ninagobragh | Entries tagged with tools

Current Mood: mellow
Current Location: Home
Current Music: Champagne Supernova - Oasis

Just a quick post today (I meant to write on Friday, too, but life had other plans).

That said, I’ve been diving into JetPens’ guide on glass dip pens, and now I’ve got glass pens on the brain.

Oh my God, they are stunning! They are elegant tools that look like a magic wand out of a fantasy novel: swirling glass handles and delicate spiral tips that hold ink without any cartridge or reservoir. Instead, the ink clings to those grooves, letting you write a few sentences before you need to dip again.

As much as I love the idea of them, I know myself pretty well. I don’t have much patience or the steadiest calligraphy hand, and I’m not sure my Hebrew lettering skills are quite there yet either. So while I won’t be reaching for one of these daily, I would only consider adding them as a collector’s piece. Even better, I would get one as a gift for a friend who does practice calligraphy or appreciates beautiful tools (my SIL comes to mind).

Most of the time stationery is about function, but occasionally, it’s about something beautiful on your desk.

Current Mood: productive
Current Location: Work
Current Music: Let Me Clear My Throat - Doug-E-Fresh

Ugh, y'guys. I didn’t mean for this to be a two-product review. I promise.

I sat down to write about the Uni-ball One P gel pen—a cute little gel pen that shows up in all sorts of planner and Hobonichi content—and halfway through testing it out, I made so many mistakes that I naturally ended up writing about my favorite correction tape too. So here we are, a Friday two-fer.

The Uni-ball One P Gel Pen

If you follow any kind of stationery or planner influencer, especially those in the Hobonichi scene, you’ve probably seen this pen. The Uni-ball One P is a short, chunky gel pen that fits right in your hand—no fuss, no weird grip adjustment.

The body is squat and rounded, the kind of shape that feels like it belongs in the pen holder of every cute planner on Instagram and Reddit (and I mean that in the nicest way -- this pen is adorable). It comes in tons of colors—I have pink, green, and purple—but only writes in black ink. The tip sizes are 0.38mm and 0.5mm, which means your lines will be tight, clean, but a little too easy to smear.

Like most gel pens, the ink needs a second to dry, and if you’re someone who uses highlighters like I do, be warned: highlighting over this pen will smudge everything. Use the highlighter first, write second rule to save your spread.

Want to see what I mean? I included a picture of a writing test below. You’ll also notice several mistakes. Which brings me to --

Wite-Out Mini Twist Correction Tape

I’ve been using correction tape since high school, and I’ll be honest, I make a lot of mistakes when I write by hand. My brain moves faster than my pen, and my notes always need adjusting. I hate traditional white-out: it smells weird, is sticky and lumpy, and takes forever to dry.

Which is why I use correction tape, and specifically, the Wite-Out Mini Twist.

This tiny tool is cheap, cheerful, and works like magic. It glides on cleanly, sticks to every kind of paper I’ve tested (yes, even Tomoe River), and accepts every kind of ink I’ve thrown at it. The little twist cap keeps it from gumming up in your pen case, and it’s compact enough to keep with you at all times.

Would I change anything? Maybe. I’d love a transparent tip so I could better line up my correction marks. And I wouldn’t say no to an off-white option for Midori paper (which has its own matching correction tape, but that’s another story).

Still, this stuff is a game-changer.

Final Thoughts

When you love something, stock up! I’ve already added more Uni-ball One Ps to my cart (I have my eye on the orange and grape), and I picked up another pack of Wite-Out Mini Twists so I’m never without one.

They’re both fantastic on their own, but together? They’re kind of the chaos and control duo of my planner system—one writes, the other fixes.

Current Location: Work

So, I’ve been a little self-conscious about my handwriting lately. It either comes out in tight little all-caps like I’m drafting blueprints or devolves into something more like messy chicken scratch—like I tag billboards. Perhaps like some of us do when our handwriting feels subpar, I started to wonder: Is it my grip?

It All Starts In Kindergarten (Of Course)

Back in kindergarten, my teacher was absolutely determined to teach me the tripod grip—you know, where you rest the pencil on your middle finger and pinch it between your index finger and thumb. It’s supposedly the gold standard of handwriting grips.

But even then, my hand had other plans. I naturally fell into the quadrupod grip, where the pencil rests on your ring finger and you pinch with your thumb, index, and middle fingers. It felt right. It still does! But that didn’t stop my teacher from constantly correcting me—and when that didn’t work, she started sticking these little plastic pencil grips on the end of my pencils to force the tripod position.

They looked like chewed gum, felt like sandpaper, and made writing miserable. But I survived kindergarten. And by first grade, I ditched the plastic lumps and went back to my quadrupod grip in peace. I’ve held my pen that way ever since.

So Why Buy Another Grip?

Lately I’ve been admiring everyone’s beautiful planner layouts, with their cute, neat handwriting and perfect spacing. It's the Pinterest effect. Naturally, I wondered if my printing could be improved—if maybe I could retrain myself into the "Proper, Acceptable Tripod Grip" and unlock some previously inaccessible handwriting magic.

So I bought a pencil grip. Specifically, the Tombow Yo-i Pencil Grip from (of course) JetPens. I stuck it on a good old Ticonderoga pencil, sat down, and instantly hated it.

It was just as awkward, clunky, and uncomfortable as the ones from my childhood. My fingers wanted to do their own thing. The grip wanted them to do something else. It was a match made in hell.

Lede Unearthed: It Didn't Work Out

I gave it the old College Try of several days of handwriting practice, swapping back and forth between writing with the grip and writing without it. The results? Let’s just say that either nothing changed, or it actually got worse.

(I even have photo evidence below: odd-numbered lines are without the grip, even-numbered lines are with. It’s a very underwhelming experiment.)

Here's what I learned: if you want to improve your handwriting, you don't need a gimmick, but practice and patience. Maybe a nicer pen. Maybe smoother paper. But grip? That’s secondary at best.

Furthermore, from what I've read, the quadrupod grip is just as good as the tripod grip, actually! So I may have lost the battle in kindergarten, but I didn't lose the war!

And honestly, my handwriting is far down the list of things I want to improve about myself. I don’t think anyone in my life is begging me to fix it either.

Final Thoughts

The pencil grip was dirt cheap, so I’m not mad about the money. But I wouldn’t buy it again, and I definitely wouldn’t recommend it unless you really enjoy feeling like your kindergarten teacher is still hovering over your shoulder.

As for me? I’ll stick to my quadrupod grip, thank you very much. Chicken scratch and all.

Current Mood: enthralled
Current Location: Work

Some of my favorite stationery items aren’t flashy or colorful or even particularly noticeable. They’re small, quiet tools that quietly make things better. Case in point: book darts.

I got mine as a gift from Square Books in Oxford, MS. They came tucked inside a charming little round tin, and at first glance, they didn’t look like much—just a handful of thin, metal pointy-things. But once I started using them, I realized these tiny things are some of the most useful bookmarks I’ve ever owned.

Why I Love Them
Book darts slide gently over the edge of a page, marking your place without drawing attention to themselves. They’re nearly invisible, which makes them perfect if you prefer a more minimal look in your books or planners.

Unlike sticky tabs or folded corners, they’re completely removable and leave no damage behind. The pages stay smooth, uncreased, and unbothered. Plus, the pointy end can be lined up with a particular paragraph or sentence—ideal for tracking where you left off in a dense reading session or study guide.

I use them in every type of reading I do—novels, textbooks, notebooks, and planners (though not in ebooks, obviously). They’re low-profile, durable, and quietly perfect.

How I Use Them
Right now, I have three tucked into my Hobonichi Cousin, mostly because my current cover only has two ribbon bookmarks and that just doesn’t cut it for me. Book darts give me a few extra placeholders without adding bulk or getting in the way.

There’s also some sentimentality here. I had friends who used to live in Oxford, and while I’m not an Ole Miss fan, I was close with them and thinking about Square Books reminds me of all the fun we used to have together. Every time I use one of these little bookmarks, it’s like a quiet nod to those memories.

And of course, I love supporting small chains—even if JetPens also sells them (which they do).

Final Thoughts
Yes, they’re simple. But book darts are clever, functional, and surprisingly charming. I absolutely recommend them to readers, writers, and planner lovers alike.

If you’re looking for a better way to mark your place—or just want an excuse to support a local bookstore or pick up something unique—book darts are a great place to start.

Current Mood: curious
Current Location: Work

When it comes to stationery, I am firmly a maximalist. But that doesn’t mean I let my supplies sit unused. I rotate through my tools regularly, swapping things out to keep my supplies fresh and actually used. Buying stationery just to collect it feels like hoarding to me, and I’d rather test out different tools and accessories to see what works best and what I’ll repurchase in the future.

My every day carry consists of two things: a bag and a pen case. My bag of choice is a Fjällräven Kånken tote bag that converts into a backpack. I mostly use it in tote mode, but there have been a few situations where the backpack straps came in handy. It carries everything I need, including my tech gear (which is a whole separate conversation for another post).

For pens, I keep things simple but functional with a Midori Book Band Pen Case. It attaches to my notebook and holds just a few essential writing tools. It's perfect for quick access and travel.

My Everyday Writing Essentials

Current Black Ink Pen: Uni Jetstream Standard Ballpoint. This was a free gift from a JetPens coupon code a few months ago, and honestly, it’s the definition of standard—which is exactly what I need sometimes. It writes well, does its job, and has the smooth ink flow that Jetstream pens are known for. No complaints!Current Multipen:

The Mystery Tricolor This tricolor multipen (black, red, and blue ink). is my go-to for my Hobonichi Cousin, and it has the perfect Pepto Bismol pink body to match my Cousin’s cover. The problem? I have no idea where I got it. It’s not in my JetPens order history, and I don’t remember purchasing it—but I use it every day and love it. Once I figure out the brand and model, I’ll definitely be writing about it.

Optional Gel Pen: Sharpie S-Gel. I don’t always carry a gel pen, but when I do, it’s this one. The Sharpie S-Gel writes incredibly smoothly, and the grip alone makes it worth using. A solid go-to for when I want a bolder, smoother writing experience.

Extras: The Supporting Cast

Current Highlighter: Staedtler Triplus Textsurfer. Since my Stabilo Boss highlighters don’t fit in my pencil case, I needed something slimmer, and this Staedtler Triplus Textsurfer does the trick. It was a one-off from a JetPens sampler, and I’ve been liking it so far. The lavender color is subtle but effective.

Correction Tape: BIC Wite-Out Mini. Because I make mistakes and I like to pretend I didn’t. The BIC Wite-Out Mini is my go-to for quick fixes, and the compact size makes it easy to stash in my case.

Sticky Notes: Post-It Notepads. I always carry sticky notes, especially lined Post-Its, because they make it easy to jot down notes and move them between notebooks. Perfect for when I need to add something later without making a mess of my pages.

6-Inch Ruler: My Old Reliable. I’ve had a translucent pink ruler since middle or high school, and at this point, the numbers have completely faded—so it’s useless for measuring, but still perfect for drawing straight lines. If you’re looking for something similar, this one is close.

Final Thoughts: Possible Changes?

I switch things up fairly often, and I can already tell some swaps are coming soon:
I’ll probably rotate in a new black pen next month to keep things fresh.
When I move back into my Hobonichi Weeks, I’ll likely keep one multipen consistently but swap out highlighters based on what works best for the layout.
I don’t carry a pencil right now (unless it’s part of a multipen), but I’m thinking about adding a mechanical pencil so I don’t have to worry about sharpening. That means I’ll need to carry an eraser, too.

And of course, I also carry some tech gear, but again -- another post.