Editing The Pen Addict 338/transcript (section)

== Product Discussion Shift ==


'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yeah. So, I mean, to get 2019 off to a good start, I need fresh underwear, Myke. So, what do you got for me?

'''Myke Hurley:''' Mack Weldon. Because they make the most comfortable underwear, socks, shirts, undershirts, hoodies, and sweatpants that you will ever adorn your wonderful body with, Brad. Frankly, Mack Weldon, they make better stuff than whatever you're wearing right now. And they're so confident of this fact they have a no-question-search return policy. You buy what you want from them. And if you're not comfortable with it, if you don't love it, you can just keep your first pair and they'll refund you. They don't want your underwear back. No questions asked. You keep it. By pairing premium fabrics with meticulous attention to detail and a great shopping experience, which is super simple, Mack Weldon delivers a new level of daily comfort straight to your door. They make undershirts that stay tucked, socks that stay up, and waistbands that do not roll. Everything they make is made with premium cotton blended with natural fibers, and their website is built to get you in and out as quickly as possible. Since we started working with Mack Weldon, sent me a bunch of stuff, I have since used my own money to replace all of my underwear with Mack Weldon underwear. I have bought a second pair of their incredible sweatpants. I am a big, big fan of this company and the products that they make. They are genuinely very, very good, very comfortable. They look great. They have great patterns. Huge fan of Mack Weldon. They also have their silver underwear and shirts. These are naturally antimicrobial, means that they eliminate odor, which is some cool science stuff. They keep you dry. They keep you fresh. Mack Weldon's stuff is amazing for just being around and about in everyday life, but maybe you want to wear it to the gym. You can do that. It's great for working out. Great for whatever you want to be doing. For me, it's traveling a lot of the time as well. Super comfortable stuff. The listeners of this show can get 20% off their first order at MackWeldon.com with the code PENADDICT at checkout. That's 20% off when you go to M-A-C-K-W-E-L-D-O-N.com with the code PENADDICT or one word at checkout to get 20% off. Our thanks to Mack Weldon for their support of this show and RelayFM.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' So we're not completely void of new products to talk about here, and I had a couple I wanted to bring up. First off being the Blackwing Volume 4, which just landed in my mailbox this week or late last week. And before I talk about it, Myke, I wanted to know if you ever have the case to reach into the pencil pouch that I sent you and use a wooden pencil like in the past month or two that you've had these. Do you ever run across a scenario where you say, I need a wooden pencil today?

'''Myke Hurley:''' These Blackwing look nice.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' All right. I'll take that as a no. And I'm okay with that. Like, I'm okay with that. Like, it's not for everybody. So Blackwing Volume 4 is a tribute to Mars. So we'll have the link in the show notes in there. It's about the Mars mission that NASA is taking in 2020 to send a new rover to Mars. And what Blackwing did with this edition is everything that I want in a special edition product. So they have a story to tell. They have a visual look that they executed on. And they delivered kind of like the 10 out of 10 edition as far as, like, what I expect. Now, that's not to say this is my favorite. It's far from it. But what you want out of your special edition brands is this.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' The neat thing about this pencil that I enjoy so much, it has, like, a little bit of a gritty texture on there. Like, you can barely feel the pencil. It's supposed to be, like, the surface of the planet. You know, like, the sand-based, you know, distressed rocks and things like that. So, I love this pencil. This is 100% exactly what I want to see from anyone who's doing subscriber stuff. You know, like, quarterly editions, like Blackwing, Field Notes, on and on and on. So, it's great. It's not my favorite. It's probably not even top five. But they nailed it.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Now I'm going to get... What's the word I'm looking for? I don't know if pedantic is the right word. But I'm going to get Brad for a minute here. Okay. And just talk about the big picture of this release. And say something that doesn't necessarily relate to the design of this pencil. Because I think this is a perfectly executed product. It's perfect. I got this pencil two releases ago. Essentially. Visually speaking, I just got this pencil. And then the last pencil they sent me, I already had that one too. So, two pencils ago, we got this red clay looking pencil. I forget the name of the puzzle that the pencil was made around. And it looked almost like this. The 1001 set. What's the game called? It's the Ken Ken puzzle.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' It's this pencil, essentially. But with a gold ferrule and black eraser. So, two editions ago, I got almost the same visual style. Last edition, I got an all black pencil, which you sent me in the beginning. That's a lot of similarity in a really short time frame. Like, it makes me, it just makes me go, huh. Like, there's nothing bad about this. But it's just an observation that I had. When I got this pencil, I was like, oh, this is super cool. I just got this pencil. You just sent me this. And when I got the black one, the last, the 33 and a third one, the previous one, I did not like at all. Like, I think they... No, that was bad. I think they just did not handle that well. I think they handled this almost perfectly. Like, on a standalone product, it's perfect. In the scope of volumes, the last three releases are not moving the needle as a collective group, if that makes sense. I don't know if that's fair by me to say these things. That's just how I see it when I got this pencil. As a standalone product, it's practically perfect. It's executed exactly what I expect. From a collective grouping of volumes, it starts to look disappointing when you pair it with other recent things that I've received from this subscription service. So, I just wanted to point that out. These are the conversations I have in my head. You know, it's not a statement on the brand or their company or anything. It's just an observation I had that I came to immediately when I opened this box. I opened the box. I was like, this looks like the pencil I just got. So, I don't know. I just wanted to bring that up.

'''Myke Hurley:''' So, interesting.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yeah. So, whatever. It's a thing. And then, the next thing I talk about is notebooks. Well, pretty much all notebooks are like, right? You know, that's the joke. Well, why does anyone need a fancy pen? It's just a pen. Why does anyone need a fancy notebook? It's just paper. Well, that's why we're here, Myke. We like the fancy things. We like the fancy things like the Blackwing Volume 4. And I like the new Elemental Paper Ionine Edition. So, Elemental Paper did a Kickstarter. Standard paper notebooks. And I really liked mine. This was the paper, if you recall, where there was QC issues on. And some people got paper where their fountain pen inks bled a lot. And then, some people didn't. Like, I was in one of the groups that didn't. But now they're... And then, they've released a couple of other editions since then. And now, they've released a Tomoe River Paper Edition, which for $25, it looks stunning. It's sitting on my desk. I haven't cracked it open yet. I know I'm going to like it. Anything with Tomoe River Paper in there seems to be good. Just like the Ellia Note, which I gave away last week. It's the Tomoe River Paper notebooks. When you grab one and pick one up and feel it and start using it, you're like, that's really nice. It's also practically 500 pages, which is intimidating, right? But this goes back to the whole notebook conversation I've been personally having with myself and on this show for the past month or so, right? So, it's fantastic. I love it. I like what Elemental Paper is doing. I think their style and branding is completely on point. And I am anxious to see what I do with this notebook. That's why I haven't opened it yet. What am I going to do with this notebook? Am I going to send it to someone to review? Am I going to use it myself? How am I going to figure this out? So, to be determined, Myke.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' So, to help me out, figure these things out, I've got some podcasts. To listen to, Myke. A couple shout-outs this week. I don't think we've ever mentioned the Take Note podcast on this show. I actually went back and searched because I thought for sure I had mentioned them because they're like 30-something episodes into it now. Adam and Ted do a good job talking about paper and products and stationery and real-life stuff and writing. I actually met Adam at Drum Ghouls in Houston this year, earlier this year. So, that was cool. So, check that out. They do a great job over at Take Note. And then, not another pen podcast, Myke, which I just discovered through the pen addict slack. The people behind this podcast, I've downloaded but not listened yet. So, I don't know exactly what's going on here. But there are four episodes in. Anyone talking about stationery is a friend of mine. So, go check it out. And I'll listen up for next week. See, give my thoughts on it. So, I have episode four downloaded. See if I'll go back and listen to the first three. See what they're all about. But, yeah. I think it formed out of a group of friends from a Discord group on fountain pens. And here you go. Not another pen podcast, Myke. We can always use more pen podcasts.

'''Myke Hurley:''' I wonder what it's about. If it's not another pen podcast, I wonder what it's about.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' I don't know. Maybe we should take note of that.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Hey-o. All right. Today's show is also brought to you by our friends. Over at Squarespace, make your next move with Squarespace. They let you easily create a website for your next idea or project. With the ability to grab a unique domain name, take advantage of award-winning templates, have everything backed up by 24-7 customer support, and so much more, Squarespace is the all-in-one platform that will let you put your project online. Whether you want to create a portfolio or a blog, a site for your business, a site for your restaurant, a site for an upcoming event, or take advantage of their online store functionality like Brad mentioned earlier. You know, like he has the pen addict, which is his blog that he has on Squarespace. But if he wants to sell something, he can just enable a page with the commerce functionality built right into it. It's super, super easy to do all of this. So easy. And this is why you should use Squarespace. because of how easy they make it. Everything's super customizable, but still looks great. It's really, really a wonderful service. You can try it out for free. Just go to squarespace.com slash pen addict. You can sign up for their trial and you'll have full access. You can go in and you can customize the website to your heart's content. And then when you're ready to put it out to the entire world, you can sign up for a plan. Their plans start at just $12 a month. But if you use the code pen addict, you'll get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain and show you support for this show. Once again, that is squarespace.com slash pen addict and the code pen addict for 10% off your first purchase. Our thanks to Squarespace for their support of this show, Squarespace. Make your next move. Make your next website.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' So we did a full Ask TPA and Horror Stories episode a few weeks back. Very fun. And it was awesome. That was one of our highlights of the year for sure. And we have way more Ask TPA to get to. And Myke, I probably have at least eight more Horror Stories in my inbox right now. Yes. So we'll save the Horror Stories for, I don't know, maybe next week or whenever we record again. But these are the leftover Ask TPAs from that episode that we just couldn't get to. There's so many good questions and some I wanted to explore a little bit. So the first one I'm going to get to is from CAW32895. Which sub $200 fountain pen is the best all-around pen for all situations? Can be dressy and worn with a suit and be thrown around in your pocket without getting too beaten up. Also, which nib size and ink for bad work copy paper?

'''Brad Dowdy:''' I answered this like I was replying directly in an email. And I'm replying directly in a podcast to say, is saying the Lamy 2000 too easy? It feels like that's the correct answer. That's it, man.

'''Myke Hurley:''' That is 100% it. No, because that's not even easy. Like I was sitting there trying to think of that. And I think the Lamy 2000 is perfect because it is a wonderful pen. We were writing out our holiday cards over the weekend. Got it. Loved it. Yeah, you got it? Excellent. Yeah. And we used the Lamy 2000 for that as well. It was just like I was thinking because Idina was writing out the addresses. And I was like, hmm, I need a good pen that I need to fill with a red ink. I don't have anything filled with a red ink. It's like, what can I give her that I know is going to work great for her? It's like, well, the Lamy 2000. Because it's, well, okay. It is a very reliable pen provided you get a reliable one. Make sure that you buy your 2000 from somewhere that has a good return policy. Because sometimes they can be a bit strange. But you know immediately, right? Like if something's wrong with your 2000, you know immediately. On the nib. On the nib. But the pen barrel. Yeah.

'''Myke Hurley:''' But I think that this is the right choice. People in the chat room are saying, why not the Vanishing Point? Vanishing Point is not the right answer. It is not as. It's too particular. It's far too particular. It isn't as universal. Like the Lamy 2000, if you like fountain pens, you will like this pen. Because there's nothing gregarious about it. There's nothing outrageous about it. Like you might not love it. But I think it's, I think a lot of people would be hard pressed to find a serious problem with the 2000.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yeah. It's a workhorse. It can be elegant. It can be on a workbench. Like it can be in your jeans pocket. It could be in your suit pocket. It could be in a purse. It can do anything and look appropriate in any situation. And take a beating if it has to. I just kind of feel that's the right answer. You know, I carry, you know, more like just straight up resin base pens. Like a Sailor or something like that. More than the Lamy 2000. But I think the 2000 is the right answer. For the nib and ink for bad work copy paper. The finer the better. So extra fine on Lamy is still pretty wide. Even for me. And then you want to use your base color inks. Like Lamy Blue or Lamy Black. Or like I like Pilot Blue and Pilot Black. Those would be perfectly fine to use. If you want to start getting into fancy color inks. Well then we probably have a little bit longer conversation. But if you use the stock brand inks. Like the basic colors. I think you'll be in good shape. And the finer the nib the better. I believe. Especially like if you start to get into a broad with a Lamy. That's like a practically a 1.5 millimeter stub. Those things are huge. So they're nice if you want that effect. But like for work and copy paper. You're probably going to have a bad time. So that's what I'll go with. It feels right Myke. So Mando Mueller says. A pencil is only as good as its point. So what's Brad's EDC sharpener. As well as his desktop sharpener. If different. They are different. For the desk. I love the Uni KH20. Which I learned something this week. Myke from our good friend Tony in the chat room. It too has a different tip size setting. Where you can get a sharp pointed .5 millimeter point. Or you can get more of a squared off stub point. I didn't realize my favorite pencil sharpener even had this feature. Until I wrote the review of a different pencil sharpener. On the Pen Addict this week. And got feedback from Tony saying. Hey by the way. Your great pencil sharpener is even greater. So there you go. That's my favorite desk sharpener. For portable. I like the Coom Longpoint. Actually Jeff just did a review last week. On the Palomino branded one. It's kind of perfect for just everyday. You know easy to carry. Easy to clean out. Great point sharpening. And you know good price. It's just a really really good all around sharpener. So there's a review on the blog for that. That just went up. And then if you're really into pencils. And want a portable sharpener. That is kind of the. At the top of the list. In like quality. But also in price. Like it's over $20. The Coom masterpiece. Is just. It's really really neat. Sharpener. It doesn't have the self contained.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Like little container for your. Your. Excess. What's the word I'm looking for? Shavings? Shavings. Your shavings. It doesn't have the shavings container. I like container for your excess. That's fine. That's fine too. I was totally stuck there. And yeah. So you have to sharpen it like over a trash can. Or a bin. Or some type of container. Something like that. It's going to get everywhere.

'''Myke Hurley:''' You know. Happy to just be. Covered in mess.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yeah. Dump it on your desk. Whatever. But it's. It's the fancy. EDC sharpener. If you will. You know. All aluminum construction. You know. Super sharp blades. Two state. Two step. To get you that extra long. Sharp point. It's awesome. That's the one I kind of keep at my desk. For a portable one. And when I. If I. Know I'm going to take pencils out. That's the one I take with me. But I think the Coom long point. Is more approachable. To everybody.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Cool.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' All right. Next up. We got Brody McD. What kind of black ink. Is in platinum preppy. Market carts. Any thoughts on permanent blacks. To refill cartridges. Via bottle and syringe. So. The black ink. And the platinum preppy. Is just standard platinum black ink. I'm sure. It's not the carbon ink. I'm sure. It's just basic platinum black. Which is a great ink. But. The platinum carbon ink. You can actually get it in cartridges. And. That's a permanent black ink. So you wouldn't even have to. You could refill. Via bottle and syringe. Or you can just get the platinum carbon ink cartridges. If you want to get an ink bottle. You could try sailor nano black. As a different one too. So. That's one. You could just have to bottle fill. Because the cartridges. Would not be compatible. But. Yeah. You can cut straight to the chase. And go with. Carbon. Platinum carbon ink cartridges.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' 24 hours. 100 miles. Has had tons of issues. With Kaweco nibs. But love the pens. I keep going back. And I love. And love each one I own. What brand. Pen. Paper and ink. Can you just not quit? That's a. That's a really good question. So they're saying. Like. Kaweco gives me a problem. But I keep going back to them. Because I love them. I haven't had. The problems I've had with. Kaweco. As many other people have. And I think it's just kind of. A consensus. That they're. Fine. And extra fine nibs. Tend to be. More consistent. Than their medium and broad nibs. Although they've. Switched up. From Bach to Yovo. Here. In the past year. So maybe some of that consistency. Is better. For me. It's Twisby. Like. I know. People have sworn off the brand. Because they had some serious. Construction. Issues. And just. The barrels were breaking. And cracking. And doing things. They weren't supposed to do. And people said. That's enough. That's enough for me. And I always went back. I've never had. That type of issue. With Twisby. And it's never kept me away from them. So that's. The brand for me. That you. You agree with that?

'''Myke Hurley:''' I agree. I had some issues. We both had some issues. But. They worked them out. Right. Yep. The Twisby. The Twisby issues have been worked out. Um. Yeah. But. You don't hear about them much anymore.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' No. Like any issues.

'''Myke Hurley:''' But. It was kind of ridiculous. Because our pens kept breaking. But we kept buying them anyway. Right. Yeah. Like. Should have given up. But we didn't.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yep. And. Kaweco was kind of the same. I just love the pen so much. And with Kaweco. I've always talked about how I have one or two nibs. That I love. And just swap them between. Whichever Kaweco pen I'm using. I never need six Kawecos inked up at a time. So. I just use the nibs that I never could swap them between. Not everyone can do that. But. That's a good thing to do. Twisby can also do that too. But the problems weren't necessarily the nibs with Twisby.

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