The InkJournal Comes in a Pack of 3

The other day I got a very nice surprise in the mail from my friend Tom over at Goldspot.  He has his own side project going on and developed these awesome pocket journals called the InkJournal which are designed specifically for testing and comparing different inks.

InkJournal Cover

The cover of the InkJournal has a very nicely hand drawn picture of the nib of a fountain pen that is about to enter a bottle of ink, with them separated by the name “inkjournal” in a mix of script and print, which I think looks great.  The cover itself is made from 18 pt chipboard and the interior pages are 70# text weight.  The books are hand-crafted using presses and production machinery powered by renewable energy, and are all manufactured in Portland, Oregon.

Instructional Blotter – Front

Each set of 3 InkJournals comes with an instructional blotter.  Pictured above is the front and it has helpful terms and definitions that can be used when writing about an ink.  The card also has a flat finish so it can be used as a blotter as well.

InkJournal Instructional Blotter Card – Back

The back of the instructional blotter card (or maybe its the front?) has a tutorial on how to fill out the different sections on each page to help in consistent reviews and documentation of your ink.

InkJournal Writing Sample

So here is my first writing sample in the InkJournal.  I really like the preformatted pages that remind you to test/document the basics such as:

• Ink Brand, name and color
• Date
• The pen used
• Nib size
• Flow
• Saturation
• Shading
• Scribble/Swab sample
• Dry time

There is also empty space for writing samples and other notes on the back of each page.

The Inside of the InkJournal

All of these different factors accounted for in the InkJournal help to ensure a consistent and well rounded testing of the pen and ink that you are using.  Not only does it help keep your own testing consistent, but you can easily compare notes with friends and other fountain pen fans.  Clearly it doesnt just have to be fountains pens, these can also be used with any other pen or ink that you personally enjoy using so you can hone in on your ideal ink.  In addition to just testing inks, you could also use it for specific pens only to see which ink  you like best in your favorite pen, and it will also help me in remembering what ink is currently in my pen since I change so frequently and sometimes forget what’s in there.

I think  the InkJournal is a great and long overdue idea, and I’m thrilled that it came from someone that is such a good friend of the blog.  I’ll definitely be using these for some of my ink reviews going forward.

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