Editing The Pen Addict 335/transcript (section)

== LegalPad Discussion ==


'''Brad Dowdy:''' All right. Let's talk about a product that I really wanted to love as much as you love the Pokemon, but it didn't quite get there for me. And that's the Retro 51 Tornado Dimitri Mechanical Pencil, the Tornado Mechanical Pencil. So let me start by asking you, Myke, do you have any of the Tornado Mechanical Pencils from Retro 51?

'''Myke Hurley:''' I have the LegalPad one. Okay. Yeah, sure. Right. Which I only bought because I thought it was super cute because it's a paper, right? It's paper and it's a pencil. I just and it just seems to be cute to me. So I got it.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Exactly. So I never owned one of these because I never thought I needed it. It wasn't really like how I like to use a pencil, but I always wanted one to try and test out. And I saw this Dimitri one for Dimitri Medvedev who, you know, created the periodic table of elements. And even though I'm not necessarily like, you know, someone who's hardcore into science or anything like that, just the looks of this pencil just knocked my socks off. Right. This is what Retro 51 does the best. Right. They does their their design department just is killer. And this this came out so great. So I figured this was the one I was going to jump. I never jumped on any of the previous pencils, you know, like the crossword or the legal pad like you you you were talking about or like Myke Dudek did the system pencil to pair with the pen. And it's like, I probably won't use that. But this one, this one got me going. So I ordered it and it was kind of a letdown. Like it's not the expected feel and style and use of a mechanical pencil that I want. So maybe I'm being a little unfair tying it completely personally to how I use products. But the way this one worked, I wouldn't use. The lead felt kind of weird. It was very hard and plasticky, which means it doesn't wear down fast, but it just wasn't a pleasurable writing experience. The lead also moved sometimes when it hit the page. Right. Because it's not a knock based mechanical pencil. It's a twist. So I felt like the twist would twist up on itself sometimes when I started writing and you could see like the lead move because the lead is thick. It's a 1.5 millimeter lead with. So you can see it happening and it's a little disconcerting. And it just didn't get there for me. And by getting there, I mean to make it a product I want to use regularly. So like I have it now and I'll keep it just because it's the only one and I can, you know, revisit it or I can test it against other things. So I'll hang on to it. But I don't see me ever using this pencil. And I kind of wanted to just because it looks so cool. But I but that's OK. Like it's just not the pencil for me and maybe other people like it. But I just want a more traditional styled mechanical pencil that that works better. The looks in this case did not beat out the functionality of the pencil to me.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Yeah, I genuinely think of these like the retro 51 mechanical pencils more of a novelty in the tornado. Like the hexamatic is a is a better mechanical pencil. Absolutely. I can't. The tornado ones feel like fun ones to me. It isn't their best work. Right. Yeah. It's like the current or like the previous fountain pens haven't been that great either.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yeah. I'm totally surprised that this pencil didn't make the the the list of the on the strategist. Like this is the perfect product for them.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Although it's a pencil, not a pen. That was a pen list. So but yeah, like I yeah, it's a it's very cool looking. This would be it's a great gift purchase for someone who's, you know, looking for something like this or who's really like science based because man, they they can they can nail a design. But this is just this and a great, great product. You mentioned the fountain pen. It looks like we didn't have this in the show notes, but it looks like they changed the section. Myke, it looks like the feedback is happening. Goulet pens have one of the new retro 51 exclusives and it's a fountain pen and the sections completely changed. It's molded and it's shiny. So I'll be anxious to get one to see if they have really changed. If they've changed, that'll be good because everything else about their fountain pens is great. It's just I didn't like the grip section.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Huh. OK. That's exciting. Is this the Montana? Yes. Christmas. Yeah. Christmas. Yeah. Look at that. That's different.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yep. So it's it's molded. Oh, it's got a Joe. Shiny. Yeah.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Joe. Everything.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Everything about the front end of that pen looks improved. So I'll be anxious to get one in hand to see. Are you getting one? If it really is. I'm not getting one of these now.

'''Myke Hurley:''' All right.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' I just don't need this one. I have this one in a rollerball, which I love. So do I. That's why I don't want them because I already have the design. I'll wait for a fountain pen that I want to use regularly. Yep. You know, and this one I won't. This one I would just buy and use and put away and not want to use it all the time. It's it's it's Christmas sweater, which is great. It's an awesome design. But I'll wait and see what the next round of official fountain pen releases are and see if they have the same section and nib. If they do, that's nice to hear them or to see them listening to feedback on on the fountain pen product. So that's great.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Next week is a horror stories slash ask TPA special. But there's a couple of ask TPA questions that came in that couldn't be missed because they were about Thanksgiving.