Editing The Pen Addict 500/transcript (section)

== Special Offers and Giveaways ==


'''Myke:''' of that page is where you'll find the ability to enter into that giveaway. Thank you to Penschalet for the continued support of this show and Relay FM.

'''Myke:''' All right. Is it me now? It's me now. Yeah, you did Bork Ben Bork, right? So mine's from Mel Martin. I have a Sailor Sapporo in some version of slightly sparkly purple. Maybe it's blueberry that several of my friends pitched in to buy me for my 40th birthday. It's my favorite color and the subtle sparkle always makes me smile. But what really makes this my favorite all-time station item is the love and thoughtfulness that my friends put into coordinating such a wonderful gift.

'''Speaker 02:''' Yep. Perfect. Perfect. Gene says, Pelican M800 blue stripe fine nib. Hard to list all the reasons but it's just gorgeous in its design, function, ink capacity, prominent place in the fountain pen world being a flagship Pelican. Most of all, it just fits in my hand and flow and line is silky smooth. Perfect.

'''Myke:''' Elizabeth, a bottle of Yamabudo, Yamabudo, Yamabudo. That's a charm. There he goes. Hiroshizuku ink

'''Brad:''' because a very thoughtful student gave it to me.

'''Speaker 02:''' That's our second mention of Yamabudo. We should have a Yamabudo tracker. That's a very great thing.

'''Brad:''' I'm not tracking it. How much stuff do you want me to keep track of here?

'''Speaker 02:''' Brooklyn Becca, congrats on 500. This is a fun idea. I've been thinking about this since yesterday. I think my favorite stationery item has to be paper. Too simple? Too easy? Boring? Maybe. But when I think of all my favorite stationery products, they all revolve around paper. Books, cards, notebooks, clippings, birth certificates, diplomas, marriages, licenses, art, diaries, planners, keepsakes in general. While not necessary to sustain life, paper is central to many, many good memories. If you must know specifics, there is a lot of ordinary paper, but I prefer to use even just slightly better 32-pound paper in my Tomoe River original paper notebooks from Hipponodo. What are you going to do, Myke?

'''Myke:''' That's fine. I'm going to let it go. Yeah! I'm going to let it go. Aaron, my favorite stationery item right now is my Platinum Galaxy Starlight with a broad nib that was a gift for my 10th wedding anniversary. What ink should I pair it with? Oh, we've got a quick question here.

'''Speaker 02:''' Palo de Roshizuku Yamabuda. All right, next up, Kim in.

'''Brad:''' The high-tech C

'''Speaker 02:''' Coleto pen in 2004 because I switch ink colors in my notebook when I change topics to make it easier to keep different items separate. I can have five different ink colors to rotate through in one pen, which makes this a much easier and more portable thing to do. Plus, I love that I can choose colors and I'm not limited to just red, blue, black, and green like a lot of multi-pens. I have three different Coleto bodies with different colors in each, so I can use the color scheme I like best on any given day. Yes!

'''Myke:''' Luke from Brisbane, Australia. My Visconti Homo Sapiens. It was the first expensive pen I bought a number of years ago. I never had any troubles with the nib and it has always been an amazing writer.

'''Speaker 02:''' Homo Sapiens tracker. The non-fountain pen episode. My big pen, because it's not fussy like a fountain pen. You know what? Fair.

'''Myke:''' Justin H. My current favorite stationary items are the new Cortex Mark 1s of a theme system journal. Yes! Yes! Come on, someone! It is my most valuable pen! I don't own a ton. There's something special about the quality of the build and the feeling of joy I get when writing with that combo of pen and journal. I truly enjoy the writing process so much of these, where I typically handle so much writing digitally. I love being able to slow down and enjoy those writing moments. Y'all don't have to kiss up to Myke. He doesn't appreciate it. Y'all kiss up to me. I appreciate that. Here's the thing, Justin. You're going in the Rule Breakers Club, but you're also going in Myke's Faves Club. There's just one in there right now. We'll see how that progresses.

'''Speaker 02:''' All right, Emmett says, the Lamy Safari fountain pen. Sometimes I just like to look at it because it's so pretty. I remember emailing Brad when I was about 12 and saying that I was like an idiot, and it's crazy to think it's at 500 episodes already. Maybe I'll have gotten the Canalea Kona Cherry by the 1000th episode if you ever get there. Thank you for the great podcast. Thank you.

'''Myke:''' That's wild. Like someone was listening when they were 12.

'''Speaker 02:''' Yep, yep, yep. Incredible.

'''Myke:''' Ellis, platinum fountain pen. The colors are routine, but the writing experience is fantastic. Starts every time.

'''Speaker 02:''' I mean, literally all of them, right? John Boland says, Brad Myke, happy 500. I love my Pilot Custom 912 with an FA nib. It's as classically stylish as Cary Grant's suits, or Audrey Hepburn's little black dress. Piano black. We're going in, Myke. We're leaning in.

'''Brad:''' Come on, Joe.

'''Speaker 02:''' Piano black.

'''Brad:''' Taking us on a ride here.

'''Speaker 02:''' Rhodium trim and flat ends always look good. It's the perfect size, big enough to comfortably hold, but small enough to fit in a shirt pocket. The number 10 FA nib is Sublime. It's a high performance instrument. Like other high performance instruments, sports cars, gaming computers, et cetera, it is finicky and requires upgraded components and consumables. John, you can write for me anytime. It requires upgraded components and consumables just to get the best out of it. In this case, that's the feed and ink. With a flexible nib factory ebonite feed and piloter Roshizuku ink, likely Yamabudo. That's my edit. The FA flies. It's such a joy to write with. It's got nice bounce and a little bit of pleasant tooth, particularly on the upstroke mic. The nib responds to subtle inputs to add line variation at will. It's easy to write with as reversed or as expressive as it's easy to write as reserved or as expressive as I want. And if I really get cooking, I can produce extreme line variation for quite passable copper plate, although I need a lot more practice. I use it for all my letters and thank you cards. Thank you for the opportunity to gush about my favorite pen and best wishes for the next 500 episodes.

'''Myke:''' Amazing. Love it. Alexandra, Namiki Yukari Milky Way, not because it's by far my most expensive pen because it's not even my best writer, but because of what it represents in my life. I got it as a celebration for a new job that got me a significant raise and allowed me to leave a pretty toxic job. It also reminded me of my dreams of being an astronaut as a child, given the theme, and made me feel that the stars are your limit as far as your dreams. Happy 500, guys. I honestly hope that that was going to and now I'm an astronaut. You know, like the job I got is now I'm an astronaut. Maybe they are. I don't know.

'''Speaker 02:''' Maybe, maybe, but that's a beautiful pen. It's the one I own and it's the best. The best. Helen from Toronto, my pen cup currently holds about 40 pens of all sizes, shapes, colors, and quality. From it, I select a pen that fits my mood or task. A pen received as a gift from a loved one that I'm thinking about, a bold writer with a thick line for an important signature, or one that is comfortable for longer writing chore. The pen cup is special because it reflects me in all my states from playful to focused.

'''Brad:''' Hmm.

'''Speaker 02:''' It's the pen cup. Yeah, I know. It's the favorite stationary item. Yeah. The pen cup is singular.

'''Myke:''' But there's no product there. However, the pen cup specifically is a thing. It represents an idea. Yes. All right. If you think about it, the pen cup is a concept. A customized all black Lamy Safari fountain pen with a red clip is, this is Scarlet's entry, inked with Diamine Red Dragon. I guess if your name's Scarlet, you would want an ink like Diamine Red Dragon, right? I feel like that fits pretty nicely. This pen is special to me because I put it together while healing from extremely poor mental health as a reclamation of my past being forced to write with one at school and a statement of who I am now writing everything in blood red. Hell yeah. Yes. Hell yes. That's some Game of Thrones type stuff right there. I know. I've never seen Game of Thrones so I have no idea if it actually is.

'''Speaker 02:''' True, true, true, true. Sirwin, my favorite fountain pen is my Karis Pen Company Pony Express, ink. It's a gorgeous hunk of patinated bronze slowly turning a deep brown with still golden spots where I hold it. I love it because its heft reminds me of the weight of my words. They will live on for generations just as this pen will continue in our family for generations bearing the marks of each writer. That's cool.

'''Myke:''' Lynn, Sailor Pro Gear Slim Lucky Charm. It normalized pens in its price range for me both a good and bad thing.

'''Speaker 02:''' Yeah. And 5607, my Leuch Term 18-month calendar planner. Weak display on the left side of the page and line page for notes on the right. I use it with my TWSBI Eco with Deatramentus document black ink every day.

'''Myke:''' 10. Mmm, really? Wow. 10. Aggressive. 10 out of 69. Nice. Aggressive. Aggressive judgment there. Number 70 is Seattle Sparky. My seven seas writer because Tomoe River. Like writing on angels' wings. Message straight to the ears of God. Haven't sampled the replacement yet. Stock to Tomoe River for quite some time. This is, I wished I could accurately get across this message. I'm going to give it another go, Brad. Mm-hmm. I almost spit up

'''Speaker 02:''' my coffee the first time.

'''Myke:''' My seven seas writer because Tomoe River, like writing on angels' wings, messages straight to the ears of God. Haven't sampled my replacement yet. Stocked with Tomoe River for quite some time. Time! I think that does a valid job of getting across the way this message of the right now.

'''Speaker 02:''' Dwayne Lively says, my Levenger Sunset fountain pen. It looks like R2-D2 and has a great nib. It's also the first pen I bought via the internet. That's cool.

'''Myke:''' In my mind, Levenger Sunset, I can't imagine how a pen called that would look like R2-D2.

'''Speaker 02:''' I know. I gotta look at that one. I do not have a picture in my head.

'''Myke:''' My Lamy 2000, since it was a birthday present from my brother 15 years ago. It was only if I'm filled with Noodler's Walnut, which he also gave me. I have many other fountain pens, some much more expensive, but that's one that's always in use and one I will never part with.

'''Speaker 02:''' I wish I had that level of commitment. Catherine says, my red medium nib Pilot Metropolitan. This was the pen that got me hooked, and while I have pens that cost 10 times as much, this one always makes me smile. That's why we love the Metro.

'''Myke:''' Irene K. I love my Cafe Coast Ball in dark green of golden finial. It's the first fountain pen I bought as an adult. A direct consequence of listening to this show. I have never found a pen better suited for me.

'''Speaker 02:''' I'm so happy we did this, Myke. I'm having fun reading all these.

'''Myke:''' Well, we're up to 76 of 270 something, so you've got a lot of time

'''Speaker 02:''' to change your mind. I haven't looked at the clock yet, so I might rescind all that. Rich Kelly says, I enjoy using my wax seal camel stamp. I use a glue gun to melt the wax, much easier than using a tea candle and spoon, and I write a letter using one of my favorite pens. Just like I believe there is no such thing as a grail pen, I also feel no such thing as a favorite pen. I have 59 fountain pens in my collection. My Le Bon 325 in flame red with a fine nib. I like the fine line it produces and enjoy the wet feed, a rare combination. I use Clairefontaine paper. It doesn't feather or bleed through. After allowing the ink to fully dry, I carefully fold and place the letter in the envelope, apply the piece de resistance, my camel wax seal.

'''Myke:''' 11.

'''Speaker 02:''' Come on, man.

'''Myke:''' What do you mean, come on? There's like 12 things in this list.

'''Speaker 02:''' But it's all about the camel stamp.

'''Myke:''' I just called it

'''Speaker 02:''' a list even. So? It's, it's, it's, mm.

'''Myke:''' Eliseo Santamaria, Santamaria. Could be either. Pens! I can tell a lot by people's preferences and writing style. My pen represents me. Okay, Eliseo, you go into the rarefied air. Ooh, the club of two, which is people who suggested no products. But at least they made me shout pens. So that's good news.

'''Speaker 02:''' Leslie says, my favorite item, why are we limited to just one, Myke? That's what Leslie wants to know. Doesn't matter, Leslie,

'''Myke:''' I'm assuming Leslie kept to the rules.

'''Speaker 02:''' We appreciate you being a rule follower, Leslie, at least Myke does. You created the rule. Assumedly. Anyway. I was trying to keep it short, Myke, it did not work. It's fine. It did not work. My favorite item is Parker International dual fold in black with a medium nib. This is the last fountain pen my father bought me the summer before I started uni. My parents had been in Florida buying furniture and my dad saw it at one of their airport shops. As the person who introduced me to fountain pens at a young age, it was even more special as he rarely purchased spontaneous gifts. Since he has passed away, it has made me treasure this pen even more. And while I do write with it, it never leaves the house. Happy anniversary, gentlemen. Sounds like you made

'''Myke:''' the right choice, Leslie. I think that's perfect. Tim. This isn't a good start from Tim. Uh oh. I'm going to slightly alter this question and comment on my most memorable stationery item. Okay, maybe you pulled it around. Fair. Fair. A Stadler lead holder pencil I bought around 45 years ago. I no longer have it, but I suspect it was similar to the Stadler Mars Technico 780. Why is it my most memorable item? Because it was the first real stationery purchase I ever made. Moreover, I found it at this magical place I never even knew existed in my hometown. Something called an independently owned stationery store. And now long departed Williams Stationery in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. And that's where my love affair began. Just like true baseball fans have their first ballpark experience locked in their memories, I sense the stationery disciples out there remember their first foray into the magical kingdom. Beautiful. Absolutely.

'''Speaker 02:''' Like I always said, I can draw the layout of the bookstore that I used to go to when I was a kid that I hadn't been there in 40 years. Marty B, Twisby Eco. I have fancier pens with gold nibs and beautiful designs, but every time I use my basic blue Eco, I feel the same thing. Smooth writing, consistent flow, no matter what ink I use, comfortable to use, to always enjoy to write with. It's my EDC.

'''Myke:''' Awesome.

'''Speaker 02:''' Yep.

'''Myke:''' My one is Brian the Wharf. My favorite piece of stationery would have to be my transparent green Twisby Eco with a fine nib, which is always inked with Shin Ryoku. Ryoku? Mm-hmm. This is the first pen I bought for myself at my very first pen show, which I attended with my brother. The show was the 2019 Triangle Pen Show, where I also met Brad for the first time, so this pen has a lot of great memories to it.

'''Speaker 02:''' Nice. So this is Ryan or Ryan P. Just, you know, for clarification. My favorite stationery item at the moment, because these things are always changing, is the 2021 Diamine Inkvent Calendar, because going through the calendar has taken me very far out of my ink comfort zone. It was very into cool tone, fairly basic. I was very into cool tone, basic, fairly basic inks for a long time. Blue, blacks, purples, greens, grays, some browns, and some pinks. And this set has helped me discover how awesome orange, brown, red, and yellow inks can be, and also has expanded my palette to get into more sheening and or shimmer inks. Love the discovery.

'''Brad:''' Hmm.

'''Myke:''' All right, I'm going to let this one go. Yeah. Yeah, you are. I mean, it's technically 25, anyway. Evan Rosenberg, I have a lot of pens, even more now than when I started listening to the Pen Addict podcast shortly after episode 300. When I close, you've got a lot to catch up on then, Evan. When I close my eyes and picture a pen, though, I still see the Rotring Core capped rollerball in the Technor colorway that I used to carry in my pocket in high school 20 years ago. I still have that pen tucked away in a case with my other Rotrings, taking a well-deserved rest after years of pocket carry and being responsible for instilling a lifelong appreciation for pen design that isn't afraid to be a little different.

'''Speaker 02:''' I like it. I like it a lot. James MB, my favorite stationery is Claire Fontaine Spiral Bound A4 Sayers French ruled notebooks from my favorite online stationery store wonderpens.ca. Shout out wonderpens. It's a lovely beefy sized notebook reminiscent of notebooks I used in high school. The paper is wonderful to write on with fountain pens and the French rule leads itself well to casual writing practice. Always a fun distraction to note taking. Didn't know it came in A4. That's pretty

'''Myke:''' amazing. Jennifer, my favorite and most precious item is my black Nakaya Nakai writer purchased at the San Francisco pen show in 2019. It has rose gold hardware and a fine soft nib that writes perfectly and I'm left-handed. I purchased this beautiful pen at the SF pen show in 2019. When I pick up the pen, it brings such joy and happy memories. First pen show, meeting Brad and Myke, rooms full of stationary goodness and lots of happy pen people.

'''Speaker 02:''' Miss pen shows,

'''Myke:''' miss pen shows. One day, Brad, one day.

'''Speaker 02:''' One day. Nick says, it may be the spork of writing instruments, but I have had a black paper mate flare in my pocket since my first job in a grocery store at age 15, which was 26 years ago. They aren't for looking at, but they can do just about everything acceptably. That is factually correct. Love the flare.

'''Myke:''' I don't know if I'm familiar with it, actually.

'''Speaker 02:''' You would recognize it if I showed you a picture. Okay. Basic, standard, classic.

'''Myke:''' Brandon, I love my Visconti Special Ops in medium. This pen was my first medium nib after staying with fine and extra fine since I traveled down the rabbit hole. This was my gateway pen to broad and stub nibs, and I now have a couple of other pens. Basically, what Brandon is saying here is that they took the right path of moving away from the horrible fine and extra fine to something a bit better.

'''Speaker 02:''' Brenton Raleigh says, Parker Penman Sapphire. I must have drained half a dozen bottles of that stuff back in the day. Still unequaled. And that is factually correct as well.

'''Myke:''' Mark, Edison Menlo Custom in Brooks Galaxy Prime. A beautiful pen that feels like an extension of my hand and writes like a dream. I chose the material, the pen model, and the nib, a custom ground medium stub. extremely well made to, it's my me pen.

'''Speaker 02:''' Mm-hmm. Perfect. Noel Arroy, my favorite stationary item is my Canalea Kona Snow Fountain Pen that my now wife bought for me as a wedding present. It's the most beautiful pen I own and brings me joy every time I use it. Not really much more to say than that, but it is definitively my favorite stationary item.

'''Myke:''' My current favorite is the stationary from Pigeon. PigeonPosted.com in the UK. Their designs are a fun combination of letter and envelope and the artwork is really neat.

'''Speaker 02:''' That's a lot of British listeners. I wonder why. It's not a specific product. What's up with that?

'''Myke:''' On the list. I recommend a website. Thanks, Chelsea. Thank you, Chelsea, but you're going, you know, you've made that category

'''Speaker 02:''' to three. Sam Kurt says, my tactile turn zirconium pen with a Schmidt fiber tip refill. I love the feel and action of this pen. It's super heavyweight and takes some getting used to, but I love it.

'''Myke:''' Inky Raven. Ink samples. There are so many fascinating combinations of ink colors and properties. Samples have let me try hundreds with let me try hundreds of them without the commitment that four bottles require. How many lists is this on, Myke? Well, that's four. This just goes on the people who suggested no products list. And it's now up to four.

'''Speaker 02:''' Zinnia. Maybe an odd pick, but I love the Rhodium Meeting Book. The paper is great and handles my favorite fountain pens effortlessly. However, the layout is what gets me. As someone with ADHD, the notebook is structured perfect for my brain, sectioning out places for notes, action items, and supplementary info. It's the only thing I've found that keeps me focused at work. P.S. Love the podcast. I'm a short-time listener who started last year to find cool stationery Christmas gifts and couldn't put the show down. Yeah, thanks for being one of the best parts of my week. That's an interesting

'''Myke:''' way to find the show.

'''Speaker 02:''' Not an odd pick at all. Highly individualized stationery that solves problems is one of my favorite things. So glad you found something that works well for you.

'''Myke:''' Claire Rude says, I think my favorite item is the Hobonichi Techo. Lots of Techo fans on the list. Special to me because I get to open it every day and enjoy it. I love the paper and all the accessories that go with it.

'''Speaker 02:''' Jim in Tucson. My set of Alvin Draftmatic Mechanical Pencils got me through architecture school and will always have a place on my desk and in my bag. I have all four lead sizes, 0.357 and 9, and each one has its function. But the blue DM07 is my go-to for taking notes and quickly sketching ideas.

'''Myke:''' Okay, I'm going to let this pass.

'''Speaker 02:''' Singular. It's absolutely singular. Yes. Pencils. It's a set. It's a singular set. Yeah, I'm going to let it pass, but it's not singular.

'''Myke:''' It's not singular. Tim, my Pilot Falcon was my first gold nib pen and I bought it myself when I graduated from my PhD. I need to ink my Falcon up. I love that pen. Do you ever feel like when we do this kind of stuff that we should have PhDs?

'''Myke:''' Feels like everybody else has PhDs. I don't have one.

'''Speaker 02:''' That's how the survey came about. The Slack survey came about.

'''Myke:''' PhD.

'''Speaker 02:''' That was the question. It's like, why is this a thing? Why is this a thing?

'''Myke:''' I would like to just put a call out. Any school in the world that wants to give me an honorary doctorate, I will accept it.

'''Speaker 02:''' I just want you to know that. We need a pen PhD. I need a stationary PhD.

'''Myke:''' I will take it.

'''Speaker 02:''' Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Rita Montero, aka Ink Tales, I didn't spend much time thinking about this, which in a way makes this choice more honest. It has to be the Sailor 1911 Royal Tangerine. Yes. It was big and impulsive purchase for me and absolutely worth it. I love the way the medium fine nib writes. The size of the pen is ideal for me. In that orange color, it is gorgeous. You know what I mean. Both of you have at least one of these. I like that they clarify you have at least one of these. I have the regular

'''Myke:''' and the king of pen.

'''Speaker 02:''' Yeah, and I have the small and the king of pen. It isn't my most expensive pen, but I'm always wanting to ink it up and use it. I think that's the main feature of a favorite stationary item. Thank you both for many enjoyable hours of pen related conversations.

'''Myke:''' The king of pen is what I was going to pick up today to take my show notes with, but I opted for just the original orange pro gear instead. Okay. That felt fitting for today. Nice, nice, nice. L says the Elia Note 6mm lined Tomoe River paper 496 page notebook. It has all the qualities that I love. It is special because the 6mm ruling is now defunct. It was a lovely burgundy magenta that both glowed from the white pages and receded after writing was on the page. Along with the fountain pens I used to write, it made me excited every morning to journal. Alas, I have just one left. That's really cool.

'''Speaker 02:''' Zach, permanent inks. I have kept a journal for decades even before I discovered fountain pens. Once I got into fountain pens I began using them exclusively, but I grew up in a time where there are only two types of fountain pen inks, permanent and washable. If the bottle didn't say washable, it was permanent, period. Unfortunately, once I got into fountain pens I also discovered new inks, a much greater selection of colors than before, but most of them were washable. This I found out by water testing the ink I had been using for my journal after about five years. So now I have five years of memories that can be erased by a heavy fog. So now I am obsessed with permanent inks. With the current selection of colors and permanent inks, I really can't understand why they are so disparaged. I love permanent inks. I don't disparage them at all. Personally, I would like my musings, however uninteresting to others, to at least last for my lifetime. So permanent inks are not just a favorite, they are a requirement for me.

'''Myke:''' Okay, that comes up to number five for Zach. On the list. Anything. Stephan, I do like, I like this though, because you know what I understand what Zach's saying. Yeah. That like all of the love for inks, all the cool colors and cool brands, it's not permanent stuff. Like that's not one of the qualities.

'''Speaker 02:''' Oh, I disagree with nothing that they said.

'''Myke:''' Yeah. Stephanie Sos is number 100. My five-year Hobonichi, to be honest, when I started it back in 2019, mine is to 2019 to 2023, I was afraid I wouldn't have anything to write about. In the beginning, I mostly used it to keep track of marathon and ultra marathon training and my show off, am I right? I can't just do a regular marathon. That's incredible. What is an ultra marathon? Like 23 marathons? What is that?

'''Speaker 02:''' No, it's like a singular, like a hundred and something mile race. Oh, God. A hundred plus, like 120-ish, something like that.

'''Myke:''' Oh, my God.

'''Myke:''' And my finishing times on events. I also listed the weather and any family things that happen on each day. My day-to-day life is pretty routine, so I sometimes added drawings, doodles, little things, and then it happened. Hello, 2020. The world is introduced to COVID and everything about the way we lived our day-to-day lives changed. Now this little five year is a documentation of what life looks like before the pandemic and all the changes that we had to adapt to. Looking back on the years that I've already filled out, it's really interesting. It's crazy how different life is now in 2022 than it was in 2019. I'm really grateful I started at the year that I did. What a thing to be able to give to family in the future.

'''Speaker 02:''' Yep, yep. I'm really like looking into these more and more, the more I see about them. Mary Heintz, Uni Signo DX Pens. I like the sound they make as I write. Mary and I are now best friends. Can I just say, it's very simple.

'''Myke:''' See what Mary wrote there? This is what I wanted everyone to send in. Just that.

'''Speaker 02:''' You're also now Myke's best friend for different reasons.

'''Brad:''' When Brad pitched this to me, this is what I thought we were going to be getting.

'''Brad:''' No, I wanted some stories. What we actually got is more like this

'''Myke:''' from Parker. We love you, Parker. Carus Customs Render K V2. It's a great quality machine pen that is simple in looks and beautiful in design. Coming from a machinist background, this pen is beautifully machined and contains very well thought out features such as a channel cut inside the cap to house an O-ring to keep the cap in place, especially when pocket carried. This is also one of the few pens I have seen fully machined out of metal, including my favorite material from when I was still a machinist. 360 alloy brass. For more dense materials such as brass, this pen feels mighty and hefty in the hand. And every time I write with it, I can appreciate the machining that went into this pen. This style pen is the only type of pen that can stand up to the abuse I put it through on any given day without fail. I can carry it in my front pocket every day and never have it pop out or the cap loosen. I can carry it in my wool vest and working outside to jot down notes. Never have it go missing. I can pop it into the inside or outside pocket of a suit coat and it looks classy while also remaining utilitarian. It fits with a Pilot G2 refill by default and can accept others like a Schmidt P8126 or 7. This makes it perfect for me as my desired refill is the Pilot Precise RT, which gives me the pleasure of writing the same feel as my normal Precise V5, V7 in a refillable barrel that I love so much. I have a few other pens from Karis Customs, but this style covers every facet I need in my day-to-day life without compromise.

'''Speaker 02:''' Thank you, Parker. See? Parker's our people. Like, this is, this is, that's our people, Myke. Right there. Perfectly explained. Hey, look. The level of nerdery is elite. I love it. I love this. It's so good.

'''Myke:''' Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

'''Speaker 02:''' We're up to number 104.

'''Brad:''' 103. The next answer is- 278. All right?

'''Speaker 02:''' The next answer is exactly what you want. I know. This is exactly what you want. The Pandemic with Bruce. My favorite stationary item is my shown design Ultem with the number six Yovo steel nib. I like the matte texture of the Ultem, and it's really comfortable for long writing sessions because it's so light. And my favorite ink of all time is Mont Blanc Petrol Blue because of the dark greenish blue color.

'''Myke:''' No, I think that, see, Bruce isn't exactly what I want, right? Two, two, two, two.

'''Speaker 02:''' Yeah, yeah, two.

'''Myke:''' I just want to make it clear that I love our listeners, and I'm very happy that they have contributed in this episode. My main concern is just the marathon that we have. Yeah, yeah. We're in an ultra marathon.

'''Speaker 02:''' 2,000 character field limits. Sorry.

'''Myke:''' Why did you do that? Diego. I'm a generous soul, Myke. I'm a generous soul. Let's see how you feel by the end, too. Lamy Spirit Mechanical Pencil. This was the first premium stationary item I purchased. I purchased it while in university at a high-end retail store in Toronto. I remember walking out of that store thinking, what have I done, and why did I spend so much on a pencil? As soon as I started using it, that was like the awakening of my addiction. That pencil was the start of my journey that transitioned to ballpoint pens and fountain pens and continues to this day over 20 years later.

'''Speaker 02:''' Jorge Madrigal, the Lockby Field Journal. Second time. As a high school teacher, it's indispensable. It holds two journals, one for my everyday happenings and the history classes I teach, the other calendars, to-do lists, meetings, etc. I also have rulers, journal plastic templates, and of course, my trusty Lamy 2000 with me at all times. Love your podcast, fellas. The Discord is starting to side with me. Uh-oh.

'''Myke:''' Because you said 2,000 characters.

'''Speaker 02:''' That's 300 to 500 words. I like stories.

'''Myke:''' They're starting to side with me now. Now they're understanding, right? Now they're understanding. Kate also said the promise of reading them all was an interesting one. And I said, who do you think suggested that?

'''Speaker 02:''' I mean, we had to do something special. I feel like we did, Myke. We're still in it.

'''Myke:''' I mean, people will decide if it's special, you know?

'''Speaker 02:''' True. Well, as long as I feel that it's special. Yes, that is ultimately all that matters. So this is all about me.

'''Myke:''' I learned that 299 episodes ago. I don't know. But Nick Hyam said the twist bullet pencil in walnut from metal shop John Fontaine in 2016. A well-engineered bullet pencil that helps me use up my black wing and tombow stubs. Sadly, the company no longer exists.

'''Speaker 02:''' Great product. From the Rostra, my favorite stationary item is my 350 milliliter bottle of Pilot Blue Black ink, which is not only a great everyday ink, but it's played an essential role as I have learned to tune and adjust nibs.

'''Myke:''' Michael G says my pick is the Aurora Duo Cont. You don't hear much about it, but I love it for three reasons. One, I like to keep a low profile, so the classic look and hooded nib is a great fit for me. Two, the nib itself is my favorite in my whole collection. The line width, feedback, and flow is perfection for my tastes. Three, my beloved got it for me for Christmas a few years ago. What more is there to say? Congratulations on 500. Your talking about pens on the internet means more to people than you know. Looking forward to the next 500.

'''Speaker 02:''' Oh, nice, nice, nice. All right, Mary, even supposing, says, when I submitted my dissertation, my sister gave me a pilot vanishing point, my first gold nib and fanciest pen yet. I used it at the end of my defense to sign the final paperwork granting me my PhD. There you go, Myke. Myke Masayama turned the medium, tuned the medium nib into an exquisite cursive italic at my first pen show. I love writing with this pen and it is always inked. This pen means more to me than any other I will ever own. And oh my gosh, Myke is about to have a coronary on this next one.

'''Brad:''' Oh, I've read this one

'''Speaker 02:''' during my preparation.

'''Brad:''' This one was on the edge of will it stay in or not? This one, like this is the edge, right? Things over this edge. I mean, just how it started

'''Speaker 02:''' is all you need to know.

'''Myke:''' Mailman Dan. It's not that. I don't have a problem with mail people. No, no, no. I have no issue with mail The next part.

'''Speaker 02:''' The next part.

'''Myke:''' I ask for forgiveness as I have two pens to offer. I think both are interesting and I have seldom if ever heard either mentioned in stationary related media. For background, I have been a mailman for many years until fairly recently. Pens as tools are required daily and repeatedly. They were abused by use and weather and would frequently be unintentionally left in possession of others. No fancy or expensive pens for me. First, I present the unassuming Jin Hao 991. This was my very, this was very much my starting point with fountain pens. It is a cheap pen in both senses of the word. On the plus side, A, cheap. I could lose, I could afford to lose or break them and later give them away and you can still get them for a couple of bucks. B, almost all of them write, most write well at least to the uninitiated. C, more write consistently, most write consistently, they seal well and write from day to day. And my favorite part, D, you can store an extra short cartridge in the body. On the downside, A, cheap. Which is, back to the A earlier, it will break. Usually either the cap will crack or the nib section will crack right where the body threads onto it. Second is a pen that I wish had been around 30 years ago. As a mailman, one of the worst things about pens is the need to open up two or three coats during Midwestern winters to reach a pen that wasn't too cold to write with, like it wouldn't work. I discovered the Uni Power Tank ballpoint at just about the time the post office finally quit using pen and paper to capture signatures such as my luck. The Power Tank is a write anywhere on anything pen similar to the popular Fisher Space pen, but this one is quite affordable. If I lose a pen or a customer claims one as their own, it's no big loss. I can now leave a pen in an accessible outer pocket during the winter and write on wet paper during the spring, even though I don't really have much call to do either anymore.

'''Speaker 02:''' I mean, how great is that?

'''Myke:''' Thank you, mailman. I just like the name Power Tank. That's a good pen. I wouldn't mind if you called me Palatine. Okay.

'''Speaker 02:''' And from Bruce Horn, we have Twisby.

'''Speaker 02:''' For many years, it has been the eco, but my wife just got me a 580 for Christmas and I think it might eclipse the eco a bit. I love the way it feels in my hand. I love the way it looks, especially when it has a somewhat translucent, colorful ink in it. I love seeing the ink sloshing back and forth in that big barrel as I'm writing. I only like piston fillers and I only like demonstrators and Twisby works for both of those. Nibs are also great. This new one has a broad nib, something I haven't tried before. My preference so far is a stub nib, currently debating between the 1.1 and 1.5, both of which I like. I like the fact that getting a 1.5 millimeter stub nib is an option for the 580, even if I have to order it from overseas to the US.

'''Myke:''' 14. Chris Ferraz says... What, that one? That was one. No, it has been the eco, but my wife just got me a 580. There's two pens in there. There's two pens in there. Two pens.

'''Myke:''' Chris Ferraz says, Pilot shaker 0.5 millimeter mechanical pencil. Just shake it for the lead to advance. I didn't know this. This sounds cool. Yeah. And you'll write continuously without distractions. Beautiful, durable, sturdy, super practical, great design with black body and yellow finial, iconic. A true classic, the best mechanical pencil ever made.

'''Speaker 02:''' I'm making a list called protest, and I am protesting Bruce's entry into the multiple pen list.

'''Myke:''' I'm being asked questions if I've actually counted everyone correctly, so they might have gone through anyway, because I might have missed one out.

'''Speaker 02:''' Protest. Jordan Peterson, at my job as a school teacher, I love my Lamy Safari, as it's durable, easy replaceable, fun to use, and comes in fun colors. Yeah.

'''Myke:''' Not that one, by the way. Nah.

'''Myke:''' Jordan spelt differently. Stevie Cheese Steak, great name. Hope it's a real name. Any of the fountain pen friendly notebooks I have made myself. I use A4 short grain paper, sometimes even cutting the paper out of top bound A4 notepads, folding into signatures for my A5 journals.

'''Myke:''' I'm going to let that one go. I was waiting. I'm letting it go.

'''Speaker 02:''' There is about to be a quick second on the protest list.

'''Brad:''' There's two potential categories it could go in, but

'''Speaker 02:''' I'm letting it go from both of them. All right. Gwen says, Sailor Progear Slim Spring Rain. My first expensive fountain pen, my favorite pen, and it was a birthday gift from my parents last year. Lots of the Spring Rain series,

'''Myke:''' a very popular series. Tom, a limited edition Pento Energel with Shiba Inu's all over it. It's very cute, and the 0.7 millimeter Energel is my favorite overall gel refill. Nice, nice.

'''Speaker 02:''' All right. Check this out. Lee says, my Metal Shop CT Timber Twist Bullet Pencil, which we just spoke about a minute ago. That product is totally unique, and people always ask questions about it, which gives me the opportunity to give an impassioned explanation. It also lets me get every cent out of my pencil purchases, so it's stylish and thrifty. What more could I ask for?

'''Myke:''' Kramer, not that one. My Leonardo Memento Zero Stromboli is both distractingly gorgeous and performs wonderfully. Paired with an Apica notebook makes a perfect match. Leonardo Jerry. That was pretty good.

'''Speaker 02:''' Fuzzy Man. It's a black Sailor Pro Gear with a zoom nib. It's not the flashiest looking, but it's the culmination of 10 years of pen collecting, trying to find the one that felt just right. I smile every time I put pen to paper. My pen acquisition habits slowed down considerably after I got it. Is that a good thing? Yes.

'''Myke:''' Lisa. My favorite stationary item is fountain pen inks with a lot of shading. Uh-oh. It's so hard to pick just one, but I really love the complex earthy tones of the Sailor Manyo Shirakashi ink. Oh, pour from the depths there. In the bottle or a pen, the ink looks like a dark blue-green. On most paper, this blue tone disappears as the ink dries, leaving behind warm shades of brown and green, sometimes for reddish sheen. However, on one paper, Cosmo Air Light, the blue tint remains with the ink staying a spruce green color. When used as watercolor, the shades have become tree bark, dusty green succulents, and deep forested hills. I am intrigued by the great variety produced by a single ink, and watercolor painting reminds me of my grandma, who would paint beautiful watercolor cards for us.

'''Speaker 02:''' I mean, do you want to sell me an ink? This is how you sell me an ink. I mean, it sounds pretty incredible, right? I'm finishing Shirakashi. I'm just finishing Shirakashi. Shirakashi.

'''Myke:''' Say Le Manyo Shirakashi.

'''Speaker 02:''' Emil, I was thinking I should go with something clever or something funny. In the end, I went with something sappy. Waterman Hemisphere. A first pen of note I got from Diana, the only woman I loved.

'''Myke:''' Oh, beautiful. Mm-hmm. Alina, I've been a stationary enthusiast for as long as I can remember, and I've used and loved a lot of notebooks and pens throughout the years, but lately I've been enjoying the simplicity of a blank pocket Moleskine and a black 1.0 Jetstream. I take notes on my reading. I write down thoughts and ideas. I do simple sketches and draw my maps. I have my notebook and my ballpoint pen, and that is enough, and that is number 15. Yeah.

'''Speaker 02:''' Okay. Legit perfect setup, though. Dave W. says, my favorite is my gold nib Pilot Custom 742. My mother gave me for Christmas this year because it's from my mom. I like to keep it in my rickshaw bags koozie and write with it in my Loitch Terms Some Lines a Day journal. I'm on year three, and it's awesome to see stuff from just a few beers back, and welcome to the list, Dave.

'''Myke:''' Philip S. says, the Franklin Christophe 45 is the perfect size for a pocket with a slip cover. It takes a number five year old for vintage options and comes in so many colors. I've traveled six hours to the Philly Pen Show for the primary purpose of finding the right 45.

'''Speaker 02:''' Yes. Love it. Anais says, my favorite stationary item is the Sailor Pro Gear Slim Shikiori Dragon Palace. It's my first gold nib, and after 10 years in the fountain pens hobby, I've been dreaming about Sailor pens for a long time. Finally decided to buy this pen as a gift to myself at the end of a very hard year of med school. Therefore, it has strong sentimental value to me. This pen is on my desk at all times. Just looking at it and writing notes with it lift my spirit during studying sessions. I could do a whole dissertation on this statement on why we buy and use the things we do and why we get enjoyment from. So I appreciate that. This is a constant theme in what we're reading here. So I appreciate that.

'''Myke:''' This is just between me and you. I have no idea what's happened to the format end of this document. I don't know why the colors have changed all of a sudden, but they have.

'''Speaker 02:''' Yep. I almost went to the wrong spot, but now I think we're back on track. Are you good with this? Yeah. It's just reversed. That's all. Yeah.

'''Myke:''' I did a thing in Google Sheets where you can add like alternate lines, get different colors, like so it makes it easier to read. Myke did a really good job, by the way. I worked for like an hour on just formatting this document. I manually added a row between every row. Yes. I had to right click add a row for every single thing.

'''Speaker 02:''' I was looking at this going, oh boy, how much was this was manual and how much was this? Most of it was manual. Most of it was manual. I could tell.

'''Myke:''' The colors have changed. I don't know why. We're just going to have to deal with that. Maybe I can change it. We'll find out in a moment. Where am I? Am I up to Andrew now?

'''Speaker 02:''' 126. No, you're on Ray. Oh, yes. 126. See how it messed me up? The colors change, but the tracking is correct.

'''Myke:''' Ray Toffoletto says, my Opus 88 fountain pen paired with Akkerman Park Pop Purple. Oh, that's fun to say. Because 88 is the year of my birth and I bought it on my birthday at Akkerman's shop in the Hague. Nice. The place where I got my first fountain pen a long time ago and I was studying in Holland. Number 16.

'''Speaker 02:''' Andrew says, my favorite stationary item is a nib, one created by Ralph Reyes, named the epilogue and inspired by the work of Mr. Nagahara at Sailor. It's one of Ralph's earliest creations. It's a three-layered nib that writes an extra fine line when held normally, a wet quintuple broad when held in reverse. This nib has found its home in a coned giraffe, a pen that is capable of keeping up with how much ink this nib guzzles. This nib and other examples of Ralph's creations have inspired people around the world to create and innovate, to experiment with what a nib can do. To use it is exciting, just as exciting as seeing what those who follow in his footsteps dream up. I think I know who this Andrew is.

'''Myke:''' Okay, so I'm up to number 128 here, right? Yeah. Correct. John Chow Seymour. Pilot Friction 0.38 millimeter erasable pens. Brad said on the podcast once something like, you wouldn't want to write one of these unless you specifically needed an erasable pen. But that's the thing. I always need to erase. What do the rest of you even do when you make a mistake? Scribble it out? My notes deserve better than to be filled with splotches. These pens have been a godsend, finally allowing me to take the notes the way I always wished I could, clean and color coded. I really appreciate the energy in that. It's good.

'''Speaker 02:''' I don't even need erasers on my pencils. That's how much I erase. Kit says, clear, Twisby Eco, what are you doing to me? I fixed the formatting, all right?

'''Brad:''' Leave me alone. I've been working on this. All of the colors changed again in front of front of the eyes.

'''Speaker 02:''' While I'm reading, the whole thing shifted.

'''Speaker 02:''' I still hadn't gotten that cough out of my throat. Kit says, clear Twisby Eco with a super 5 0.5 stub nib because it's the first nice pen I bought. I live in Australia. It's a $50 pen here. Plus, I learned I could swap the nib for another one. So the 05 stub is great. Just enough flair, but not too broad for my needlepoint gel loving self. Also, it's the one I'm about to pick up, pick back up and use because obviously it's a favorite pen I'm using.

'''Myke:''' This comes from Hugh. Nice try getting me to say something like a Simpsons joke there. Nice try. I'm smarter than that. A medium Pelican M800 with Pelican India ink, which gives a thick, thick, wet black line. Pity that that ink doesn't seem to be available anymore. Anyone got any better inks for this pen? Hugh goes in. Rule Breakers Club.

'''Speaker 02:''' David at Too Many Pelicans might know about that ink. Hi guys. Happy 500, 10 years. My favorite item of stationery is the Noodler's ink Bay State Blue. Being an Aussie, I live in a place populated with dangerous animals, so I really appreciate a dangerous ink. I didn't know where that was going and it went perfectly.

'''Myke:''' Mark Hopkins. I love fountain pen since I was a kid, but I didn't truly go down the rabbit hole until I discovered Tomoe River Paper. It was then that I understood each pen's personality and felt my desire to explore ink. There isn't a perfect paper or pen. There is just time and experience and a love of the hobby. But some things make it real and for me, that was Tomoe River Paper.

'''Speaker 02:''' Patrick says, the PACU, the pen addict cinematic universe. That's what keeps them going, Myke. The blog, the podcast, Twitch streams, Nock, RIP, Spoke, and the community around it. For me, one of the key things to enjoying a hobby is sharing with other people. And in some way, the PACU is great for that. I appreciate the sentiment. You are now on the list.

'''Myke:''' Oh, Brad put you on that list. Yeah. You're nice to him. Nothing. I know.

'''Speaker 02:''' I mean, he's like, I consider Patrick like a good friend. Like, I know Patrick. I've met him. You've met him many times at the Atlanta Pen Show. He is also on the not mentioning a product list.

'''Myke:''' Showbit says, the Parsons Essential Fountain Pen by Peter Ford, Mr. Pen UK. It was an invaluable tool for me while I wrote my doctoral thesis. Another one. Perfect weight and fit for my hands with dozens of nib grinds at 50 pounds approximately. I wish I was keeping a list of doctors.

'''Speaker 02:''' Marte says, After trying other solutions, my Hobonichi A5 cousin has become my favorite. It meets all of my needs, a place to track my schedule, my to-dos, and enough space to write down my thoughts and notes. I need a one journal system. I failed using a multiple notebook system of one for schedule and one for to-do lists and one for journaling. And of course, that paper.

'''Myke:''' Adam Turoff says, Needlepoint nibs like the Pilot Custom Heritage 912 PO or any of the great needlepoint nibs that modern nib grinders are making. All in the nib by Damien Alomar, Custom Nib Studio, Gina Solerino, Franklin Christoph, Myke Rumasuyama, Yukio Nagahara, and so forth.

'''Speaker 02:''' All the shout outs there, Adam. Thank you. Matthew, Myke's next favorite entrant, Schaefer Sovereign, Imperial Fountain Pen, and Sterling Silver.

'''Myke:''' That sounds kind of cool. Bettina. My journals. I started keeping a mostly daily journal in 2006 at the age of 17. I enjoy looking back through old books and remembering the time. For recent journals, I usually remember what was written in which book. This is very useful when looking for receipts or figuring out our last visit to the movies. However, my favorite book is the Some Lines a Day Leuchtturm. Is that a product? Is that what it's called?

'''Speaker 02:''' It's called Some Lines a Day. Yes. That is the literal name.

'''Myke:''' That's hard to, when you're reading it like that. Yes. I've started for my son one day prior to his birth when my water broke. The first year my husband and I enjoyed making up narratives about our days in the voice of our son. My favorite line was, it's in German. The translation is, so I don't turn into an orange or something, which my husband wrote when we had to take our son outside to avoid newborn jaundice. Now, in the second year of his life in the book, I can read back to the same day one year prior when making an entry and relive past memories. That's super cool. I'm not even sure what category to put Bettina in, honestly.

'''Speaker 02:''' Um, a category of awesomeness, Myke. That's the only category Bettina belongs in. I think we're going to let them go then. Chris Peters, my favorite fountain pen is my TWSBI ALR 580 Prussian Blue. Again, with an EF nib, even though I have a Pilot Custom 74, black with gold trim medium nib, I still use my 580 as my daily driver. I just love the ink capacity and how the steel nib is just so darn smooth, it just glides over paper. It's the smoothest writing experience I have and absolutely love it. My runner-up, uh-oh, it's my newly bought Mark I. I'm hoping I can snag a Cortex one. Dang it, Chris. Butt kisser. When they come back in stock, but they are another amazing recommendation I wouldn't have found without you guys. Keep up the awesome work and thank you.

'''Myke:''' Chris entered two categories. Chuckle Stuff says, although I have many fountain pens that I love using, the one that means the most to me is my Black Pilot Metropolitan. It was a birthday gift from my daughters that I received just after I started getting into the hobby. I have bought and sold a lot of pens over the past few years, but I will never sell this pen. My daughters didn't understand my love of fountain pens, but they researched the top five lists on the pen addict and bought me a pen that they thought suited me. I don't use it very often, but I love it. It's more than just a pen. Congratulations to the two of you for making it to 500 episodes. Hoping for another 500. Very cool. Very cool.

'''Speaker 02:''' Sergio Z, my favorite stationary item as of episode 500 is my binder work metal edge notebook. Why? Why? Yeah. Why? As a critical care physician, the last 24 months have been the most challenging of my life. Since January 2020, I've answered the following three prompts on a daily basis. I will focus on, I will let go of, and I am grateful for. This practice has proven to be most healing and has allowed me to enjoy my fountain pens and inks. The binder work notebook ties it all together. Thanks PA for being a positive vibe for this tired soul every Wednesday. Well, thank you, Sergio Z, for being amazing.

'''Myke:''' Josh M says, my favorite stationary item is my Parker 51 teal and metal Luzreloy aromatic with a right italic fine nib. I understood about two of those words.

'''Speaker 02:''' It's aerometric. Aerometric? Being a filling system. Yeah, yeah. Okay. Filling system.

'''Myke:''' Teal and metal. This is one pen? Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Okay. It is my second fountain pen and the second one I restored. Ah, it's vintage. Yeah. Now I know why I don't understand what any of those words mean.

'''Speaker 02:''' We've done this 500 times.

'''Myke:''' Look, come on. You know vintage pens I don't mess with. I took two broken 51s from eBay and made one working pen from them. I have no idea how the nib became a bright italic, but I love it that way. It has a mismatched body and has some character. It's a matchy matchy of my favorite ink, Waterloo Mysterious Blue. It inspired me to dive deep into the stationary rabbit hole and I use it every day.

'''Speaker 02:''' All right. 19. Geal. Geal.

'''Speaker 02:''' Geal says, my Lamy Studio Blue with extra fine nib because it got me into the hobby. It was a leaving present from my colleagues on my last day at my previous job. I also liked writing with my old fountain pen, which is why they gave me one. But this Lamy Studio made me realize what difference a good fountain pen can make. So I took an interest in the fountain pens and the interest turned into a hobby. Congratulations, Brad and Myke with 10 years and 500 episodes. I wish you many more episodes in the years to come. If you wish to win your own Lamy Studio, you can go to penchalet.com, click the radio podcast link on the button, type in the word pen addict, and there's a giveaway for five sets of pens and inks, including your very own Lamy Studio.

'''Myke:''' That's incredible. That's some vertical integration there. That wasn't even that. It's just Brad going rogue. Jack Bulkley. It is close, but I would choose my Ryan Crusack legend made from teak that I sent him. The teak was from the deck of the USS North Carolina battleship. Whoa. Son. All right. I'm happy we got a crew sack in here, actually.

'''Speaker 02:''' Nice, nice, nice. And big, big thoughts out to Ryan, who's going through some tough back stuff right now. So I hope he gets all squared away here soon and hope to see him on the road before too long. Annabelle Lee Enriquez. My favorite is the Blackwing Volume 155, the one with the Bauhaus design. He used my favorite Blackwing soft lead in the design, but the first time, black eraser clip is perfect. I bought the volume set of red, blue, and yellow gold pencil caps on Marisad, knowing that one day I will use up all the pencils in the box. Well, Annabelle, if you need some more, shoot me an email and I will send you mine.

'''Myke:''' This comes from Kelly. My favorite stationary is my blue Pilot Vanishing Point Decimo in brushed blue. Part of what makes it special is the medium nib that Mark Backer stubbed for me. The small amount of line variation makes my handwriting a bit more elegant, even when I scribble scratch. A second part is the knock sound that I can't lose. Oh, it's the second part is the knock sound and I can't lose the cap because there isn't a cap. The third part is the grip is close to the writing surface and just the right size for my small hands. Lastly, the pesky clip placement. Actually, idiot proofs the pen for me as I never have to worry about which side or edge I try to write with. Thanks for all you do. And I'm glad Dana Stevens mentioned you a very long time ago.

'''Speaker 02:''' Super, super awesome. Super smart. Joel, my favorite stationary item is the Pilot Custom A23 with the transparent barrel, which is always inked with one of Brad's favorites, Pilot Orochizuku Shinkai. It's a fantastic rider and a level of pen that I never imagined I would own, but I was able to obtain for a reasonable price from a member of the Pen Attic Slack. Using it reminds me of the generosity and kindness of the entire Pen Attic community. A huge thanks to Brad and Myke for bringing us all together.

'''Myke:''' I'm going to let this one go. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. I agree. That's a correct decision. This is one of the most challenging questions someone could ask. Let's see if you rose to the challenge, Isaac. Here we go. Here we go.

'''Speaker 02:''' How many lists will you be on?

'''Myke:''' I would say that my favorite stationary item is the blank page. I know that at its face, my response seems very abstract in general, but hear me out. No, Isaac, someone already did this. We have one for paper.

'''Speaker 02:''' We have a vote for paper.

'''Myke:''' When confronted with a challenging task that you can't solve in your head, you go to the blank page to visualize or record your thoughts. The blank page is used to draft ideas and communicate to others. It can be used to leverage the work of others and can be used to compose a symphony. But why not ink? Why not the pen or pencil? Because the page is used as literally the canvas upon which the most important ideas are presented. It is the backdrop that is mundane in its appearance. It's not the focus, but rather the foundation for thought. Isaac is a big thinker, Brad.

'''Speaker 02:''' Isaac right now in my head is standing behind a podium at a high school gymnasium. Here's my TED talk about paper. The red velvet carpet. It's beautiful. I love it. This is great. Keep going.

'''Myke:''' It represents opportunity in strife. Imagine the writer struggling to get the first word down or the artist drawing the first line. In my own career, I have faced my nemesis, the blank page. It has forced me to release my thoughts and to make a statement. Every day is wasted when I leave the page blank. Over the past eight years, I never saw myself becoming a writer filling the thousands of blank pages as I have done over the years. I've provided an opportunity to help and inspire others. So I say look to the paper, whiteboard, tablet, or napkin with any marking instrument handy. The blank page is my favorite.

'''Speaker 02:''' He might be going on your list, but this is great.

'''Myke:''' Oh, without a shadow of a doubt, Brad.

'''Speaker 02:''' Every day is wasted when I leave the page blank. I like it.

'''Myke:''' Okay.