Editing The Pen Addict 133/transcript (section)

== Pen Brands ==


'''Brad Dowdy:''' Faber Castell on Dorro in Smoked Oak. Platinum 3776 in Chartres Blue. A Delta fountain pen. A Kaweco Sport. A Lamy Safari. A Leuchterm Brown with Blue Bland. Blue Band.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Blah, blah, blah.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Blue Bland. He says, I never understood the moleskin craze. The paper is awful. Around 15 pots of ink. Is that what you call them in the UK? I don't know if Matthew's from the UK. Pots of ink is definitely a very European term. 15 pots of ink from Diamond G. Oh, blah, blah. Including Anniversary inks and Pelican. A range of colors from green to orange to black. And the reason for this email. Well apart to say thank you. Yesterday, I found myself in my favorite pen shop looking at the 90th Anniversary Mont Blanc Le Grand fountain pen. Which is in rose gold and thinking that it was normal to want to spend 400 pounds plus on a pen. I left the store with not only the pen, but a new Mont Blanc Royal Blue ink and Diamine Silver Fox 150 years limited edition ink. So this is the, this is the pair to me from going from zero to a hundred. Like really quick.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Zero to 400?

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yeah. Zero to 400. That's more like it. It says, because of your show, I regularly plan my next purchases, which I hope will include a Franklin Kristoff and something from Edison Pens. I stagger to think how many other people have been affected by you guys in the same way. One aside is that I've often heard people on your show asking about proper pen shops in London. I can genuinely recommend the pen friend on the Strand, London, who stock a wide range of Mont Blanc, Sailor Pelican, Visconti, etc. Oh my God, Matthew, I love you. So, you're, that, there's your hookup, Michael. The Strand, the pen friend. The pen friend, which, that's a good name. The pen friend. I like that. So he says they have a very nice and knowledgeable staff. He wraps it up saying, apologies for the length of email, but I just wanted you to have another example of the dangerous influence you have on people. I believe everyone has a pen addiction in them somewhere. As an example, my work colleagues always wrote with an office applied BIC. Now, thanks to me and by extension, you guys. She is using a fountain pen and looking at different inks. Best regards and many thanks, Matthew. How cool is that?

'''Myke Hurley:''' This is so awesome. I'm happy to finally know that there is a place for me.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yeah.

'''Myke Hurley:''' London.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' So, you're going to have to, we're going to have to do a report from whenever you get a chance to go to the pen friend. Yeah. You're going to, you're going to have to, you're going to have to report back and see how it goes. So, you've never had been to like any like dedicated shops there in London. I know you've mentioned Waterstones and had some, you know, had some stuff, but never like a really dedicated, like real fountain pen shop.

'''Myke Hurley:''' There are places, I can't remember the name of them. I think, I think there is actually a very small chain called the pen shop. I think it's called the pen shop. I'm just looking now, finding, googling.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yeah.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Yes. The pen shop. But the problem here is that you're paying UK prices. Yeah. And they're also overpriced.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yeah. Right. They're definitely full retail. Yeah. Straight up full retail.

'''Myke Hurley:''' And so, I'm paying in sterling as opposed to paying in dollars. Right. And, you know, obviously sometimes you take a risk with the customs. But some of these, I've been to some places like these where you really do pay like fruit and nose on some of these things. Like, I'm looking at the pen shop's website and a Pelican M600 is like 250 pounds. So, it's like approaching like $400, which that's not how much they are. You know? So, it's like, well, of course they are that much if you're paying in sterling. But typically I don't. And I'm happy to buy online from, you know, the places that we talk about all the time. Especially because a lot of those are like, I know those people. Like, I actually just know them. And I want to help support them and stuff like that. But, you know, there are some instances where it works out okay. Like, I'm looking at Pelican M205 white resin chrome trim found a pen for 100 pounds. Like, yeah. Yeah. That's doable. Totally doable. 100 pounds. But a lot of the time it doesn't work out that way. And I actually would prefer to support some of the American online retailers that we have and that we work with. Yeah, for sure. Because I think that those guys and girls are actually, they do a better job. And they do things in the right way. Yeah. But, you know, I'll take a look at Penfriend next time I'm in town and see what they've got. I'll take a look at it at least to get some ink. Because I don't really like to buy ink from overseas because I feel like there's such a risk. Oh, yeah.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' You know. Totally.

'''Myke Hurley:''' But, yeah, I'll try it out.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Well, cool. We expect a report back sometime in the new year.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Cool.