Midori Traveler's Notebook Companion

"Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life."

- Berthold Auerbach

The Mission:

Photo - Eclectic Psyche

Well it was time for a new electric guitar and I wanted something with a hint of rustic character and some toughness that would make it reasonably travel tolerant like my Midori Traveller's Notebook.  I didn't want something glossy and decorated with fragile trimmings that have no affect on the sound quality.  I didn't want a "pretty" guitar.  I had some key criteria I wanted it to meet - it had to be rustic looking (like the Midori); handle a few knocks and blemishes (like the Midori); wear well and change colour over time (like the Midori); and thereby have some character, but it also had to be quality materials and well made (like the Midori) and of course, being a guitar, had to sound good and play well.

Quite a challenging set of criteria for an electric guitar, I thought, and an interesting exercise.  So the question arose - could I find a guitar travelling and writing companion for my Midori (or at least something with equal character)?  I was curious to see if I could find something that complimented the Midori minimalist travel theme; a rustic, no frills guitar with the rugged warmth of a time gone by.



The Search

Photo - Eclectic Psyche

I spent some time trudging around guitar stores only to find most of the guitars I saw didn't quite fit what I was looking for.  They were either glossy, fragile trimmed instruments that I would never take out of the house or they were just poor quality and poor sounding.  None seemed to reflect the Midori spirit I sought.  Then I happened across one store where I found a relatively new line of 2013 guitars by Gibson.  The Gibson LPJ to be precise.  It met all the criteria I had set to the point it almost felt tailor made for the Midori.  It was even constructed with the old traditional 1950's chunky neck profile that further reflected the nostalgic journeyman reminiscence that Midori embodies.  A wonderfully constructed instrument without all the ostentatious coverings...a rough diamond, a good match for my Midori and my needs.

"I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free."

- Michelangelo

The Finding:

Photo - Eclectic Psyche

The deep rich satin brown (chocolate) colour of the Gibson LPJ made it an ideal match for my brown leather Midori.  Two worn and rustic travelling companions finally meeting up.   Together they felt as comfortable and inviting as an old, worn-in Chesterfield and its accompanying ottoman.   Best of all the Gibson LPJ is a great sounding guitar, with a low action and the chunky 50's style neck I like.  It feels comfortable, it feels like I've had it for years.  The 498T and 490R humbucker pickups produce that wonderful deep muddy sound that resonates through the air of a room, fuelling the creative writing mind and inspiring the imaginings of a new journey.  Overall, a match made in travel/writing heaven.




I'll no doubt make a few minor mods to the Gibson LPJ but overall I am quite pleased with it as it is.  And surprisingly, it is one of the most affordable Gibson electric guitars on the market.  If you're in the market for a new guitar, then check out the Gibson LPJ.  It truly is an enjoyable guitar to play and has that unique Les Paul sound.  What I also like is how the guitar changes colour/shading the more I handle it, just like the Midori leather does.  It was a very dull, flat colour when I got it but now it has deeper shading with a natural sheen.  Absolutely perfect for what I wanted.  If you love the Midori Traveler's Notebook and, like me, you need a new guitar then you really can't go past the LPJ.

Photo - Eclectic Psyche

Photo - Eclectic Psyche

Photo - Eclectic Psyche

Mission accomplished:

Photo - Eclectic Psyche

I now have a good addition to the Midori.  I have no doubt that it will weather the tough rigours of time and travel quite well.  Any blemish will just add to its character in much the same way as it does for the Midori.  After all time, travel, natural wear and misadventure are all life's badges that should be worn as proud memento's of a life well explored, experienced and enjoyed.  Inspire it.  Live it.

"If music be the food of love, play on."

- Shakespeare, Twelfth Night

The Future (crystal ball gazing):

Photo - Eclectic Psyche

Now I just need the good people at Midori to produce a Gibson/Midori Traveler's Guitar Notebook and then to send me one for free for conceiving the concept.  :)  Ah, I can dream can't I?!

Beyond that, I'll also be dreaming of a 12 string guitar with similar features and a new black Midori Traveler's Notebook.  In the meanwhile, I'm happy to see where these two companions take me.......

Noodler's New Ink - Qin Shi Huang

Nathan Tardif, Noodler's Ink, has just announced a brand new ink he is releasing to the market - Qin Shi Huang, after the first emperor of China.  It looks an impressive ink as well.  It is red fountain ink based on Chinese historical inks and it is also flourescent!  Unbelievable.  I'm looking forward to getting a hold of this new ink - Noodler's Qin Shi Huang.  Can't wait.

Take a look at the video that Nathan has compiled to give a first glimpse of the ink and a bit of its history.  Have to say, Nathan, I'm impressed.

Check out Nathan's video below:




The ink is already available for sale.  I'm not sure who the complete list of sellers are at the moment but a quick search showed that it is currently available at Goulet Pens:

http://www.gouletpens.com/Noodlers_Qin_Shi_Huang_Ink_3oz_p/n19072.htm
(No affiliation with me)



Image courtesy - The Goulet Pen Company - www.gouletpens.com

Iroshizuku chiku-rin ink

“We live and breathe words. .... It was books that made me feel that perhaps I was not completely alone. They could be honest with me, and I with them. Reading your words, what you wrote, how you were lonely sometimes and afraid, but always brave; the way you saw the world, its colors and textures and sounds, I felt--I felt the way you thought, hoped, felt, dreamt. I felt I was dreaming and thinking and feeling with you. I dreamed what you dreamed, wanted what you wanted--and then I realized that truly I just wanted you.”

― Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Prince

chiku-rin

This is an ink I had included in a package with a Sailor pen from Japan.  I added it to my order because I had a family member keen to have a lighter green ink than the Noodler’s Hunter Green ink I have.  I wasn’t that keen on a light green ink but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the colour.

Chiku-rin Ink - photo by Eclectic Psyche

Surprisingly it turned out not to be as light a green as I expected.  The sample pictures seemed to show it being a little washed out, almost faded in appearance.  However it’s a very solid colour without being dark.  In a wet pen or a wider nib, such as an italic or broad nib, it’s a lovely vivid green.  In very fine nibs it can seem a bit too light on certain papers.  If you use a medium to broad nib it’s a good choice for a green ink.  It also has good shading qualities, which give the ink a good contrast between its light and dark range.

I have not experienced any nib creep with this ink and the ink flow commences immediately.  As a wet ink it dries fairly quickly (within about 4 seconds).  I haven't experienced bleeding or feather except on very absorbent paper.  It is not a waterproof ink and tends to run easily if it comes into contact with any liquids, such as water spray or small drink spills.  If you need a green ink with waterproof qualities then this isn't the ink for you - try Noodler's Hunter Green instead.  Its an ink with bulletproof qualities but it is a considerably darker green ink.

I’m using the chiku-rin in a medium nib Sailor pen at the moment and it is proving ideal for journal notes and document/letter writing. It’s a soothing shade of green that has a brightness that makes the writing appear crisp, clear and clean. 

If the Iroshizuku take-sumi is the bamboo charcoal of Pilot inks then chiku-rin must be the bamboo leaf - with its vibrant free flowing green ink.  It’s a great addition to any ink collection.  A cheerful green that enlivens any page of writing.  I like it as much as this Red Panda does.  (I'll post a writing sample in the next day or two).

Photo courtesy: http://www.freevector.comI

The Gift of the Written Word

"You have it easily in your power to increase the sum total of this world's happiness now. How? By giving a few words of sincere appreciation to someone who is lonely or discouraged. Perhaps you will forget tomorrow the kind words you say today, but the recipient may cherish them over a lifetime."  Dale Carnegie (1888-1955) American writer.

Take the time this Christmas to give a little of yourself….. 

Remember this Christmas that the present is not the only gift you can give.  There are two other, more meaningful gifts you can and should give - your time and a personalized, hand written card.

The Christmas card often only receives a brief, quickly scrawled cliché line about enjoying the day.  The whole card buying and giving routine often becomes as impersonal as the wrapping paper.  Relegated to the indignant status of gift accessory.  We buy it quickly, scrawl on it even more quickly, tape it to a gift where it receives a cursory glance before being unceremoniously dumped onto a table alongside dozens of other similarly mass scrawled cards.  A mere token of measurement of our popularity (how many cards we received) rather than a medium by which our family and friends sought to express how they felt about us; to convey how special we are to them.  Well don’t fall into the trap of the masses this Christmas!  Say no to the thirty second scrawled message and take time to write how you feel about the person receiving the card.

Come on... try it...this year take some time to write a meaningful, heart felt and original message in the card.  Take the time to write more than the two or three lines churned out with the mass production precision of the card manufacturing plant.  Better still hand deliver it to the people you care for and spend a little quality time with them.  Hand the card to them and reinforce exactly how important it is having them in your life.  After all, now is the time of year where we remind those closest to us (and ourselves) how much they genuinely mean to us? 

For something a little more nostalgic to match the traditional Christmas spirit, use a fountain pen.  In keeping with the Christmas seasonal colour, try some Iroshizuku yama-budo or Mont Blanc winter glow ink and write a sincere and caring message to those closest to you. 

Yama-budo Ink - Photo by Eclectic Psyche

In this day of sms, email, mobiles and the like, we forget to stop and actually write something meaningful and lasting to those we care for.  So resist the fast lane trend and stop to smell the roses, or rather write about the roses in your life!  You will probably find you have more roses than you realize and soon discover those roses are ever-lasting as a result of the time you take to ink your feelings.

This season - Ink it!  Write it!  In doing so you will reconnect important relationships and perhaps also rediscover yourself at a time of year when reflection is key to our growth in the New Year.  Take time for a little introspection and to contemplate who is important to you, then communicate your thoughts to those you value.   And if you handwrite those thoughts with a fountain pen the message becomes even more personal, meaningful and special. Well it does for me.

And for the more creative, try rewriting an old Christmas carol to fit the message you want to convey.  Music written before 1923 is not bound by copyright restrictions.  Just two to try are: I heard the bells on Christmas Day and Joy to the World! See what you can rework those into as a personalised christmas message.

If you are a little stuck with getting started with which songs to use, click on this link  http://www.christmas-carol-music.org to get some ideas on music/songs that can be used.

Remember to make it personal, meaningful and from the heart.

Ink it!  Write it!

Have a safe, happy and special Christmas!  Hope Santa brings you that new fountain pen and ink you have wanted all year!  See you in 2013!  May it be a peaceful year for this global village we share!  

Ku-Jaku (Peacock) Ink - Photo by Eclectic Psyche

Pilot's New Iroshizuku Ink: take-sumi & two others

take-sumi  shin-kai  ama-iro

Pilot have been making fantastic inks for a while now.  The Iroshizuku range are a marketing success - beautiful and practical bottle design, bright and interesting colour range along with quality inks that flow smoothly from the nib.  Recently Pilot released three new Iroshizuku inks to add to its range; just in time for the Christmas stocking. 

The three new inks released are:

take-sumi – bamboo charcoal black

shin-kai – deep sea blue

ama-iro – sky blue

The three inks are available for purchase now from most stores selling Iroshizuku or from Ebay.  I bought mine from Engeika store  http://wancher.ocnk.biz/diary .  I have bought many items from Engeika and each time his service has impressed me immensely.  However I recently bought a Wancher pen from him and I would never do that again.  The pen was the worst pen I have ever bought.  Its not Japanese made at all.  I'll post a review on it soon.  Suffice to say for now, the Wancher fountain pen is not something I would recommend.  However, the Iroshizuku inks are fantastic, I can recommend them. 

Image courtesy of Engeika - http://wancher.ocnk.biz/diary

The three Iroshizuku colours are brand new and I have to say they are just the thing for those keenly waiting for a new choice of Iroshizuku inks. 

I like all three of these inks, especially the take-sumi - so much so I'm going to order another bottle of it as well.  As you can see below its a definate charcoal black.

Take-sumi ink & Sunshine Sailor Sapporo - photo by Eclectic Psyche

The take-sumi is a smooth ink, flows easily from the pen nib and gives a good saturated and smooth ink output. Its a decent shade of black not a full bodied black (like Sailor Kiwaguru or Noodler's Black) but its a black that can look a darkish grey at times and black at others depending on your paper, pen and the light. I really like its flow rate and colour variation. Interestingly, while it is a wet ink it dries quickly.

I now have the take-sumi on a pedastal as a new favourite.

Take-sumi ink - photo by Eclectic Psyche

A brief review of the bamboo charcoal colour is below.  The colour is actually better (deeper) than it appears in the sample test below.  I'll try to upload a better image shortly.  I've tried the take-sumi in four of my fountain pens: my Sailor 1911 large, Sailor Sapporo, Pilot Custom 74 and a Noodler's Ahab Flex - all of them are writing smoothly with the take-sumi ink. The colour is black but in each pen the grey shading shows up slightly differently (due to the different nib sizes and flex) but mostly its a matt black.  It all adds up to make the ink even more intriguing to use.

Sample of ink - by Eclectic Psyche

The take-sumi is a nice shading of black that compliments my Noodler's Zhivago quite nicely.  The Zhivago is a great black with its green tinge, the amount of green evident depends on the nib size and paper absorption rate.  The two inks, take-sumi and Zhivago, will be filling two of my favourite pens and travelling side by side in my pen pouch in future.  I can see a daily use for both of them.

Get in quick and get yourself a bottle of the take-sumi (just don't get the Wancher pen).  As mentioned I have the other two inks from this release and will post a review of them shortly.

Happy Iroshizuku writing!
 
 

Ink it! Write it!

I was writing a document recently and thought of this blog.  I had forgotten about it, well...I have to admit I most likely forgot it intentionally so I didn't have to face drafting a post.  So, I felt bad that I opened an account I never made use of.  Since I was debating with someone the use of fountain pens today I thought I would post that topic here.

Essentially my friend and I were debating a range of points surrounding fountain pens.  My friend thought that fountain pens had become ornaments.  In their view, old pens were for antique collectors and new pens were for ornamental display; with perhaps just the occasional ceremonial use such as a special signing or formal letter.  Anything that was less valuable wasn't worth collecting much less using.  They conceded an artist or writer might want an expensive or valuable "special" pen to create something "special".  

Argh!  My friend had cited the two main arguments that always make me cringe. 

The two arguments being:

1. Fountain pens are only purchased as collectible ornaments, or

2. To create something "special" you must possess a fountain that is expensive or "special".

The above statements always result in me debating fountain pens.  Its essentially, the age old debate of tool versus artistic instrument or rather - functional item versus item of display (in other words price and prestige over use and function).  I am always amused though, with the view that something artistic, beautiful and worthy can only come from a so-called instrument of equal beauty.  That you must possess something "special" before you can create something "special".  So much for the creative genius within.

The same applies to inks! 

So many quality inks are overlooked because the buyer reaches (and pays considerably more) for the ink with the excessive packaging and price tag. Noodler's Inks - Link - are one of my favourites and yet they are also one of the most affordable inks you can find. Obtaining a good and appealing pen is an enjoyable experience but so too is inking it with a quality ink and then actually using it! 

(Ink iage sourced from: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e7/Blue_ink.jpg)

The pen and the ink are designed to interact, to combine so you may communicate and share with others (and perhaps other generations); yet many a pen has never touched the ink it was designed for.  Many a fountain pen has never quenched its thirst at the ink well.  Sadly, somewhere along the way, it became an ornament.

Ink it!  Write it! (And perhaps you too will write like this - Ink it! Write it!)

TB