Mother's Day Gift Ideas

I know this is not the way we imagined spending Mother's Day this year, and this might be a sensitive time for some. We hope everyone is doing well and healthy. As a small business we have been working hard with a limited staff in our warehouse, and customer service has been working from home. We’ve been doing our best, and are very appreciative of all the business and support we have been receiving.

This pandemic, however, has not stopped the pen world and the releases for this spring. There’s a lot of new pens featuring pastels and bright, lovely colors that remind me of my own mom.

There are a lot of great options for mom’s this year, and down below we will feature a selection of pens, ink, and paper we think your mom will love. I think this would be an excellent way to show your love to your pen-fanatic moms! Or if your mom has expressed interest in pens, this is a great way to introduce her to the pen community! Definitely a fun, personal, and thoughtful gift.

Don’t forget if you sign up for our newsletter (featured at the bottom of our website on the main page) you can get an extra $5.00 off. We are also giving a red or pink Yak leather pen case with any order over $100 featuring white, pink, red, or purple pens and inks. Please also take into consideration that with current events there may be some shipping delays. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

We hope to see you in store soon! Please check out our Instagram (we do contests!), Facebook, and Youtube page! And if you feel inclined to, another great way to support us, is by leaving us a review on Google! Thank you for the continued support.
1. Waterman Riviera Series ($94.00 - $120.00)

2. Sailor Fairytale Series ($96.00 - $180.00.)

3. Parker Jotter Pastel ($13.00 - $16.50)

4. Lamy Candy Series or pastel? ($16.00 - $29.60)

5. Aurora Ipsilon Seasons - Spring Primavera & Summer Estate ($79.20 - $120.00)

6. Montblanc Marilyn Monroe ($750.00 - $830.00)

7. Taccia Lipstick Ink ($12.00)

8. Bungubox Mother Pink ($50.40)

9. Monteverde sweet life ink set ($72.00)

10. Oberon Journals ($76.00)

11. Write Amethyst  ($12.00)

12. Waterman Allure ($19-$24)

13. Montblanc Bonheur Weekend ($560 - $830). Get it now.

Visit penboutique.com to find more other interesting gifts and attractive offers everyday.


Take Care!

- Amber J.

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5 Fantastic Starter Fountain Pens for Under $30

    Hello everyone! I hope everyone is doing okay during this hard time we are going through. I know that we all need a distraction from the news and being stuck in our homes all day. As a small business this is a hard time for us as well, especially for being such a niche business. However, we know we have dedicated and supportive customers who still want to see us thrive. We appreciate all the support whether it’s through buying our products, promoting us, or social media. While our storefront is not open right now, we are still accepting online and over the phone orders. We have a limited amount of people working at the warehouse right now, and some working remotely.


I know a lot of people are looking for new hobbies to get into, or ideas to entertain and keep their children busy, so we will be looking at a selection of starter pens for under $30.00!


1. Platinum Prefounte ($10.00)

   The Prefounte is the sister to the Platinum Preppy, which is also an inexpensive starter fountain pen. It’s offered in a medium and fine nib (which are stainless steel), and comes in a variety of colors: red, blue, orange, and red. It features a slip & seal mechanism that helps keep the ink from drying! This is truly a wonderful starter pen, or an everyday pen you don’t mind just carrying around all day in your bag. It’s also a great pen to start kids on, too!



2. Pilot Kakuno ($10.80)

The Kakuno is such an adorable pen! It comes in three different sizes: extra fine, fine, and medium. However, not every color comes in that size. The clear one comes in all three sizes, the ones with the white bodies come in fine, and the ones with the translucent grey bodies come in medium! The nibs are friction fit though, and are swappable between the Metropolitan, Prera, and Plumix. It can be used with a cartridge or any Pilot converter (which is sold separately if you would like to use bottled ink). Definitely a fun pen to have around!

3. Faber-Castell Grip ($20-$25.00)

The Grip comes in a variety of colors that feature grip like textures on the body of the pen. It also features a soft and comfortable grip, and has a light writing experience. The nib sizes available for this are extra fine, fine, and medium. It’s also recommended for both right handers and left handers! It uses both a cartridge and converter as well. This style of pen is also offered in a finewriter or ballpoint!

4. Lamy Safari ($25-$28)

Lamy Safari’s are one of the most popular starter fountain pens, originating from Germany. They are super easy to use, nib switch friendly, and come in a wide variety of colors! They offer calligraphy nibs to extra fine nibs, which come in silver and black. They do not get damaged easily, at least from my own experience. I would say for this price you really can’t complain. They are always coming out with special editions as well, and never keep you bored with all the new fun and fascinating colors! They also have a sister pen called the AL-Star, which is a little bit more expensive, but is made out of aluminum instead. Of course these both use cartridge or converter (sold separately) as well. (Don’t forget to take a sneak peak at the new Candy collection, too!)

5. TWSBI Eco ($28.99)

The TWSBI Eco is my personal favorite starter fountain pen, and has taken off as a very popular and inexpensive fountain pen for beginners and non beginners. I am a sucker for a demonstrator fountain pen. These are super fun to mix and match different inks to the color of whichever one you choose, and definitely becomes a conversation starter. The nibs range from a 1.1 stub to an extra fine. You can nib switch them but it has to be from an ECO. It also features a piston mechanism to fill it up with ink, which is easy to use and super convenient. I also would recommend these to left handers with an extra fine or fine nib, as the nibs are considered to be more Eastern than Western and write a bit smaller.

I hope everyone found this to be useful, and perhaps will keep you busy and or start a new interest/hobby! Stay safe, healthy, and most importantly -- stay inside.

- Amber

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Taccia Historical Inks & its Importance

Ukiyo-e is a style of Japanese art that was popular from the 17th century through the 19th century. This style of art consisted mostly of kabuki actors, sumo wrestlers, landscapes, floral paintings, historical scenes, folk tales, and more. This was done through woodblock prints and paintings.

Taccia released its first line of inks in 2018, which featured 13 simple primary colors, and they also released their Lipstick line recently, too. The Ukiyo-e series comes in two sets, each featuring four different colors. The Hokusai series is based on the landscape paintings from the artist Hokusai. The other series is based on the artist Sharaku who is famous for his portrait paintings.

Hokusai inks: Benitsuchi, Koiai, Saibimidori, and Fukakihanada

Benitsuchi, which translates to “Red Soil”, is inspired by the red soil of Mt. Fuji in Hokusai’s painting "Fine Wind, Clear Morning". This color is a rich red with orange undertones.

Kauai, which translates to “Dark Blue”, is inspired by the dark blues in his famous painting "The Great Wave off Kanagawa". This color is a dark indigo shade, which could be a useful blue-black.

Saibimidori, which translates to “Rust Green”, is inspired by the greens in his painting "Barrier Town on the Sumida River". This is a dark green with blue undertones, creating what would be like a dark turquoise. 

Fukakihanada, which translates to something like “It’s a deep flower”, is inspired by the light blues in his painting "Kajikazawa in Kai". This is a lighter blue with dark blue undertones. 

Sharaku inks: Kurocha, Akasakura, Koiame, and Natane

Kurocha, which translates to “black tea”, is inspired by Sharaku’s painting “Ōtani Oniji III”. This is deep chocolate or coffee colored ink. 

Akasakura, which translates to “red cherry tree”, is inspired by his painting of "Chikawa Omezo". This is lovely cherry blossom red. 

Koiame, which is dark-yellow brown, is inspired by his painting of "Ichikawa Ebizo IV". This reminds me of a more subtle burnt orange. 

Natane, which translates to “rapeseed”, is inspired by his painting of "Segawa Kikunojo III". This is a bright yellow mustard color. 

Each of these inks come in a beautiful box that represent each artwork it is inspired from, and come in a 40ml glass bottle. I personally love Japanese art, and I think this line of ink is gorgeous and represents the art work well. Depending on the nib size you’re using, and the type of paper you’re using, there are definitely a variety of shades that could be brought out from each ink.

Content Writing By: Amber J

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It seems like distant memory....

Dear Pen Family,                                                                                                                              3/27/2020 Our store is still closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our support staff is working from home, and although we are shipping with very minimal staff at our warehouse, we have so far been able to keep up with orders. Even I'm in the warehouse packing orders, which brings me back to the days when we were just starting out. Thank you very much for your support during this trying time. We are trying our best to get orders out with our reduced staffing and have so far been able to keep up, but please be patient with us if we fall behind.  This is a different time, unlike anything we've ever been through. Our home has become an office, a playground for the kids, and a dinner place. Going out to dinner with family and friends, chatting with customers in the store, and celebrating my team's birthdays feels like a distant memory. However, not everything is bad. We cook more, try new recipes, walk outside almost every day, my daughter bakes something new every day, and we have excellent quality time together. I now try to write every day and encourage my kids to use fountain pens in their daily writing. How are you using this "stay at home" time? Starting today, we'll be putting a surprise gift in every 50th order. If you're the lucky one, be sure to share it on social media and tag us! Stay positive, be humorous, keep social distancing and WRITE MORE! Thank you, sincerely   Leena PS: The emailer is late by a day as I was packing yesterday and was tired after the day and needed a break!

At key-west Florida, right after that, the quarantine was in effect. Good times!

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Further COVID-19 response.

Dear all,

Amazing! Wow and Thank you! These are the only words I can say for the overwhelming support you have shown after we sent out the email detailing our COVID-19 response. The kind words, offers of support, and orders have been encouraging during these trying times. I could not respond to every reply, but please know that I have read them all and taken them to heart.    

We are still operating in a limited capacity.  Our storefront is closed for now due to the order of the Governor and Howard County government to close non-essential businesses.  We are not taking any engraving orders for now since our engraver is off-site. We have divided our team between working remotely and shipping orders, and only essential personnel are coming to the warehouse to work. We are also not taking any shipments received inside our building and are taking some extreme precautions to minimize the risk. 

I know I always say that we could not have been in business for 15 years without your support, but in times like these, my eyes are filled with tears of joy, thinking that I have such amazing, pen loving customers who will always support us! I know pens are not a top priority right now( Some might look at me with "rolling" eyes :-)), but if you consider pens to gift to someone or for yourself whenever an opportunity arises, it will mean a lot to me and my team. 

Stay positive, be humorous,  maintain the 6 feet distance :-)

Thank you,

sincerely

Leena

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COVID -19 Response and Store Closure.

Dear All,

Pen Boutique is carefully monitoring all information available regarding the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). First and foremost, we are committed to minimizing the risk of exposure and transmission of this virus to our customers and employees. We will be making some adjustments to our store and online warehouse center procedures. 

We’ve discussed our concerns with team members and some customers, with options up to and including closing the store if needed. The Howard County Government has declared state of emergency and we are closing our store for next 2 weeks. We had great turnaround from our customers on Saturday, and we appreciate that. 

We do, however have the following precautions:

• Customers coming into the store will have to use hand sanitizer before handling products. We also have the option to wash your hands with soap in the restroom located in our building.
   
• Employees will wipe the handles of cabinets and also use disinfectant on the counters. We regularly do this, but we will be even more careful and judicious. 
   
• If you have a cold, cough, fever or other symptoms, please avoid coming to the store. We will still be here when you get better, and we are always available at www.PenBoutique.com or via phone at (410) 992 3272 (Monday-Friday 9 am-6 pm). 
   
• For our warehouse and online operations, we will be restricting visitors for the next 2 weeks. We are also arranging for employees who can work remotely. 
   
• We are also not having any group meetings, and we will be utilizing a team sharing app to coordinate between our team members remotely. 
   
• We’ve posted a notice in front of our store explaining the hand sanitizing policy. 
   

Again, this is a developing situation, so things may change. We want to be as transparent as possible and are open to suggestions. 
 

Thank you and stay safe,
 

sincerely

Leena. 

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Rickshaw Pen Holders

Hello, everyone! I hope everyone is having a great week! We recently have started selling Rickshaw Pen Holders, which are made in San Francisco. We got a batch late last year, but those sold super quick! We have a ton right now, though!


These pen cases come in a variety of styles and colors. A lot of them feature beautiful and fun artwork such as ink splatters and octopi, which are done by various artists (some being from Instagram!).  They come as solos or enough to fit 6-8 pens!


The material seems super durable, and is completed with a very soft and plush inside to keep your pens comfy, snug, and safe! The bigger pen cases also feature an elastic cord to wrap it all together. These are also machine washable and colorfast!


Check them out online or come in store to feel and see how wonderful and creative these pen holders are!

Content Writing By: Amber J

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Platinum Curidas: Coming Soon

 
The new retractable fountain pen by Platinum, known as the “Curidas”, will be arriving soon! I know everyone is super excited to see how this pen will write and feel. This will be one of the first retractable fountain pens at a lower price point as well, which is also exciting! Even though the bodies of the pen are familiar, there is still a lot to be excited by!

As we all know, one of the common issues people had with the vanishing point was the clip getting in the way, but with the Curidas they have it so it comes with a tool to take off the clip!




The colors it comes in are Gran Red, Abyss Blue, Urban Green, Graphite Smoke, and Prism Crystal. It has three nib options: extra fine, fine, and medium. It takes Platinum cartridges and either the Platinum Converter 500 or 700. The nib is a new nib featuring a stainless steel nib, which is one of the reasons it’s a bit more affordable. It is removable as well.

Platinum Curidas Fountain Pen - Abyss Blue

Platinum Curidas Fountain Pen - Gran Red

Platinum Curidas Fountain Pen - Prism Crystal

Platinum Curidas Fountain Pen - Graphite Smoke

Platinum Curidas Fountain Pen - Urban Green

The bodies are plastic, but the hardware inside is actually metal. It also features a spring inside to operate the retractable part. It’s said that it’s almost similar to the size of the TWSBI Go spring.

The name of the pen is two words combined. “Curious”, which is English, and the Japanese word, “kuridasu”, meaning “to let out”. And we are definitely curious!

They are up for pre-order on our website, and we also welcome you to stop by our store when they arrive! Keep an eye out on our social media to see when they arrive!

Content Writing By: Amber J

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Conklin Duraflex Elements Collection Pens (Limited Availability!)

The elements that work together to balance the world as stated by Greek philosopher, Heraclitus:

Earth Fire Water

The writing instrument has been designed by Conklin drawing the inspiration from these crucial elements philosophy and introduced the Duraflex Elements writing instrument to characterize the phenomenal features of the universal elements. Check this out.

Conklin Duraflex Elements Fountain Pen - Earth (Limited Edition)

Conklin Duraflex Elements Fountain Pen - Fire (Limited Edition)

Conklin Duraflex Elements Fountain Pen - Water (Limited Edition)

All of the Conklin Duraflex Elements Fountain Pens are available in Omniflex, Fine, Medium, Stub, Broad and Extra Fine nib size(s). PRE-ORDER NOW by visiting Pen Boutique store.

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The Pineider La Grande Bellezza Forged Carbon

 


     We hope everyone has had, and will continue to have, a great holiday and enjoys the last few weeks of 2019. We've been having an exciting time here at Pen Boutique as there have been quite a few new pen releases. As of recently we have gotten in the Pineider La Grande Belleza Forged Carbon! When I first pulled it out of the box I instantly got Gothic Renaissance vibes, and was captivated by the texture and design of the pen.


This pen was made in Florence, Italy and designed by Dante Del Vecchio, who was the founder and CEO of Visconti up until 2016.. It features Pineider's flex nib that is made out of a soft rhodium plated 14k gold nib, and allows the flex to give you that line variation you  may be looking for.  It also has an interesting filling mechanism where you have to push the button to extract the piston knob, turn it to fill the pen, and then push the button again in order to lock it. It also has a soft touch magnetic lock cap system!

For this pen they collaborated with a company called Carbon Dream, who is prominent in Italy and a worldwide manufacturer of materials and detail from composite materials. They represent the peak of luxury and technology, and have worked with big brands such as Ferrari and Bugatti.

Carbon itself is lightweight and resistant, which doesn't make it very malleable. However, forged carbon allows it to be more flexible. When it is heated at a high pressure it begins to form, creating a unique and different pen each time. It's been used in automobiles and things like luxury watches, but has never been used for a pen.


This pen is definitely an eye catcher, and would be a great conversation piece. It's also limited to only 888 pieces!

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Montblanc's New Great Character collection is - Walt Disney -

Montblanc Great Characters: Walt Disney

Something huge that was apart of my childhood, and the childhoods of many other children growing up over the last 96 years was and is Disney. Disney brought out imagination, creativity, and magic to life and it has become a legacy around the world. From their adaptations of well known fairy tales, to the well loved Mickey Mouse, Disney has had a place in our hearts and dreams.


   This month Montblanc released a pen inspired by Walt Disney, as a part of their Great Characters collection. When you wish upon a star, I guess dreams really do come true. This is definitely a sleek, innovative pen that reflects the beloved Mickey Mouse.


Mickey Mouse was originally not a mouse. Originally he began as a rabbit, known as Oswald. Oswald became popular very quickly, and they began making a series of shorts for him. Sadly, the studio ended up taking the rights for Oswald, and Disney and Ub Iwerks, one of the animators who stayed with Disney,  stayed together to create Mortimer the mouse. However, Mortimer did not end up being as popular as Oswald. He ended up changing the mouse’s name to Mickey, who at first was also not gaining any popularity. Then “Steamboat Willie” happened in 1928. It was the first time both music and sound effects were both used at the same time, and it was a hit. A few years later he received a makeover, and has been around since being the adorable mouse that he is.


  Montblanc wanted this pen to be inspired by such a legacy, and it’s color choice for the barrel is actually inspired by “Steamboat Willie”. The design of the pen is also inspired by the famous Monorail system at Disneyworld in Florida.





The barrel and cap are made from black precious resin, and have hidden mickey ears all over the barrel, as well as a 3D resin molding integrated into the barrel. Walt Disney’s signature is also featured on the cap. A very interesting part of this pen is that at the cone there are a set of coordinates engraved to represent where the position of the garage belonging to Walt Disney’s uncle was. This garage is celebrated because it is where his brother created a camera stand.There’s also a yellow accent ring around the thread and barrel, as well as a red ring around the cone to represent Mickey’s iconic outfit.

This special edition pen comes in a fountain pen, rollerball, and ballpoint. There is a limited edition fountain pen as well, that is similar in shape and size, but has blue and black laquer inlays with the Mickey Mouse portrait in scanimation effect. Scanimation, which is also called a “kinegram”, creates a picket fence animation. This effect was invented in the late 1890’s, and then a man named Rufus Butler Seder brought it back to life. This is the first time Montblanc has used this effect.


Alongside the release of these pens are the notebooks and inks. The inks are a bright yellow, which is inspired by the shoes of Mickey Mouse.


I do personally think that the pens look a lot better in person. You really get to see all the fine detail, that can be a lot harder for a camera to capture. It has a good weight to it, and feels decent when writing with it. The only deal breaker for some people, however, is that it sadly does not post. I do really enjoy the texture of the barrel, and it doesn’t seem to be bothersome when writing with it.

This pen is perfect for all of us Disney enthusiasts and collectors, and such a magnificent way to remember and celebrate the truly great character that is Walt Disney.

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Fine pens which compliments the Autumn!

Fall is here and it’s starting to finally feel like it!  We here in the pen community love our seasonal themed pens, inks, and stationery. With fall comes a new season and some nostalgia. Today I thought I’d list and go over some fun products that are great for this upcoming season, new and old.

 First, we have the new Pelikan Star Ruby.

  The Pelikan Star Ruby is a special edition pen inspired by the gemstone: star ruby. Star Rubies are found to be rare because it can be difficult to find high-quality ones that fulfill both the vibrant color and the star reflection that it is known for.

They are mined from a variety of places: Sri Lanka, Burma, India, Africa, Cambodia, and the United States. However, India and Africa tend to be where more of the rare ones tend to be found.

The reason they are called “star rubies” is because when the light reflects off of it creates a six ray star. This is a phenomenon known as “asterism”.

I find that in person the glitter is definitely more prominent and the red/burgundy of the pen is a tiny bit brighter as well. It’s a great time for the release of this pen because it definitely suits the current and upcoming seasons/holidays! (It also has a matching ink, which would make a great gift set!)

Next up is the Estie Honeycomb.


       The Estie Honeycomb is a beautifully designed pen. While the name may remind us of summer, the colors that are brought out in this pen make me want me to curl up with a hot cup of tea (with honey, of course),a good book or my journal, and watch the leaves fall.

I love the way this feels in my hand and the way it looks. I personally think the gold trim is such a great accent to the rich and smooth warm golds/yellows blended into this pen.

Lamy Lx -Marron:


The Lamy LX Marron, also a recently released pen, is another great pick for the fall with its rich brown, autumnal tones. When I see this pen I think of chocolate or coffee. At a great price, you can’t go wrong with one of the Lamy LX’s. I, personally think that Lamy has a wide selection for a diverse amount of people, and really enjoy that aspect of their selection.

Now, if you’re like me, you love an ink that’s going to match either one of these pens, or your own fall collection. A couple of great colors, or what I think are great additions for fall, are Diamine’s “Autumn Oak, Pilot Iroshizoku’s “Momiji” (Autumn Leaves), and Monteverde’s Sweet Life “Pumpkin Cake”.

The “Momiji” is a deep red color, however it does lean more towards the pink side of the spectrum, depending on how it’s being used. It is a very saturated red, however, especially when written. It definitely reminds me of red leaves during this time of year!


“Autumn Oak” reminds me of a more fall orange: you know, pumpkins and leaves versus neon orange popsicles or summer. I think it can be dynamic without going overboard, and brings a fun and creative color to your writing palette.

Monteverde’s Sweet Life “Pumpkin Cake” is a rich brown color that, at least to me, has some orange slightly mixed in there. Now that it’s fall it’s kind of wrong to not have a pumpkin ink, right?



We also have some great stationary, too, to match with these pens and inks: The Rhodia Heritage notebooks and the recently added Field Notes Autumn Trilogy.






The Rhodia Heritage notebooks, which are limited edition,  immediately reminded me of the fall, especially the plaid patterned one! I am absolutely obsessed with this pattern and color scheme. For this line they have the Tartan, Checkered, and Escher designs in graph and lined.


We also recently got in the Field Notes 2019 Autumn Trilogy Notebooks! These are Limited Edition Notebooks. The colors they chose were “Warm Red”, “Safety Yellow”, and “Scarlet”. These colors are approximately the same color as the leaf colors of the American Sugar Maple, American Elm, and Scarlet Oak. Each notebook features a realistic debossed leaf from each specific tree. These are simple yet beautiful colors, and something small you can just throw in your bag.


Thanks for reading this week’s blog and I hope you enjoyed the variety of pens, inks, and notebooks we looked at!  Hopefully it’ll start to feel like fall soon!

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The Rhodiactive Hardcover Notebook is Brilliant

Being a full-time student, I have a need for sturdy, dependable notebooks well suited to notetaking. When I sit down at a lecture, I need to be able to quickly pull the relevant notebook out of my bag, open to the first unused page, and denote information about the lecture for future reference.

The hardcover Rhodiactive notebook was designed with these needs in mind. The book-bound construction circumvents the annoying tendency of spiral bound notebooks' spirals to interlock when they're adjacent in a bag. The unusual but surprisingly convenient inclusion of perforated corners makes finding the next unused page exceptionally easy and quick. Finally, the single isolated header line on each page makes the subject and date of the lecture stand out on the page and helps me find old notes when I'm just flipping through looking for a specific header.

Those are concrete reasons why I appreciate my hardcover Rhodiactive notebook. If I was recommending it to a friend and trying to sell its appeal, I'd focus on those points because they represent objective benefits. But my appreciation for the hardcover Rhodiactive goes way beyond the things that just make it a quality stationary product. There are so many little things that set the Rhodiactive apart and make writing in it an absolute joy.

For starters, Rhodia's line ruling is exceptionally wide, with abundant vertical space. This isn't exactly a universally popular trait, as a significant amount of space is wasted if you're used to writing on college or narrow rule paper or just have small handwriting. As someone with relatively large print and a love of ink, I love using the wider rule offered by Rhodia, because I can justify using broad and stub nib pens that put down more ink without compromising legibility.

The author's progress at the time of this writing

The perforated corners are obviously convenient for finding the next unused page and remove the hassle of making sure the integrated bookmark is properly placed every time you put away the notebook, but I find they make using up the notebook exceptionally fun. We all know the satisfaction of putting the used portion of a notebook between thumb and forefinger and appreciating the thickness of the pages we've filled. With the perforated corners, every time you fill a new page you're reminded of the journey that is filling a notebook. You pull off the little tab with its satisfying pop pop pop of tearing perforations and are filled with a profound sense of accomplishment at having gotten one step closer to conquering the 98 sheets of pristine stationary you started with. This is a powerful form of positive reinforcement, and I've found myself taking unnecessary notes on readings for the class I use it in as an excuse to tear off those little tabs.
Although the space for filling out the owner's contact information is something you ideally never need, it gives me a sense of security knowing that if some good Samaritan should find my notebook, they'll have 5 different ways to reach me and return it. I'm in the habit of providing contact information on the inside cover of my notebooks regardless of the provided space, but the included blanks reflect a bottom-up design approach that values convenience of use.

In case I get hit by a bus on campus

While the inclusion of the space for contact information and the metric conversion chart on its reverse are greatly appreciated, the inside cover has some odd elements. The perpetual calendar provided opposite the contact information has such tiny squares for each day that I can't imagine writing much more than a weekday abbreviation in each one. I see the utility of being able to see the day of the week for a given date, but filling it in would be a chore, and on most occasions when you need to see the day of the week on a future date you also need your schedule for the sake of making plans. On the contact information sheet, 'personal email' is spelled 'personnal email', a flagrant typo. The French for 'personal email' is 'email personnel' according to the cross-labeling below the English, which suggests this isn't really a typo so much as lazy translation on the part of some designer at Rhodia's headquarters in La Défense, France. The cross-labeling is oddly inconsistent, with terms like 'capacity' being provided in French with exact cognates like 'volume', but with 'USA Dry Measure Equivalents' receiving no French translation. 

The world map on the inside back cover shows time zones, and is
 interestingly centered on the Pacific Ocean instead of the Atlantic

All told, this is possibly my favorite notebook for the role it fulfills: large, durable, A4 notebook I can throw in my bag without worrying about it. Its French origin leads to some interesting quirks, but the inclusion of the preprinted pages inside the front and back cover improves its utility and definitely helps the Rhodiactive hardcover stand out in a market where competing products can be extremely similar.

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