Editing The Pen Addict 613/transcript (section)

== Paper Mate Flare felt tip pen preferences and issues ==


'''Brad Dowdy:''' So, his favorite pin is an all-time great. It's the Paper Mate Flare felt tip pin. Now, if you're listening to this show, you've probably at least know or have heard of this pin, if not used it. But I've certainly used it plenty in the past. I don't really use them much anymore. But the interesting thing about Mr. Nader's favorite pin is how he uses them. So, what he does, and he went, again, this could not be more up in my alley. He went through the very specific reasons how he uses this pin. So, I'm going to read this one little quote. For years, I've been using felt pins, mostly red and black, but sometimes purple, to mark up the New York Times. I go through every page of the Times, and I mark up different articles and send them to different people. And I do that with the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal. So, he's literally reading the newspaper, taking the Paper Mate Flare, marking the pages to, like, essentially cut out and send to other people. So, it's kind of mind-blowing, right? Like, when you think about this. But there's so many people that do these types of things, right? With their stationery and their pins who have their one particular need. And then, at some point, in the case of Ralph Nader, his need is no longer being met because his beloved Paper Mates are failing him, Myke.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Yes. So, but this is one of those things where, like, he is unhappy with the way that the Paper Mate feels to use, like, the ink and also, like, the construction of the pen. But it's one of those things where the New York Times, they reach out to Paper Mate, and Paper Mate's like, we didn't change anything. So, who knows, right? Who knows?

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yeah. So, if you listen, so, yes, the Paper Mate did reply to an inquiry that nothing's changed. And all I could think of before I even read, like, there's so much more to this article we're going to get into. All I could think of is the one glaring red flag in all of this. You know, before we dig into it, do you know what it is?

'''Myke Hurley:''' No.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Or can you assume the issue? He could not be writing on a more absorbent paper with a very wet tip pen, right? Yeah.

'''Myke Hurley:''' But it's not like that changed, though, right?

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Right. But did the newspaper change? Like, has the newspaper quality gotten cheaper, right? Yeah. You could not.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Who's going to call the New York Times to answer them that question? You know, maybe Paper Mate should put up a blog post, like, we called the New York Times his printer and asked them what they've done today. Exactly.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Like, you could not pick a worse combination other than maybe, like, a Sharpie pen and newsprint, right? So, yeah, it's probably a combination of a lot of things. But, you know, and he's just, he's basically saying, well, this has never happened before. But he's been walking a fine line, no pun intended, for decades if he's been doing this right. And he literally goes through dozens of these pens. He sent, there's a great picture in here of the amount of flare pens that have failed him that he sent to the wire cutter. There has to be three dozen. Three dozen. It says, Ralph Nader sent us a package of the Paper Mate pens that have dried up on him recently. It has to be three dozen pens. Yes. It's amazing. So, maybe, maybe it is. That makes you think it's the pen.