Editing The Pen Addict 247/transcript (section)

== CW Pencils Subscription Box ==


'''Brad Dowdy:''' Another thing I got in the mail last week, it was a hotly anticipated item from CW pencils, their subscription box. Number one. So did you see my, uh, my Instagram post with everything that was in it? So it's got lots of stuff in it. Um, I thoroughly enjoyed opening this box and seeing what was in it. Like, that's the thing about this type of subscription service when they're not the manufacturer of the product, but rather they're the curator of the box. Um, like field notes or Baron fig, they're the manufacturer for their subscriptions. CW has to curate the set, make it a cohesive thing. And send it out into the world and hope it's, hope it's well-recepted. Um, hope everyone's receptive to it. Um, I loved it. They did a really great job putting this together. What they did was their first one is called the classic box. So out the gate, they essentially wanted to do like a retro themed. Here's kind of where like, you know, the yellow pencil style came from. Um, and one of the original reporters notebooks. And there's like this whole fold out, like that thing on the left, Myke is like a four, three page fold out. Oh really? A little book. Like you open it up. It's completely filled with like a paragraph description of each item in the box.

'''Myke Hurley:''' I wonder for a moment if they were all handwritten, but it doesn't look like that's the case.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' They totally, I don't know how they got this to print, but I keep touching it like it's going to smear.

'''Myke Hurley:''' It's really good. It looks great. Like they've nailed the printing of making it look like a pencil.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' It's very, very well done. Yep. Yep. So I don't even know how they, they did that, but whoever they work with for that is, it's killer. And the whole inside's handwritten in the same, the same way as it is on the front. So it's wonderful.

'''Myke Hurley:''' And I assume, I mean, I assume that's Caroline who's written that.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Oh, I don't know.

'''Myke Hurley:''' It could have been anybody there. Right. But like that, that's, that's the dream, right? Like the idea.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yes. That's the idea. So it says fondly Caroline, Alex, Caitlin, and Meredith. And like Meredith did the artwork for the postcard that you see at the top of the image. So that's a hand drawn eraser of the eraser that was included in the box. So like, that's the kind of cool stuff you're getting. Like that's something that they had printed to add into your things. Yeah. So what we like, and you've already said it in this show earlier, you want a cohesive idea and you want it to tell a story. Well, they did everything right in this box.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Also nice background on your picture there, Brad.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' My wife is taking full credit for that. I just want, I have to be clear on that. Every picture she sees, I was like, oh, you like those backgrounds? I got you. I was like, yeah, you know what? You did really good on that. So I got like two new backgrounds to take pictures on and they really make all the, like the stationary stuff pop. So yes, props to Mrs. Penaddict on, on that one. And she reminds me all the time. I was like, oh, that background looks good. I'm like, yeah, I know you're the best.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' She didn't care about the picture, but she's like, oh, that looks good on that background. I'm like, I know. So, um, four pencils, an eraser, a sharpener, reporter's notebook, the postcard. Um, the pencils, what I, why I chose to subscribe to this is because I want to try more pencils. And, you know, I was able to, they included something, um, that I've always heard about. And that's the general semi hex, which in the little pamphlet, it says originating from the early 1900s and made in America's oldest pencil factory. We consider this to be the best yellow American pencil around. Try it in this slightly softer number one grade. So that's what they concluded. So like they think this is the best yellow pencil in America that America's produced. So that pencil has a story. It's cool. So each pencil down the line has a story.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' And the Steno book, the reporter's book, it has a story. This notebook, Myke, did you know that this notepad has a place in the Smithsonian? It was first, it was first created over 70 years ago when a journalist asked a stationer to cut a spiral bound notebook in half to fit his pants pocket and the rest is history. So this is that model of notebook, you know, based off the original. So it's lots of cool stuff like that. The only negative I have is that, okay, so let's see. So the, there's a blog called the weekly pencil and it's a, her name is Deidre and she does a great job and she just basically did a price breakdown of all the products that were in there for those who are wondering what they get for their price, things like that. I'm not super concerned about that, but I will say the paper mate Mongol pencil. I really wanted because I love the Mongol logo. It's the least expensive product in the box. Like Deidre has the cost of this pencil, 17 cents, which is fine, except like my Mongol, the graphite core is broken. So like when you sharpen it, like the lead falls out, right? Like it's, have you ever had a pencil like that where you sharpen it, but the lead just falls out. So it's cracked on the inside. So the only thing I can say on this first box, if I was to give any recommendation is don't let the most inexpensive product in your box, take the rest of it down. Like in this case, I don't think it necessarily did because I love all the other products so much more, but don't let something that's so inexpensive like this be a negative.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Yeah. Like maybe just don't include it.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Right.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Yeah. Yeah.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Or include something else. You know, it's, it's part of the story. It's a traditional pencil. The Mongol brand's been around forever. It's still popular in other parts of the world. But like mine is unusable and you don't think of it in the entirety of the box, the $30 box as well. It's just a 17 cent pencil. You think of it as, Hey, it was part of my $30 subscription and I got like a janky pencil out of that. Um, so don't let the tiniest item, you know, be something that people remember this box for. If that, if that makes sense. And like, I mean, it's a perfect box for me. I love the cron to ash pencil, the technograph. It has the coolest stamping on it. Um, I've never seen so much gold stamping on a single line of a pencil before it says technograph. Then it's got like three gold fish, cron to ash, Swiss made seven, seven, seven. I don't know what that means. This is the jackpot pencil or something HB. And then the, uh, the forest, uh, certified, you know, so it's, it's the most stuff I've ever seen on a single pencil. And then the magic pencil. Of course, I got a jumbo magic pencil. This is, this is the ticket. Like this is one of my favorite things. And this is, I actually prefer this jumbo size. We bought some of the, uh, traditional sizes, um, for my kids and you like go through those too fast. Um, but I learned about these from Anna and, uh, Anna was giving them out at the DC pen show last year, but this is the big jumbo magic pencil.

'''Myke Hurley:''' And when I went there with the, with the armaments, I think everybody left with one of those. Oh, no doubt. It's like, how do you not pick one of those things up?

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yeah. Yeah. So I, I've loved writing with the magic pencil so far. And you know what I said when I opened this box is, wow, I don't think I have a jumbo pencil sharpener. Well, the sharpener they included in the box is from Faber Castell. It's got two holes. It's got standard and jumbo size. So you can sharpen your standard pencils and you can sharpen your, sharpen your jumbo size pencils. So they kind of thought of everything here. And the, uh, the eraser works surprisingly well. It's a very retro styled eraser. It looks like something I'd find on my grandfather's desk. Like when, um, I would, I would go through his, all his desk stuff when he was a artist, you know, and, uh, and steal whatever I, I could get my hands on. So very happy with this release. I look forward to what they do and, um, you know, keeps, keep telling these stories, keep putting these things together because, uh, I love them and I think, uh, everyone else will like them too. Yeah.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Yeah. Uh, even though I'm not a big pencil person, like just looking at that arrangement, like I want, I want it. Right. And, uh, two things. One, the box is still sold out. They sold so well. And two, they don't ship international. But when they do, I might, I might just, I might just get, get the occasional because it looks so pretty. Like it's put together so well with such care. Like, I like it. It's everything about CW pencils, right? The whole attitude and style of the company, like speaks to me greatly. Exactly. They do a fantastic job. Just great minds over there.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yep.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Today's show is brought to you by Mack Weldon. Mack Weldon is better than whatever you're wearing right now, unless you are my co-host, Mr. Brad Dowdy, because he divulged to me before the show that he's currently wearing pink Mack Weldon underwear today, which I was, we do this, you know, at the start of the course, like, Hey Myke, Hey Brad, how are you? Yeah. Good, good, good. What underwear are you wearing today? It's just a usual way that we just start the show together. You know, it's part of our warmup. So what do you think of your, your Mack Weldon underpants, Mr. Brad Dowdy?

'''Brad Dowdy:''' You know, I take my underpants seriously. Very seriously. Yep. And if I'm not comfortable in what I'm wearing, I'm not going to wear them. So clearly I'm quite comfortable in Mack Weldon's boxer shorts, especially these pink ones. Um, these pink ones are my favorite. Um, I need to order multiple of them. They have little white, uh, polka dots on them. And, uh, I'm a huge fan.

'''Myke Hurley:''' They are the most Brad Dowdy underpants I think I've ever heard.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' I mean, this was, this was a lock that I was getting these, right? I mean, it's just a stone cold lock. Uh-huh. That I'm wearing them, um, unbeknownst to who our advertisers were today. Um, just should tell you everything you need to know. Oh, they're good looking.

'''Myke Hurley:''' I'm looking at the Mack Weldon website right now.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' You cannot, um, you cannot be, be cheap or not thoughtful with, with your underpants, with your undergarment selections, Myke. It's true. It's very important. Some would say the most important. Most. Um, piece of gear that you're, that you're wearing on a daily basis. And, uh, I really love my Mack Weldon pink and white polka dot boxer shorts.

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