided to go with an extra fine nib because it is said that Lamy nibs run a little bigger than normal. I agree. From Baystate Nib replacement was a snap: I simply gripped the ball of my medium nib with my nail and gently pulled it off. Next I gently slid my extra fine nib on, installed and loaded the converter (which I failed to photograph, but it is there) and away I went. From Baystate I chose the 4.5 oz. bottle of Baystate Blue because I love the color and because I actually got three free pens. A brush pen, a rollerball pen and a fountain pen. I have really been wanting to get the Noodlers Nib Creaper Rollerball and decided that this order would be a good way to test out the rollerball without ordering the pen. From Baystate As you can see, the Platinum pen has a friction fit rollerball nib and a fountain pen nib. You simply pull them on and off. So far I have only used the rollerball because it works so well. From Baystate From Baystate Ive used this rollerball on notebooks, stickies and even a three sheet form. No issues. The ink is a beautiful, bright blue and will last me forever. My EF nib is a dream to write with and definitely writes larger than my Pilot EF, but creates just about the perfect line size. So far I am extremely pleased. Of course, Brian and Rachel did a wonderful job with the order. I actually went in on an order with a friend of mine who ordered an All-Star and he was very impressed. Oh yeah, there was also a hand-written note from Brian. I hope to order from them again soon. Take care everyone! Nr

Brad from The Pen Addict has an amazing giveaway going on this week. Go... Check.... it..... out...... Nr

Recently, I have been using my Lamy Safari with black ink cartridges as my everyday writing tool. It has a medium nib and I love it, but I do wish that it had a finer nib. Well, I am wishing no more. An order has been placed, shipped, and most likely, received today from Goulet Pens (it was a stealth order Brian). I ordered an EF nib, converter and a bottle of Noodlers Baystate Blue. This time, I actually thought ahead and prepped my Safari before the order got here. From Year of the Fountain Pen When I get the goods I am ready to go. Pop on the new nib, install and fill the converter and away I go! Excitement? Is it that obvious? Ill post some pictures of the new setup once I am done. I hope that everyone has a wonderful weekend and Ill see you next time. Nr

I was lucky enough to find some great deals this week on some great items.

This week, I have been really trying to concentrate on one pen and ink. I wanted something light and very portable, yet tough and dependable, so I chose my Kaweco Sport pocket pen. From Warden's Mix It just so happens that I have loaded this one with what I might call a Wardens Mix. I tried mixing Noodlers Bad Black Moccasin and Bad Blue Herron hoping to achieve a blue black ink. Yeah, it didnt really turn out. From Warden's Mix I wasnt exactly scientific when I did this and it is basically a 2:1 mix. I should have gone much lighter on the black. From Warden's Mix I did mix these two inks because they are both in Noodlers Warden Series and, therefore, should have the same basic qualities. I have actually been very happy with the ink, but I do want to try again and make it more blue. From Warden's Mix I hope everyone enjoyed my second foray into ink mixing and will check back again to see what happens in The Year of the Fountain Pen. Nr

Hello everyone. I hope that you are all enjoying YOTFP so far and finding it interesting. After reading yesterdays post, fellow blogger Peninkcillin had some questions for me. I decided that they would be better answered in a post rather than in the comments. Here are the burning questions that Peninkcillin had for me with my answers: 1) Id be interested what you used to remove the paint from the Varsity. a) I actually used a computer cleaning product by Rite Off which I believe is called tri-clean. Other products that could be used are rubbing alcohol that has a high alcohol content, paint thinner (use a well ventilated room), Bacardi 151. Im kidding. Really though, I would probably go with a rubbing alcohol because it has other uses, is cheap and is readily available. 2) What method did you use to fill it with ink? I know there are several methods out there. a)I have several syringes that are perfect for fountain pen refilling. Two are from the pharmacy and have no needle. They are good for filling pen barrels for eyedroppers and larger cartridges. They are also good for cleaning nibs and feeds. My other syringe does have a needle and it is good for tighter cartridges. 3) I assume you ground the nib with the ink inside, is that how you got those streaks on the grinding stone? a) Yes and yes. I can be a bit impatient. 4) What was your goal in grinding the nib? If I were to grind my Varsity it would be to make it finer. Currently I think the nib is too broad and it puts too much ink to the paper. a) I wanted a different writing experience. All of my pens have standard nibs and the stub, italic and italic cursive have always intrigued me. It was also about customizing and saying, "I did this. I customized this pen to be what I want it to be. I modified the barrel and nib and filled it with an ink that I love." Boredom, procrastination and curiosity also played a part. Thanks Peninkcillin for the questions, especially since I probably should have just explained all of that to begin with. I hope that if anyone else has questions youll let me know. I love sharing what I can. Thats what this Unposted thing is all about. Thanks everyone! Nr

I mentioned last week that I had finally tried my hand at nib grinding with one of my Pilot Varsities. I have to say that I am not unhappy about the results, though they are not perfect. I chose the Varisity that had my Noodlers Whalemans Sepia in it. From Year of the Fountain Pen Yes, in the picture above, that is supposed to be a harpoon but I am no artist. I have read a few posts about nib grinding and I was always a little worried about doing it, but I guess Ive gotten more daring in my old age. I have a small whetstone that I was carrying but not really using and I decided that it would be perfect for grinding. From Year of the Fountain Pen I gentley rubbed the bottom, top and sides of the nib across the stone until I felt it was the proper shape. I know that I should do some touch-up work on it with a nice grade paper or some other smooth device, but I just havent yet. From Year of the Fountain Pen I think that the grind is fairly even and I do enjoy writing with it, though it could be a little smoother. So far Im still fountain pen only and plan to continue that way. As always, thanks for stopping by. Nr Related Links: Glenns Pens Nib Smoothing Kit What is a whetstone

Yesterday I posted about my commitment to the fountain pen this year and shared what I am currently using. Todays post spotlights one of my current pens. It is a Pilot Varsity that has been refilled with Noodlers Bad Black Moccasin. From Year of the Fountain Pen I cant take credit for the above quote because I found it on mnmal, though it is one of my favorites. Be Like Water. I love that. Back to the Varsity. I first removed the silver design from the barrel with some cleaner, something like alcohol. I then followed Seths instructions and refilled it. I got a small amount of this ink from a friend and I am really enjoying it. It is basically black but it is from Noodlers Warden Series and is impervious to many forging tools. The pen itself is the standard American Varsity medium point, but I feel that it leans more towards the medium/fine side. It has been that way since I bought it. The pen/ink combination works beautifully in my good notebooks, but also on cheap paper. This one has become my favorite. Thanks for all of the comments so far, I hope that they keep coming. Take care everyone and have a great weekend. Nr

Thats right, I have been inspired and I am going to take up my own challenge. Some explanation is in order. Brian from The Goulet Pen Company has been keeping us updated on the exploits of Nathan Tardif, founder of Noodlers Ink. I have become addicted to watching his YouTube channel and after seeing his video about his year long contest I had an idea. Now, it is not really an original idea, but more so a combination of several ideas and a concept. Credit is due to Nathan and Seth (pen meister from Goodpens) because they have both inspired me. The idea, which I have dubbed __The Year of the Fountain Pen__, is simple. For one year I am swearing off ballpoint, gel and rollerballs and only using fountain pens. I am doing this for several reasons. 1)Economics 2)Simplicity 3)Clutter reduction 4)It seems like a good idea So far I have been hanging with my Pilot Varsities and one of my Kawecos. From Year of the Fountain Pen From left to right we have a Varsity refilled with Noodlers Bad Black Moccasin, Varsity refilled with J. Herbin Eclat de Saphir, Varsity refilled with Noodlers Nakahama Whalemans Sepia and sporting a poorly ground stub nib(my first attempt) and a Kaweco Pocket Pen refilled with a personal mix of Noodlers Bad Black Moccasin and Bad Blue Herron. I was going for a blue black ink but it is more of a gray or Zhivago color. Also pictured is my Clairefontaine staplebound notebook that has become part of my standard EDC. I love the size and paper, perfect for a back pocket. So thats it, my personal challenge for the year. I do have one exception but it is contingent on me making a purchase. I would use a Noodlers Nib Creaper Rollerball and feel safe that I was still following my concept and idea. I just have to get one. If you havent watched Nathans videos please watch them now. They are very informative and entertaining. He is a creative genius and has some great products. I can only imagine that he is a very interesting fellow and someone we would all love to watch work. Id like to know if anyone else is up for the challenge or maybe some of you already do this. Ill keep you updated on my pen choices and ink colors. This may be interesting. Nr

Brian Goulet is having a giveaway and all you have to do is take a short, less than five minutes, survey. So spread the word and go enter to win! Goulet Pens Survey Also, How did I miss this?

The internet can be a wonderful resource.Blogging makes it even better because you can connect with people that, otherwise, you would never have a chance to. I have been lucky enough to connect with Hemmant Jha from Thinkmore which is a great design company. This morning I received an email asking for some help with one of his new projects called Wheelwell. They need funding. They arent asking you to send a check, so dont get nervous. They need your vote. Personally, I think that this project is a great idea and I have posted about it before. Just go to this post on his blog and follow the instructions. It is a simple vote and it is something that you can do once a day, every day until January. So, please help out a great cause and design and go vote! Thanks so much for reading. Nr

The black notebook. Such a soft after and slightly controversial subject. Some people will try any and all of them ( I fit into this category) and for others there is only one. History, hacks, size and paper quality seem to dominate such a simple analog device. Why is that? It is just a notebook, after all. Or is it? Some people depend on there black notebook more than any of their other possessions, or so that is how it can seem. My first one was a Moleskine. I have been wracking my brain trying to remember where I bought it, but it has done no good. It started as sort of a catch-all where I kept up with facts that interested me and events that I found important. It was used but not very frequently. Several years later, however, it turned into a full-fledged journal with daily entries of what was going on in my life. It has since been retired and other journals have taken its place, but they all have a common trait. They have all been black. There is just something classic, simple and sexy about it. I cant explain it and I shouldnt have to. You understand. So it should be a surprise to no one that when the folks over at teNeues offered to send me a notebook to review, I picked a green one. Wait, a green one? Yeeaahhh, I guess I wanted something different. Anyway, the green notebook was not out yet so they sent me a black one and a pack of bookmarks. The bookmarks were thrown in because they didnt have my first choice, which I really appreciated. From teNeues CoolNotes There are five versions in the CoolNotes lines and this notebook is the small size. The other versions are the XL, Medium, flip, and City. The small would be considered a pocket notebook. From teNeues CoolNotes It measures 3 9/16 x 5 1/4 in. and has a very "Moleskinesque" finish. From teNeues CoolNotes What I really like about the CoolNotes line is the funky designs that are available. They have many different colors as well as some nice interior options. The one that I was sent is a grey plaid and it reminds me of Ska Punk. From teNeues CoolNotes From teNeues CoolNotes There is also an info page in case you lose it...the notebook that is. From teNeues CoolNotes Now for the paper. I have to admit, this is not the greatest paper in my notebooks but it also is not bad. I actually had almost no bleed-through but several pens did show on the next page. By the way, I need to mention that the paper is lined on the front, blank on the back. From teNeues CoolNotes From teNeues CoolNotes All in all, I like the CoolNotes design and size but I wish that the paper was a little nicer. I would buy one of these and, who knows, maybe the next one I get will be green with hogs in it (my first choice). The bookmarks are a nice addition because I love the artwork. From teNeues CoolNotes There is something dark yet silly about them. From teNeues CoolNotes I want to thank MJ and Karoline with teNeues for kindly sending along the CoolNotes and bookmarks for me to review. Who knows, this may be my next journal. As always, thanks for stopping by and I hope to start getting more reviews out soon. Take care. Nr