Editing The Pen Addict 369/transcript (section)

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'''Myke Hurley:''' All right. Rapid Fire Ask TPA. You ready? I'm ready. Days In says, I really like the retro 1951 Tornado. It's a quality pen that writes well, feels good in the hand, and looks expensive even though it isn't. What other sub 100, preferably sub 50, non-fountain pens should I look at? The easy answers, Myke, are what I'm going to give, but then I'm going to back it up with what the real answer should be. So the easy answers are the Mark 1, even though it's not sub 50. The spoke pen, which I make, even though it's a gel ink pen, you know, it's not a liquid ink pen. It's not sub 50. I think the best pen in this range, and it's a ballpoint, and it's between $50 and $60, I think, I didn't look it up, is the Lamy 2000 ballpoint. Now, y'all might laugh at me because it's a ballpoint. That pen is way underpriced for what it is. Like, it is such a good pen. I am so impressed with that pen. Every time I pick it up and use it, it looks more expensive than it is. That's the answer to this question, and like, I'll take any heat I get for that. The Lamy 2000 ballpoint is a legitimately great pen that does not get enough love. Next one, 24 hours, 100 miles. Do you rotate your mechanical pencil while writing to keep the tip sharp? Abso-freaking-lutely. You have to, unless you're using the Kuro Togo, which is why it was invented. That's not his own. To answer the question now, the Kuro Togo absolutely works. Yes. It really, really does work. It is not a gimmick. No. So, it will turn the lead for you. And the pencil barrels are really good. So, if it's an issue for you, you know. And there's a lot of options. Yeah, yeah. They have all the huge price range variants for the Kuro Togo. The mechanism in there to rotate your lead works if that is an issue for you. Otherwise, standard mechanical pencils, I absolutely rotate my pencil because I can't, I need the dark, thinner line of the sharp side of the lead. Right? I can't continue to use the flat side of the lead and make it dull and wide lines. It's not as clean. So, yeah. Next one. I'm going to make you say this one, Myke. This one's yours.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' All right. So, this one comes from JCG Verboom. I found out that the Declaration of Independence was pretty much a copy of the Dutch Plakat van Verleting. And to stay one step ahead of Nicolas Cage, I want to make a replica. So, I need fountain pen paper, A3 or bigger, and a permanent ink, Rabie Registrar ink. What do you think? I have just watched National Treasure. So, this is very much on my mind.

'''Myke Hurley:''' I love this question, right? I don't know that I have a great answer, but I think you really have to go full period piece during this time. Like, you can find some A3 paper, like Rodia makes A3. But is Rodia paper really what you want to put the Dutch Declaration of Independence on? I think you got a source. And you can find, like, these old vintage papers, like these whole sheets that are made, you know, like for the Renaissance Fair. Whatever vendors are at the Renaissance Fair can probably hook you up with some sweet paper. And then you want to get a quill or maybe, you know, maybe a dip nib type of pen and nib, pen holder, nib holder and nib. And then you want to get some real, like, walnut iron gall ink. Like, you have to go in deep on this. Like, I could tell you to get the Rodia A3 page. And I could tell you to get Diamine Registrar's ink. And you'll be happy. You will be happier if you can get some really vintage styled stuff to do this with. And it's out there. It's going to take a little bit of research. I don't even have sources to give you. Because that's not my market, but I've seen it. It's all out there. And you can do this. I want to see it when it's done. Dot Ketchup says, I always clean a new pen I get. I'll clean a used pen more thoroughly. Like, I'll, you know, run water through the filling system. Whether it's just a converter or a piston. And if it's a new pen, I will just generally dip the nib in water. And try to clean off the feed and nib just in case. You know, sometimes new pens even get dip tested. To make sure the nibs are in alignment. But I want to know that my cleaning ritual has happened before I begin writing. To stave off any future problems that I have. Know that I did something ahead of time. So yes, I will clean them. You know, I won't go crazy. Like, I'm not going to soak them overnight or do something, you know, outlandish. But I do clean them with water. You know, just a very simple clean.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Johnny817 says, From one sailor fan to another. I have a sailor 1911 large that I bought used. I've lost the inner cap. So it slips out every time I clean the cap. So every time it pops out. And that's no good. Any idea where I might be able to pick up a new inner cap since warranty is not an option?

'''Myke Hurley:''' Yeah, I emailed Johnny about this one or replied to Johnny. And that's a tough one. Like, you're going to have to go back to the distributor if you're in the U.S., the Sailor USA distributor. And I'm going to... You're probably not going to get an answer. I'll go there. And then the next thing I would do is go to your sailor authorized dealers. You know, like Anderson pens or pen chalet or gold spot, whoever, you know, carry sailor pens. They're not going to have this part as part of their inventory. But they might have a broken pen they've received back that by some, you know, fate would fit your pen. This is not going to be an easy route to take. After that, you're probably contacting Sailor Japan. And good luck. I don't have a great answer. I wish I had a better answer for this. I understand exactly what you're saying. No one stocks these parts. So you're just going to have to luck into someone who has some repair parts laying around. And it's going to take some groundwork by you to find out where that is.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Alex Herehart. Are there any pocket pens with a triangle-shaped grip section? My perfect pen would be a Twisby Mini AL with an Eco-T grip. I'm the mini pen, Myke. I'm the mini pen guy, Myke.

'''Myke Hurley:''' I didn't have an answer for this. I love the question. And I'm blanking. Like, I use all kinds of mini pens. Kavecos, Twisbys, you know. Any mini pen I can find. I don't think any of them have a shaped or molded grip that I'm thinking of. So we'll put that out there to the listeners. Let me know what I'm overlooking. Because I thought of everything that I own. And I've used, own and use a lot. But I can't think of a mini pen with a molded grip section.

'''Myke Hurley:''' All right. Nicholas has a quillerific accumulation of fountain pens. For which I make no apologies. And that means I don't write with every pen every day. No problem. Until I pick up a pen I haven't used for a while. Like it. Know its brand. Mostly. But have no idea of the model. For some. Say like the Diplomat Arrow or Lamy Safari. Safari's rule. Thank you, Nicholas. Team Safari for life. I don't need a reminder. But for others. Why don't the majority of pens include a marking to say which model they are? I thought this was a great question. Because we get all kinds of new listeners all the times. And sometimes it's really hard to differentiate one model from the next. If that information isn't on the pen. I don't have an answer for you, Nicholas. And I'm not going to pretend that I do. Each brand does it differently. You know, Sailors is kind of stealthily written on the cap band. Pilot is generally bad at doing the exact model number where you can easily see it. Sometimes it's on the cap band. Sometimes it just says custom heritage or something like that. But I don't know why they do or don't. Whether it's space or design issues.

'''Myke Hurley:''' You know, I imagine that's a lot of it. You know, you just want to be trying to design like a really clean, nice looking pen. And, you know, hopefully someone will remember exactly what model it is. But, yeah, I don't have a great answer. Like the Lamy Safari never doesn't say Safari anywhere on the pen. It says Lamy on it. Things like that. So, I don't have a great answer for you. But I think that's a really good question.