Editing The Pen Addict 331/transcript (section)

== Pocket Pen/Knife Combination ==


'''Brad Dowdy:''' I do, too. Yeah. It's really, really good. So, the Chris Ball wants to know, he carries a pocket pen and a pocket knife and wonder if there are any combination of the two that isn't horribly tacticalized and has a decent set of options for refill. Bonus points for a bottle opener. So, I think both Anna and I are proponents of the pocket pen and the pocket knife carry. But I've never combo-mealed the two. Have you ever done anything like that where you found kind of an all-in-one type of tool that could actually, you know, slim-fit pocket carry?

'''Ana Reinert:''' Not and been both useful and aesthetically appealing.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Right. Right. So, yeah.

'''Ana Reinert:''' No, I thought about this question for a while and I was like, I don't think that there's a good combination. And maybe it's, again, I'm not really the right market for that.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yeah. I mean, the best I've ever done is separate tools as well. I mean, whatever small pen I want to carry. And then the best knife that I've had with a bottle opener is Swiss Army makes an ALOX pocket knife that's like 20 bucks that has a single blade and a bottle opener. I mean, I've bought multiple of those because I've lost them over the years. It's that good to keep buying again. So, the all-in-one stuff tends to not work. It tends to be a letdown across the board instead of having a good individual tool for each. That's what I've found.

'''Ana Reinert:''' Yeah. I feel like it's two different types of companies that make them. You know, there's not a pen manufacturer that makes a good knife or a knife manufacturer that makes a good pen. Yeah.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' There you have it.

'''Ana Reinert:''' So, it's like until you find somebody who decides to work together.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Do you know what I mean? We should get on that.

'''Ana Reinert:''' Swiss Army works with, yeah, you know, Swiss Army works with a pick-a-pen manufacturer that's...

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Mont Blanc.

'''Ana Reinert:''' No, no, no, no. Caran d'Ache.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' There you go.

'''Ana Reinert:''' There, two Swiss manufacturers get together.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Both Swiss. You know, then it might actually work.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' All right. Quick question from Hedgehogs. And he's right. Others have asked, but when's the annual update to the top five pens coming? I need to do that. I'm behind this year. I didn't even... Honestly, I won't lie. I forgot about it. It's usually updated in September. I've been super busy. It didn't even cross my mind until about three people emailed me within the span of a week. Hey, where's my update? I'm like, oh, yeah, I should do that. So, I'll work on that before the end of the year. So, there you go. This question has been floating around for a while. And I promised him I would get him an answer because I think it's a really good question. This is from Mr.131774 on Twitter. After a five-year degree program, a three-year internship requirement, and six licensing exams, I have finally received my architecture license. Capital A, Architect. I'm buying my Grail pen as the capstone to 10 years of hard work. The Nakaya Nagoro Redcloth Ruthenium nib. The question is, should I get the architect grind for this pen? And, Michael, what would you say to 131774? Great name, by the way.

'''Myke Hurley:''' I mean, if, well, I would say that if you're going to be an architect, you should get an architect grind. Like, if there is a grind that is named after what you do. If there was a podcaster's grind to a pen nib, I would get it, right? I feel like, but I would say in the same vein, this is such an important pen that if you've never tried an architect grind before, try it on a cheaper pen first. Because architect grinds don't work for me. So, like, I think it depends on your writing style. But I know that people really love them, but I feel like I'm accidentally going to cut the paper into pieces when I use it. So, my recommendation would be that you should definitely consider it because it fits so perfectly. And especially if it's, like, your pen to congratulate yourself, right? As for being an architect, like, it seems like the perfect thing. But if you've never tried an architect grind before, try it out. I mean, even better if you, whoever you'd get to do the work for you, if you're going to get it done after the fact, get them to do another pen first. I don't know. But that would be my recommendation.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' What do you think, Anna? Because this is a very nuanced, difficult question. That's why I put it in here, I think. It's not a straightforward question at all.

'''Ana Reinert:''' I have to agree with Myke on this one. I mean, that is, an Akia is an expensive pen. And if you've never had an architect grind before, I don't know that I would do it on this pen. It is very specialized. Sight unseen. Yeah. You know, sight unseen. Like, if you knew for sure that this was a nib grind that you loved, then yes. But I, yeah, this is an expensive pen. I would be hesitant, you know, to Myke's point. Like, some people love this particular nib grind and other people don't. Even knowing as many architects as I do, you know, and knowing how they tend to write and that it is very, you know, I mean, that's what influenced the grind in the first place. But I would definitely try it out first. I know Navardo at Peyton Street Pens sells the nib ground on a standard number six for like $45. So you could like drop that into any number six pen that you have, like a Franklin Kristoff or something and try it first, which seems like a considerably lower point of entry before before putting it into an Akaya.

'''Ana Reinert:''' That seems like, you know, baby steps first.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Right. Yeah. So I'm with both of y'all. And, you know, I think about it and I'm like, well, yeah, you should go ahead and do this. You know, it's the, like you say, the capstone to 10 years and, you know, you're going to get the pen that you wanted and get this architect grind. But then I wonder how much are you going to use the architect grind for its intended purpose? Right. Is this going to be your main writing pen? Then I'd consider strongly not getting it. Right. Or are you going to use this for sketches and mockups? Because you're probably not going to use this for your daily work. But is it going to be useful? Are you going to get the benefit of the grind as much as just having the style of the grind for the pen? So I'm kind of with y'all. Well, it's worth spending some money to try one before you spend the big money and are unhappy and then have to spend, you know, 200, $250 to get it fixed. You know, get a new nib put in there with something that you like. I think it's worth the smaller amount up front to see. And then consider how much are you going to benefit from that grind on a daily basis and if that works. So that's a really, I love that question because it's really hard to answer that type of question. But it's a question that comes up from time to time. It's like, you know, how do I do this thing? I don't want to make a mistake and I'm not sure what to do.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' All right. A few more here and we'll wrap it up for today because I'm on a plane. So we need to finish this up before I land.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Yeah. You've got to pay attention to your air stewards. I know, right? They want you to buckle up now, I guess.

'''Ana Reinert:''' Seedbacks in the upright and locked position.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yep. So Ryan is feeling Myke's pain here. He says, I too have been pulled in by the current of sailor pins this year. Like Myke, I went a little hard on the sailor purchases and brought the pro gear slate, the pro gear ocean and the sailor 1911 standard stormy seas. While putting them in a pin case together with the sailor pro gear sky, Ryan's doing it right. He says, I remember that it says sky on the cat band. I guess my question is why does the ocean not say ocean? Was there something even more special about the sky that I don't know as I just bought that about a year ago and missed the hype of it being released? I thought I would ask and see if you have any ideas. I'm actually not sure myself, but the sky was part of a four pin set that had earth, air, sky, and I don't know what the fourth one was. But now that he said that, I don't recall. Like I've reviewed the earth. I own the sky king of pins. I've never noticed that on any of those pins before. I understand why the standalone additions do not have it. But the sky was actually part of a four pin group a few years ago.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Did they even finish that entire group? I don't know. Brian's got my mind blown now thinking about this question. But I think if there's any reason why it was that sky was part of a bigger series of pins while all the other ones are standalone special editions. So that's my thoughts on that. Y'all have anything else on that?

'''Myke Hurley:''' I don't know anything about that. But I congratulate your route into the sailor lifestyle.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Speaking of which, Paul wants to know, Myke, do you think your current hype excitement for sailor pins will soon fade just like it did with Field Notes? Just re-listen to some of the first episodes or to a lesser extent, Retro 51. I'm interested in your and Brad's view of your personal hype cycle. Awesome question.

'''Myke Hurley:''' I disagree with, as is usual, questions about me. I disagree with some of this question. My interest has not faded with Field Notes or with Retro 51. But I have stopped the initial collecting. That's what I think is being misconstrued of like, it's what I'm doing with Sailor. It's what I did with Retro 51. It's what I did with Field Notes was, I like this thing. I want to collect a lot of them and then slowly add to them then over time. So like, that's what I'm doing with Sailor now. I have discovered that I think that Sailor pins are the best pens that you can possibly buy. So I have collected a lot of them. And now I will probably slowly add to it a little bit more slowly over time, which is what I did with Retro 51 and Field Notes. Mm-hmm.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Ana, do you have anything that falls into those categories that we obsess over like unhealthily, like Retro 51 or Field Notes? I'm trying to think of something for you. I mean, just inks in general, but is there a specific brand?

'''Ana Reinert:''' I was going to say, have you seen my collection of color-verse inks? Good grief.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' So is that the one?

'''Ana Reinert:''' Oh, no, I have my own. I think I have my own hype cycle. And I think, to Myke's point, I think it's similar. Like, you discover something that you really, really like. And so you get a lot of it to start with. And then you figure out, like, that you like certain types of that particular thing. So whether it's a pen and you discover that you like, you know, maybe the Sailor 1911 or in the case of, like, the color-verse inks, you know, I discovered that after I bought all of them, I do like all of them. But, you know, now that I pretty, I do actually have, like, I have all, like, the first three or four series, I have every single color, full bottles. So it's like, now I hit a point where I'm running out of space and I just need to be choosier because I have a lot of color. And so now maybe, like, I don't need every red that comes out. I have to be a little pickier about them simply because I don't have space to put them all, you know?

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yeah, and I think it's an evolution with any of the products that we fall in love with. And I think Retro 51 is a good example for me. Like, my love for the pen and the brand has never been stronger than it is right now, but I buy less of them than ever because I have enough and it has to be really special for me to buy it. You know, that doesn't mean it's not still at the top of the hype cycle. It just means that, like, I'm more conscious, like you say, do I need another red? You know, so.

'''Ana Reinert:''' Absolutely. Yeah, and you just get choosier about the ones that, you know, which ones really speak to you versus the sort of fear of missing out. So it's like, at our house, pretty much if it has a space theme or any kind of plane related, like, you know, that Retro 51 stops right here.