Stationery Review: Book Darts
Dissatisfaction with sticky notes as reading markers
I think I read more books than the average person, though I certainly wouldn't call myself a bibliophile.
In the last few years, while I haven't read as many novels or non-fiction books as I used to, I have been reading more books that are useful for work, such as those on leadership, organizational theory, psychology, thinking techniques, and reading methods, starting with my main areas of interest: politics and military affairs.
Since entering Keio University's correspondence program this year, my reading volume has increased even further. This is because, in addition to the books mentioned above, I have had to read many reference materials for textbooks and report assignments. Under these circumstances, reading a book thoroughly from cover to cover is no longer feasible, and I am inevitably forced to adopt a reading style of browsing roughly and picking out the essence that seems useful.
Sticky notes are useful at such times, but they also have many drawbacks.
The biggest one is that they stick out from the book. Unless you are extremely careful when applying them to a hardcover book, the sticky notes will flap and stick out, and they will get crumpled if you carry them around in a bag. While sturdy plastic sticky notes can mitigate this somewhat, they can still bend. Therefore, I try to apply them with as little overhang as possible to prevent bending, but this is a tedious task.
Next, some types leave adhesive residue. I am particularly hesitant to use them on books borrowed from others or on old books.
Also, it might sound stingy, but I am bothered by the fact that sticky notes are basically disposable. With the reading style I am currently using, I extract potential key points with a broad filter while re-reading multiple times, and then gradually increase the resolution to focus on the details, so I am frequently applying and removing sticky notes.
Before I know it, I have used up a whole pack of plastic sticky notes on one book, and throwing them away one by one is not very good in terms of cost or my mood.
I was looking for a product that could solve these problems when I found "Book Darts," a reusable metal sticky note.
What are Book Darts: Characteristics, pros and cons
Book Darts are metal book markers about 1 cm wide and 2.5 cm long, and they come in a tin.
The lineup consists of three colors: silver, gold, and bronze (mixed tins containing all colors are also sold). Since they are all solid metal without any paint or plating, the material differs for each color—silver is stainless steel, gold is brass, and bronze is copper (even though the color is named bronze)—and this creates differences in usability.
Silver is the hardest. It grips paper firmly, and since it is stainless steel, it does not rust or change color. On the other hand, it is a bit too hard and hits the paper quite firmly, so I am careful when using it on dictionaries, thin paper similar to that, or old, deteriorated paper.
Conversely, bronze is the softest, making it easy to attach and detach, and it follows the bending of the book perfectly when you hold it in your hand to read. On the other hand, perhaps because it is too soft, it feels like it has the weakest holding power of the three colors (maybe about 2-4%?). Also, it quickly tarnishes like a 10-yen coin from sweat on your hands, and leaves fingerprints (if you use it repeatedly, the whole thing will tarnish evenly). It doesn't bother me, and some people might find this to be a nice patina, but I'm sure it bothers others.
Gold has characteristics that are generally between the two. Its hardness is between the two, and while not as much as copper, it does tarnish.
I don't know the exact thickness, but it is very thin, roughly equivalent to one or two sheets of paper. Unless you attach a huge amount, it shouldn't affect the overall thickness of the book.
The basic way to use them is to fit them snugly so they don't stick out of the book, but you can also intentionally let them stick out to make it easier to flip pages. However, especially with bronze, if you have a loose one like the ones mentioned above, it might come off or shift.
The advantages of Book Darts are that they can mark without sticking out of the book at all or damaging it, they can be used repeatedly semi-permanently, they are very thin, and they have a wide range of applications, such as being used as bookmarks or paper clips.
On the other hand, as a disadvantage, unlike sticky notes, you cannot write on them, and since there are only three colors, the marker itself has limited functionality for adding information. That color-coding is also somewhat limited because of the differences in usability due to the material. Also, perhaps because they are made in the USA, the quality control is loose; there is quite a bit of individual variation in the paper-holding power, and sometimes the number of items in a new tin is not exactly right (fortunately, it has never been less than the fixed number), or there are items with slightly strange shapes mixed in.
However, for me, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages, and I was captivated in no time.
I use the silver ones, which have strong holding power, to mark chapters and sections, and I use gold and bronze to mark points or places that need to be re-read. However, since the amount of information that can be put on the marker itself is limited anyway, one color of gold or bronze might be enough.
Postscript: What arises from the limitation of numbers
Unless you buy a huge amount, the number of places you can mark with Book Darts is limited. It goes without saying, but if you only buy one tin of 75, you can only mark 75 places.
This might seem like a disadvantage at first glance, but depending on how you think about it, it can also be an advantage.It visualizes how much you are currently using.At least for an ordinary person like me, the number of books I can handle in parallel is at most ten or so; if I try to take on more than that, I usually end up neglecting some of them and even forgetting that I was reading them. In the end, no matter how motivated I am, I cannot exceed the limits of my own ability.
When I mark with Book Darts, I can notice if I have too many books piled up because the remaining number becomes small or I run out when I try to mark, which leads to organizing the books I am currently handling or refining my marks.
If you have finished reading a book but want to keep the marks because it is particularly important, you can just replace them with plastic or paper sticky notes. You probably won't be carrying around books you've finished reading anyway.
Also, when using them to find materials for a report, it is convenient because it visualizes "about how much material I have collected so far." When you are running low, it is a good time to scrutinize the materials you have collected so far.
However, for these ways of using them, you need to determine how many are appropriate for your own abilities and purposes. It would also be effective to create and manage multiple tins separately by purpose, such as "for reading" or "for reports."