Filtering by Author: Sarah Read

Stationery Stack Pen Tray Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Bluesky. And her latest book, The Atropine Tree, is now available!)

Do your pens need to recline in luxury? Does your desk need a little organizational help? Do you keep more than a handful of pens inked at all times? If you're reading this blog, I know you answered yes to all, so you may need one (or all) of these pen trays from Stationery Stack.

The set pictured here includes the Honcho, the Amigo, and the Alfie. The Honcho is the single pen rest, and it's available in two lengths and several different finishes. It's perfect for keeping your main pen handy, especially if you have a pen that wants to roll away on the desk. This will keep it safe while remaining easily accessible. Like a pen cot.

The Amigo is also a single pen rest, but with an added slot that can hold a few sheets of cardstock, like business cards or even a to-do list or calendar page.

The Alfie is the large pen tray. It can hold ten pens--seven longer ones, and three shorter ones. The shorter slots run the width of the tray, with the seven longer ones along the length. It's a clever design that maximizes the number of pens it can hold while keeping a reasonable footprint on the desk. It is 10.5" by 6.25" by 1". It takes up less space than a sheet of paper.

All three shown here are in the St@cked brand color--a lovely Celadon Green that is literally my favorite color. The green paint has a satin finish. Beneath the paint, the Alfie is made from solid Cherry wood. The Alfie is also available in Maple and Walnut. The Honcho and Amigo are Pine. The finish on everything is exceptional--the wood shaping and paint is smooth and flawless. The fabric that lines the pen grooves in the Alfie is a faux suede in the “Sandy" color (Grey is also available). It feels lightly velvety, and makes a nice soft bed for your pens.

Pen trays like this solve my number one obstacle to using my pens: convenience. If I'm sitting down for a planned writing session, it's nice to have my pen handy. But more often I need to grab a pen for a quick note. I'm not likely to dig into cases for a quick need--I end up grabbing whatever writing instrument is most handy, which is usually a freebie disposable pen, or one of my library's numerous golf pencils. Having my pens out in a tray has noticeably led to me using them more frequently. And using nice pens more frequently, as we all know, increases happiness!

All of the pieces at Stationery Stack are made by Addy, who makes very cool things and has big plans for even more. The soon-to-be-released Journal Caddy will be an immediate must-buy for me. There is a status page on the website where you can find information about upcoming shop updates and product releases, which is great. Because this is a one-woman shop, production moves at the pace of perfection.

Do be warned that the time and craftswomanship are reflected in the prices of these products. The prices are absolutely fair, but they are expensive. The Alfie, the largest pen tray, is priced at $145. The Honcho is $14 and the Amigo is $20 for the shorter length and $23 for the longer. It's a big leap up between the models, but that has a lot to do with the materials (pine vs cherry) and the time that goes into crafting a larger piece.

I have really enjoyed these, and I'll be watching for the Journal Caddy launch. And whatever else Addy dreams up next!

(These products were provided by Stationery Stack at no charge for purposes of this review.)

Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

Posted on August 1, 2025 by Sarah Read and filed under Stationery Stack, Accessories Review.

Ink Institute Taiwan’s Secret Realm Lavender Coral Ink Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Bluesky. And her latest book, The Atropine Tree, is now available!)

I might have said, recently, that I don't need any more ink--that all the colors on earth are well represented in my collection, and that I could write forever with the supply that I have. But when I said that, I hadn't met this ink yet, so. Past Sarah was wrong.

The Ink Institute Taiwan’s Secret Realm ink in the color Lavender Coral is in that favorite color family: a dusty purple with pink and blue undertones and heavy shading that shows all the complexity of the color. There are lots of inks in this flavor family, but they're notorious for being quite pale and sometimes even unreadable in low light. Still lovely, but more pretty than practical. Lavender Coral, though, is saturated enough that it hits those soft color tones while still being bold enough to be practical. And I am enjoying it so much.

This is my first Ink Institute ink, so I can't compare it to their other offerings. (Yet. I now have my eye on a few. Help.) I've enjoyed the experience getting to know this ink. It comes in a fancy box with a slipcase and some lovely art. The 30ml bottle is frosted glass. It looks great and is practical for keeping direct light away from the ink inside. It has a metal screw cap. The bottle opening is a bit narrow, but not unreasonably so. The bottle felt stable while I was filling the pen.

I was happy as soon as I started writing. The ink has great flow. It is described online as a dry flow with fast drying, but I did not find that to be the case on my Kokuyo paper. It hadn't dried after 30 seconds, when I stopped timing it. But I like wet inks, so that's not a negative in my book. The slow dry time helps with the incredible shading, I think. The ink starts out looking like a smoky blue-grey, and the lavender-pink tones develop as the ink dries. In the shaded areas where the ink pools, the deeper purple shows, and a great complexity of color shows around the edges. Have you ever just sat and watched in transfixed delight as ink dries? Don't lie, I know you have. This was a 10/10 watching ink dry experience.

The chromatography shows just how many colors are hiding in this ink, and how the bright colors have blended into something softer. There's also no feathering or bleeding, even with heavy use.

This ink isn't waterproof or water resistant, though some hint of purple stayed after a water spill test. The dramatic shading shows well in writing, and it builds with multiple layers, which makes it great for artwork. I'm very excited to continue writing with it. It's a contender for a new top favorite for me, as it has a similar effect as a previous favorite that isn't as easy to read.

The 30ml bottle sells for $21, which is a little pricey. A 50ml bottle of Sailor ink is $18 to $24, for comparison. A 30ml bottle of Diamine is only $8. So this ink is toward the upper end of the spectrum, price-wise. Would I buy it at that price? Yes, even though I said I'm not buying any more ink. Maybe that's saying something, but maybe it isn't. What I can say is that it's a pleasure to write with it, even if I spend as much time staring at the ink and watching it dry as I spend writing.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

Posted on July 24, 2025 by Sarah Read and filed under Ink Institute, Ink Reviews.

Archer & Olive Beneath the Willows Notebook Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Bluesky. And her latest book, The Atropine Tree, is now available!)

Whenever I bring up the subject of pretty notebooks, whether it's with fellow Pen Addicts or with the normies, people often say the same thing: "It's too pretty to use" or "I'd be afraid to use it and ruin it." This always makes me sad, because a used notebook is a beautiful thing. The patina of creation they develop as they are written in only increases their beauty! Oftentimes, I'll give people the advice that Leigh Reyes gave us once at the Chicago Pen Show--ruin it first. Spill ink on the first page. There! Ruined! Now you can write whatever you want in it. Some folks run with that fantastic advice, but some still shy away from the idea of putting any blemish on a fine notebook. Happily, I've never had such inhibitions, and while I will save special notebooks for special projects, I'm always happy to ruin a pretty journal. I cannot wait to ruin this one.

Archer & Olive are apparently setting a trap for my wallet, baited with some of the most lovely notebooks I've ever seen. This Gentle Breeze journal is part of their Beneath the Willows Spring 2025 series. It comes in a drawer-and-slipcase storage box that is designed like a beautiful vintage book. Inside, wrapped in tissue paper, is the journal. The Gentle Breeze notebook comes in B5, A5, B6, 8X8", pocket, and TN sizes. This is the TN size, tall and narrow like a Traveler's Notebook. All have this olive-gold cotton fabric hardcover with the gold foil stamped design on the front, depicting reeds and cattails in shallow water. There are several other designs and colors available as well.

This TN size has 144 pages of 160gsm dot-grid paper. It has a folder pocket inside the back cover for holding loose bits of paper. It closes with an elastic band that is the same ochre color as the cover. There are two satin ribbon bookmarks. And there is a black elastic pen loop attached to the edge. The pen loop is the only element of the design that I don't care for. The black stands out a bit garishly, and while the loop keeps your pen handy, there's nothing protective about it. It's fine if you're just putting a Pilot G2 in there, but who uses a plain pen on such a fancy notebook? (No hate to the G2, she knows I love her.)

There is no need to stick to plain pens with this paper. Yes, 160gsm. I have notebooks with covers that are thinner than that. This is some heavy duty paper, and I did not have any bleeding or show-through with it, no matter what I was writing with. Even my broadest, wettest fountain pen did fine, and you couldn't see any trace of it from the other side of the page. Personally, I don't mind a bit of ghosting, and I'd rather have a million thin pages than a few thick ones, but this paper does feel quite luxurious.

Apparently Archer & Olive have quite a fan base and their products are super popular among the planner, journaling, and scrapbooking crowds. Aesthetically I totally get it, and the thick paper is perfect for those uses. The spine does require a bit of training before it will lie flat, but it does eventually do it.

Most importantly, it passes the hand test. When I hold it in my hands, it makes me want to write. The downside is, 144 pages fill up fast, even when you can use both sides. And these are on the pricier side, so I can't stockpile them the way I could with Midori or Kokuyo. This TN style sells for $31, with some styles costing as much as $39. I don't think it's unreasonable--these are fancy! It feels worth the price. But I'm less likely to spend that much on a notebook that won't last me as long. That being said, I hear they do Halloween editions, in which case, forget what I just said.

(Brad bought this notebook from Lighthouse Paper Co. at the 2025 Atlanta Pen Show.)

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!