Staples Arc Line

[Treecat]

Did the prices go up? Or are they different depending on location? I got my junior size one a while back for $5.99 and the letter sized one for $10.99.

 

They were on sale several weeks ago, but even $10 and $15 for the leather covers is still good.

 

Still having a problem finding 8 l/2 x 11 project planner paper. It's out of stock at the store near my office and has been for a couple of weeks. I dropped by another store over the weekend and while it's shown in stock there, it wasn't on the shelf. They probably had some in the back but I was on my way to visit friends and didn't have time to ask them to check. I bought a few other things and the guy at the register said the ARC system is selling very well. But.. ack! I'll be glad when they come out with a punch!

[funkypeanut]

I finally made it to Staples, and the first one I went to had notebooks and accessories but no filler paper. The other one had filler paper and nothing else. No green covers, but I did manage to get leather in both sizes -- the last leather ones the store had. People at both the stores told me that they couldn't get more Arc supplies and thought that that meant that the company was discontinuing them. I'm hoping that they just underestimated the demand. For about $40 I got what would have cost me around $200 from Levenger.

[Treecat]

I'm having a sad feeling about Staples ARC refill paper. The store closest to me has been out of the letter-size project planner paper for several weeks now, another store has been out for about two weeks. You still can't order this particular paper (and several other ARC paper styles) on the Staples website. I hope they've underestimated the demand for it, but I don't understand why its taking so long to get the paper back in stock.

 

I wanted to buy several packs to tide me over until the Staples ARC punch is ready (whenever that will be), but I'm now wondering if I won't have to go the Circa punch route.

[psmalley0927]

A main reason I'm enjoying the Arc so much more than the Circa (aside from a HUGE difference in price) is that the rings are just a little bit thicker so the annoying (to me) wiggling of my Circa notebooks doesn't happen. The whole structure is very stable. I do wish the Arc could hold more pages, but that's a small complaint.

Lesley

I really like this systems as well. The only issue that I have is the business card/loose paper holder on the front cover of the leather notebook covers. That flap creates an annoying bump. I was considering trying to cut it off. Was wondering if anyone had tried that modification.

[PJohnP]

I've been working with the Arc system now for about a week, and I've been generally well pleased.

 

For the largest degree, the Arc quality point is extremely good. The "binder covers" are extremely good value for the cost, and the Arc paper has proven quite FP friendly, even with an ink like Parker Penman Sapphire, which can feather in some cases. I'm working a bit more with the graph paper inserts, but neither the standard pages or the graph pages are showing any appreciable bleedthrough or show-through so far with various inks. The plastic dividers are actually pretty good, and the colours work passing well without any tags placed on the index tabs to allow ready identification of the sections.

 

The pen loops, however, are pretty problematical for my Pelikans, even though I can fit an M400 in the smaller Arc book loop. I don't think that the materials of construction for the loop are particularly "pen-friendly" for a better quality pen. I'm typically keeping a pen in a shirt pocket, so this is not an insurmountable issue.

 

The one serious omission, which has been noted by others, is the lack of an Arc "smurf punch" for the paper (these are often called "smurfs" because of the roughly mushroom shaped hole to accommodate the Arc disks that looks like the hatted cartoon characters). Researching and reading on several other sites than FPN, I've discovered that the latest version of the Levenger punch is the much more desirable one for punching smurfs of the right size to turn easily on Arc/Levenger/Rollabind rings/disks. That's sharply tempered my interest in getting a used one from eBay, as the older models supposedly punch smaller, more binding holes that the paper can catch on when being turned. I have sufficient paper for the moment to wait a bit longer to see if Staples will bridge this gap, and further, to see if the punch from Staples will be properly manufactured. I might eventually make the jump to the Levenger punch if this Arc system continues to work so well, even though the price point on the punch from Levenger is relatively high.

 

To make this even a bit more fun, an FPN member was recently selling off a Levenger Circa "starter pack" of gear which I purchased, and when that arrives, I'll have a fairly complete set of Circa/Arc materials for me to use the system, well, systematically...

 

 

 

 

John P.

[Ghostrider]

A main reason I'm enjoying the Arc so much more than the Circa (aside from a HUGE difference in price) is that the rings are just a little bit thicker so the annoying (to me) wiggling of my Circa notebooks doesn't happen. The whole structure is very stable. I do wish the Arc could hold more pages, but that's a small complaint.

Lesley

I really like this systems as well. The only issue that I have is the business card/loose paper holder on the front cover of the leather notebook covers. That flap creates an annoying bump. I was considering trying to cut it off. Was wondering if anyone had tried that modification.

 

 

Try putting one of the poly tab dividers as your first page. It should smooth out the bumps from the card holders. Or do like I do, I have several of the poly tabs & I write from the middle of the book so it's a more even writing platform, when that page is complete, I move that written page to where ever I want it. That is the beauty of this system. Enjoy!

[Emoo]

I sort of wish I'd done more research before ordering my Levenger starter kit now...but since these papers all fit in with each other, I guess it'll be nicer for when I need refills and such.

 

Though I do have a question: are the printed lines grayish, or are they pretty dark? When I was looking at Rollabind paper today in class (SUCH a rebel, I am), it reminded me too much of the paper I used for essays in AP tests and the SAT/ACT. Too scary to repeat. >.>

 

Edited because I'm such a fail at spelling, apparently.

Edited February 21, 2011 by Emoo

[dgturner]

I was reading the thread and decided to bring it back to life over the punch. I have seen the "Coming in Fall|October" hoopla for a while on blogs and postings, but never anything from Staples, until now.

Staple's Arc Marketing Page, second frame, middle option, last mini-pic

http://www.staples.com/sbd/cre/marketing/arc/images/step2_image_f.jpg

 

 

I already have a Levenger punch (version 2), and I am currently lusting over the new Levenger punch (here):

http://www.levimage.com/IMAGE/PRODUCTS/PAPER/CIRCA/ADS6190_0811_s11.jpg

 

[chrevbel]

Been using Circa for a while and am quite satisfied. Haven't tried Arc yet. Has anyone ever seen either one available in A4 (European) size? I have an Atoma (very similar), but prefer the Circa covers I'm using and the Arc covers I've seen.

[niccig]

never anything from Staples, until now

 

Haha, I guarantee this went up because I just bought the Levenger punch!

[funkypeanut]

Been using Circa for a while and am quite satisfied. Haven't tried Arc yet. Has anyone ever seen either one available in A4 (European) size? I have an Atoma (very similar), but prefer the Circa covers I'm using and the Arc covers I've seen.

 

Circa and Arc only come in American standard paper sizes, but there's something similar in the Clairefontaine catalog.

 

Yay for the Staples punch! I had an email from them in March saying that it was coming "very soon," and I've been checking ever since then.

[Dark Side]

Ooo that's a nice looking paper punch, the handle looks a lot more ergonomic than my Levenger punch. Wish they'd tell us how many sheets it does at a time and what the price will be.

[htran18]

Ooo that's a nice looking paper punch, the handle looks a lot more ergonomic than my Levenger punch. Wish they'd tell us how many sheets it does at a time and what the price will be.

 

I don't know how much the price will be but it punches 10 sheets at a time.

[testrider]

I guess it cannot be more expensive than the Levenger punch or Staples is going to push everybody to Levenger...

[JSButterfly]

Wooohoo... Just picked up my ARC in brown...tho they did also have RED and a lime Green and a Blue.

 

LOVe LOVE LOVE the paper and sturdiness of the system. One thing I DO miss is some kind of closure.

 

To all of you who haved used the system for a while, do you find that you would like to have some kind of closure? Has anyone been able to devise one? Can you share what you've done?

 

Thanks.

[NateB]

Wooohoo... Just picked up my ARC in brown...tho they did also have RED and a lime Green and a Blue.

 

LOVe LOVE LOVE the paper and sturdiness of the system. One thing I DO miss is some kind of closure.

 

To all of you who haved used the system for a while, do you find that you would like to have some kind of closure? Has anyone been able to devise one? Can you share what you've done?

 

Thanks.

 

When I need it, I use a hair band. It is black, approximately 1/4" wide, and has a clear line of silicone running the length of the backside. You can get them at WalMart, etc. It works great and doesn't look out of place.

Edited September 15, 2011 by NateB

[krbmsw]

Is it wrong that I'm as excited about that punch as I am about the new Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8? The difference is that I'll probably be buying the punch.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/embarrassed_smile.gif

[JSButterfly]

When I need it, I use a hair band. It is black, approximately 1/4" wide, and has a clear line of silicone running the length of the backside. You can get them at WalMart, etc. It works great and doesn't look out of place.

 

Nice...very nice...

 

Do you apply the hairband lengthwise or widthwise?

[Deirdre]

In the same family, I enjoy Myndology notebooks.

[yugami]

To all of you who haved used the system for a while, do you find that you would like to have some kind of closure? Has anyone been able to devise one? Can you share what you've done?

 

I personally hate closure systems on any notebooks I use. I've been using an Arc Jr for a few months now and don't see a benefit.