Editing The Pen Addict 400/transcript (section)

== Sponsor Acknowledgment and Brand Highlights ==


'''Myke Hurley:''' We did it. We got through it. That's fountain pens. Oof. Now, we want to talk about a couple of other things to round out today's episode, like some brands that we love and also some things that come up frequently on the show as well. Before we do, let me thank our second sponsor of this episode, and that is ExpressVPN. I think it is fair to say that we all want to browse the internet without the rest of the world knowing what we're doing. We all know about incognito windows. But did you know that even in incognito mode, your online activity could actually still be traced? Even if you clear your browsing history, your internet service provider could see every single website you've ever visited, and that's why you want ExpressVPN. They make sure that your ISP or anybody else can't see what sites you're visiting. Instead, your internet connection is rerouted through secure servers that ExpressVPN are offering to you. They're looking after them. Each server has an IP address that's shared among thousands of users, which means that everything that you do is anonymized and can't be traced back to you. It also encrypts 100% of your data with the best-in-class encryption, so your information is always protected even when you're using public Wi-Fi, like at a cafe or a hotel. That's where I use ExpressVPN the most is when I'm traveling. But the thing is, and the thing is great about this, it's not just like if you're up to something you shouldn't be, right? It's not what we're talking about here, but you deserve privacy in your life, right? Like we're humans. We're in this modern world. People deserve privacy. That's something that is like a fundamental human right, and so you can get that for yourself with ExpressVPN. It is rated the number one by TechRadar, Wired, The Verge, and more, and you can use the internet in confidence from your computer, tablet, or smartphone. Just tap one button and you are protected. Protect yourself online today and protect your online activity as well. Find out more about how you can get three months for free at expressvpn.com. That's expressvpn.com for three months free. If we're on your package, I'll give you that URL one more time. expressvpn.com. Thanks to ExpressVPN for their support of this show and RelayFM.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' All right, this next section, Myke, I included it just to talk about some of the brands that come up repeatedly in our first 399 episodes. Now, we're just going to give a little bit of highlight, a little bit of commentary on a few of these brands. This won't take too long, but I want to tell all of our old-time listeners, I promise I left your favorite brand off this list.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Yes, we did it purposefully to annoy you. So we'll start, we'll break these down, some of these brands into, like the pen brands, we'll break down geographically, and then we'll talk about some popular paper and ink brands. And we don't say these are the best, we don't say they're necessarily our favorites, but they are companies that come up a lot on the show and we think are important to know about. So in Europe, we have Pelican.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yeah, so Pelican is one of the biggest pen companies in the world. They are, for me, one of the pen companies that I measure other things against because they're really good at what they do. For example, in the fountain pen world, they have what I think is the best piston filler. For a lot of people, they have what's considered the best nibs. And they are just a classic design that is just world-renowned and well-respected. Aurora. Aurora gets into the Italian market and there's, I also have, we'll include Montegrappa in that as well. They both make very Italian pens. They can sometimes be like very loud, very unique materials. In the case of Montegrappa, very unique designs. And they're companies that as a pen addict, I watch a lot for what they're creating because they do a lot of interesting things. They may not always be for you. You know, just like Visconti is another brand there as well. They're all on the expensive side, these ones as well. These are all very pricey pens in general. They have lower end pens, but their forte is in, you know, the expensive mid-range to very expensive types of pens. On the opposite end of the ledger is another German brand called Lamy. We talk about Lamy a lot because they do very interesting things at a more normal price point for the vast majority of us and our listeners. And they have been around for a long time. They make really unique designs that have withstood the test of time. The Lamy 2000 is one of the most famous fountain pens ever made. The Lamy Safari is right up there with it, I would argue.

'''Myke Hurley:''' You've probably seen the Lamy Safari in your stationery store.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yes. It's a very common, very easy, very accessible pen. The last one in the European section is Mont Blanc, which I mentioned them because even though they're not talked about in this show a lot, in the public fountain pen space, they are talked about often with reverence. And there's good reason for that. It is a luxury brand, so they're very expensive. But a lot of people's first fountain pen is a gift. And a lot of times it's a Mont Blanc. It was mine. Yeah. And people want to know about that brand. So it is a brand that comes up from time to time. I'm into Mont Blanc inks. They are a very, very good ink maker. I have one or two Mont Blanc pens. It's not a very common thing for me, but they do come up a lot. And it's a very, very good pen company.

'''Myke Hurley:''' They make some really beautiful stuff. And every now and then, both of us lost over a Mont Blanc product of some description. Absolutely. But they are, when looking at our overall market, they're overpriced compared to a lot of their competitors. Right.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' That's another reason why, in the canon of the Pen Addict podcast, we'll discuss them as they relate to other similar brands.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Because they don't necessarily do a lot of stuff that other companies don't do for cheaper. But they are, and I get it, that's fashion. You're paying more for the Mont Blanc brand, which is, in certain circles, very important.