My discoveries for 2010

Last year I did a post on what my discoveries were for the year 2009. It was the year of me starting this blog. Many of you readers responded and I was a little bit overwhelmed. I thought I was the only one with this strange hobby. Past year I blogged less because of my disease in april 2010. But I overcame and lost almost 30kg (66 pounds). I want to thank you all for the sweet responses on that. It gives me a boost to start blogging again.

Paper
The trouble with some ink in Moleskine notebooks was the trigger for my 'quest' for Moleskine friendly ink. I found a lot of inks that performed outstanding in a Moleskine. I labeled them as 100% Moleskine-proof. Past year I discovered a great replacement for my personal journal through out the year. It is by far the best notebook I tried so far. The paper is fountain pen friendly. The paper is 90grams, crisp white and shows no see through or bleed through on any ink in any fountain pen I used so far. So why should I bother trying to search for Molsekine friendly ink when I can use any ink in a notebook that is better then the Moleskine! I have to rethink my blogging in the coming year on that.

My number 1 discovery for this past year was the Quo Vadis Habana, blank paper. I use for journaling the 4"x6-3/8" with blank paper which is 90grams. This is the US-version. The ones that can be bought in Europe all have other (less in quality) paper I don't like. I also don't like the lined version because that has 64grams paper. Strange company policy don't you think?

For every day use at work I still have the Moleskine Large with squared paper. If the Quo Vadis Habana was available in squared paper I would switch instantly completely to the Qua Vadis Habana. But in my work I have to use the squared paper.

Another strange policy of the Quo Vadis company is the decision to change the paper in the Habana. At last I found my holy grail in notebooks and now they are going to change it. I bought a whole bunch for the coming years at Goulet Pen Company. I really hope the Quo Vadis company will reconsider their choice.

Fountain Pen
I still use my Montblanc 149 (fine nib) every day at work. But I have found a new passion in 2010. It is not one pen. It is more a series of pens. The lineup extends every year with a great new model. They are collectors items. The Montblanc Writers Editions. I did not do reviews on them, but that will come in the coming year. So if you have Writers Editions you want to sell just call me and maybe I will be interested.

Also I bought some fountain pens with more wider nib's then the 'fine'-ones I used to write with in 2009. I love the broad wet line of a Lamy with a b-nib, or the smoothness of a Montblanc Mark Twain with a nice broad nib.

Ink
Hard choice to name one ink I was thrilled by past year. My every day ink in my Montblanc 149 is still the Noodler's Black. Their is one ink that I wrote with in my daily journal. It is an ink that is dark in color but not black. It is dark greenish and very brownish, all in one color. If Qua Vadis made the Habana with squared paper then I definitely would switch to this color instead of the Noodler's Black. My number one discovery for 2010 is again coming from Noodler's. It is the Noodler's Burma Road Brown of V-mail series. I will do a review on this ink in the coming year.