Editing The Pen Addict 127/transcript (section)

== Top 5 Pens List ==


'''Brad Dowdy:''' Alright so our conversation around the top 5 pens update last week really got me thinking. And most of it was around some of the confusion I may have caused. In the difference between a recommendation and a favorite.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' And I think the top 5 list as a whole may be suffering a little bit from that confusion. So what I'm thinking about is reworking the top 5 pens list. I think it has a value. I want to keep doing it. It's definitely something I need to do and want to do. And want to keep up with. But I think it needs a little bit of a reshuffling to better define it. If you will. And spell out clearly what is a recommendation and what is a favorite. Now I don't have the final product. You know completely. I'm not completely dead set on anything yet. But just in my head I'm thinking. Like if I have a gel. A micro gel pen category. Would it be beneficial to have micro gel pens. Recommendations. Micro gel pens. Brad's favorites. Or is that too much. These are the kind of things I'm working through in my head. So I'm just trying to decide. And would like to get some feedback. On how I should break down this list. Further. Or should I just scrap all my favorite stuff out of it completely. And just really define it as the recommendations list. You know maybe that's the way to go. And in that way it's very clean. And straightforward. And you know exactly what you're looking at. Because like the fountain pens list really threw a kink into it this time. The fountain pens list is really more of a favorites list for me. Of course it contains recommendations. It's pens that I love. And pens that you know I would totally recommend you buying. But it's maybe not as clear on certain things. And I think it the fountain pens for example could use a little more breakdown anyway. Like I think I probably need to break out and have a beginner's fountain pen list. Right. And a moderate fountain pens list. Or something in a price range. You know something like that. So I think the list is getting so big it's getting a little bit convoluted. So I don't know. Those are the thoughts I'm thinking out loud. So I'd love some feedback from anyone who's listening and a fan of the list. And you know wants to see some tweaks in there. I think it definitely needs some adjustment. So do you have any thoughts on that Myke? We didn't talk about it before. So I don't want to drop it on you if you don't have anything. But I just think there needs to be some clarity in what I'm trying to accomplish with that list.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Yeah I think last week kind of what I was mentioning was like you had loads and loads of different things. So at that point I'm like suggesting more and more and more. I think maybe you have too many lists. Yep. And I'm suggesting more lists because you already have so many lists. Right. So maybe you should have less lists.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' That's what I'm thinking too. I'm thinking less lists and more clearly defined on what they are. Like spelling out a recommendation versus a favorite. Yeah.

'''Myke Hurley:''' I mean but then the problem is you end up doubling it again.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Well no no no no. I'm just saying I might just leave the favorites out completely. Right. Just have a full recommendations type of list. And you know but in defining that in the beginning saying you know these are my recommendations. But you know I also want to put that maybe I can do you know one list of my top 10 favorite pens. Just of all categories. Just one list for my favorites kind of thing. So we'll see. It's something I'm playing around with. Yeah. Now let me let me throw this out there. And this is the first time I've mentioned it. And I don't know if I'm insane the amount of work this would take. What would you and the listeners think about a crowdsourced list? To where I could set up a Google Doc. We have a defined time frame to you know for everyone to post their favorites. And I put in results. You know I get results from that. I don't know that's just another thing I was thinking about. That would be cool. I don't know how much work that would involve or entail. It seems like it would be interesting enough to get other people's feedback on these lists. You know have a top 5 or 10 you know crowdsourced favorite pens. Or something. Something like that. So do you think that's a viable thing?

'''Myke Hurley:''' I think that would be pretty cool.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yeah. So I just got to see how much work that would entail. That won't be like the next thing coming. That's maybe like a down the line thing. If I can like really lock down you know what I want to accomplish. But I just think I got a lot of good feedback on this list this time. But I think it's gone astray a little bit. And needs some reeling in. So I'm open to feedback on that. And you know please I've gotten a bunch of emails. And a bunch of feedback already on that. So I'm open to more. And I will be working on it. Though I can promise you this. It will not be another 6 months before I redo this list. Because it's kind of weighing on my mind right now. So maybe in the next couple months. I will have at least a revamp. And a clarity update. For the top 5 pens list.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' So. We'll wrap this up on a few listener questions. That I got last week for the top 5 pens. Just some specific follow ups. On some specific products. And I don't know if I should ban Doug Lane. He had the first question in here. I don't know if we should ban him. For his idea.comment. But he actually had a pretty good question. It was something I thought about. Doug. He said. Would love your take on why. The rising. Pelican. Edelstein. Tanzanite star. Crashed and burned. And it didn't stick for me either.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' I don't know. That's an ink. That I thought for sure. I would love. Was a lock. Top 5. Blue black ink. There's just something about. The shading. Or coloring. That's a little bit off for me. Actually out of the Edelstein inks. I like the Topaz better. It's a really bright blue. Kind of getting into that Sky High. Sailor Sky High. Pilot Orochizuku Kanpeki range. The Topaz is. I reach for the Topaz more than the Tanzanite. And that kind of says a lot. Because I'm such a blue black ink fan. Edelstein inks. Perform. Wonderfully.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' It's just something. A little bit. About that color. I can't. I can't put my finger on it. But I end up. Not going for that color. When I'm starting to refill pens. And clean out pens. And use different inks. I end up skipping. The Tanzanite. And that's actually. Maybe because. My. The blue blacks I like. Have a little bit of shading into them. And that's not normally. An ink color. That shades a lot. And the Tanzanite. Is really not a big shader. It's got a good sheen. The sheen looks beautiful on it. So. That's why it's kind of. Falling down the list. A little bit. At Danny Roll. Asks. Do you have more than. Three fountain pens. Inked at a time lately. Do you switch out your pens. Before using up the full ink capacity. So the first part is. I've been really really good. At keeping three fountain pens. Inked at a time. I have. The Notco Lookout. That's perfect for that. It holds three pens. The only exception is. So those three. Pens I carry in the lookout. Are like the pens out of my collection. That I want to use. For whatever reason. That I'm enjoying. The exception to that. Is when I get a new pen. In. That I need to review. So I need to. Test drive it. And so I'll. Have some extra ones. Inked up. You know. Sitting on the desk. Like I have the. Karis Custom ink. Inked up. Inked up. And I just got this. Nakaya. The new Nakaya. So it's inked up. So now I maybe have like. Five pens inked up. But yeah. I've been doing really really good job. At keeping it to three. Core pens that I use. And then plus. I might have. A couple more. That I need to review. Which. I guess you have to count in that list. I don't. I don't really. Because. They don't usually come with me. Just the three that I have inked. And I'm carrying with me. So. That's actually worked out pretty well.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Danny also asked. Or commented saying. Adding the Murex is not fair. Do you believe you and ClickyPost. Have the power to increase the prices. Of vintage pens on eBay. Not me. But Dudek does for sure.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' He's a. He's a culprit of rising prices. You know. And the Murex was kind of. One of the pens. That. Has me thinking about. Redoing these lists anyway. Because yeah. Maybe it is not fair. To do it. But. I also. If I'm going to say. It's one of my favorite pens. Of all time. And. You can actually buy them. Somehow. You know. Even though it's. Secondary markets. Should it be on the list. So. I've got a lot of thinking about. How I'm going to do those type of things. In the top five list. Going forward. So. We'll have to work on that. Um.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Trent asks. Says. My favorite pen is the. Uniball 207 Ultra Micro. I vastly prefer thin tips. What is a quality. Pen upgrade here. I'd like to get a. Similar. Ultra fine tip ballpoint. But nicer. So I think he's asking about. Barrel upgrades. And this is an easy one for me. Since I. I. Talked about it so much. Last episode. The TI2 Tech Liner. Is made for the Uniball 207. Um. I love that. Pen. If you want a ballpoint. I would get the. Jetstream. I'd look at the Jetstream Alpha. That JetPens carries. That refill. Does not work. In the. TI2 Tech Liner. Despite the fact that it fits. The magnetism. Does not allow the ink. To flow properly. In the Jetstream. If you can believe that. Um. The way the ink's manufactured. I don't have all the specs. But Myke Bonds. Talked about it before.

'''Myke Hurley:''' That's crazy.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yeah. Something in the. Uh. The ink formulation. Does not allow it to flow well. Um. Through the magnet. That the. Um. That the refills are slotted through. So. I'd look at the Jetstream Alpha. Plus you can get the .38. Uh. Millimeter Jetstream refills. Which is thinner than any. Uniball 207. You will ever use. No matter how small.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Um. Um. Michael Green. Just had a comment. Says. At least one. And often two. And up to three. Uniball pins. In all. Non-fountain pin. Categories. That is. They say. In. In German is. You want to go for that? You. You have this mic?

'''Myke Hurley:''' Uh. Record. Uh. Uh. Stig.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' We need Ryder back on. Yeah. Recorder. Stig. Which. Uh. I had to look that up. And that's. Uh. German for record breaking. So he was commenting. He was commenting on how many. Uniball pins I have in the list. For non-fountain pins. Um.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Uniball. Uniball.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' You really can't go wrong. The only Uniball pin. That's readily available. That I do not like. Even a little bit. Is the. Vision. The standard. Um. Standard Uniball. Vision. It's just. A really. Really. Inky pin. It bleeds a lot. Um. It does not leave a good line. Outside of the vision. Pretty much everything. Uniball does is spot on. Um. Carl asked. Does the exclusivity. Of the cult pins. Deep dark blue. Keep it out of top five. Consideration. My answer to him. I just replied back. Nope. Um. I did my best. Jim Dalrymple on that one. It's just. It's just not a. A top five for me. Even though. I might. I think I might even have it. Inked up in one of my pins. Right now. It's a great ink. But it's not. It's. It's hard to get into the. Uh. Top five. To break into the top five. Blue blank. Blue black ink category. I've probably got ten. That I rotate through. And that's one of them. But um. It's. It's right there. Like around the five. Six spot. It's a great. It's a great ink. But it's. It's a deep dark blue. And I like a little bit of shading. In my blue black inks.

'''Myke Hurley:''' I like blue blink.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Blue blink. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Blue blink is one of my favorites.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' If I. If I ever come out with my own ink. We'll call it blue blink. Perfect. Deal? Deal. All right. Let's end it on that. Perfect ending to a perfect episode. Michael.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Sounds good to me. If you want to catch the show notes for this week's episode. Go to relay.fm slash penaddict slash 127. If you want to catch Brad online. He is at Dowdy. As I'm on Twitter. And he is at penaddict.com. I am Myke Hurley. I am at iMike. I am YKE. And I'm the host of many shows on relay.fm. If you'd like to catch more of me. You can. There's lots of me on the network. Thanks again to our sponsors for this week. Our friends at Linda. Hover. And Igloo. And thank you all for listening. We'll be back next time. But until then. Say goodbye Brad.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Goodbye Brad.

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