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Robert Oster Signature Inks are a new line coming out of South Australia and are making enthusiasts sit up and take notice! They are very competitively priced too. So, I acquired a handful of these, thus: Moss Emerald Green Deep Sea Bondi Blue Fire Engine Red Yellow SunsetIn the following short reviews the writing samples are created using an Osmiroid B4 italic nib and an Esterbrook 2048 fitted to a standard XT Esterbrook dip-less pen holder. All writing is by dipping. More time is needed to discover how these inks behave in cartridges, converters or eyedroppers. Swabs and comparisons with other inks will be provided later in the week – I’m all out of Q-tips! Time to brave the deep, deep oceans with... Simply lovely! The seas around New Zealand often adopt this exact colour. This is very much a blue-green. Some very decent shading but again no noticeable sheen. Others are seeing sheen so perhaps it may simply be a lighting problem here. Drying times were better with this one, completely dry somewhere between 10 and 20 seconds. Paper is again Rhodia.

Robert Oster Signature Inks are a new line coming out of South Australia and are making enthusiasts sit up and take notice! They are very competitively priced too. So, I acquired a handful of these, thus: Moss Emerald Green Deep Sea Bondi Blue Fire Engine Red Yellow SunsetIn the following short reviews the writing samples are created using an Osmiroid B4 italic nib and an Esterbrook 2048 fitted to a standard XT Esterbrook dip-less pen holder. All writing is by dipping. More time is needed to discover how these inks behave in cartridges, converters or eyedroppers. Swabs and comparisons with other inks will be provided later in the week – I’m all out of Q-tips! Ah, it's the end of another summer's day... Some nice shading here, though I am not sure if it has the range or depth of Noodler's Apache Sunset - the comparison is inevitable. Average dry times on my Rhodia pad. As I was writing the script I was wondering if this was really my thing. After it was on the page for a while I find I quite like it. It will be interesting to try it on off-white or other coloured papers. And of course there is Tomoe River to think of!

Blackstone Axiom Fountain Pen Hello, a few months ago, Kevin from JustWrite was looking for pen testers to test/review Australian new Fountain Pen offerings… Blackstone brand. I jumped at the offer, I have been a huge fan of Blackstone inks for years now and I was seriously excited at the opportunity to try a Blackstone Pen. The Blackstone AXIOM model comes in Carbon Fibre and PU Leather finish. I went for the leather finish because I don’t have any other pen in leather finish and I was interested in experiencing that. I received the pen just before the Holidays, timing was excellent since there was a couple of pen meets schedule during that time and I could give a pen a true “road test” across fountain pen lovers of every kind (and every taste). Specs of Blackstone AXIOM pen I received: Black PU Leather/Titanium finishNibss: #6 Ruthenium Plated Jowo nib in B and 1.5 ItalicCartridge Convertor First Impressions: What can I say… I LOVE the looks of the pen!!!!!. Is dark and heavy and looks like a bad boy in leather (in comparison to the MB146 above... lol) .. The ruthenium nib (dark gray) matches the titanium finish of the clip and bands perfectly. I tend to like the submarine-type of pens. There are a few flat tops I adore, but in general I tend prefer the cigar shape on pens. The AXIOM with its rounded finials (top and bottom) is very much to my liking. The leather texture is an interesting one. It has an organic feel. Anyone who has an ebonite pen can relate a little to it. Ebonite has a warm/alive feeling in comparison to just normal resin. The leather has a textured feeling. You either love it or hate it. In my case I like it very much. The pen is heavy. . again, one of those things that you either love or hate. I like heavier pens and totally dislike the very light ones. Weight is about 50g, which makes it on the heavier side of my pens (Oh yes.. I have heavier pens than that.. lol) Nib Performance: My personal taste is for Double Broads, Broad Stubs, Oblique Broads and Calligraphy nibs 1.1 and above. So yeah.. I do like BROADS… the bigger the better.. (You can tell I am not a man.. ). I requested the Broad and the 1.5 Italic nib. The nibs come all fitted to a neck, so changing nibs is quite easy, just unscrew the neck/nib combo and screw the new neck/nib combo. Total foolproof. Broad: I find this broad more on the Medium+ size. Not as broad as I would like.. but still bigger than a regular medium. Technically, the Broad size is usually the smallest nib size I like. Performance is good. From start, it wrote like a good ol’ Jowo nib. Pleasant experience. Calligraphy 1.5: This is definitely a favorite nib for me. Most times with Lamy and other pens that have a Calligraphy 1.5 nib, I find that they tend to run on the dry side. Is understandable, the nib requires more ink that a regular medium or fine, and most time the feed is not prepared to supply that amount of ink. The AXIOM with this nib works beautifully. Ink makes a difference and is very possible I just pair it with a great ink (Blackstone ink) because the nib just glides on the paper. I definitely like this nib. Writing Experience: I have been using this pen everyday since November. I already said I like the looks and feel, so the weight is not an issue for me. The pen has had several fills of Blackstone ink (some of my old Cashmere inks and some of the new Colors of Australia inks). These inks are overall on the wet side and the pen has taken them as a champ. Nibs have not received any adjusting from me and they just glide over the paper. The pen is definitely not postable, it becomes too back heavy if you post. I tend not to post my pens (unless they are too small), so no issues for me. The section has a nice gentle slope that makes your finger feel comfortable there. The threads are not on the way, unless you grab your pen on the high side... which would be kind of wrong since the shape of the section makes you grab it on the right spot. I do enjoy looking at the nib, I find the ruthenium matches the pen's looks and is a joy to see it when writing. The AXIOM has become my EDC pen. Only time will tell, but the finish of the pen makes it amazingly sturdy, it still looks like a brand new pen. Road Test: I received the Axiom just before the Holiday season. Timing was excellent because I was able to bring it to a few Pen Meets where several of the top connoisseurs of fountain pens in Toronto had the chance to play with it. The name of well renowned connoisseurs of the Toronto area have been change to protect their identity. Terald – Is a fan of celluloids and precious resins… he found the pen on the heavy side, did not like the leather feel and overall he receded to his corner to caress his brightly colored “precious” pens… Lischy – Is a delicate lady, her taste goes in to EXTREME fine nibs and petite pens… of the Japanese persuasion… She was not a fan of the Axiom (especially with those BIG WET BROAD nibs) and she also receded to her corner the play dress up with her pens. Rags, Lanwar, Tyke and others .. gave the AXIOM a thumbs up!!.. They like the weight, feel and the overall look of the pen. These are big men with big hands.. and they appreciate a substantial pen. I believe Rags was the one excited about being able to unscrew the bottom finial.. (pic below) He says that because of his big hands, is easier to fill the pen that way (removing the finial and holding the barrel instead of the tiny converter). That was a first for me, I had no idea you could do that. Conclusion: All I can say, I enjoy the pen, but there are elements of this pen that makes it not suitable for everyone. Overall, this being one of the first offerings from Australia, makes me excited to think what else will come… Some funky takes with a couple of legendary pens... ... the AXIOM is in good company (Parker Duofold Centennial White Ivorine and Delta Dolcevita ORO Oversize) C.

Sorry - duplicate post. Other post has pictures. Our latest Blackstone pen - the Maxim Midnight carbon fibre with black chrome trim and Jowo ruthenium nib. $AUD97 with Jowo Nib. Full details HERE.

If you haven't already discovered this, Paddy Pallin which is a nationwide (capital cities at least) hiking/adventure/camping store, have these in stock, and in the small sizes suitable for ink storage (usual disclaimer applies). I wouldn't be surprised if other similar-type shops have them too, or something similar. These are the different sizes that I bought yesterday: From left to right we have: 1 oz/30 ml jar, ideal for dip pens ($3.50);1 oz/30 ml wide round bottle ($2.95);1/2 oz/15 ml narrow round bottle($2.45);1/4 oz/8 ml narrow round bottle ($1.95).They are also available in square and rectangular shapes, but I think these round ones are probably better for ink, and the necks of the bottles are just right for pen nibs to fit. The prices above are AUD, naturally. Paddy Pallin can be found online at: http://www.paddypallin.com.au/ (again, usual disclaimer). Cheers, Effrafax. [Edited to fix incorrect price.]

Just took a friend to the airport last night. He was taking a flight to Melbourne, Australia (where he is originally from). Offered to pick up some Australian ink for me while he is there. He'll be there for about 10 days. Any suggestions for brick and mortar stores which might have Australian inks? Appreciate any answers. Thank you...

Several months ago there was a thread (which I can't find right now) about the release of De Atramentis Bookworm ink: a muddy green ink that smells of old books. *sigh*. I hunted high and low all over the world for this ink but couldn't find a stockist. In the end I asked the great people at larrypost.com.au (no affiliation, just a satisfied customer) if they could get me some and they promised to add it to their next order. Well it has arrived and my 3 bottles are on their way. So if you're in the antipodes, love the smell of old books and like green ink, head over to the good people at larrypost.com.au and get some before I buy it all!

I popped into Scammell Auctions as I usually do on a Monday since school has wrapped up. There was only one pen this week, listed in the catalogue as "Dash". I couldn't find anything on Dash pens and put a post here to see if anyone could identify it. They let me into the gallery to have a closer look and it was in fact a Dasi Pen. I have done a little bit of research and they were apparently the first Australian fountain pen manufacturers, first out of a shed and later a shop in Sydney. This appears to be mass produced, but I've located the son of one of the blokes who started it - he runs an online pen shop - so I'll give him a call in the next few days and see if he can shed any light on it. The nib says it's a Dasi Shorthand. The nib is a little scratchy, but could easily be rectified. I only paid $15, so it was a steal as far as I'm concerned. I'm not totally enamoured with it so I might end up selling it or giving it to someone. If anyone knows anything about them, I'd be interested to know. I can't find where to add the ink. It has no lever and the top section does not detach.http://i.imgur.com/S7QBIlQ.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/OHCQfR7.jpg

Hello all! Having recently 'gotten into' Fountain pens, I was naturally interested in any brick and mortar retailers in my own city for the beloved stationary. I found this wonderful guide here on the forum (https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/12113-fountain-pens-in-sydney-australia/), but as it was written in 2006, I though I would give it a bit of an update, after about 6 months experience. In a semiparticular order Dymocks - The Sydney CBD store (Dymocks Sydney) has a specific fountain pen section, with a very wide variety of pens, inks and parts. They have too many to list, but I would suggest that if you are looking for anything this would probably be your best stop. They also sell Clairefontaine and Rhodia books, and at a very decent price - about RRP, which is a nice change. (424-430 George Street, Sydney 2000, https://www.dymocks.com.au/ - the website is ... not amazing for stationary) Pen Ultimate, also known as Pen De Luxe - I have only visited the QVB shop, and when you are looking for it, the sign out front says Montblac, not Pen De Luxe, so keep that in mind. Again, a very wide variety of pen paraphernalia (penaphernalia!), and other stationary items. They do also do repairs, as I understand. (QVB, Level 2, Queen Victoria Building, Sydney, 2000, http://www.pensdeluxe.ashop.com.au/ - They also have an online shop) Officeworks - They sell a variety of good paper brands, including Rhodia, Quink (at about $10!), and a limited selection of pens, including the Lamy Safari, Vpens, and some calligraphy sets. Watch out for mark-ups though - the Lamy I saw was $50. Again, the bigger stores will have the most. (http://www.officeworks.com.au/) David Jones/Myer - Two major general retailers, they do have some fountain pen materials, including Waterman ink. You will need to go to one of the larger stores, I would recommend either in the CBD or at Bondi Juction, and ask after them in the stationary departments. (www.davidjones.com.au/http://www.myer.com.au/)Newsagents - Varied, you'll just have to have a look. Also varied is the pricing...Kinokuniya - In the GV, they do have a collection of stationary, including fountain pens. Mainly focused on Japanese calligraphy, but can still be helpful. (The Galeries, George St, Sydney 2000, http://www.kinokuniya.com.au/) Smiggle - You'll feel silly going in, but they have a couple of pens which could be of interest to a beginner. (http://www.smiggle.com.au/) I hope this helps!

Blackstone Inks are very much a product of the FPN. They have their genesis back in 2013 in a thread discussing powdered inks. The original SuSeMai powdered inks evolved into Blackstone ink concentrates and the Colours of Australia are based on those concentrates. The evolution of these inks has been directly influenced by the feedback and advice of FPN members who tested this ink in its different forms. I've always believed that the people who use fountain pens on a regular basis know best how a fountain pen ink should appear and how it should behave. We will continue to invite and encourage feedback, comments and advice from the fountain pen community as we refine, improve and develop new inks. These five inks are just the beginning. Prices: 30ml Nalgene Bottles: $7.95 60ml Pouches: $11.95 Complete Set of 5 x 30ml Bottles: $35.00 Complete set of 60ml pouches: $54.95 5ml samples: $1.75 Complete set of 5ml samples: $7.87 Domestic Shipping: $7.15 International Shipping: $25.00

Fellow Antipodeans, A new group has been created for Australian fountainphiles on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/943123699067837/ Pretty sure it is for general fountain pen gasbaggery, sharing of good domestic deals, and boasting of how quickly ink dries in our warm southern climes. There may even be meet-ups arranged, hopefully at a good pub. It is a closed group but I was accepted immediately, so they seem to have lax standards. You'll probably get straight in too. Come join us!

Just arrived at JustWrite Platinum Maki-e fountain pens, Platinum ink cartridges and Platinum Mix Free bottled ink. As far as I know this is the first time these pens have been made available in Australia and I'm very pleased to be able to offer them at prices almost comparable to the US. $AUD260 (Approximately $USD200.00) $AUD2.95 (Approximately $USD2.06) Platinum Mix free 60ml bottled ink $AUD27.00. Approximately $USD20.00

MELBOURNE PEN SHOW 2015 8 November 2015 Malvern Town Hall Banquet Hall 9 am to 4 pm 1251 High Street, Malvern (cnr Glenferrie Road), Victoria Vintage pens and pencils Fountain pens Pen retailers and manufacturers Calligraphy displays by Calligraphy Society of Victoria Hand-made paper Leather goods Ink Writing ephemera and paraphernalia Stationery www.melbpenshow.com.au

Hi all, Hope everyone's had a good week! Just wondering if there are any members on here from Melbourne, Australia? If so, does anyone know of any Melbourne-based groups? Cheers in advance, Mike.

Need help with maths. I've just ordered this phenol product (or attempted to - lets see if it gets delivered or if I need to be a podiatrist to obtain it). It says it is 80% w/w phenol liquified bp. http://www.actimed.com.au/product.php?id=435 Based on posts 37 and 39 by SamCapote in this thread https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/171278-biocide-shootout-tests/page-2 if I am seeking the 0.4% "bioCIDAL" phenol solution level for infected SITB ink, does this mean I would need approx 0.5mL of the 80% phenol product per 100mL ink?

These superb quality bottles don't need any introduction to FPN members and we're delighted to be stocking them. We'll have 30ml and 60ml sizes in stock very soon. http://www.justwrite.com.au/nalgene-15ml-ink-carry-bottle-amber/ I should add that is $AUD2.20 ... about $USD1.73 and the Amber are more expensive than the regular translucent.

We're very careful how we handle pens at JustWrite, but as careful as we are, from time to time a few pens get slightly damaged. Minor cosmetic damage that does not affect the pens functionality but makes it impossible to sell as a brand new pen. So, we decided to have our very first Scratch and Dent Sale. Most of the damage is very slight and they would be ideal knockabout pens and ideal for people who like to experiment with inks without risking valuable pens. They are all guaranteed to be in full worknig order and are covered by our normal warranty with the exception, of course, of cosmetic defects. Most of them are 'one offs' except for the Parker Vectors that look like they've had something heavy on them and the clips have made dents in the caps. You can go straight to the Scratch and Dent Sale by clicking HERE. ( http://www.justwrite.com.au/scratch-and-dent-sale/ ) If you're in the US or UK, you can use our new International Pen Express service and buy up to 6 pens for a flat $AUD10 postage.

Hi all! Thanks for an awesome forum with great tone and veritable wealth of information. Bought a fountain pen for my 10y.o. son recently in an effort to help him improve his handwriting - he's a leftie with ligament laxity. So far his Lamy Nexx with LH nib plus advice from me re grip and paper positioning has worked well step 1 accomplished. Step 2 is working on consistently sized strokes with a tiny bit of angle (80 degrees). In the meantime, I felt it was only fair that I spend time improving my own. Which is scrappy. So I chose Spencerian, downloaded the antique pdfs from iampeth, and have spent way too many hours in the last week practicing instead of university study. And researching nibs, inks, mods... You name it. It became addictive very quickly. Lol. Especially after my Konrad arrived. Fun, looks good, great to play with the nib/feed and gain confidence with fountain pen parts, helped me determine I *really* like flex, but alas the hand cramps - vintage nib hunt here I come! Or pterodactyl's EMF mod. If I get brave enough. Anyway, thanks for a wonderful forum.

Where is a good place to buy spare Lamy nibs for Safaris? I'm located in Sydney, and postage for online stores in the US makes the price prohibitive (I might as well buy a new Safari!) Does anyone know where I can buy nibs locally for a reasonable price or in a way that avoids expensive shipping costs?

hi fpgeeks! i just want to know who is in australia and love fountain pens and please share your views eg. where you get your pens (knowing australia doesnt have much pen shops) and which blogs do read and yea.. just anything

Hi fellow Australian FPN members, I just wanted to let you know in case you aren't aware, that Officeworks now carry A4 and A5 Rhodia pads (I saw dot pads, ruled, plain, graph, yellow w/margin) and notebooks, as well as Clairefontaine Clothbound notebooks in various sizes. I have just been to Officeworks Dee Why in Sydney and they had a really good selection there. The price was the same as what Notemaker offers without their volume or VIP discount. In the past I have bought my Rhodia/CF notebooks from Notemaker or Nation State online, but it is great to know that in an emergency I can just pop into a physical store in the next suburb to pick up my favourite fountain pen friendly notebooks and pads. Just a heads up that these wonderful notebooks are now available in many suburbs. (I am not affiliated with any of the stores mentioned above, just a happy customer.) SNAK P.S. I also saw some Moleskine notebooks on the shelf too, but I don't bother with them any more so I didn't check them out very carefully.

Our Tomoe River Notebooks are now available. Made in Australia in collaboration between JustWrite and Olive and the Volcano Letterpress featuring 120 blank, white pages of famous Tomoe River Paper, a soft cover made of 450GSM black cardstock, machine stitching, rounded corners and blind embossing on the front and back covers. A5 $AUD19.00 A6 $AUD11.00 Flat Rate $6.50 delivery per order within Australia. Shipping to the US, UK and New Zealand. International Delivery Charges A5 Notebooks: US and UK: 1-3 books - $20.10 4-8 books - $35.70 9-12 books - $48.55 12 + books - $71.75 New Zealand: 1-3 books - $16.55 4-8 books - $27.15 9-12 books - $35.55 12 + books - $55.45 International Delivery Charges A6 Notebooks: US and UK: 1-5 books - $20.10 6-13 books - $35.70 14-20 books - $48.55 20 + books - $71.75 New Zealand: 1-5 books - $16.55 6-13 books - $27.15 14-20 books - $35.55 20 + books - $55.45 Delivery charges for mixed quantities of A5 and A6 notebooks will be automatically adjusted. International orders are sent by Australia Post Pack and Track International.

Hi again. I recently posted about what blue black I should buy. After a few people replied I have decided on Montblanc Midnight Blue. If anyone in Australia, preferably NSW, has any and is willing to send me a sample it would be much appreciated, as the cheapest I could find it for was $35 posted, which is quite expensive, and I don't want to risk having a bottle of ink sitting around not getting used. Thanks.

Hello all! Greetings from Sydney, Australia. I have been learning and will continue to learn about fountain pens via this lovely community. Everyone is supportive and has very good things to say! Thank you! According to http://www.melbpenshow.com.au/Ant&Art_page.pdf: "Australia has a small ‘pen population’. Fountain pen use in the UK and US equates to one in 25 to 30 of adult population. In Australia, fountain pen use equates to one in 120 of adult population. As a consequence, Australia has the smallest number of specialty pen retailers per capita, in the world. What follows is that Australians are not the modern pen manufacturers’ best friend!" It is nice to know that there is a global community of fountain pen enthusiasts. I'm aiming to get myself to the Melbourne Pen Show. Fingers crossed! This newbie thanks you all!

Background - and Disclaimer! A little over three months ago now (in April 2014), one of my local (Australian) online pen stores began stocking Tomoe River paper for the first time. I’d heard so much about it, I wanted to give it a try – but hadn’t been prepared for the cost of importing paper myself – so as soon as it became available in the online store (www.JustWrite.com.au), I placed an order. AU$16.50 for 100 A4 sheets, that’s not exactly cheap… but then again, this is a very unique paper. In conversation with Kevin Watson, the ‘proprietor’ of JustWrite Pens, I discovered that he’d linked up with a printer by the name of Jo Olive – proprietor of ‘Olive and the Volcano’, a local letterpress studio – and commissioned her to produce a line of notebooks using Tomoe River paper. These arrived instore last week – and Kevin offered me the privilege of receiving a couple of sample copies, in return for an impartial review. Let me stress from the outset, I have no relationship with JustWrite Pens, nor with Olive and the Volcano, other than as a customer – and a periodic recipient of JustWrite products for review. That said, it’s hard to understate how thrilled I am, not only to have access to Tomoe River paper from an Australian supplier, but now to have access to these beautifully presented notebooks as well. With no further ado, on to the review: Packaging The notebooks arrived in a cardboard container large enough to hold 2-3 of the A5-sized books – and to protect them against bending, folding, or creasing – a decided advantage if your only way of obtaining these books is through the mail! On opening the container, I found two Tome River Notebooks – one A5-sized, and one A6 – each with a beautiful paper wrap-around advertising the product: “Handwritten Letterpress Notebook – Tomoe River Paper”. Each notebook was also wrapped in a plastic bag, fitted to size, that provided additional protection while in transit. http://i.imgur.com/13g9ea3.jpg The Paper The paper used to make these notebooks should be familiar to anyone who frequents the Fountain Pen Network (and/or Fountain Pen Geeks!). Made in Japan by Tomoegawa Co Ltd, the paper is extremely thin and lightweight (52gsm, compared with 80gsm for normal laser paper, and 90gsm for Clairefontaine) – and yet one of the most fountain-pen-friendly papers going around. Even with the wettest of pens, Tomoe River paper is feather-resistant and bleed-through resistant –and though the translucency of the page makes ghosting inevitable, even this is not much of an issue, unless you’re holding it up to the light. There is a trade-off though: the dry-times for fountain pen ink tend to be a little longer than usual – though maybe comparable to Clairefontaine? In terms of colour, the paper in these notebooks is too pale to be called ‘cream’, but not ‘light’ enough to be called ‘pure white’ – so I’ll go for ‘off-white’. Its texture is beautifully smooth, allowing for just a hint of ‘feedback’ between paper and pen. http://i.imgur.com/KoXByIR.jpg If you want to know anything more about Tomoe River Paper, you’ll get a better idea of its properties from some of the other reviews on this site. Suffice to say, it’s a beautiful paper that works extraordinarily well with almost any fountain pen / ink combination – as long as you’re prepared for the slow dry-times, or prepared to use a bit of blotting paper. Each notebook has 60 sheets / 120 pages – compared with a Clarirefontaine A5 Cahier or a Staplebound Duo (9x14cm), both of which I purchased from my local OfficeWorks store… and both of which contain 48 sheets / 96 pages. By way of comparison, I’d say the Tomoe River notebooks are about 2/3 the thickness of the Clairefontaine, despite the larger number of pages in the former. I should also point out, the paper is unlined. I’ve suggested to Kevin that future shipments could come with a lined backing sheet – for now, buyers will have to make their own. The Cover – and Quality of Construction The JustWrite Tomoe River notebooks are presently available in two sizes – A5 and A6 – but the cover, the binding, and the finish on each are identical. The cover is made of black, 450gsm cardstock. That’s thinner than the comparable Clairefontaine products – I’d say the Cahier and Staplebound Duo were closer to 600gsm – but thick enough to provide some protection, and thin enough to be easily folded back. http://i.imgur.com/NtQoNI8.jpg Clairefontaine Stablebound Duo (Left) vs A6 JustWrite Tomoe River Notebook (Right) The notebook has been bound together by machine stitching – black thread to match the card stock cover. In terms of the ‘look’ of the product, that’s probably my only quibble: at the centre of the notebook, the black thread stands out starkly against the white paper – I wonder whether staple binding would have been a little less obtrusive? But the only time you’ll notice the threads is when you’re sitting right at the midpoint of the book – so maybe I’m being too picky! The machine stitching is regular and secure, and double-stitched at top and bottom, so there’s no risk of this product falling apart! http://i.imgur.com/phLT7n2.jpg Lightly embossed on the bottom right of the front cover of each book – and subtle enough that you could miss it if you weren’t looking for it! – is an embossed enscription (or should that be ‘debossed’? The imprint goes inward:) NOTES . TOMOE RIVER Paper Likewise on the back page, you’ll find the following inscription: A HANDCRAFTED NOTEBOOK A COLLABORATION DESIGN AND LETTERPRESS OLIVEANDTHEVOLCANO.COM JUSTWRITE.COM.AU http://i.imgur.com/F7Bh7It.jpg http://i.imgur.com/QH2rOwz.jpg The other thing that strikes me as I look at the notebooks is how beautifully finished the edges are – both for the cover and for the sheets. Although these notebooks are hand-crafted, the edging is very precise: the cover and the paper line up perfectly, and the corners of both have been rounded off. These notebooks are well-made, the cover is a good thickness, the binding is very secure. And again, the embossing is impressive - just deep enough to be visible, but faint enough not to be a distraction. The Verdict As I mentioned earlier, I’d been waiting for these notebooks to be completed with a sense of eager anticipation – and have not been disappointed. I’d hoped to be ‘first cab off the ranks’ in terms of purchasing one or two of these books – and was hesitant to accept them free, for fear that might create the perception of bias when it came to writing up a review. I can honestly say, though, I’m really impressed with these notebooks – so much so that I’m hesitating to write in them just yet (I still have a fair few loose A4 sheets of Tomoe River paper!) – but I wanted to get this review up online, particularly for Australian buyers, so you know what you’re getting if you place an order. (OK, OK, I caved - see writing sample below...) These handcrafted books are well-made, simple yet elegant, and beautifully finished – with one of the most fountain-pen-friendly papers in the world. [Late-breaking news: as I prepared to put this review up online, I received notification from Jono at www.pentorium.com that he’d just published a review also. Haven’t only skimmed it, but I direct the reader to his website for comparison - and some writing samples!] http://i.imgur.com/MoQinMl.jpg At the time of writing, the A6 books (which will easily fit an inside jacket pocket) are retailing for AU$11 plus postage, while the A5 books (my preferred size, personally) will set you back AU$19 each. That might sound a bit steep - but remember, Tomoe River paper is expensive to purchase - and even more pricey to import in any quantity! I should also mention, these notebooks are also available for international delivery – check the relevant product page on the website (www.JustWrite.com.au) for delivery charges. My thanks again to Kevin from the JustWrite Pen Company for providing me with review copies (1 each) of the A5 and A6 Tomoe River Notebooks – I’ll be looking forward to buying more of my own down the track… Any questions about the product, pop them into the comments below - I'll do my best to answer them.