Editing The Pen Addict 551/transcript (section)

== Tomoe River paper and its compatibility ==


'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yeah. I've always said that Tomoe River paper is actually pretty underrated for things like ballpoint pen and pencil, right? I actually really enjoy using ballpoints and pencil on there. When most of us think of it as a fountain pen specific paper, I've actually found it to be quite enjoyable for pretty much anything.

'''Myke Hurley:''' But I'm assuming rather than just the enjoyability, I am assuming it erases very well, right? Yeah. Otherwise, there'd be no point in having to focus specifically on the friction, right? Exactly. As a thing. Exactly. Can you remind me again what ball knock means?

'''Brad Dowdy:''' No. Okay. Because I don't think there's really any... The only thing I could have thought before is on the regular ball knock, the friction eraser is actually rounded. You know, it looks like a ball on the end of the pen. Mm-hmm. The new ball knock zone does not. It's kind of squared off. But that's not where the knock is. The knock is in the clip on the ball knock and the ball knock zone. So I think that's just the way they're describing the retractable nature of the pen. And we always talk about a knock being the terminology for the retractable pen in Japan. But as far as the ball knock or the ball knock zone, there's nothing directly that would match up that name.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Do you think it could be some kind of translation thing we're missing?

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Maybe. Maybe. But I mean, I'm here for it. I don't care. I mean, that's a great thing.

'''Myke Hurley:''' I just wonder. Because it sounds just like it's very specific. The name is very specific, right? It is. And like, so I feel like it means something that I'm not getting. Yeah.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' I don't think so. I really, like, I'm looking at my, the one that I use is the, I got to keep saying it's the traditional ball knock. And just on the side of the barrel, it says friction ball. And like, that doesn't mean anything. Are you telling me like, this is a ballpoint tip? I'm like, yeah. Like all of these pens are ballpoint tips. So is it a friction, it says friction ball 05 on it. And I, I don't, you know, totally get it.

'''Myke Hurley:''' So like, I'm assuming ball, like ballpoint, right? Yeah. But instead of point, they're saying knock. And like, I'm wondering if there is some kind of translation thing with knock. Like maybe it's a pun or something. But when you translate it to English, it doesn't carry.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' No, I think it's just the, the knock is just the differentiation in a capped pen versus a retractable pen is all it means to me. So they've just, they've just like strung together a bunch of words that this is a retractable ballpoint pen. And now you're in the zone because we're going to charge you more for it.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Right.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' That's the only thing I know that speaking of charging you more for it, the refills for the ball, the ball knock zone costs as much as like the, the, the, the regular standard ball knock. It's like, it's outrageously priced. So that was, that was my conclusion on this, this thing. If you like the friction, buy a cheaper one. These are ridiculous. Ball knock zone.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Yeah. I mean, I just don't get the whole friction thing. I recover. They don't get it. Like to me, I feel like part of the appeal in the product is the, is the idea of what it does rather than what it's actually doing. And I have no complaint about that. It's just like, that's how I reconcile it in my mind. Like people are like, my pen is erasable. It's just like a thing that is fun to think about or like, oh, this could be useful rather than it actually being useful.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Think about Hobonichi leaning into this though, like from a planner perspective, like if you're having to move around appointments and adjust things on your calendar and you're not using a pencil, they're, they're probably happy that the friction is so popular.

'''Myke Hurley:''' You know what I'll say for planners, I'm thinking of notebooks, right? Or like taking notes. Right. Right. I don't think it's so useful. But for a planner, especially some of these like tiny Hobonichi planners, the ability to be able to erase something is helpful. But I like maybe in, in, in more of a way than like, if you had just like an A5 notebook, you just cross it out. Cause you've got like infinite space. Basically. You just keep going to the notebooks empty. If you're like, if you have a paper calendar, right. Mm-hmm. You know, Hobonichi. Well, as you say, if, if an appointment changes, you could cross it out, but now you've got no space to write the new thing in. Yeah. Sorry. Maybe I can see it there, but it's just, I don't know. Maybe just the thing that bugs me is just like, I just don't find it a great experience. Like it's just really not my thing. Um, but I'm pleased that it quite clearly seems to be other people's thing.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' And that's why I enjoy it. Right. Because this shouldn't be a thing in, in our little stationary world. It's actually a huge, gigantic thing. Yeah. Yeah. So it's fascinating. Uh, one last thing. And I, it was kind of a throwaway comment. Uh, maybe two last things in, in my review, the traditional ball knock. This is the barrel. I want the G2 to go to, and I don't know why they don't do it. Because it's such a good barrel. Um, I don't have a picture of it in there, but I've, I've linked to it. It's just a basic retractable pin barrel that if I wish, I guess they are just, they're just stuck with the G2 it being so popular, um, that they don't want to change anything with the little, you know, earwax bit at the end of their refill. They want to show that off to everyone, I guess, but this is such a good pin barrel. I wish they would convert the G2 to this. Um, I think it would go over well. Um, and secondly, um, it was definitely like a, a, a sub tweet in there at one of my least favorite, uh, brands. You don't have to use a particular notebook or paper to have success with the friction. If you want to try the friction, it will erase on any paper. You don't have to have a special notebook, uh, that likes to market itself as special. Yeah.

'''Myke Hurley:''' But if you put it in the microwave, Brad, do you know what I mean?

'''Brad Dowdy:''' To the moon, baby.

'''Myke Hurley:''' To the moon, baby.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' All right.

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