Moustache Stationery February 2016 Subscription Box Review + Coupon

First, I mustache you a question, do you like pens? Do you like paper? I do. I have, well, a bit of a stationery habit. So I was super stoked to check out the Mustache stationery monthly box, which promises to be a fun box with some cool stationery. They offer a monthly plan for $39.95, a three month plan for $99.95, a six month plan for $189.95, and a year plan for $359.95.

I do have to say that the first thing I noticed is that the Moustache packaging could be spruced up a bit. Look, I’m a stationery snob–so I want perfection (think the kind of packaging that a certain California based, fruit logo’d computer manufacturer might have). So I was a little put off by the plain cardboard with a poorly executed stamp, sealed with some mustache stickers. But, when you open the box, the items are nicely packaged:

So, on to the goodies. The box contains a very odd mix of items:

Some “mustache” themed post-it notes. Which are okay, I guess. Post-it notes do always come in handy.

Some bookmarks, with tea steeping instructions and coffee brewing instructions. These, I just don’t get. They aren’t stationery, other than that they are made of paper. Campy? Maybe. stationery? Notsomuch.

[Note from Brandy: This is a UK subscription, so it makes a bit more sense!]

Okay. Coasters. stationery box? Huh? Whimsical and coffee themed. But, I must reluctantly admit, the coasters are handy… I’m using one for my drink now, as I write this. So maybe they do know stationery geeks.

Finally, though, we get to the good stuff. First up is a cute notebook, wrapped in some cute paper. This was definitely a step in the right direction as far as packaging goes, although, you’ll notice the mustache  “I (mustache) stationery” sticker is upside down (flipped in the photo to make it readable–see the spiral binding on the right?) Hey, details. stationery geeks notice the little things. The notebook itself is decent–it spiral bound with an ivory stock (you can see in the photos below with the pens) that is nice and smooth and holds ink well. Its a nice notebook, overall.

Now, here’s where the Moustache stationery box scores two big wins: the pens.

First up is the “Preppy” Which is a Japanese cartridge fountain pen. I love the pen. It was very easy to install the cartridge, and the cap has a very nice “sealing” mechanism to keep the nib from drying out.

The point is nice and smooth on the paper, no catching at all, and the line is nice and fine, clean with very little bleed on the Moustache notebook. The ink dries reasonably fast (it is a fountain pen, after all) and is generally a pleasure to write with. Finally, the box delivered on some quality stationery products!

Next, up, is the the Tombow “coat” highligher. Oh, I love, love, love this highlighter. I use a highlighter a lot in my day-job, so I’m always on the lookout for improvements to highlighter technology. The Tombow is a yellow highligher, with a wide tip and a narrow tip, for all your highlighting needs.

The ink dries fast with no smudge or smear. But here’s the genius part of the Tombow coat. Notice that on the tip of the wide end, there is a yellow semi-circle, surrounded by black? That black is plastic which keeps the edge of the tip from getting mashed and out of shape. Genius!! I’m going to end up buying more of these!

So, overall? I think if you are looking for a hard-core stationery box to get each month, this probably isn’t the box for you. However, if you want a bit of irreverence and some goofy fun, it’s not a bad box. The “extras” in the box are fun and I did end up using them, in spite of my initial reservations. And thes tationery items included are nice–the pens are awesome.

So if you’re interested in a campy stationery box with some quality pens, head on over to Moustache Stationery!

Visit Moustache Stationery to subscribe or find out more! Save 25% on your subscription! Use coupon code  GET25.