Editing The Pen Addict 584/transcript (section)

== Analog Tools Blog by Analog Office ==


'''Brad Dowdy:''' So Anna over at Analog Office has a great blog where they discuss analog tools, obviously, but they go into more than like, say I do with like a stationery review or product review. They go into systems or use cases or how to take notes, how to store notes, you know, all kinds of different fun things to think about as an analog user, which most of us are. How do we handle these things? Maybe, maybe Anna could give me some tips on organizing my desk, but this is a really great blog. Something I very much enjoy reading all of their stuff. So like, like I've recently linked one of their posts, like about keeping a checklist notebook, right? That's like one of the things I do in my plotter is keep a list of tasks that I can check off. And it's just kind of these great visual cues, you know, list making, things like that. So lots of posts like that over at Analog Office. Go check them out. And you can follow them at analogoffice.net. And I think you will enjoy what you read over there. So thank you, Anna, for making a great blog.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' All right. Last couple things we'll get to today, Myke. I have an announcement to make.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' I think it's public-ish now. I know I've gotten asked a couple times about it. But we've been coordinating over the past few months with Kerry Yeager, who many of you know from Kenro Industries, but maybe first you knew him as the brains behind Fountain Pen Day, which is the first Friday in November each year. There's Fountain Pen Day. So this year it's November 3rd. And it's where the community kind of gets together, shares a love of fountain pens. And it's become a real like, I don't mean this in a negative way, a real promotional thing for like stores and things to get behind. They offer big deals and discounts. And it's some shops like biggest day of the year, like bigger than like Black Friday and other like release days and things like that. It's a really big day in our community. And this year I'm actually making a trip to Atlas Stationers to spend the day. The first Friday in November, Fountain Pen Day. November 3rd, I'll be at Atlas Stationers in Chicago all day. Hanging out, you know, just hanging out, seeing everyone in store for Fountain Pen Day. It's going to be really, really fun. You know, I don't, we'll have more details as, you know, we get closer. We're what, only a month away, I guess, from that. So we'll have, I'll share some more details and give some reminders. If you're in the area, maybe you want to travel, travel to come hang out at Atlas Stationers on Friday, Fountain Pen Day. But I'm sure it's going to be a great event. It'll be my first time at Atlas, despite being in Chicago many, many times, even twice already this year. This will be my first time at Atlas Stationers. I'm looking forward to spending the day with them, with Carrie, and celebrating Fountain Pen Day in store. So I look forward to that. It's going to be a new experience for me. And one I very, very much look forward to.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Very cool.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' A couple of review items I wanted to discuss, because people have a lot of questions about these couple of things. One I have reviewed, and it's the NFP Design Block 6. So one of the items you'll see in the picture I have on Instagram is this orange box that I use for pen storage. It's a six-pen storage case that I got from NFP Design at the DC Pen Show. And it's really difficult to review just like a pen storage box. Like there's only so many things I can say. So what I wanted to try to do in the review and kind of follow it up talking about it on the show is trying to relay quality of a storage product that is not in your hand all day, like a pen might be or a notebook might be, right? This is kind of a static item that stores things. So it might just sit there for weeks at a time. How do you review a product like that? And like the ideas that I have about products like pen storage or a storage case. It's not even like a Sinclair case that's like you might be carrying with you in a bag or a backpack and taking things around.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Just a box that sits there. And I think you can relate to this, Myke, is that sometimes when you have a product like that, that's really just kind of an accessory that sits and isn't actively used all the time, you can still appreciate it for the design and the construction and the detail and the thoughtfulness that went into every little piece of these things. And that's what I get out of a product like this NFP design block. It's beautiful.

'''Myke Hurley:''' I love the design of this thing.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' It is so well made. It's hard to relay that in words. It's like one of those things you kind of like a pen that you might see online and you don't know how it fits for you. You might go to a pen show and, you know, get to check out these pens and say, oh, this is for me. This is not for me. It fits me well. But like for a box, like a storage box, like you kind of have to feel that in person too. Like I get that. So it's kind of hard to describe. But I was so impressed with just like when you have that, that nice of fit and finish in a product. Like I can't help but like rave about it. So I, of course, raved about it in my review. You can go check that out. That's what I did this week. Super nice people. I got to meet part of the family that started this company. And, you know, had some great conversation with them through a translator because they're from Turkey. So I was actually brought over with a translator to talk to them. And they were just so passionate about what they made and had some really cool conversations with them. So I just wanted to give it a shout out that I really like this product. And even though it's like super hard to explain why in a review, right? Like there's only so many things I can say about it, but I felt compelled enough that it was such good quality that I wanted to share it. So, and I think a lot of other people who got these at the DC Pen Show and have been reviewing them are equally as impressed with the product. So that review is in the books. The next one, Myke, is going to be reviewed probably at least a month from now because it's going to take some time for me to figure out what to say about the Platinum Chokuro ink, which I finally got. So this is the blackest black ink, right, that we talked about before that it came out earlier this year. This is Platinum's idea of making the blackest ink that you can use in a fountain pen, even though Platinum themselves admitted that it's very intense on your fountain pen. You know, it could be not damaging, but when a product sells you a cleaning solution with the product, they're making a certain statement. It's kind of telling you something, right? They're making a statement there. They're making a statement. They're drawing a line in the sand. It's like, hey, we made this ink. It's really cool. You can use it with fountain pens. By the way, here's some distilled water. Here's some distilled water and a pamphlet on how to clean this. So they've gone.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Hey, for no real reason. Like, it's not important why, but you're going to need this too.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' So what I want to do with this, and there's been plenty of reviews on this ink already, and I finally just got mine. They started selling the bottles individually without the cleaning kit part of it. I know what I'm getting into with this, but that is kind of the core of what I want to review, is I want to tell people what my experience is like, and whether they just need to write this off completely, or how they can use this ink specifically, or is it completely fine to just use and go for it? So I inked it up yesterday. I took, I can't believe I'm saying this out loud. I took your advice, Myke. I use the TWSBI Go as an ink tester. So I have inked up the TWSBI Go with a Platinum Chukuro. Yeah, yeah. It was a very smart idea by you. Because with this ink, I want to see if it damages the pen. Like, straight up. I want to see, like, I'm expecting to break things when I do this ink review, and maybe I won't, and that'll be a great part of the review, right? That'll be, like, spectacular. It's like, if we get through, like, say, like a month. I don't know exactly the time frame I'm going to keep this inked up, but at least a month, and, you know, see what happens. Because a lot of people have a lot of questions about this ink, and are they going to be able to use it? Is it going to beat, like, some of the other great black waterproof inks, one of which is Platinum's already? You know, the Platinum Carbon Black is one of the great inks of all time. And is this going to be the same as that, better than that? I don't know. So I'm going to get a look at it. It's very weird so far. I've already kind of played around with it some on stream. I put a big splotch on paper, partly because I spilled a little bit of it. It's shocking. But I spilled it on paper, then spread it around with my Kakamori dip nib, and just made, like, this big ink splotch. And I'll put this up on Instagram later, too. When it dries, it almost looks like you could peel it off like it's a sticker. Like, it has this weird, almost, like, texture. But it's not raised or anything. It's just, like, this weird matte texture that it feels like if I started picking at the edge of the black ink, like, I could peel up the whole thing. But obviously, you can't. It's really weird. It's really interesting. So far, so good. One day into this test. But you will hear more about this from me down the line.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Yeah. I wouldn't put this in any pen. I just would not do this. I don't understand what the upside is, to be honest. This sounds like, like, too much risk for me.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' I'm sure I will be, like, overly dramatic when I review this and decide to type it up. Like, the intro will be, like, do not use this ink, right? And then we'll go into, like, the whole thing of, okay, maybe you could use it here and there. Things like that. So I'm going to ink it in one more pen. I'm going to ink it in a converter pen to see if it stains the converter. So, like, that's my main thing. I'm worried about staining and clogging, right? This is an aggressive ink. But I don't know. Maybe it works. So, yeah. After 24 hours, I picked it straight up and started writing. I purposely used an extra fine nib because I think that would be, like, the toughest, like, nib for this to use. This ink with, right? Because it's, like, you have a little bit of a smaller point to write from. Not as much ink flow. So is it going to clog? Is it going to work? So I have a lot of work to do before I decide to review this pen. This isn't like, hey, you got a new platinum, a new pilot of Roshizuku ink. Like, I could ink that up in a pen and write a review about it tomorrow, right? But this one is going to take some time to get some thoughts, check out the performance, things like that. So it's interesting. That's for sure. I just don't know that it's going to be necessary. I don't know.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' We have so many options. Like, this is, like, just small.

'''Myke Hurley:''' I'm not really sure why this product exists. Like, this to me, it feels like a product made for Instagram or something. Like, I can't put my finger on it. It's like, why would you do this? Like, I don't. Yeah. Other than, like. Speaking. It just, what is it like, like, thing like, just because you can doesn't mean you should. Exactly. I don't know. And the reason I feel this way is because of, like, them including the cleaning solution and stuff. Like, they're not. They are unwilling, at least, to say to you, this is okay. And so, like, that is what makes me feel a bit nervous about it.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yep. Yep. Which makes it a great product to review. Yeah. Like, we're all talking about this product, right? Like, this is a marketing product, right? Yeah. Like, the box, like, it's just a little small box. It's sick. Like, it looks so good. Yeah. Like, it's so Instagrammable, right? Like, but after I go through this, am I ever going to use it again? I mean, instantly, like, my first reaction is no. Like, I will never use this thing. But I don't know. Maybe my mind could be changed. Because we have options. Because, like, for hardcore pen users, like the people who listen to this show, you already know that you love Platinum Carbon Black or Sailor Kiriguro or Nano Black. You know, those types of things for your permanent waterproof black inks. It's like, why do I need something this aggressive in one of my pens? And why am I limiting myself to using a certain pen with this? So, yeah. We'll see. It's a great review product. I will say that, though. So, I've already gotten a lot out of it for that.

'''Myke Hurley:''' I look forward to the four of you. So, yep. I'm putting that thing for his paces. We'll see. All right. If you want to catch the show notes for this week's episode, there's a lot in there that you want to see. You want to go to Brad's Instagram, see all the images that he's been talking about. You want to go watch the desk tour and also see the links to the Fountain Pen Day event, the NFP design block, all that cool stuff. You want to head over to relay.fm slash penaddict slash 584. But they should also be in your podcast app of choice. Thank you so much to Pen Chalet and to Retro 51 for their support of this episode and help making it happen. But most of all, thank you for listening. If you want to find Brad in the meantime, before next week, go to penaddict.com. Go to spokedesign.com. Go to twitch.tv slash penaddict. Go to penaddict on Instagram and Mastodon and Threads and all that fun stuff. I'm iMike. I-M-Y-K-E. You can also find my work at cortexbrand.com and my podcast is here on RelayFM. Until next time, say goodbye, Brad. Goodbye, Brad.

[[Category:Podcast Transcripts]]
[[Category:The Pen Addict Podcast Transcript]]