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KOKUYO's Systemic Cover for Campus, Also Works for Moleskine

Japanese stationery giant KOKUYO launched the Systemic series of notebook cover since Nov 2008.  I totally missed this new product range but when I was in a trip to Shanghai meeting KOKUYO representatives there, I saw a nice leaflet for Systemic and enquired about it.  A few days ago I received samples and found them very pleasant to use.

KOKUYO Systemic Notebook cover for Campus and Moleskine

The Systemic series has 3 sizes (B5, A5 and A6) and two colors to choose from.  Although the cover is specifically designed for Campus notebooks in the same sizes, I found that the A5 and A6 versions also work well with Moleskine's large and pocket size notebooks!!!

KOKUYO Systemic Notebook cover for Campus and Moleskine

It is really a simple non-intrusive notebook cover.  You can insert any two of the wide variety of Campus notebooks in it.  The Campus notebook line also has free or dated diary versions so it can easily be used for business or personal.  A nice looking ribbon tied to eyelets makes two bookmarks.  An outer pocket on both the front and back cover provides temporary storage and act as a pen holder.  A good quality elastic band provides enclosure function.

KOKUYO Systemic Notebook cover for Campus and Moleskine

I think it is a great answer to many people who like to consistently use a refillable notebook but need an outer jacket/cover to hold more items or have a better presentation.  To Moleskine fans who are yet to find a nice cover, this might be an answer too.

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Photo Journaling with KOLO's Essex Travel Book

I learned from KOLO this new project since last year May's National Stationery Show, a portable travel notebook which combines photo storage and journaling functions using a flexible refill system.  As you know, KOLO is almost entirely about photo archiving and presentation, they obviously did a great job to create clean and stylish product lines but most of these products are to be used *afterward*.  You select photos, plan layouts, do scrapbooking stuffs, archiving and presenting the final outcome as a decor or sharing with friends and relatives after events.  I was extremely excited to see how they would execute this travel notebook idea and come up with a final product, which you can carry with you during travel and making memories on the fly.  I had a lot of expectations because bringing archival quality to a product you use everyday inevitably requires a whole new mindset.  I mean KOLO can be perfect in their top notch material quality but an object you would use on daily basis subjects to a whole new set of hazardous situations especially when we are talking about travel.  What a challenge.

KOLO Essex Travel Book

I got this prototype Essex in small size (they have a medium sized one) a few weeks ago and tried to use it during my Frankfurt/Tokyo trip.  Since I was going to taste what it's like to do photo journaling in real-time on this product, I carried it everyday along side with my Polaroid camera.  I also used my Pivi-300 portable printer to print photos from my digital IXUS.  The best companion to Essex seems to be instant cameras and instant photography is obviously going to come back as we are probably going to have new Polaroid films available in end 2009.  Fujifilm is refining their Instax mini line while there is a rumor that they are working with Lomo to have something soon to be released in April about 'instant', not to mention Zink's collaboration with Polaroid (PoGo), Dell (Washabi) and Tomy (Xiao).  IMHO, I think KOLO should gear Essex to work with instant photos coz you won't want to wait until you go back home to print photos and write something about your travel afterward.

KOLO Essex Travel Book

Essex features the same wonderful cloth cover with a small window on the front.  You can choose to have one of the following refills held by elastic band on the spine: monthly/weekly diary, ruled/blank notebooks, photo pocket notebook, etc.  I think you can put 3 notebooks inside the cover but if are like me loving to capture everything from receipts, stamps, photos, restaurant name cards, boarding pass, tags to maps, the photo pocket pages will not be enough and it quickly blow Essex up into a thick wallet the elastic enclosure won't close.  The tiny little back pocket on the back cover also seems to be useless in my case.

KOLO Essex Travel Book

In fact, I should've chosen a medium sized Essex because the photo pocket notebook in small size Essex is for 3x5 photos so my Polaroids and even Instax mini photos don't fit well with it.  Up to this point during my trial, I decided that I had probably mis-used Essex as a capturing tool for everything.  "How to use Essex" becomes the next question in mind, and I'm sure this will happen to any user in the future.  When you think about it, a clean and stylish product also demands certain usage restrictions, like in a beautiful KOLO album, you just don't put every photo in it.

KOLO Essex Travel Book

Having said that, I still want to pursue my perfect photo journaling notebook with the following requirements:

• works well with Polaroids and Instax mini
• portable size but smaller than A5
• pockets to store receipts, tickets, etc
• paper good for roller ball, fountain pen and watercolor
• soft cover to handle bulging contents
• refill notebooks can be filed pleasantly to an album or archive system
• customizable to personal style
• enclosure not intruding front cover
• photo and writing on the same page possible
• clean cover design, tough to resist travel tortures
• archival quality

KOLO Essex Travel Book

I'm sure these requirements are not that far fetch, but execution will eventually meet design and inevitably facing lots of scrutiny versus brand identity and personality.  Product design and innovation, a fun game to watch as a by-stander but I never forget to appreciate the ingenious hard work behind.

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3 More Days in Tokyo

A trip to Tokyo is always 3 days too short.  I was going to Frankfurt and immediately Tokyo from end Jan 09 to early Feb, the trip was so compressed I could hardly breath.  Next time I should just take some extra day-offs for myself and meet some friends.  Despite economic downturn (-12.7% in Japan!), I still found a lot of great stuffs in Tokyo, perhaps we are only looking at a slow start of a collapse.  Interestingly, some company like UNI (Mitsubishi) has an interesting tag line in their internal communication, "We will not participate in recession".  How brave and confident, according to source, they did not cut back any R&D expenses because that's the most important investment to them.

Stuffs from Tokyo

The loveliest thing I got this time is DULTON's tin can truck!  I simply love the color and shape a lot and I'm using it to store my craft stuffs.  Next Pilot's Frixion Ball in new colors!  This time metallic shiny barrel with a new semi-transparent rubber, same amazing heat sensitive ink which can be "erased" with friction.  If you don't realize the benefit of it, think of being able to use erasable ink on your tiny diary.  UNI on the other hand will launch its secret weapon to answer Pilot's Coleto series.  You simply select your favorite 0.38mm or 0.5mm ink refill and put into barrel of your choice (metallic pink/blue/silver/black), you can even put in a mechanical pencil!  Name of this new pen is called "Style Fit".  The rest: Elvis looking Mr. Bruzh, a keyboard brush, just "take off my wig, insert finger and brush". Mark's tiny keychain whistle.  Various clips in great colors.

Midori Traveler's Notebook Passport Size

Designphil (or Midori) launches a new Traveler's Notebook in passport size, available in March.  The idea according to Iijima san from Midori is that you use the passport size leather notebook to capture stuffs and then transfer to your more permanent full size Traveler's Notebook, so every notebook refill of the passport size has removable sheets.  It is ultra portable not only good for your passport as a jacket, you can roll it up, throw it into your backpack, torture it and it still has that beautiful raw look.  Same as the full size Traveler's Notebook, you can add a plastic zip pocket to store receipts and name cards.

Midori Traveler's Notebook Passport Size

Three types of notebook refills: ruled, blank, square.  Instead of the all too familiar "in case of loss, please return to..." page, an immigration form looking page is printed on the last page of these notebooks.  I tried to use it in my Tokyo trip and it feels great, care free, easy and reliable.

Traveler's Notebook Suitcase

I also visited Midori's office and there is an entire showroom out of 4 dedicated to Traveler's Notebook.  They are planning an exhibition in Spiral Market in March/April, which I'll try to participate by sending them my version of usage.  Did I mention I was #6 on their Professional Users list?  In addition, there's something new for the full size notebook too, a free monthly schedule and a free weekly schedule.

Biscuit Mini Album

Oh this tiny little Biscuit album is so cute, you really want to have a bite and it smells good too.  I started to put some of the tiny photos of my index prints onto the first few pages and it will soon sit inside the treasure box for my son.

Masking Tape

Can you believe it?  MT Masking Tape was giving out free tapes during the Tokyo Gift Show!  I was too shy and got one only.  They are launching so many new colors and patterns, you guys in the western world will drool all over their web site.

Valentine Mini Card

And Russian dolls already invaded Japan for a while, this year I saw this mini Valentine card and I just love the chocolate colors and the tiny envelope.  Sorry darling, I bought a card but I don't intend to use it.

Finally, long hauling dozens of magazines was not easy, but it was worth it.  I stopped by a book store on my last day of stay in Tokyo and grabbed stationery and photography magazines like crazy.  Just give me 3 more days there please.

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One Year Ago

I probably didn't upload this picture before.  These are lovely stuffs I got from Tokyo in Feb 2008.  Stay tune for what I found in 2009!

Stuff from Tokyo 1 Year Ago

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Capless and Noodler

I was fascinated by the retractable fountain pen concept for a while.  Most of my nice pens have a pull apart or unscrew type of caps, which means I always worry about losing them.  I found Pilot's Capless an amazing fountain pen to write and to carry without such worry.

Pilot Capless (Vanishing Point)

I went to ITOYA to find the right color I want while I was in Japan, as expected, they gave me a very pleasant shopping experience.  The one I chose was Black Carbonesque in the original Capless line.  (In the states, Capless is called Vanishing Point)  A thinner version is called Capless decimo while a newer twist-to-extract version is called Capless Fermo.

Pilot Capless (Vanishing Point)

Pilot's Capless is the world's first retractable fountain pen debuted in 1964, the year of Tokyo Olympics.  I love the fact that it is retractable yet it is a fountain pen which I can use to write beautiful strokes in typical occasions.  The pen clip location also gives the pen a unique signature.  I just hope they can improve the look of the upper part where you click.

My finger was stained when I tried to refill using Noodler's black ink at home.  My son wondered why my finger stained blue but the ink was black.  So I showed him how to find out the different pigments inside the ink by a piece of tissue paper.  Probably blue  ink molecules are lighter and smaller so they travel faster and further up on the tissue paper when soaked in water, they also go deeper into skin therefore the more distinct blue stain on my finger.

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Moleskine Helvetica Special Edition

Moleskine Helvetica Special Edition

Lucky me, most will just drool all over these pictures.  I got mine from Moleskineasia.com, the official Moleskine distributor in Asia.  According to them, the first day they posted this special edition on their web store, a few hundred was already sold, they needed to find extra part-timer to help packing for shipping.

Moleskine Helvetica Special Edition

Helvetica is a great font, it is one of the two fonts I always go back to when I want something quiet. There is a 2007 documentary film by Gary Hustwit, check out the trailer below:

Helvetica Film Official Trailer

Moleskine Helvetica Special Edition

Now you know why I shot the first photo of the special edition over a NYC subway sign I got.

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Happy with 1952 Volkswagen

Collection from Various Cities

Every time I came back from trip, my son would ask "Daddy! What's in the bag?"  I would say "nothing, just some stuffs from work".  Talking about delayed gratification.  He would hug me still with his happy face, most satisfying for me.  "Do you miss your son?" colleagues asked, "not at all coz I get better sleep during business trips".  Not true :)

So I got him this 1952 Volkswagen Beetle this time from Tokyo.  I did make him wait, so he tidied up everything and right before he went to sleep I showed him the package.  He knew he couldn't unwrap until the next day, so he waited.  The next day he came back from school while I was having a day off and I unveiled the Beetle.  "Out of all cars I bought from you from various cities, which one you like most?"  "I like this most!" And we pulled all the cars I got him from trips and made this picture, the rest of the dozens of cars he got from other people were nothing at all.  These are the treasures, to me and to him.  Someday, they will be sitting in a box he will forget, until one day he will pull them all out and remember his childhood so vividly.

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Rhodia's 75th Anniversary: Launching #10 and Paul Smith Edition Limitee

Here's what I discovered in Clairefontaine's booth at Paperworld Frankfurt about a week ago.  Rhodia's new smallest cutest notepad No. 10 and limited edition notepads with Paul Smith's drawing on the cover, along side with the launching of the new Rhodia website.

Rhodia Launches New Products and Website

The new No. 10 is 5.2x7.5cm in size with the same Rhodia 5x5mm grid on smooth paper.  It is the cutest Rhodia I've ever owned.  I'm not sure how people will use it but it looks to me more like a collectible than a thing you would consume.  What a sight if they are displayed in large glass jars like yellow and black candies.  (in this photo you can see a very popular masking tape made by MT with matching color, which I got from Japan)

Rhodia Launches New Products and Website

Clairefontaine also declares that almost all of their premium paper products are now PEFC compliant.  Which means you are getting papers from sustainable forest management, proudly made in France.

Rhodia Launches New Products and Website

Rhodia is also launching a new leather pen case which was just a prototype in the show, I couldn't tell the quality of the final product.  I would say the most beautiful and eye catching product launch from Rhodia this year is the Paul Smith Limited Edition notepads.  New stripes and line drawings from the man himself.

Rhodia Launches New Products and Website

I'm sure we will have great materials to create an impressive promotion of Rhodia's 75th anniversary celebration in our stores.  I'll have meeting with a corresponding party this Friday, let's see how it goes.

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Connections - After the Fact Discovery, Frankfurt and Tokyo

Just came back from Frankfurt's PaperWorld and Tokyo's Gift Show.  A continuous trip to two different time zones did worn me out a bit, yet new stuffs I discovered and experienced helps to focus my energy positively.  This is so important.  If I were to travel that much just for work and never took opportunities to see things I chose to see, my body simply could not cope with the sheer volume of activities.

Dulton, VW, Key, Stamp, Frame

"To have faith is to be sure of the things we have, to be certain of the things we cannot see".  A Bible verse I always carry with me to see things beyond and to be grateful of what I already have.  Along with the verse, I also carry 3 cameras (a broken digital IXUS, a Polaroid SLR690 and a Rollei 35SE) to give me different eyes to see beyond the obvious.  And I'm grateful I always find peace and satisfaction within.

The first instant I saw this Dulton tin truck in Tokyo I immediately fell in love with it.  I decided to use it to store some of my daily craft items.  I also got this 1952 Volkswagen Beetle for my son, beautiful pastel blue color, he LOVES it!  I got these two things from different places but they have one thing in common which I didn't know until I came back to Hong Kong.  The license plate on the Dulton truck is "1952"!  Magic, I couldn't believe my eyes.

Smoking area and fire alarm

In Frankfurt's airport there were these two things sitting together peacefully.  A blue "Smoking area" sign high above and a red "fire alarm" below.  They have great color contrast, only if you put these two photos together.  Interestingly, "Raucherzone" (a German word for smoking area) and "Feuermelder" (a German word for fire alarm) both have 11 characters, even the English "Smoking area" has 11 characters too.  That was 11:27 am when I shot these pictures.  Now, what about 27?  2+7=9.  "Fire alarm" has 9 characters!  Yeah, I know you can explain everything with numerology but that's a good exercise for me too to find connections between things.  11 = smoking area, 27 = 9 = fire alarm and they goes together like I had this idea when I shot the photo with the clock intentionally included behind.  Now count the number of characters in "Frankfurt"!

Antiques: Polaroids and Bowlings

Frankfurt Hauptbanhof, Globe

The rest of the trip in Tokyo was meticulous hunting of interesting stuffs for our retail customers.  In an antique shop where I get refurbished SX-70 Polaroid cameras (in this photo dozens of naked white SX-70s) they sell old bowling pins too, I took a picture and later at dinner with several colleagues I found 2 of them are bowling enthusiasts.

Darts with colleagues

I stayed in Ebisu, Tokyo as usual.  Almost every night I went to this darts bar called "Lani Girl" to play darts with colleagues.  Guess what, I've never went to this bar with any guy before, there is a reason why they named it "Lani Girl" you know.  So, this concludes my "Connections" post and a fabulous trip too short.  I'll be back to Tokyo in July, I hope to extend a few days to discover more.  Any of you readers out there wanna meet, let's plant this in our minds and things will happen accordingly.

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