Wiser Web Wednesday – a semi-regular link to posts of interest from around the web, by those far wiser than myself:

 

Goulet Pens Blog
Your mileage will vary with certain fountain pen inks, depending on the pen, nib and paper, and I’m sure we all have our favourites.

If you are looking for a starting point as far as “wetter” or “drier” inks are concerned, the Goulet Pens blog has you covered:
Top 10 Wet and Dry Inks

 

The Gentleman Stationer
More on the ink front, as Joe looks at some most suitable for marking up documents or writing. Of course the obvious answer: “all of them” probably isn’t 100% accurate.

For me, it can be as simple as lighter blue against the black of printed documents when a conservative approach is required, running to vibrant green and orange (like Joe) when I can, particularly for a contrast to my handwritten words during editing.

Either way, we no doubt all have our preferred approach. Here, Joe’s recommendations are on point as always:
Best Fountain Pen Inks for Editing and Annotation

 

Three Staples
Another of Matt’s guest posts has piqued my interest — this time a ballpoint, in the form of the Pilot Fumi Raku, a pen I have never heard of.

Like Matt, I do find the design compelling, yet as suggested in the post, it is a ballpoint — not that there is anything wrong with that! Simply perhaps a “con” on the balance sheet when weighing up value for the price point.

Either way, another great review:
Pilot Fumi Raku Touki Ballpoint Pen

Oh and I’m sure the Fumi Raku would write extremely well in a DIY’d mini Field Notes notebook. Complete with three staples and all.

Nice one Jinnie:
Field Notes DIY: Mini HELLO Memo Books

 

Fountain Pen Follies
A great review of a similarly great-looking pen case from Kaweco, suitable for the Sport range of pens from the same manufacturer.

I get the feeling that the Traveller case has been designed by people who use and care about fountain pens

A solution for the common occurrence of your Kaweco Sports swimming around or being lost down the slots of a standard pen case?

It appears so:
Pen Case Review: Kaweco Traveller Case

 

Pens! Paper! Pencils!
Interesting. I’m not sure what else I’d say about this pen (to be fair of course I’ve never had one in my hand). Probably best left to someone who has then:

I just don’t quite get it. I don’t think the extension piece is a gimmick: Kaweco’s a small company and I think they make products that they like to use themselves. Someone at Kaweco loves this pen, I’m sure

On face value I’d have to agree with Ian. That said, hats off to manufacturers who at least give something different a try. The Sport range from Kaweco isn’t exactly your standard pen, and look at the popularity of that line.

This time though I might wait for whatever may come next:
Kaweco Supra Fountain Pen Review

 

Brewing Coffee Manually
I’d not heard of the Kalita Kantan portable coffee brewer to this point.

The Kalita Kantan is a 3.5 inch by 4 inch disposable pour-over brewer made of cardboard and an attached filter. They are sold in packs of thirty and are completely flat prior to folding for use

A nifty little device which might come in handy when your luggage space is tighter than you’d like, or perhaps if you prefer a drip filter rather than the immersion style brew of that perennial traveller the AeroPress.

Definitely a great option to consider when next brewing on the go — and the handy brew guide in this post will get you started:
How to Brew with the Kalita Kantan

 

Barista Magazine Blog
Although not knowledgeable enough on the subject to have an opinion either way myself, those in the industry often have their preference on the conical vs flat burr grinder debate.

While there was a lot of variation, most people gravitated towards the lighter roasted coffee on the conical burr grinder. However, there was a fair amount of disagreement and many people voted for the other three options as their favorite brew

An experiment like this probably tells us there are far more variables impacting taste in coffee than the type of burrs in the grinder.

When we are talking the lower end home consumer market there isn’t a lot of choice, where you will find mostly conical burrs, and as we’ve seen above, this probably doesn’t matter too much.

One thing to remember though at the lower end — burrs please, definitely not blades:
Conical Versus Flat Burrs? Tasters Decide in Compak Workshop

 

Perfect Daily Grind
Fifth generation coffee farmer Juan Alfredo Pacas, with some insights into coffee, and the importance of continued learning.

The most important thing that a consumer can know is the amount of hands that have touched the coffee that they are having in their coffee shop.

As the quote above would suggest, a little learning on the part of the consumer is arguably some of the most important of all:
Producer Opinion: Why I Always Want to Learn More About Coffee

Wiser Web Wednesday – a semi-regular link to posts of interest from around the web, by those far wiser than myself:

 

Macstories
It’s indeed a busy time in the world of Apple software updates, with iOS 10 now in the wild, and macOS Sierra currently awaiting my go to update my Mac mini.

Although you’ve no doubt seen the plethora of ”5/7/10 things you need to know about iOS 10” out there — for a definitive resource, there is no going past Federico Viticci’s now yearly iOS reviews.

In what can only be described as a hefty 50K words, it is however, well laid out, indexed, and supported by enough video and screenshots to make checking any particular feature or aspect of iOS 10 a breeze.

You need not go anywhere else:
iOS 10: The Macstories Review

And of course:
macOS Sierra: The MacStories Review

 

The Brooks Review
Ben Brooks experiments with using the on-screen keyboard on the iPads Pro for a week. The results? Not bad, however not as good as an external (in this case Smart) keyboard.

Given I write quite a bit on the iPad (currently typing this in the back shed while some coffee roasts away in the yard), I’ve long used an external keyboard for such purposes. Though probably ridiculously (from a size perspective), on a Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard with my iPad mini 2, and now I am back on the iPad Air 2 – the Microsoft Universal Mobile Keyboard, which is absolutely fantastic (provided you don’t mind lugging a second device around).

Of course the best part about the iPad is the usability of the on-screen keyboard for times I either don’t want to carry the external one or find an unexpected time to get a bit of writing down when just the iPad itself is with me.
Just Glass

 

From the Pen Cup
Coincidentally, at last Friday night’s Pelikan Hub in Brisbane, conversation at one point turned to converter options for the sport-sized Kaweco pens, with mixed views on their merits.

It seems the same is the case amongst reviewers online, with Mary finding success, yet referencing the less than stellar performance of the converter when Jeff Abbott reviewed it for The Pen Addict last month.

Depending on how you use it (read fill it) will perhaps depend on the results you end up with and whether persevering is worthwhile. I’m not rushing out to buy one, mainly because I’ve always been content with cartridges in my Ice Sport.

If you do decide to try one out, it certainly isn’t a pricey endeavour:
Another Viewpoint: The Kaweco Sport Squeezable Converter

 

The Pen Addict
It’s nice to see an Australian ink maker’s products receiving such positive reviews around the globe.

If you’re looking for a rich turquoise ink with great shading and sheening properties, Torquay is a great choice. It really does have that little “certain something” that makes it stand out from other inks

I have a couple from the Robert Oster range which are some of my favourites, and no doubt quite a few more will reach my collection in future.

Keep an eye out for these high quality inks as they hit both brick & mortar and online stores around the world:
Robert Oster Signature Ink Torquay: A Review

 

Notemaker Blog
A great roundup of why Rhodia paper is seen in some form or another on just about every fountain pen users desk.

In addition to the points listed — greater availability than ever before (see Officeworks, Dymocks etc) makes Rhodia a compelling option.

Of course a little support for an Australian online retailer never goes astray either.

Well said Notemaker:
Rhodia – Why this brand has so many admirers

 

The Pencilcase Blog
A thoughtful and balanced review of the Montblanc Rouge et Noir Heritage edition fountain pens released earlier this year.

But the skinny profile, especially at the section where it’s not much thicker than a woodcased pencil, might put some people off. Being a special edition pen, I think most people would expect something a bit larger

Pen number one on my fountain pen journey was my Montblanc Meisterstück Classique (which incidentally is now 19 years old and still going strong) — another very slim pen. I’ll admit, depending on your particular preference and what you are used to, pens on the slender side are not for everyone — particularly at this price.

For me, the design of the Rouge et Noir edition is not quite for me, however I think Montblanc has done pretty good job overall.

A well written review:
Montblanc Heritage Rouge & Noir Fountain Pen Review

 

Pens! Paper! Pencils!
Speaking of slim pens, Ian Hedley reviews the BNdot ballpoint — recently launched on Indiegogo (link in Ian’s post).

Quite a few of the pens sitting around my desk are fairly slender in nature, and as Ian points out in the post, such pens definitely have their role — however perhaps that isn’t in handwriting your next novel (a situation which might not occur too often for many of us I’d imagine).

Coincidentally, this review also comes at a time when I’ve been thinking about when exactly I became fountain pen only. Of course that couldn’t be further from the truth, however readers of the blog would be forgiven for thinking just that if I look back at the pen related posts for quite a way on the site. In any event, I must redress the balance soon, however this link is about another great review from Ian rather than the foibles of my review choices.

Also check out Brad’s thoughts on the BNdot over at the Pen Addict, and while you’re there, if you poke around a little you can find other first looks at the BIGiDESIGN Ti Arto (Kickstarter campaign ending soon) and the Tactile Turn Glider (Kickstarter campaign also ending very soon).

So much going on! Over to you Ian:
BN Works BNdot Ballpoint Pen Review

 

Nock Co. on Kickstarter
But wait… there’s more!

Nock Co. with another Kickstarter project, this time the launch of The Lanier Briefcase. I use my Nock Co. pen cases from the original Kickstarter every single day, and can certainly vouch for the quality and functionality of the materials, design and manufacture. No doubt The Lanier will be more of the same.

Although personally I’ve never been drawn to the design and appearance of these types of briefcases, head on over to the project page to view what I am sure will be another successfully funded campaign:
The Lanier Briefcase by Nock Co.

 

Pen Economics
Dr Deans with some analysis of whether that old “more environmentally friendly” chestnut really does apply to the fountain pen versus disposable ballpoint comparison.

Ultimately, understanding environmental impact is a complicated matter. To make effective decisions, we need to make sure we aren’t focussed on a single, potentially unimportant detail

Whether we are talking pens or the environment in general, I think we are all probably prone to erroneous assumptions about such matters, and I offer you this for a more informed view:
Are Fountain Pens Good for the Environment?

 

Crónicas Estilográficas
Exciting news of a new flagship fountain pen from Pilot.

The result is a flat-top pen made of ebonite, coated with black urushi lacquer, and filling mechanism through cartridge and converter (CON-70). In fact, this pen can be seen as a scaled up Custom 845—same shape, same materials, same structure… but bigger, longer, thicker.

No doubt more will be heard in the coming months:
Custom Urushi

 

Pax Coffea
Coffee industry expert Peter Giuliano outlines what he believes to be a turning point in the coffee industry.

I believe we will look back upon 2016 as one of these special moments, when we see the first sparks of a new era. For coffee, that is.

The post refers to recent announcements by two US Universities of plans to open Coffee Centres for research and development, along with similar plans from the now unified SCAA and SCAE (American and European Specialty Coffee Associations) as evidence of this.

While I cannot speak for the industry itself, I would add that various online resources such as Barista Hustle are providing better than ever access to science and expert opinion for the average enthusiast as well.

Interesting times ahead:
Why I Believe We’re Witnessing the Beginning of an Age of Wonder in Coffee

Wiser Web Wednesday – a semi-regular link to posts of interest from around the web, by those far wiser than myself:

 

ABC News
An interesting overview of where your “data” actually is and how it travels around this vast, yet also fairly small (at least in a digital sense), world of ours.

However, the focus for data security is on the development of software, as though we have forgotten that data storage happens in real places on the ground — and not in “virtual” clouds.

Your data is out there (not up there)…somewhere:
Where is your data? It’s not actually in the cloud, it’s sitting in a data centre

 

The Sydney Morning Herald
As an avid Plex user, its great to see ongoing development and new feature implementation within the service. Australians will now be able to schedule live TV recordings via the Plex web interface — previously unavailable due to local networks insisting their EPG listings were subject to copyright.

Common sense would suggest that you can’t copyright a simple list of program start times but, considering that the commercial broadcasters refuse to stick to their advertised schedules, perhaps they believe the TV guide is entitled to copyright protection because it’s clearly a work of fiction.

The DVR feature is only available to paying Plex Pass subscribers, however depending on how much local network content you actually watch, there may never be a better time to pull the trigger on a paid subscription:
IFA 2016: Plex live TV recording comes to Australia

 

The Saturday Paper
A new sponsorship deal between the ABC and supplement giant Swisse, doesn’t appear to have everyone entirely on board. Of course it isn’t the first time things have gone awry for the multinational:

The program demonstrated how, after their product’s claims were judged to be unfounded by the TGA, they merely repackaged the same product and put it back on the market. Swisse’s own correspondence with retailers confirmed it.

An interesting read:
Inside Swisse and its vexed ABC sponsorship deal

 

David Hewson
For the budding writer, some advice from a man who coaxed me through 55,000 NaNoWriMo words a couple of years ago with his Writing a Novel with Ulysses book.

Do I outline everything in detail first? No. I will have a few ideas about where I’m headed but this is a journey into the unknown. I want to be surprised and enlightened along the way because if I’m not the reader won’t be either.

I reckon he knows a thing or two about the craft:
How to start writing a book

 

The Pelikan’s Perch
A very useful post with some science thrown in for good measure — particularly as air travel with fountain pens is still a point of intermittent discussion in the fountain pen community.

Fly, be free:
How-To: Air Travel With a Pelikan

 

The Gentleman Stationer
Joe has just updated the Best Pens page on The Gentleman Stationer. If its been a while since your last visit, it is worth a return trip.

You could select from any category you find on this page and be satisfied a great pen will soon be in your hands:
Best Pens

 

Fountain Pen Quest
After an initial double-take on Ray’s tweet mentioning “Shows and Clubs” (thinking perhaps he may have been launching some sort of pen nightlife section on the blog) — a click through soon clarified things.

This is a great addition to the resources page on Ray’s blog, and a bonus of checking out the page was the reminder it provided of the other useful information posted there (i.e. nib workers, restorers and makers), which had apparently slipped my mind:
Pen Shows and Pen Clubs Added to Resource Pages

 

Perfect Daily Grind
There are many challenges in developing a successful coffee industry, however some are unique to their region:

Within the archipelago there are 10 main languages, but as many as 748 mother languages are in use. In order to maintain high-quality production, it’s necessary for stakeholders to communicate across both languages and cultures.

Obviously it involves more than just a few plants in the ground:
Indonesian Specialty Coffee: The Challenges & Opportunities

 

Perfect Daily Grind
The specialty coffee scene in Brisbane really has gone from strength to strength in recent years.

I highly recommend a visit to any (or all) of these:
A Coffee Shop Tour of Brisbane, Australia

 

Scotch Whisky
I would not have thought India would necessarily be on top of the whisky consumption by country list, however with such a staggering population, I guess things scale fairly substantially.

Right now, the best barley in the business goes to Talisker and The Glenlivet, with both sharing huge popularity in wedding and business function contracts. Weddings might seem paltry to us, but when the guest list is 5,000-strong and the father of the bride wants a bottle of whisky on every table, the numbers skyrocket.

Point taken:
India: Scotch whisky’s wild, wild east

Wiser Web Wednesday – a semi-regular link to posts of interest from around the web, by those far wiser than myself:

Three Staples
Any man who raves about the Delfonics Rollbahn notebooks I’d consider a friend of mine. Here Matt (Mr. Three Staples) turns his hand to the Pilot Prera, and a fine piece of writing ensues.

I love the consideration given to “matching” the other items on the desk. Having never really considered a white fountain pen before, this post is as good as any in leading me towards changing that thinking.

Looking forward to the next guest post – after a few from the Centre Staple first of course:
Discovering the Pilot Prera

Everyday Carry
Ed Jelley with a pretty handy back to school/work guide to pens, particularly if your budget isn’t running in a surplus at the current time.

In it I see the Parker Jotter – my first “I’m going classy exec style”pen from high school. It was a blue section for me back then:
The Best Everyday Carry Pens for School and Work

The Gentleman Stationer
With a few pilot pens already in my collection, the glowing reviews I often see of the Custom 823 place it firmly on my “to purchase” list as well.

It’s nice to see Joe has finally moved his over to the “purchased” side of the ledger. Yet another positive review of a great looking pen:
Pen Review: Pilot Custom 823

Pen Economics
I wrote and published a short piece over the weekend about my first year as a member of the Fountain Pens Australia Facebook group.

If you’ve not as yet read it, this great post from co-founder and admin of the group Jonathon Deans paints a bight picture of the group’s first year, and if future plans are any indication – things are certain to get better and better:
One Year of Fountain Pens Australia!

Alt. Haven
You may have seen a post of mine in the recent past, praising the value represented by some of the paper-based stationery products in Japanese discount store Daiso.

While in the store, more than once I’ve looked at the fountain pens in those cheap packages, and thought better of it. Junee’s thoughts here suggest that was perhaps the correct way to go.
Review: Daiso Fountain Pen

An Inkophile’s Blog
I thought my lead in to this link would contain: well, I”m an …….– and give you the ink that best represents me. In the end I found that to be easier said than done. Have a think about your signature ink.

Adapted from a great article in the August 2016 issue of Pen World magazine, by “Inkophile” Margana Maurer, this colour wheel will get you thinking about your particular signature ink. A link to download the full article in PDF can be found in the post:
Signature Ink And A Color Wheel

London’s Best Coffee
A handy reading list for the coffee enthusiast, and I hope there are at least a few of you reading these pages.

Though all the books will have something to offer coffee professionals, we have in mind the consumer at some stage into their journey of adventure into the world of coffee.

There is no excuse for your coffee table to be sans, well… coffee table books about coffee:
A Guide to Coffee Books for the Novice Explorer and Enthusiast

European Coffee Trip
Quite an in-depth look at the emerging Italian Specialty Coffee scene.

Specialty cafes have a problem to charge more than 1€ for a single shot espresso. That is the regular price in all cafes but the speciality ones.

Tradition, attitudes, law. It’s all here to challenge third wave style proprietors break new ground in a one of the oldest and well established coffee markets there is:
Italian Third Wave Coffee Scene – Does Anyone Know About It?

Wiser Web Wednesday – a semi-regular link to posts of interest from around the web, by those far wiser than myself:

 

The Sydney Morning Herald
Former host of the Reckoner Podcast (amongst other things), Peter Wells provides some thoughts around the limitations of podcasts in general, namely discovery and sharing.

Podcasters need to start making shareable content: smaller clips that work on the medium they’re sharing to.

Many points in here upon which I tend to agree:
The problem with podcasts

 

Six Colors
Vesper held a spot on my iPhone’s home screen for what I’d describe as “a good while” a couple of years ago.

I must admit to having enjoyed using it, however as an avid Drafts user with an active Evernote account at the time, there were only so many places to put those notes.

As a result, I thankfully don’t need to export numerous entries now:
All-star notes app Vesper reaches the end

 

MacStories
Although there are many features in PDF Expert (both on Mac and iOS) I leave under utilised, it is certainly nice to have them when required.

This latest update to version 2 on the Mac adds some pretty impressive editing features. Thankfully it is a free upgrade for existing users (there is a free trial option on the Readdle website). At AU$89.99 on the Mac App Store it is a significant investment, however you do get what you pay for.

PDF Expert has been my go to PDF viewer and editor across both platforms for some time now, and I’m looking forward to delving a little deeper into the new features:
PDF Expert 2 for Mac Adds Powerful PDF Editing Features

 

The Pelikan’s Perch
When you’ve got an extensive collection — organise it well. Exactly what it says that a couple of the most well organised collections around contain largely Pelikan pens I’m not sure.

Between David Brennan’s Too Many Inks Filemaker Pro Database, and this one outlined by Joshua using Recollector, there really is no excuse not to get inspired — even if yours starts with a simple spreadsheet:
Review: Recollector Collection Management Software

 

Jet Pens Blog
Part instructional how-to, part equipment supply room. A great post on the Jet Pens blog about all things Sketchnoting, which makes me want to give it more than the cursory thought I usually do.

Of course every time I think of jumping in, I then think about all of the information I’ll miss while trying to make a coherent sketch which is meaningful to me later.

Yes, perhaps I should have more faith — and if on the fence, perhaps you should too:
Sketchnotes: A Guide to Visual Note-Taking – JetPens.com

 

Three Staples
Another Three Staples Field Notes review — this time the Starbucks Capitol Hill Edition.

I’m glad to say, I like Capitol Hill more than I thought I would. There are many details in it to appreciate as a Field Notes fan…

A great review as always of a nice bright bunch:
Field Notes: Starbucks Capitol Hill

 

Whsky Buzz
The Whisky Cabinet author Mark Bylok on the whisky industry and the rise of “no age statement” releases.

NAS whisky does have an unfortunately bad reputation. Equivalent or better whiskies can be produced without the age statements. The thing is, the supply of quality barrels of whisky is decreasing, and we’re feeling that on every level of the whisky being made whether it be the new NAS release or our favourite 18 year old whisky.

Certainly a competitive time for the larger whisky makers, in no small way attributable to trends in other spirits:
Supply, Demand, and Shelf Space – The Story Between Whisky Makers and NAS Haters

 

Barista Hustle
Key concepts are always worth repeating, and there are plenty to be found at Barista Hustle.

If your roast does have green/stemmy/grassy/savoury flavours then it’s underdeveloped. This means part of the coffee bean is too light and you can taste it. Note: the whole bean doesn’t have to be too light for it to be called underdeveloped.

A little reminder it’s not always just about the roast colour you see:
Roast Development and Colour