The Pen Addict 518/transcript

The Pen Addict Podcast Transcript
Episode:	518
Title:	Just Spell it Lewis
Release Date:	June 16th, 2022
Hosts:	Brad Dowdy Myke Hurley
Guests:	No guests this episode
Additional Information
Official page:	Episode 518
Audio File:	Audio Episode 518
Podcast page:	The Pen Addict 518
Length:	6868 min <br />1.133 h <br /> minutes
Previous Transcript	Next Transcript

Myke: From RelayFM, this is The Pen Addict, episode 518. Today's show is brought to you by Pen Chalet, Trade, and the Canalea Pen Co. My name is Myke Hurley and I'm joined by Brad Dowdy. Myke, is that you? Are we sure this is you? I don't know. Can you confirm? What kind of ask you? Oh, what's your favourite pen?

Myke: I don't know. Uh-oh. I'm a different man than the last time I was on this show. I'm not in a good shape right now. I'm back at home. I was away. I was in California. But have been hidden away for catching coronavirus. So I went out to California for an Apple event and I didn't get to attend the Apple event, in case people aren't familiar with the whole Myke law. I've been tweeting about this a little bit. Yeah, I was going out for WWDC, but on the day that I arrived, which was the Saturday before I tested positive for COVID on arrival. Really would have loved to have tested positive before I left because I cannot claim the flights back on travel insurance now, which hurts so bad. Because those flights, Brad, were so expensive because I booked them at last minute.

Brad: Yeah, this was a thing that this wasn't a six months out planning. This was like... This was a week. Yeah, like really, really came up quick. Yeah. Because you had an opportunity and you're like, yeah, I'm going to do this.

Myke: Yeah. So I spent about nine days in hotels in San Jose and San Francisco.

Myke: And Dallas. Well, yes. Then I was supposed to fly home. Then we missed the flight connection because we had a delayed plane. So I ended up spending a day in Dallas, which is why this episode is coming out on Thursday rather than Wednesday. So I got home yesterday. I'm negative for COVID now. I tested negative for the first time when traveling home.

Myke: I don't know if that's going to stick, though. I'm not sure. Right. This is very strange. Like I've had people telling me that it's possible to continue testing positive for months.

Brad: Well, let's be clear. You got physically sick. You weren't one that tested positive and had no symptoms.

Myke: I have been very, very unwell. Yeah. I've been in a pretty bad state, as you can probably hear. Like I'm not over it at all. I've had very strange symptoms. I've kind of run the gamut from like confusion to nausea to lethargy, sore throat, headaches, everything. This has been pretty rough on me. Yep. So I'm still trying to come back to normal. I think now jet lag and COVID, they're really wreaking havoc on me today.

Recovery

Brad: Well, I really appreciate you doing this. You certainly didn't have to do this. I know. I know you probably have one part wanted to just get back to a little bit of normalcy. Yes. Even if it's still feeling crappy.

Myke: Yeah. Because I've had probably, no, I've had one of the worst weeks of my life this past week. I want to move on from it. And that means trying to get back to some kind of normal recording schedule. So I am very happy to be here with you today. And I would like to, as always, extend thanks to you and your guest, April. I adored last week's episode. Oh my God. I loved it. How great is she? April is the best. It was such a good episode. So I really enjoyed it. It was fascinating. I loved an episode of The Pen Addict that barely spoke about pens. I mean, come on. When does that happen?

Brad: So good. I had to work that in late. Yeah. I was like, by the way, we haven't even spoken about pens once. I remember that specifically. I was like, oh, I should probably ask this at some point. And it was like 45 minutes in.

Myke: Yeah. It was such a great episode.

Brad: Yeah. She's fantastic. I'm going to get to meet her hopefully in person in San Francisco when I go in a couple months.

Myke: Let me tell you right now, I'm starting to get jealous about the idea of the San Francisco pen show.

Brad: Yeah. Yeah. It's going to be cool. It's going to be cool.

Myke: So I want to go, but we have, me and Idina have made a promise that we are not traveling until September now.

Brad: You've been through a lot. Like, I wouldn't be anxious either. Especially, that's a long trip for you. Like, it's long for me, but it's nothing.

Myke: We're not going anywhere for three months. That's the plan that we have made. Because we're also trying to sell our house and move house. Like, that's sort of been a whole thing. Oh, gotcha. You didn't even tell me this. That's been like a whole thing we've been trying to deal with too while we were eight hours removed from our home time zone. Oh, good grief. Oh, good grief. Yeah.

Brad: Well, you really need to re-listen to the podcast again with April and figure out which travel journal you need. So you're covered on all your travels next time. I know. Yeah. She will hook you up. Schedule related. Myke, do you want to cover what's happening the next week or two? Do you think, how much do you think I can do that? All right.

Myke: I'm going to try. That's why I put it on you. See, that's why I led. So I didn't have to speak about it. All right. So next week, there will not be an episode published. We are recording next week on the 22nd, recording live as always, but it's coming out on the 29th. You may say, why are you doing that? And I will say, because June was supposed to look very different for both of us. I was not supposed to be traveling two weeks ago. I was supposed to be on vacation this week. Everything got moved around. We made commitments to our sponsors that there would be an episode on the 29th. So we're recording on the 22nd, releasing on the 29th.

Vacations and Schedule Changes

Brad: Yeah. Basically, both Myke and I had vacations planned for June. So we were going to take an actual week off, which we rarely do, except at the end of the year. So we were going to take a summer week off, and then it kind of got thrown for a loop. So we're still doing it. It's just a little bit more convoluted now.

Myke: So if you want to listen live next week- Which is the first episode we have missed in a really, really long time because of episode 500. Yeah.

Brad: Should be, what, year and a half at least, right? I think. I don't think we've missed an episode since December of 20- Should be December 2020.

Myke: I don't even- but I don't think we skipped in 2020.

Brad: Oh, yeah. We had that whole chart. Oh, wow.

Myke: So I don't think we've done it for years now.

Brad: Yeah. Neither of us are built to skip our schedule. Like, this is what we do. At least that's the way I feel. And I think you feel the same way about all your shows and things. Like, this is what I do. And you are. So I've talked to you. I tried to leave you alone while you were gone because I know how bad it was going. But man, I felt for you. I am so happy you're here today and happy to hear you laughing, even though I know you don't feel like super well at all.

Myke: I would say, like, I have never felt more appreciated by our listeners. Well, we care about you. Than I have in this past couple of weeks. Yeah.

Brad: We really, really care about you. So let's stop talking about you and talk about pens. What do you think? I have a big- I'm excited to talk about this, Myke. Okay. I am so excited. So I'm going to talk- I'm going to have a lot of things for you in this episode that I'm not sure if you're up to speed on, right? Not up to speed.

Myke: You can guarantee I'm not up to speed.

Brad: So since we haven't spoken to record a show in two weeks, there's been some things, some product drops and things that I want to talk about. Specifically, the first one I wanted to lead the show with was the Lamy Vista Fountain Pen Black Special Edition that was created by Lamy specifically for Goulet pens. Like this is a store exclusive Lamy. So there's a lot to take in here and it got me all kinds of excited.

Myke: Can we talk about the pen itself first? Yeah, let's go ahead. So I don't understand what's different about this. It's a clear Lamy with black furniture, right? Like I feel like I've seen this pen before.

Brad: Buddy, I have got you covered. I am way in on that. So if you're not familiar with the Lamy Vista, so the Lamy Safari and the Lamy AL Star are they're kind of their two popular entry level pens, right? That's the ones we talk about all the time because they're the most well known, especially the Safari. You know, it's been around for 30 something years, 40 years, maybe more than that. And it's just this classic kind of it's a little bit above a starter pen, but it's a lot of people's first fountain pen, okay? So the Safari is a solid ABS plastic color. So usually, you know, yellow, blue, red, like the full barrel. And then the All Star or AL Star, I still don't know which one it is and I've been doing this for 10 years. The aluminum barrel one.

Myke: I think it's AL Star because it's aluminum. Yeah, I think so too.

Brad: I think if it was All Star, it's both L's. InkDependent's Myke will let me know. He's the one that keeps me on my toes between the All Star and the AL Sport.

Myke: But does he know though or is he just guessing too? He's very adamant. Well, but I don't, I need proof. If he's going to come in here and say it's this, then he's going to prove it because, right? Because I would say it's AL Star. He can tell me it's All Star, but where's the proof, you know? Until it's proven, I'm just going to say it's what I think it is.

Brad: Yep, yep, exactly. So it's easier for me to say All Star just because that's an easier one to say. Nice. So, yes, thank you. So yeah, the aluminum barrel is also a solid color, right? So they have these two solid colors. Then they have a singular product called the Vista that is the same shape and design of the Safari and the All Star, but it's just a fully clear barrel. Yeah, it is a Safari, right? It is a Safari.

Myke: It's just a clear Safari. It's a Safari demonstrator. But they call it the Vista, which is a great name for a pen like that, right?

Lamy Vista Discussion

Brad: And this product has always existed just by itself, right? There weren't any manipulations to the Vista. Like you couldn't get it in different colors. You couldn't do whatever. Anything they want to do with the Vista, no, it was just this clear fountain pen. All right. So my whole thing with Lamy historically has been do something with the Vista. You have these solid colors in the Safari and the All Star, and you have this clear Vista, and you've shown in other product lines, specifically a pen called the Lamy Balloon, that you can make translucent color barrels. And why don't they do that to the Vista, right? Give me a blue translucent Vista, red, purple, whatever. Like they make these plastics in other pens that could go on the Vista, and they just never have. It's never been their thing. And on top of that, Lamy doesn't do a lot of store exclusives. They do a lot of region exclusives. You know, you've partaken in the Asian market, right? Like in Japan and China, they're always doing this wild stuff that we always fawn over and really enjoy. But there's never like, hey, this is the North America edition, which I'm not saying they need that. I'm just saying that they just traditionally don't do that. So this is kind of a big deal that they chose to make a pen for a store in the U.S.

Brad: And all the way back to your question, what is different about this pen? And it's almost nothing. And so I'm so angry. I'm so happy and so angry. Like I'm not in a middle ground at all on this pen. Like so the difference is they use the black nib and the black clip and the black finial. Or the black finial may be the same. But they use the black handled converter.

Myke: Yeah, the converter is black too.

Brad: Yeah. Literally, they're basic off the shelf parts that they already have for other things. This is just, this is a reassembly, right? This is not a creation. Yeah. If that makes sense. So they stuck the black nib in it instead of the silver. They put the black nib on it. I mean the black clip on it instead of the silver. They use the black converter instead of the red. And called it a special edition. Okay, whatever. The nib is, the nib is black, right? The nib is black, yeah. Yeah. And normally it's not. So, but my takeaway is that they're thinking about it. Yeah. They're thinking about it and that's what makes me happy. It's like they made something, they didn't make this for North America. They made this for Goulet and this is, while it's a pretty generic, you know, reassembly is what I'll call this pen.

Brad: They thought about it, right? And it's in our market or in the, you know, in the US market, which they've never done before, like at least not in my time. I'm sure there's probably historically, they've done something somewhere for someone.

Brad: Maybe it's a start. But maybe Lamy is considering doing something with the Vista lineup. And even for their own inventory, just like a stock. I don't know why there's not stocks, translucent color Vistas on their Lamy store shelves right between the Safari and the All-Star. Like it's never made sense to me and that's what I've been screaming for. So maybe they're thinking about it. I don't know. Like this doesn't, this doesn't move the needle like technically, right? But the idea makes me at least think that they might be thinking about doing something. So I have no hopes. You know, Lamy is just a historic, you know, very staid company. You know, S-T-A-I-D, like the, they just don't really do a lot of weird stuff, except in Asia for some reason. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed, but my, I'm a little bit tempered on it too.

Myke: But it's something, right? It's something. I agree with you, like where they otherwise have done nothing. But then at the same time, something small at Goulet doesn't mean anything because it's still small and Goulet is the biggest. Right. So if you're only going to do something small for the biggest, it's still not what we want, which is like, we, we want Lamy to do what Sailor does. Yeah. Anyone can have one. You just got to sell them. Right. You know what I mean? And which isn't technically true, but it's how it feels. Yeah. And so, you know, like I'm sure, did Goulet do Sailor exclusives? Yes.

Brad: They, oh, I'm not even going to link you that. That's going to be a problem for you. Yeah. So I'll keep talking and I'll let you go fidget around and find it. It's one of the coolest ones I've seen in a while. Bespoke. That's their, so that's their high end lineup with the Arushi King of Pens and their big nibs. I'm talking about a pro gear, a certain pro gear that they made. Recently? Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. I'm going to let you find it. So yeah, back, back to the Vista and then you can just explode when you see this. Okay. It's, it's, it's like the needle moved like 1% over for me on this, but it moved, right? It moved. So I'm at least, I'm not going to hold out hope, but come on, Lamy, you can do this. So, all right, I'm going to find this sailor for you.

Myke: I'm looking for it now. Don't you worry. I'm going to find it. I will say this is good news if it means something. Yeah. But I think Arushi was thinking that it probably won't mean anything.

Brad: Well, they've never done anything like this in the past. Yeah. Like, they just haven't. And to have them actually do this, even though it's a, it's a build type of thing, it's like an off the shelf, you know, let's put the parts somewhere else.

Myke: Is it the Northern Lights one?

Brad: I don't know what color is it.

Myke: Purple?

Brad: Yep. That's a good looking pen right there. Isn't it? Isn't it?

Myke: That's a really good looking pen.

Sailor North America Exclusives

Brad: So, to completely hijack the show, Sailor North America is now, now letting a lot of shops build store exclusives. Hallelujah. In the US market. It was very tempered for a while, and now just like the floodgates are open. I think Yoseka's might actually be, not better, but maybe it's more different than the Northern Lights. Like, the Northern Lights is a stunner, right? That's one of the coolest ones you'll see. That looks like a mic pen. Yoseka has one that just released, and they've released, this is the Yoseka second one, and it's more in the lines of something different that I would like to see. So, we can pull that up. I think it's called the Sen, S-E-N. I could be wrong. I don't have these, I was not prepared to discuss either of these pens today.

Myke: Is this the, it looks, is it like blue and pinky?

Brad: No, it's, no, it's like a green, like a, like a, almost like a opaque jade green.

Brad: So, basically what's happening is. I think it's the same pen. Maybe the same pen. Okay. It's kind of like milky colored. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, that's it. That's it. That's more, like, that's different, more different than the things I already have, like with the glitter and the sparkles and things like that. That's what I was going to say.

Myke: I like that Goulet one, but I'm literally using a pen today that reminds me of it, you know? Yeah.

Brad: But that Goulet one, they're going to sell literally every one of those without issue. Fast. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I agree. Because it's just, it's gorgeous.

Myke: It's everything that's good about those kinds of pens.

Brad: Exactly right. Exactly right. So, a lot of the, I'm only speaking from the U.S. market because that's really kind of all I pay attention to, even though I should pay attention wider. They may obviously pay attention some to Japan, but seeing the smaller or the, just the traditional retailers in the U.S. getting their store exclusive sailors, they're coming fast and furious again. So, the floodgates have definitely opened. And we're going to talk a little bit, I'll have a little bit of sailor commentary later in this episode. But, yeah, they're cool. They're cool, man. I like them. So, Lamy, keep going. Yeah. Let's get to, let's go from 1% to 5%. I'm not going to push you hard. I'm not going to push you hard. Yeah. Let's do a little bit more. Give me something. Make me the blue one. Make me the blue Vista. That's what I'm going to see next. You do the blue balloon. The Lamy balloon in blue is one of the best looking pens. The blue balloon. I have ever owned. The blue loon.

Myke: Blue loon.

Brad: It just, it just happened to be.

Myke: The blue balloon, such a good pen. Yeah. Right?

Brad: It happened to be, no, it's one of the worst pens I've ever used. Okay. Except, aesthetically, it's beautiful.

Myke: I agree. I like the balloon. Anyway, Brad. Anyway. You want special pens, huh? I do. Brad, you want some special pens? I'm a little excited, Myke. All right. Let me tell you about. I'm a little scared. I'm going to tell you about something exciting. This episode is brought to you by the Canalea Penco. And today, we are very excited to be able to tell you something brand new that Canalea has been working on. It is the Kai Huli Collection. Now, Brad, come on a journey with me, all right? Okay. I'm ready. I want you to close your eyes. And I want you to imagine a beautiful Hawaiian beach. And you can see the waves crashing against the shore, right? The waves come in. They pull back out. Now, every time this happens, especially in the evening, especially when the tides have reduced in the morning, every time the waves come in and pull back out, new treasures are left on the shore of the beach, right? So you can just see, like, the water's brought stuff in, the water leaves, and the treasures have been left behind. In Hawaiian, Kai Huli means, it's a quote, a sea that dashes and recedes. That's what it means, Kai Huli. And that describes this phenomenon. The waves coming in, the waves going out. And you may be asking me, Myke, what on earth has this got to do with Canalea? This is like my sleep meditation thing at night. I'm really enjoying this. You can open your eyes again now, if you will. Okay. Thank you. Because I'm going to tell you about the exciting part. Kai Huli is an ever-changing collection of fountain pens that are specifically created by Canalea to represent the varied and beautiful colors and textures of the Hawaiian Islands. And the Kai Huli collection will only be available at pen shows. These fountain pens cannot be ordered through the Canalea website. It is something you have to be there to see for yourself in person. So the inspiration of this is Carol and Hugh, they want to create the Kai Huli collection because they love the fun and mystery of dawn walks along the beach in Hawaii. With the fun of finding the mysteries that were left on the sand overnight, right, from the waves coming in and out. And it's along with the mystery of what's going to be on the beach tomorrow. So every morning of a pen show, attendees can stop by Canalea's tables to see the assortment of Kai Huli pens that the tide has brought in overnight. You know, I was thinking about this. I don't know the answers to these questions, but I imagine the table decoration for Kai Huli is going to be amazing, right? Because Canalea have the best-looking tables at a pen show because they put a lot of effort in. And I am very intrigued to see pictures of how these pens will be presented. True. Because I know, I know, like, like, Carol and Hugh, they're going to go next level. I have no doubt about it.

Brad: Yeah. I am really excited. This obviously, I look at it business-y wise, like, I can't help it. Like, it's really smart, right?

Myke: So it's clever. The way they branded this is so smart. I think it's one of their best ideas that they've had so far. Right.

Brad: And other pen companies do similar things, right? To where they have, like, show exclusives and, you know, you got to be at the show to pick things up. And Canalea, given the fact that they go to, like, four or five pen shows a year to have just, like, a batch of kind of, hey, this is what we're going to have at this show. And it's going to be in this special grouping. And you can only get them at the show. So I just think it's, I just think it's not only it's smart. I think it's just, you know, that's the business side of me. But, you know, I love the pens and I can't wait to see, like, what they have. Like, it's going to be a problem, right? I'm just going to have to purposefully not go, not go over there because I will leave with something. That's just the way it works around the Canalea table for me.

Myke: Yeah. It's just, I mean, I think this is fantastic. So Kai Hulu pens, like other Canalea pens, are one of a kind creations, but they are just a little bit more special. They're all enclosed of a black, they're all enclosed within a black walnut keepsake box, along with the inspirational photo insert. And they're adorned of Canalea's precious metal hibiscus medallion. The pens start at $395 of a Yowo No. 6 steel nib. So that's, like, the standard pricing for these pens. The nibs are available from extra fine to 1.1mm stub. But they also have the additional 18-carat gold nibs that you can add to these pens. And as of all Canalea pens, they will be smoothed and tuned by Hugh to write beautifully while at the show. So you can hang out with him while he does that for you, which is wonderful. He does a really good job, by the way.

Brad: Yeah. Right? Like, sometimes, like, when you get that done blindly, like, if you order a pen and it gets tuned and smooth, maybe it doesn't fit, like, your handwriting. But Hugh's standard work on the nibs that I get from him, I get extra fine gold nibs. They're always just, like, perfect for me. And, you know, not always the case.

Myke: They will take the time, right? Like, if you want it, like, they'll give it to you, like, try it out, and they'll work with you to make sure that it's just right. Exactly.

Brad: It's not like, okay, this is what I do. Here you go. It's like, no, how is this for you? And let's get it perfect. So, yeah, I appreciate that.

Myke: So, I'm sure that every pen addict is screaming at their podcast app, where can I get them? So, Kai-Hoo Lee will first appear this month at the St. Louis Pen Show from June 24 to 26. St. Louis, right? Damn it. Did you hear me laughing? No, because I get in my head about this. I've been thinking about this for two days. Like, say it correctly. It's spelt Louis, but for some reason, we call it Louis. That is awesome. That was so good. Ugh. St. Louis Pen Show. Just spell it L-E-W-I-S if you want to call it Louis. Right? It's Louis.

Kai-Hoo Lee Pens Introduction

Myke: Kai-Hoo Lee will first appear this month at the St. Louis Pen Show from June 24 to 26. That's where you'll first find them. Then, at the DC Pen Show from August 5th to 7th. And then at the San Francisco Pen Show from August 25th to 27th. So, they're going to be at the St. Louis, DC, and San Francisco Pen Shows. That's where you will be able to see the Kai-Hoo Lee collection. I cannot wait to see pictures of this. I'm very anxious to see what they come up with. And I can't wait to see this Pen Show myself sometime in the future.

Brad: For all the previews that you and I get, they don't show us anything until it's, like, actually live, usually. Like, we might get an early look at the pens, but, like, they haven't said, hey, here's a batch of these pens that's going to be available in St. Louis. I have no idea. Or St. Louis. Yeah, or St. Louis. Either one, it's the pen show in the Upside Down is where St. Louis is. And that's a different set of pens they're going to have at that one. So, yeah, I'm looking forward to it.

Myke: You know, because it's, like, the thing that annoys me.

Myke: Right? Because we have Prince Louis, right? Prince Louis of Cambridge. And it's spelt like this. Right? So, like, in my mind, anyway. Thank you so much to Canalea for their support of this show. You can check out this. You can check out Canalea's whole offering and keep up with all their latest announcements, all the shows that they're going to be at, etc. By going to canaleapenko.com. That is canaleapenko.com. And thanks for their support of the show. I'm sorry that it went off the rails in the middle.

Brad: Send us your pictures from the St. Louis pen show and what they're offering at the...

Myke: Why have you got to bully me?

Brad: I mean, I'll be looking forward to watching Sir Louis Hamilton race in Montreal this weekend.

Myke: But he doesn't spell it that way. He spells it how it should be spelled. If you want to call it Louis, right?

Myke: It's like America just takes every... Forget it. No, it's fine. Forget it. Forget it.

Brad: You're not going to get any disagreement. You're not going to get any disagreement from me. I just think it's fine. Yeah, I get disagreement from other people and I just can't be... True, true, true.

Brad: Let's talk about skulls on a stick, Myke. Skulls on the... Skulls on the pen. Grafond Faber-Castell 2022 Pen of the Year Aztecs. I never thought we would be the, hey, let's talk about the Grafond Faber-Castell Pen of the Year every year. But they do such an interesting job every year, including putting abs on pens, which is one of the greatest podcast bits we've ever done. So now I feel like we have to discuss the pen of the year each year because they actually do a really good job, even though they're like ridiculously expensive and like not for us and all of these things. When I put this link in the show notes, I was anxious to get you looking at this pen. So I want you to tell me what you think about Aztecs.

Myke: The skulls are the wrong way around.

Brad: The skulls are the wrong way around. So they're... The chin is pointing away from the paper when you're writing with the nib.

Myke: Yeah. Yeah. I feel like this should be an experience tailored for the owner of the pen. And so that would tell me that it should be the other way around. But they've done it as like, so it looks best in photography where you'd put the skulls facing towards the cap. You know what I mean? Yeah.

Brad: I got to look. I need to audit some of my pens that have like directional artwork. I'm not sure what most of them do. I don't...

Myke: I think most of the time it would be like this. So like it looks best when it's capped, right? But I think for $6,400, right? You want a different skull orientation? I want the experience best for me when I'm writing with it. I would say compared to previous editions, this one is not as exciting for me. I would have liked to see some color on this pen.

Brad: So it's just on the finial. They have turquoise in the finial, but not anywhere else.

Myke: I would like the body of this pen to have a little bit more color on it, I think. I think that would have been more fun.

Brad: See, I think this is the best one that I recall seeing. It's like I could see myself using this pen. I will never own this pen. It's $6,400.

Brad: This is... And it's also gigantic. Like I would not like the size of it. But like I could see myself using this pen. I think the grip section is the biggest question because it's literal obsidian. It's not obsidian in color.

Myke: Like I've just Googled the term Aztec art because I'm Phil Stein. But there's so much color in a lot of this artwork that like... Without a doubt. Which is when they said it, like I would imagine that. And I know that they've added in the turquoise. There's a lot of turquoise here. And I think a lot of it was maybe bronze. And it's like colored over time, right? It's patina. Is it bronze that patina is to that turquoise color? It is. Copper. Excuse me. Excuse me. Copper. Copper. Thank you. So I'm sure that's why they put that in there as well. Like if not, it's just that it was, you know, because it was the... Was it the Bronze Age?

Brad: That was the Homo sapiens.

Myke: Oh, man. I'm all over the place today, right? I should not be trusting anything my brain is telling me right now.

Brad: Well, what you should also know is the skulls represent sacrifices to the gods. So it's a little bit of a dark, dark idea of a pen. Yeah, but still.

Myke: Like, you know, that's how the Aztecs rolled. I would have liked a little bit more color personally in this pen. Okay. I think it's a bit drab.

Brad: But beautiful, but a bit drab. Yeah. I do think I would have... I would actually like to hold this pen and feel what the section is like. Having like a literal rock, polished rock for the section. I'm not sure I would get on with that, right? Like, it looks cool, but is that the... I mean, I get there. They're trying to go all out in, you know, this limited edition pen, pen of the year. And I don't know. I think it's cool. You know, they've done some cool ones in the past. And I don't know. This one's kind of my jam. If I was like an outrageously expensive pen user, I would consider this. But like, it's totally not my jam. I think I would dislike just the size of it. But for what Faber-Castell does, I kind of dig it. I kind of dig it. So maybe I'll see one in person at the San Francisco Pen Show. If I do, I'll get some photographs with it. And then I'll get my head lopped off and put on a stick so we can have some skull walls. All right. Another release while you were gone, Myke. Platinum 10th Anniversary Decades Fountain Pen. I wanted to talk about this one for a lot of different reasons.

Myke: I don't understand this, and I really don't like the way it looks.

Brad: Okay. So you'll be happy to know I'm mostly on board with you. Yeah. That number one, it is confusing. It's confusing how they presented this. So they're honoring, Platinum is honoring the 10th anniversary of the 3776 Century model, which is the pen model that, you know, I rave about, we all know and love, that comes in like the standard colors. And it's also the 3776 Century is the model that they do, you know, like did like the Kumpu and the Shiyun and the Lilas and all those pretty colors in, right? So it's that model. So they're celebrating 10 years of that. By launching a pen 11 years later. That's another issue. 12 maybe. But, you know, that's neither here or there. But to celebrate these last 10 years of the Century model, they've thrown it all the way back to 1978 when the first 3776 period came in. Like there wasn't a 3776 Century at the time. So they're celebrating this decade of pens by making, by hearkening back to a design of a pen from 1978 that's not related to these 10 years of the Century.

Myke: No, man. I don't, I don't, I don't understand. I don't understand what's happening anymore. And to cap it off.

Brad: Long time ago. To cap it off. They have brought in several different design elements into one pen, which they've done before, which I'll speak about in a minute. So they've combined like the gathered sections and the finial design of different pens and the clip design like of the modern pen. And it's really just kind of this like ad hoc piecing together of a pen that I, I, I kind of like it. Like I'm really in between. I don't dislike it. I really hate the finial on the top. I really dislike it. I think it's ugly. Yeah. If they did something different on there or if they did the rounded top, like the modern Century model of the 3776, I'd like it even more. I'd like the gathered, you know, parts, you know. But we all came to know and love the Century model because it was bold and different aside from being like super high quality. Right. Yeah. But they stood out, you know, on your desk and like the gathered pieces. Like I like that in the pens, but I don't know. This just, this is just a mishmash of parts that's telling multiple stories and they're trying to pass it off as a singular story. And we haven't even gotten to the nib yet. The nib is the real kind of, for lack of a better term, star of the show. They re did the nib shape to kind of, they took the edges off like the wide shoulders of the Century nibs. And they narrowed them down a little bit. So it's kind of a longer, pointier front end of the nib, maybe fractionally longer tines to give the nib a little bit more bounce, but not a ton. Like there's a chart in a PDF that says, okay, this, you'll get it. It's not as soft as their soft fine nibs, but it's not as firm as their standard nibs. So it's kind of in between. This whole pen is in between, right? And that's generally not a good place to be. And I don't know how well like this is going to do, right? Like when you see the limited edition 3776 centuries, even though they were part of a different series.

Brad: You know, well, what's the name of that series? I'm blanking now.

Brad: Here, I got the name right here. One of the series was called the Shunkei series. They had the Lake series, but they used that as the platform, right? The 3776 platform, the Century platform as like the baseline for this pen. And this is not what I think of when I think of a 3776. And it's just this weird kind of middle ground that where none of it, almost none of it works together. So I don't know. I just thought it was interesting to bring up. I'll be interested to see what they do with this nib, if this is just a one-off nib shape or if this is going to be a change in the nib shape.

Brad: So I don't know. I'm going to talk about Tokyo Inklings and the podcast later. But I know CY and Jacob were discussing like the nib is like it actually probably uses less gold. And the price of gold is, you know, we're going to talk about some price increases later. You know, that's maybe a factor that the nib design changes a little bit. And this is the introduction to that. But overall, I think the pen certainly leaves a lot to be desired. It reminded me a little bit, not in style, but an idea of the Kinshu, which is the last of the, that Shunkei series where the Kampu was in, the Shunkei was in, and a bunch of the really pretty popular limited edition pens were, where they made this. Okay, here's the last in the series. So this is the fifth release of this 3776 model. And we're going to take parts of all the other ones and kind of display it in the acrylic design of this one pen. And it's going to have like an amalgamation of all the parts of the previous pens. And guess what? It's still available like two years later, right? Where all the other pens sold out immediately. And I think the Decades is going to be right in the same boat as this Kinshu. The Kinshu also got hit with the biggest price increase.

Brad: You know, that's when the Platinum's Raisin is.

Myke: It's real uncomfortable to look at. Like it does something to me that I don't like the look of it. I don't know why.

Platinum Raisin Critique

Brad: Right, right. So, yeah, like it did not go over well, you know, with, you know, publicly like the demand for it. It kind of fell flat. And I have a feeling the Decades is going to be right there with it. Like it's just not enough, right? Like super collectors, sure. You know, platinum, you know, people that buy everything platinum, sure. But like, I don't know. I don't hate it. But man, they're just not telling a story I'm getting on with at all here with that pen. So. Fair enough. Yep. Yep. All right, Myke. Yes. What else can go better with pens than coffee? It's not ink. It's not paper, Myke. It's coffee. Tell me about Trade Coffee.

Myke: This episode is brought to you by Trade. Let me tell you right now, coffee is helping me. It's giving me life. And it does most days, but especially when I'm jet lagged like this, coffee gives me life. And I also enjoy it. Like I sat down this morning, took my first sip of coffee. And I was like, yep, that's it. That's what I needed for the day. And when you become a Trade Coffee customer, you can enjoy knowing you have the freshest, best tasting coffee you've ever made at home. And the coffee you'll be drinking will be from the US's best independent craft roasters, which helps those small businesses out a lot too. Hey, Brad, the other day, when I was in San Francisco, I was taking a walk on one of my walks, and I saw a roaster that I think his name was Ritual. I was like, I know that logo. Oh, absolutely. I was like, oh, I've got a Trade Coffee from them. So I thought that was really fun. I was like, oh, I recommend those guys. So the Trade Coffee team, they taste their thousands of coffees to keep 450 different kinds live and ready to ship every single day. Everyone has that one coffee that they're going to love, and Trade's going to help you find it. Then Trade is so incredibly confident they're going to match you right first time that if for any reason they don't, just give them your feedback, and an actual coffee expert will work with you to send out a brand new bag for free so you know you're going to be looked after. It takes just answering a couple of questions from their wonderful quiz to get your own personalized variety of coffee delivered fresh to you as often as you like. Trade have delivered over 5 million bags of fresh coffee and have more than 750,000 positive reviews. And I will give one of those positive reviews. I love Trade Coffee. Right now, Trade is offering new subscribers a total of $30 off your first order plus free shipping. When you go to drinktrade.com slash penaddict, that is more than 40 cups of coffee. Get started by taking their quiz at drinktrade.com slash penaddict and let Trade find you a coffee you're going to love. One last time, that is drinktrade.com slash penaddict for $30 off. And don't forget about Father's Day coming up. A Trade subscription is the perfect gift for the coffee lover in your life. Our thanks to Trade for their support of this show and Relay FM. Awesome.

Brad: I have just finished off this cup and there will be another cup at least after this, Myke, because we started early today. We started early. We have a lot to catch up on, though. Like the aforementioned Tokyo Inklings podcast, I wanted to make sure to give them a shout out for having Frank from Narwhal Pens on a recent episode. This was episode 58. They had a really good conversation with Frank, essentially just like the entire episode. You know, one talking about Narwhal, how Narwhal got started. It was really interesting to hear some of the business creation stuff that Frank had gone through. Because Narwhal is a relatively new company, especially for us in the fountain pen world. We've only started hearing about them a couple years ago. And, you know, all the things that he's gone through, just like getting things done, how the manufacturing process works, what is, you know, what designs are unique to Narwhal, you know, how, like he really like didn't hold back on the information, you know, like what is designed in-house, we know what is, you know, off the shelf type of stuff. And it's pretty much all in-house. It was really good. They had a really great, you know, discussion around designs, Frank and CY and Jacob. And they, of course, covered some of the TWSBI kerfuffle that has been going on. And I thought Frank handled the conversation exceptionally well. And, you know, they put, you know, Jacob and CY put very fair questions to him and the questions that I hope I would ask as well. And Frank was like, I thought his answers just made me think that like it was just like a complete blindsided thing to me. And like, I've never thought I've seen like from the initial comparison photos, I never thought there was a copy because the measurements were different. Right. The whole idea was like, hey, you stole the piston, like, you know, basically right off the shelf of the TWSBI and put it in Narwhal pins. And that's just physically not the case. Right. The parts aren't interchangeable. And it's always been that way. So, you know, Frank's looking into, you know, what routes he has to to how TWSBI has handled themselves and pushing retailers around. So, yeah, I'll be interested. It's it's it's an ongoing story. And hopefully, you know, we'll hear from more from Frank on how it's going. And I wouldn't mind hearing from TWSBI and what their thought process was behind it as well. So I know CY and Jacob have reached out to TWSBI with, you know, no effect yet.

Myke: But it's a great conversation has have any retailers actually stopped stocking Narwhal pins.

Brad: Retailers have picked sides.

Myke: Yes, they have. So that some retailers have chosen one, some retailers have chosen the other. Correct. That's I mean, that's good to hear, at least. Yeah. I mean, completely pushed out.

Brad: And look, I mean, more retailers are going to choose TWSBI. Right. Just because they're older, more established and popular.

Myke: I was going to say popular is the most likely thing.

Brad: Popular is the most popular. And look, and like Narwhal, like some people don't like TWSBI for certain reasons. And some people don't like Narwhal pins for certain reasons. Right. There's like it's you know, there's different different things that fit different writing styles better about each pin. And then putting the retailers in between them, you know, some of them have chosen, you know, hey, this is the most popular. This is what our customers want. So we're sticking with this. And like, I hate that they're having to make that decision. Right. That's the whole problem. So. So hopefully we get some movement in this. I don't like I don't think, OK, we're done. And people chose sides. I think there will be continued. Fallout's not the right term, but there will be continued discussions around this. And I hope it gets back to where retailers aren't put in this position. And whether it's a legally valid position or not, you know, TWSBI just doesn't have to fill orders if they see you carrying Narwhal. And that can be their stance. But that doesn't mean it's like a like a good business idea or a good representation of the company. And that's what you want to be. So we'll see. Long way from being done. Yeah. Second podcast shout out. I want to give to the Pinboy Roy podcast. They had Kate from BenuPen online. And I mean, on the on the recent episode of the podcast, we'll have a link in the show notes to all these. I implore you to go listen to both these episodes. If you're not already listening to the podcast, subscribe to those podcasts. And they they do a really, really great job. And Kate and I have exchanged emails during their transition from moving out of Russia during the start of Russia's war against Ukraine because BenuPen and all the employees and the owners of BenuPen do not support that war. And so they've moved to Armenia. And I can't imagine the challenges of like literally moving like manufacturing facilities because Benu makes their own pins, which is something a great discussion that Kate had with Roy and Tom on the on the podcast. They make everything. So like they're having to move some machines, but like some of it's stuck in customs and they can't get them out of Russia into Armenian. And are they going to have to buy new equipment that fills the gap of these machines that they can't get, you know, to to their new facility? So they are up and running with most everything that they have to make make pins. Their online storefront is back open again. Kate seemed pretty positive. I will say in her conversations that they're very happy with the move, despite the despite having to do it in the first place, like in the issues that go along with that and how just maddening I'm sure that was. So really go check that out. It was a great, just well-rounded conversation. One of the things when I went to the Benu's website, which I never noticed before, I'm always looking at the pins, right? Because they're just really wild. They talk about their manufacturing process and how they come up with all the strange colors and strange designs and how they make it. So if you want to know how the Benu pins get made, go listen. But there is a page on Benu's website. It's called Design and Production. I'll put a link in the show notes to this. It actually takes you step by step. It's like, you know, it's got a bunch of panels on the page and like panel one, you know, it just how the design starts and two all the way down. I don't know, there's like 13 or 14 different panels goes through the entire process, the Benu process of how they make their pins. So it was really cool to see that. The biggest takeaway I had, Myke, just about Benu in general, all their materials are made in-house. So all that wild material, they're not ordering from somewhere else. So they're making all that, which kind of makes sense, right? Because they're so unique. But those are in-house materials. And that's what Kate mentioned on the podcast. And I thought that was really, really cool and fun information. So there you go. Go check them out. They got some new, some hand-painted models on some of their pins that they have added to what they normally do. So they're just keep ramping it up. And I'm glad to see them back up and running and getting the ball rolling again on getting more inventory. So shout out to Kate and shout out to Roy and Tom at the Pen Boy at the Pen Entertainment podcast for, uh, for putting that out there and getting that review done. It was great.

Brad: Last little nugget, Myke, and maybe this can roll into our third sponsor. Did you see the Opus 88 Coloro demo 2020 U color, 2022 color of the year fountain pen? Yeah. Like, did this cross your eyes? What did you think when you saw this pen?

Myke: I really like it.

Brad: Why? Because I do too. I don't know. I cannot take my eyes off this pen. It's ugly, but I love it. It is awesome. I stare at this pen constantly. I will not own this pen, right? Because it is too big for me. It's not the size of pen that I like. Right. I cannot take my eyes off this pen. And I'm glad you feel the same way. Yeah. Not that, you know, we need each other's validation. But I don't get it.

Myke: The very Perry is a really popular color. Like, I know it's the color of the year, but I've been seeing it on a lot of keyboard products as well. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And this isn't always the case with the Pantone color of the year, that, like, it seems to catch on in the way that this one seems to have. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. But that it shouldn't work, the purple and red. Yeah.

Brad: But it does. Yeah. And the red is ebonite as well. So it's a little bit of a different take on their acrylics, plastics that they normally use.

Myke: It's really good looking.

Brad: I, yeah. I cannot take my eyes off of this pen. And I wanted to point it out for nothing other than that. It is just the strangest design that shouldn't work. Mm-hmm. And I think it's just about perfect. Right? Even, like, the black clip, right? There's not a, you know, it's not a silver clip. There's a black clip on the outside. Because I think, you know, when the pen is capped, you know, you can see, like, the darkness of the different hardware on the inside from the eyedropper post in there. Yeah. It's just wild. I don't get, I don't understand why I like this so much. And, you know, it's some psychological test, I think. But it's great. I would love to see one in person. Again, like, I don't really have any interest in buying it. Because it doesn't work for me. It's a physically large pen? Is that the issue? It really is. Okay. Yeah. I have, I've had some of these, or pass through my hands before. Right. It's just too big of me. That's why I chose to do the Halo model. It's a much smaller model for the penatic version.

Myke: Is there something that I should buy without seeing it? That's what you're telling me.

Brad: I mean, it's, I'm trying to think, is it bigger than a Canalea pen? It's close. Like, the Canalea pens are, like, at my maximum. Yeah. Right? Canalea's not going to work for me. Like, it's at least that size. Okay. So, I'd say that's kind of the silhouette of it. But, like, I know how the Canalea's fit. Because I've been able to use them a bunch. And they fit my hands well. But that's, like, a maximum size for me. It's at least that size. Okay. But they have a number six nibs. You know, because it is a bigger pen. Like, the pen that I made, the Halo, has a number five nib. Right? Just because it's smaller. And it fits my hand better. So, yeah. I have my, I have limits on how big of a pen I can use regularly. And this one, I think, would blow that out of the water. But, God, it's stunning. It's stunning.

Myke: All right. This episode is also brought to you by our friends at Pen Chalet. Actually, that's where that pen is. You can buy that pen, the Pen Chalet, the Opus Pen. Because Pen Chalet, they have the pens that you're looking for. They have the products you need. They have the things you didn't even know you wanted. They got it all over at Pen Chalet. And they have fast and reliable customer service. They have new styles of pens that they're adding every month. Along with discounts as well on products that they have. You can always go there and find new stuff over at Pen Chalet. They have, as well as pens and, you know, they have rollerballs and mechanical pencils. The whole thing. Fountain pens. All of it. They also have a ton of accessories. Maybe you need a new carrying case. Maybe you want some refills. Some inks. Some fountain pen converters. Whatever you're looking for. Pen Chalet have got it. They have low prices on high quality products. And they offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Pen Chalet ship internationally with great shipping rates. But also, if you're in the U.S., free shipping on orders over $50. So, go right now to penschalet.com and click the podcast link at the top of the website. And enter the password, Pen Addict, for this week's special offer. And to get the code that you need to save 10% on anything at any time at Pen Chalet.

Brad: You're not going to believe this. What? This is not planned. Okay.

Brad: But the Platinum 3776 Ken Chalet that we mentioned. That I mentioned that they can't sell. Like, it was a referendum on the design, right? That this pen didn't blow out. It's at a price that makes it worth it. Yeah, that's an incredibly good price. It's at a price that's different. But, again, that's, you know, I'm not, no one is saying, like, this is a bad design. But I'm saying they, Platinum, didn't do a good enough job in explaining this pen to make it fly off the shelves like other pens previously. Now, if you're in the market for a Platinum, I'd be hard-pressed to tell you to not buy this at this price. Yeah.

Myke: That is an incredible price.

Brad: Yeah, right? So, like, you can have two different stories when, you know, the price is full and the price is very discounted like this to where it's essentially the same. It's getting close to, like, the stock 3776 levels, which is just an astronomical discount. So, really, really cool. Unplanned, of course. Like, I had no idea that this was in the list because I don't pull up the list until we're live. That's part of the deal here. The Joya pens, I have not tried any of these. I know they were getting good reviews. There's also a really nice, the Elaria fountain pen is on here at a very nice price. I haven't tried those yet. So, that's something to look at. And then if you keep going down, I'm going to have to try a Ranga pen one day. They're an Indian ebonite pen manufacturer that are starting to come into the retail market. Like, they've been around for years. But they haven't been just widely accessible yet. And also, again, they're on that big pen size, you know, the Opus 88 demo size and the Canalea size. So, I do have my limits. This is one of the smaller models. And this is what I'm looking for. I'm hoping to actually test one of these at the San Francisco Pen Show and see what I can find. Because I know there will be retailers that are carrying these pens. So, yeah, that's something I want to test out. But this is a really, really good price to try out a pen like this. So, yeah, great stuff.

Myke: So, I want to keep the pen chalet talk going.

Brad: But not necessarily because they sponsor the show. I wanted to put this in there regardless. And I'm going to have done it for any store. That does something like this. I don't follow all the store blogs. But sometimes an article that stores produce come across my feed because they're so engaging. And it's not just, hey, we got this new product. It's, you know, the hows and whys and the behind the scenes stuff. So, this post is titled, Typical Behavior of a Dedicated Fountain Pen Fan. A Peak at 2022 Quarter 1 Sales. If you're a retailer and you're telling me a peak at 2022 Quarter 1 Sales, I'm in. Like, I'm just, I'm going to read that article. I know you're not going to tell me dollars and cents, but maybe I'm going to gain some insight. So, even more so with this post is what pen chalet did is they created this huge infographic that is just really well done, really, really smart. And it talks about, hey, each month, what was the best-selling pen? You know, over the first quarter, what was the brand that was most popular? Where do most of our orders come from? You know, they're a U.S.-based company. Which U.S. state, you know, was responsible for the most of our orders? Which state spent the most money? Which isn't always, you know, the same as the most orders. And, you know, it's got staff picks and new brands and products, right? Like, I just think it's super smart to let people into your business to a degree, right? You don't have to tell them dollars and cents and things like that. But if you can say, hey, for the first quarter of 2022, almost one out of every 10 pens we sold was Alami. That's cool. Like, I enjoy that information, right? For March, the pen we sold the most of was the Kaweco Collector's Iridescent Pearl, right? Huh. So that was actually two months in a row. February and March. That was February and March, right? That's cool information. You know, California was their biggest spender and most popular state. That, okay, you go, yeah, obviously. I mean, California, huge population. You know, of course, it's going to skew that way. So all the big states generally, you know, are going to be at the top of those lists. So, like, that's cool information. And then you get, you know, then you get some of the personal tidbits about, you know, hey, what does Laney from the customer service department, what's their favorite pen? Oh, the Narwhal original, right? Like, that's just random, like, little fun tidbits. But I like this information. Like, I thought it was really cool. It's put together really well. So I wanted to point that out. But regardless of them being a longtime sponsor, I would have shouted out any company that puts together a post like this and gives a peek behind the scenes of the business. And I think that's just engaging for the customers. Customers see that and go, oh, yeah, these people get it. They're, like, willing to share some of the nuts and bolts business-y stuff with us and trust us with that information. And I think it's a really cool way to be. That's the way I've always tried to present myself and the way I talk about business and things like that, just being very open. And you don't have to talk about money or profit margins. You just have to say, hey, this is really popular or, hey, this has been really hard, you know, things like that. And people, customers and followers really, you know, take that stuff to heart. And I think it's an enjoyable experience. So shout out to them for that infographic. It was really cool.

Myke: That's really cool. Yeah, I like this. I would never have assumed the Cafe Code to be the number one two months in a row. No way. Yeah. I don't know what my option would have been. It's where, like, how we can, it's possible to be blindsided like this. Like, there's something that you don't like, so you kind of just, something doesn't excite you that much. It still excites other people. But the reason it doesn't excite us that much is we feel like we've seen it before. Mm-hmm. Where, obviously, that's not the case for everyone. Right. Where, like, if this was the first time we'd seen a pen like that, I'd be like, wow. You know? Yep. All right, Brad, let's hit a couple of RSTPA before we're done today. First one comes from Andrew. We hear that the fountain pen community is amazing. Why is it amazing? And how does it compare to other online communities? Oof.

Brad: I don't know if I can compare, right? That's a little bit harder. Like, I guess I can kind of compare, like, sitting on the edges of other communities that I barely follow, like, the gaming community. Like, I don't, I've kind of, like, wound down, like, a lot of my game playing, but I still follow a lot of the game communities. And, like, it's like, no. Like, there's a lot of that I don't want to be a part of, right? But, like, there's good. Like, gaming does good. Like, there's a big push for that and having, you know, the universal support for everyone and just the positive attitudes and the openness of the communities that, you know, you see in the best parts of those communities. You see in the fountain pen community. I don't want to say more universally because I'm, like, intricately tied in. I see more about the community that I'm in. And, like, anyone who's part of a community obviously has bias towards that community, right? And they're, you know, a little bit of the blinders on. But the fact that the fountain pen community is so willing to help other people, not just in finding their first fountain pen or picking out the best ink for their pen, but with life, you know? Like, it transcends across the thing that we're here for into more personal aspects that I have found to be the most interesting thing from all of my years being part of this community. That it translates to friendship. And, again, I'm biased because I'm part of this community more than I've seen in other communities, right? Like, we have, like, we can have all these different online communities. Do those things translate past the thing that you're there for? And in the fountain pen community, I think it does a lot. And I think that's very telling of the people in this community and why I praise it so much just as, you know, the umbrella word community. Because it goes beyond the thing that we're here for, right? And I think that's just where you see the most healthy communities when you can get past, hey, the fountain pens brought us together, right? But now we're friends and we can talk about our families and we can talk about our struggles and we can talk about the positive things and, you know, all these other things. So, yeah, that's, I don't know if I've done the question justice, but, like, that's the way I feel just about the community as a whole.

Myke: I think that compared to, say, the keyboard community, because, like, it's the one that I'm maybe most familiar with. It has all of this stuff that you're mentioning, like, people being very supportive for each other and also, like, very helpful to new people coming in. The problem, though, is that there is also, like, it's broken into mainstream a little bit more. And so there ends up being, like, quite a bit of toxicity in the community as well. Right. Where, like, there's a combination of people buying fake and clone products and, like, that being a thing and there being a lot of debate around that. And then, like, a lot of hate thrown at people, like, the artists and designers who are selling the expensive products. Right. In a way that I don't really see in pens so much. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Like, in the pen community, like, there doesn't seem to be, at least I haven't come across it. And I think it's because things like the subreddits aren't as big and stuff like that.

Brad: Right. Right. Like, we're never, the fountain pen community, I say we, like, I'm just, you know, I'm just another person in the community. But we're never going to be the big, like, crossover into the mainstream community. Right. Yeah. Like, we're going to keep growing, keep getting bigger, but we are capped, like, just by nature. Right. It's just that way. It's not going to be, like, a universal type community.

Myke: So, I'm okay that we're sheltered a little bit. But, like, one of the things that happens in keyboards is there's a lot of young people, like, and it's, I think it's a lot of young people that haven't yet understood the ramifications of their actions. Right. You know? Right. And so, like, that's when things can get a bit weird sometimes.

Brad: Yeah. And what I've seen when that happens in our community is, God, I hate this term, that the elders, the people who have been around are really open to giving newcomers a pass if they're open to listening. Right. And it's like, hey, that's not how we do it around here. And not in a, like, we're kicking you out kind of way, but in a, like, hey, let's, like, this is a great community. Let me share with you why and why this thing that you've done, it doesn't really work well here. And if you're going to continue, you're going to have a bad time. But, you know, here's, you know, ways we can help you. And I've seen it. I've seen people turn on a dime when they're presented with a conversation like that, which is really great, you know, to see. And, you know, not every community, I don't think, has that capability to approach people with, like, grace and openness until they've proven that they don't deserve it anymore.

Brad: So, yeah, deep stuff, deep stuff. But, no, I'm just super proud of the community as a whole. I'm glad to be a little tiny part of it, and I hope to just keep preaching the positivity of it.

Myke: Mariska asks, do you know any correction tape that is ink-friendly? Fountain pen ink almost always smears on it. Or what kind of pen would be compatible to write on top of correction tape? If not correction tape, is there anything out there that is similar to a whiteout or more ink-friendly, maybe a liquid whiteout that is less stinky than tip-ex? Yeah.

Brad: It's the correction tape problem, not the pen problem, right? Like, the way... We're not talking about a washi tape here. We're not talking about a tape that you're going to put down to purposefully write notes on. We're talking about things to correct mistakes. Correction tape, right? And that stuff is generally manufactured kind of only for ballpoints to work on. You can get some, like, gel and rollerball, but any water-based ink on a correction tape, which includes fountain pen ink, you're just going to have a bad time. Like, if anyone out there has a positive correction tape experience, please let me know. That's not a... Like, ballpoint's fine, but maybe you haven't written with a ballpoint. But, you know, up until that point, any correction tape, well, you're not going to drop a ballpoint ink right in the middle of whatever you're writing.

Brad: So, you know, if there is something like this, we're not talking about washi, writable washi tape here, right? There's washi tape that you can put down and write on. Like, that's purposely done, and it's made different, and it works with water-based pens. Correction tape is not designed to work with water-based inks. I just don't believe that it is, right? It's... So... And I'm a scratcher-outer anyway. Like, I'll just own my mistakes and scratch them out, or just leave the mistake in there. I'm prone to typos, and sometimes, eh, yeah, that word is terrible. Let's just go with that, or we'll scratch it out. So I haven't really tested anything out like that, because I'm not too particular. And correction tape generally makes things worse, especially if you're trying to use it with a fountain pen. So I hate that I don't have an answer for you, but I think it's a correction tape.

Brad: Correction tape by design doesn't allow for those types of inks to go on top of it after you've applied it to the page.

Myke: If you would like to send in a question of your own for a future episode of The Pen Addict, just send out a tweet with the hashtag AskTPA. You can use question mark AskTPA in the RelayFM members' Discord, or send in an email to hello at penaddict.com. If you want to find Brad online, you can go to penaddict.com. You can go to spokedesign.com. He is penaddict on Instagram, dowdyism on Twitter, and Brad streams live multiple times a week over at twitch.tv slash penaddict. I am imyke. Thank you so much to Pen Chalet, Trade Coffee, and the Candelaria Pen Co. for the support of this episode, and we'll be back next time. Until then, say goodbye, Brad. Goodbye, Brad.