Editing The Pen Addict 395/transcript (section)

== Chart Explanation ==


'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yeah.

'''Myke Hurley:''' This is confusing, right? So, there's a chart that Platinum has shared. And it's pretty hilarious. Because the first time I read, I understand what they're saying now. But the first time I read it, I was like, what are you trying to tell me? So, it's a basic chart where you have the left-hand vertical column. What do you call this kind of chart? Is this like an XY chart? I don't know.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yeah, an XY. It's like a line graph. Yeah.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Yeah. So, the left side from bottom to top is 0 to 100%. And that represents the ink level. Right? And then the left to right is 0 to 12 is a lapse time in months. So, the Curie DOS ink level says over the 12-month span, it'll go from 100% to 30%. And their conventional fountain pen, PGB 3000, I don't know what that is. Is that the preppy? Goes from 100% to 10% in eight months. What does that even mean? So, I was like, well... It doesn't mean nothing. It doesn't mean anything. I was so confused. And I think that just what they mean is like, if you left this unused, like, that's how much ink's going to evaporate or something? No. Like, that's the best I can come from this. Because you can't be using this pen. This isn't a usage thing. Because you can't measure someone's usage because we all use it different. I think this is inked and unused. But why? Why would it make a difference? How long it will last. Because Platinum has all of that technology to keep the nib writing when you don't use the pen for a long time. Right? That's how their slip and seal mechanism, the preppy has it. Like, you can keep the preppy inked and capped for like six months, pick it up and write again. I think that's what they're measuring here. Right. Because this is right... It's nonsense. Which is... I mean, the whole point is it's pointless, right? It doesn't mean anything. But they're putting it right next to where the nib goes in when you retract the nib. They have it right near that picture. And it's saying how well it's sealed off.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Now I get it. Because I'm thinking, right? Like, what are they talking about? Where's the ink going? But they don't mean the amount of ink inside of the pen. What they're saying is you could still pick this up and use it after a period of time.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Right? I believe so. That's why I had a huge problem with this chart. This is exactly why I wanted this in here. Because the section is talking about the nib drying out.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yes. Right?

'''Myke Hurley:''' Mm-hmm. This part of the document, yes, where the chart is, it says keeps the nib from drying out to provide a smooth writing at any time.

'''Myke Hurley:''' So it's only going to be 30% smooth after 12 months? It doesn't make any sense.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Actually, the more I think I understand it, the less I actually understand it. The most interesting thing on this page is the video that they have on the page. Because you can see the mechanism. And basically, it seems like there is this plastic sheath which covers the top of the pen. Yes. Because people would wonder, how are they going to seal the opening, right? Where the nib could come out. Because the vanishing point does it with that really cool little flap, right? Yeah. It seems like they've created the mechanism which effectively is closed. Something is closing around, like a plastic element is closing around the pen.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Correct. Which is nice. All the videos are excellent. I enjoy them on this. But I mean, we're getting a lot of run out of this pen. It better be good. Even you, Myke, you're maybe going to a special event for a launch party for this pen. When is the last $65 pen that it's ever had its own launch party?

'''Brad Dowdy:''' I've never gone to a launch party.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Right. I mean, usually that's reserved for the Mont Blanc pen of the year edition, right? Where you get all dressed up in your tuxedos and champagnies and you have the multi-thousand dollars of pens. Platinum's actually putting on shows at stationers. So this one's at, oh gosh, what's the name of the? Choosing Keeping. Choosing Keeping. Thank you. I blanked out there for a second. And London is having a launch party where people from Platinum are going to be there and they're showing like some vintage Platinum pens with like crazy artwork and stuff. They're making a big deal out of this. Yeah. Like they must be pretty happy with how this has turned out.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yep. Just as a quick point, I'll come back to that. I've sped that video down to like 0.25 to watch the mechanism. Basically, it's like there's this little trap door that opens and it comes out and then the nib goes back in and then like this door closes over the top of it. It's quite clever for that. They've built a clever mechanism. I'm starting to see why this thing costs $80 now.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Yeah.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' I am ignoring the whole twist thing for now because I feel like I really need to understand that when I try it. But yes, I believe I'll be able to talk about this in a couple of weeks because the event is not before next week's episode. Right. From what I can understand, they've said that people from Platinum are going to be bringing some pretty cool stuff to look at. So I'm really... I am actually genuinely intrigued at this point to check out the Curidas. And if they have them for sale, I'm probably going to buy one, right? Yeah. Sure. But I'm really keen to see the stuff that Platinum bring to this roadshow they're going on.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Exactly. I mean, they didn't do this for the Kumpu or any of their special edition launches or any of their other product launches. It's wild. I think it's pretty cool.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' They clearly believe they are onto something here. Yeah. And I'm keen to see if they are right in that assumption.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Yeah. It's the price point, man. It's what they're delivering for this price point. They're pretty excited about.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' So what are they going up against in this price bracket? Nothing.

'''Myke Hurley:''' They're going against, I mean, Kaweco pocket pins and Twisbees. The next retractable pin is over twice as much. Oh, no. I'm not talking about retractables. The retractables.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' I just mean like what fountain pens are in their price range here, do you think?

'''Myke Hurley:''' The metal Kawecos and Twisbees. The AL Twisbees? Yeah, the AL and the brass and steel and all those.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' This is the thing, right, that I keep coming back to where I think that it's going to be their struggle is that this pen is plastic and it will be going up against pens that are metal. And I think that that is going to be a sticking point for some people. I don't. I'm not talking about people that listen to this show. Sure. Right? Like I'm talking about the people that are walking, who are slightly interested in fountain pens and are walking into these stores. Now, there could be like the novelty of the retractableness of the fountain pen could be cool. But if you don't know much about fountain pens and you saw this, I don't know the answer to this. Would you would you realize why that is special?

'''Myke Hurley:''' If you put in a non pen addict and set two pens next to them, the Twisbe 580 and the platinum Curie Doss, they're going to pick the 580 every time.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' This is what I'm thinking. Right? So like this is where I'm like wondering how this is actually going to fare in the long term. I think that their short term sales will be really good for this pen because enthusiasts will want to try it out. Because if it's if the nib is really good and the whole steel nibs are good. Yeah, like, I mean, we know them to be good, but I don't know if they're doing something slightly different for this pen to ensure its long term life as they're so excited about. But like, and people are like interested in the mechanism. So it'd be like a cool thing to own. But it's past that like initial launch is where I think we'll be telling for this pen. Like how how well is it actually gonna gonna last outside of Japan? Because, you know, if you believe their marketing, there seems to be a very particular desire for this pen in Japan. True, true.

'''Myke Hurley:''' It is highly specific.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' In the American market, I and the European market, I am keen to see how this pen would fare past the initial launch because I in its price range, I'm not sure if the average consumer will consider this a competitive purchase.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Sure. That's fair. I don't disagree with that. The only thing I think about when I see this pen is, is if it is successful, which I think it will be, is this just opens the door for more custom colors and styles and things for them to play around with in a different price point than they do with the 3776 price point. And you see what they do to that.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' I would like to see a solid acrylic, like a non-demonstrator acrylic in this pen. Sure. I actually think it would make it look more premium.

'''Myke Hurley:''' I want to see the barrel to see if it could be an aluminum barrel pin down the line two years from now. That's twice the price because, you know, if it can deliver that same type of thing, it might be that might not work with this pen because I haven't held one yet. But I don't know. It's... I don't see why it wouldn't work. Yeah. Yeah. It just depends on how all the hardware attaches and things like that. Sure. Sure. I mean, you know, this works out well. The next thing we know is we have yellow, orange, sky blue, and purple transparent ones, right? That's next. And then we have, you know, different patterns and colors. I don't know. This is an interesting product to follow. I'm trying to rack my brain on what new product like this we have. Like, we get our Lamy special editions every year that we always talk about, but that's like a one and done thing. This is a completely new product line, and that doesn't happen that much in this type of product, I think. So, it's cool.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' That's why it gets me excited. I just wanted to go over one last thing from their page because it's just so funny, right? It's like the last part, the history of the Noctite Fountain Pen. There are three facts here which they are trying to relate to each other but are completely unrelated to each other. Are you ready?

'''Myke Hurley:''' Okay, go.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' The first retractable pen, Platinum Noct, was announced in 1965. 2020 marks Platinum Pen's 101 years since its establishment. The re-innovated retractable fountain pen, Curidas, inherits the foundation and spirit of 55-year-old Platinum Noct. Those are three completely unrelated things, right?

'''Myke Hurley:''' It's misordered.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' I guess, but still, even putting them in the right order, there's no point saying 2020 is 101 years since the company's establishment because 101 means nothing. It doesn't. It really feels like, to me, with that kind of marketing, that they would have loved this to be available last year. It would have made more sense.

'''Myke Hurley:''' That is very true, now that you say that. That's a good point.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' You know, because then the 55-year-old Platinum Noct, that kind of, that thing is pointless. It doesn't matter if it's 55 years. But if they could say like, oh, we first invented the Platinum Noct in 1965 and for our 100th year anniversary, we're introducing the re-innovation of that. You know, like it's kind of like a funny thing where it's like, here are three facts about the company. Those are great facts on their own, but those three things do not marry together to make a story that is cohesive.

'''Myke Hurley:''' And two of them are actually the same, essentially. Yes. Just told in a different way. Two of them are the same and one's random. Yeah. Unrelated. 101.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Last, last thing this time. You scroll all the way to the bottom release date is February 28th, 2020. The way all the US and worldwide companies are putting these out for prior, I'm imagining this is a worldwide release, not a Japan release. Then a few months later. It must be. At least this looks like everyone has them up for presale right now.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yeah. Cause otherwise you'd be looking at a multiple month presale, which it doesn't seem accurate.