Editing The Pen Addict 675/transcript (section)

== Product Design Appreciation and Value Assessment ==

* I buy like, you know, to me, it's like, these look good, right? The design is nice. The materials look high quality. And I know I'm getting a good experience. So I see this and I'm like 175,
* fine. But then if you see, go ahead. $52, you're like, hang on, now what? Now, I don't know what nibs these are using. Oh, they're also using joe nibs. I mean, I wasn't sure if the FWI one was different. Nope. You can see it clear as day. Yeah. So I'm, I feel bad. Like this is, I feel bad. I feel bad for them. You know, this is, this is embarrassing. I, yeah, I actually think this is an FWI problem, but it does also, it like, it drops the curtain on how OEMs work, how manufacturing works, how pricing works, how marketing and branding works all in one big, you know, price differential here. Right. So it just makes you think, it makes you go, hmm. So there's a thing that happens, it used to happen. Through no one's fault. It doesn't really happen anymore because it's kind of a pointless story, but every year when the iPhone will come out, someone will release the bill of materials. Right. And be like, why does this phone cost $1,000 when the bill of materials, the cost of this phone is like $400. And it's like, well, because you've not factored in anything else of which the cost has to, like the cost of marketing a product, developing a product, and the materials that they're overseas using different materials. I don't know if they're more or less expensive, whatever, like all of that is in, in the cost of the product. Right. Because, because where else is the money going to come from to pay for these things? Like to pay for your people, to pay for your support, right? Like all of this stuff has to be included in the cost of the product because you don't pay for that extra as a customer, right? You're not like, right. Oh, I'll buy the pen from you for $51. I'll also pay a $20 marketing surcharge. Like it's not, that's not how it works. And like, so this money has to come from somewhere. And so like, I look, I mean, I don't know how you feel, but I look at this page, I have my relationship with Vesterbrook, like as a customer. I know the quality of their product. I know what I'm going to get. I see some of these colors that are just like incredible. And I'm like, Oh, 175. Sure.
* Yeah. I feel like their OEM just put them in a bad spot. A really bad spot.
* But you know, it also, now they're going to have to ask, answer questions like infinitely. And I have invalid questions. Like, yeah, I'm not, and I'm, I'm also not like saying, you know, Kenro or any Estabrook should be absolved of this, but now you're going, it's like, huh, why isn't the niblet 125 instead of 175?
* Because they decided to charge 175. Right. Exactly. So, but I was just saying, these questions are now going to be constant. And this is the first time I've seen this. And along, I'm trying to remember if, if we've had this before, where the, the OEM is actively sold to retailers, the same pin that they're now selling. I know it's happened before. I'm just, I'm just can't bring it. I just can't think of it off the top of my head. So my feeling on these things is like, if you're questioning the price, just don't buy it. Yeah. Yeah. You know what I mean? So I'm actually, that's how I feel on this kind of stuff. I'm going to try to get both. Like they have to be, like it's, it's got to be the same. I mean, who knows? Maybe they feel slightly different. If them, maybe Estabrook are providing materials or they're being prescriptive about material, right. That's being used. We just don't know. They answered to that question. So maybe they feel a little different in that way, but I would expect that by and large, these are the same because they look exactly the same. Yeah. All right. Let me ask you about the pen itself. Yeah. Because I didn't notice this at first. And this is the, like from a, just a pen perspective. And I'll see these in DC, I'm sure.
* So the threading for the cap. So when we're used to pocket pens, you're usually for a cap. If it's going to be postable, take a Kaweco Sport Classic, for example, that cap will just have a deep post onto the barrel. And it's just kind of, you can put it on wherever.
* If you look closely at these pictures, Myke, and I don't, I'm trying to send you a link to an exact one. I don't see it. The thread is in the middle of the barrel where, so if you look in a posted picture, you'll see threading at the end of the cap. And that thread hits the middle of the barrel. And I'm trying to find a picture where it's independent of each other, where you can see this, where the cap. Okay. So gosh, I don't think I can send you this link where the, you just have to find a picture where the cap and the barrel are separated. Yep. The threading is smack in the middle of the barrel. I've never seen anything like that before. What threading is, it's hard to see. Is that the threading for the cap? Because I'm getting lost by the threading for the section too. Yes. It's hard to see. Yes. And so it's done. So it's like a single stop. So you'll have like the roll stop and the logo always being like lined up with the nib, I believe is the theory here. I don't, I haven't, I got one in hand. I mean, I dig that. I just don't know how I would then, because I'm, if I was to use this, probably not post it still. Yeah. Still. Yeah. Or at least we try. Cause I'm just not a fan of that. I mean, if, if I posted, uh, I would like this because that is a nice detail of like making sure the logo and the nib are always aligned. I like that. That's nice. Yeah. I don't know what it does for the aesthetics, but I think it doesn't matter if you're, if you're posting, cause you're not going to see it. So I'll put a link in the show notes. I found one that's actually shows it clearly. Um, in case people are curious. Um, I don't think it's going to get in the way, but I did, I just haven't seen kind of that center barrel threading before. And, uh, it's interesting. So anyway, I, I'm actually looking, I think this pen looks great. I, I love the style and design of it. So I'll take a look at them in DC. Um, hopefully get one. And then I'm going to try to get one of the fine writing international ones too. I just have, I just got to go and order one or something like that. So is this, is this, uh, is this a bit become a bit of a drama? No, it's not, not much. I mean, it's more of a like, huh, why is, why is this pen? It's all it is, is why is this Estherbrook so much? It's not that much of a drama. Okay. It's just, it's embarrassing. Yeah. I would be, like I said, it's very frustrated. Yeah. This is one of those areas where like the, the, you got to peek, behind the curtain where no one wanted that. It was like, whoops, whoops. Yeah. If this is me, uh, I'd be, I'd be really annoyed about this. Yeah.
* Yup. So there you go. Um, did you want any ask TPA today or am I delusional enough for you to just end me right now? We're over buddy. We're done.
* This is the end. Best show ever. If you'd like to send in an ask TPA question for us to answer in a future episode of the show, don't worry. There will be future episodes. You can always go to pen addict feedback.com and you can send in your question there. Uh, I guess what people don't know is while this episode will have sounded loopy to you, please understand that, uh, it is edited down from the original version of the show, which was twice as loopy as what you're doing. Um, um, so just, just bear that in mind as to why me and Brad are so over each other at the end of today's episode. Uh, uh, thank you to Enigma stationery for the support of this show of always, as always, thank you even more for listening. If you want to find Brad online, go to pen addict.com. You can always find him on social media. He's at pen addict. Uh, you can also find him at twitch.tv slash pen addict and spoke design.com. You can find me here at relay. Uh, my blog is the enthusiast.net and my products over at cortex brand.com. Uh, thanks so much for listening to this week's episode of the pen addict podcast. We'll be back next time. Until then say goodbye, Brad. Goodbye, the Gruffalo.

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[[Category:The Pen Addict Podcast Transcript]]