Editing The Pen Addict 453/transcript

{{Infobox podcast transcript
| name            = The Pen Addict
| number          = 453
| title           = What Have You Done?
| date            = March 17th, 2021
| hosts           = [[Brad Dowdy]]<br>
[[Myke Hurley]]
| guests          = 
| link            = [https://www.relay.fm/penaddict/453 Episode 453]
| audiolink       = [https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/thepenaddict/The_Pen_Addict_453.mp3 Audio Episode 453]
| length          = 68
}}

'''Myke:''' From RelayFM, this is The Pen Addict, episode 453, and today's show is brought to you by Squarespace and the Canalea Pen Company. My name is Myke Hurley, and I am joined, as always, by my partner in crime, Mr. Brad Dowdy. Hi, Brad Dowdy.

'''Brad:''' Criminal activities going on over here, Myke.

'''Myke:''' Mm-hmm.

'''Brad:''' Yeah, you know me. Always up to something. Yeah, always up to something, doing a little light crime today, a little crime light. Yeah, yeah, not any heavy crimes, just crime light today. Cheating some system out of something, I don't know. I'm not a very good criminal.

'''Myke:''' You don't sound very convincing as a criminal, to be honest, Brad, you don't even know.

'''Brad:''' I could not pull that off, I don't know the correct criminal terminology.

'''Myke:''' Or any, any terminology.

'''Brad:''' Mm, true, true.



== Spoke Pen Launch ==


'''Myke:''' So, the Spoke Pen launched last week. Well, the Spoke Pens, oh, these aren't the Spoke Pens, it's pens from Spoke. Spoke Pen's a different thing. Spoke Axle, Axles, and Icon.

'''Myke:''' The Fountain Pens, Myke. The Fountain Pens. I predicted that they would sell very well, I believe, on the show. Mm-hmm. They did. How did it go?

'''Brad:''' Extremely well. I, too, predicted they would sell very well. Mm-hmm. With our limited nib inventory, someone call it a nibventory. They, we sold out of what nib options we had in about 20 minutes. We turned all those off to back orders. So, that was like 99 units, which isn't very much. But still, it just, the pace that they went was very, very fast. Mm-hmm. And me and Brian, like for the first hour, we're just basically watching like the activity and the orders and managing the nibs and making sure there were no mistakes, which there were. We did have like a couple of technical errors. Errors, nothing that prevented anyone from doing anything, just stuff on our side. Overall, we were both very, very happy, thrilled, and pleased with how it went. I was, yeah, just completely ecstatic. And as of yesterday, I've gotten all the nib or pens that were ordered that we had nibventory for. Mm-hmm. I hate, that's a hard word to say. Have shipped. So, if you got a shipping notification, if you haven't had the shipping notification yet, your nibs are on back order, which hopefully you saw that when you placed your order. We switched that to actually read back ordered until April. The good news is our nib predictions have come correct, which you never know when parts are coming from Germany to the U.S. to the distributor to me to me. Oh, my gosh. To Jonathan to get etched and then Jonathan back to me. We have at least gotten them from Germany on the way to the distributor, so our timing is looking pretty good for early April to, you know, get the rest of the pens out there to everyone who ordered them. So, thank you all for ordering, for understanding the nib predicament we were in, and for just supporting what we're doing at Spoke Design. I'm thrilled with everything. People have already gotten them in their hand and have been enjoying them. We've gotten good feedback so far. So, yeah, it was great.

'''Myke:''' Did you say Jonathan is etching them?

'''Brad:''' Yeah, he's doing the laser etching. He bought a machine a month or two ago. Yeah, a month or two ago he bought them. And Brian's got his own laser, but I'm not laser proficient. There are different types of lasers. So, the one Jonathan bought specifically can do the metal on the nibs that we need, where Brian's is a little bit different. You can go to, like, Spoke Design Instagram. Brian put out a, like, this laser etching of our Spoke logos on the top of the pens. It's really, really cool. Y'all should go watch that. But it doesn't work as well for nibs. So, we get Jonathan to do those.

'''Myke:''' And what have the impressions been? Because, obviously, they're arriving with people.

'''Brad:''' So far, glowing. Yep. You know, that's the thing I cross my fingers on, right? Like, I'm really good at, I feel, like, I will, and Brian, I think we're really good at getting it up to the point of sale, right? And, like, we're designing the things, making the things, getting them all ready, getting them out there for sale. And then you send them out into the world. And you're like, that's when you just really start to panic, right? Okay. Now, another person is going to have something in their hands that we think is perfectly awesome. But you never know. Like, we sent no prototypes out of this. Zero. So, we had no public feedback on this, on any pen model other than me showing them online, like, back in December, the very first models. So, that is nerve-wracking. And so far, it's been just 100% positive, completely perfect, glowing type of stuff. But, you know, I mean, you just still never know. We've got to get a quantity out there and make sure everyone has as good experiences as what we've heard so far.

'''Myke:''' How many more, like, roughly are you going to be shipping? Like, lots more than you have already?

'''Brad:''' Way lots more. So, now I'll start, I'll just start making pen barrels and things and getting them ready for nibs. So, hopefully, I can ship them a little faster. It did, it is taking me a little longer to ship, which I anticipated. You know, there's just lots of moving parts in these packages. You know, I've already got an email. Hey, you forgot this part. And, you know, that's just how things go. You try to be 100% with the packing of this stuff. But it's kind of a new process for me. So, still learning curve on the packing stuff, even though I've sent tens of thousands of packages in my life. When you have a new product and it's got new accessories and things like that, it's bound to get a little squirrely. Plus, I'm also wanting to get these out quickly. So, trying not to move too quick and get ahead of myself, trying to take my time, even if it's going to take longer. It's just going to take longer to pack fountain pens and, you know, set them up and do all that stuff.

'''Myke:''' Right. Mine has arrived. That's insane. You had an option for UPS shipping. And I'll always take that option over postal service shipping where I can because I get actual tracking.

'''Brad:''' Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. So, let's talk about that for a second. We actually made a last-minute decision. Maybe even launch morning, we might have been on the phone thinking about this, that we're still in a worldwide postal delivery mess where things just up and vanish. And now we're at a much higher price point product. And the amount of support we get from USPS internationally is not good. Mm-hmm. Right. So, we actually switched international shipping over to UPS. Now, the difference is it's extraordinarily expensive in relation to what we would normally ship. It's at least double of what it would normally be. Yeah. But there's a lot more safety built into that. Mm-hmm. There is massive time differences built into that. Right? You got yours in less than a week.

'''Myke:''' And arrived this morning.

'''Brad:''' It might be like five days from when I ship. So, no. So, I dropped yours off. I'd have to go look at it. I don't think I dropped yours off until like...

'''Brad:''' It was either Friday or Saturday.

'''Myke:''' I got a thing to tell me on Sunday it was on the way. So, and it's arrived today.

'''Brad:''' So, like less than five days. Mm-hmm. Which USPS would go... We wouldn't even have this conversation for two weeks going out of packages. Oh, of course. At least. Like we... It wouldn't even be a topic of conversation because that amount of time hasn't passed. Yeah. So, yes, it's very expensive to ship UPS internationally. But the safety on both sides of the transaction we feel is worth it. It's still a little bit of a shock when you see that number in there because it probably costs about $40 to ship your package. Something in that 40-something range. Yeah. Give or take. A few bucks. And that could be a sticker shock. But I'm glad it... I was shocked when you said it arrived this morning, to be honest. Like, because we haven't done a lot of this yet.

'''Myke:''' I had to pay customs. Yeah. Of course. Right? So, I had a customs fee, but I was expecting that. So, yeah. The getting it here is pricey, but I did want it first. So, I have no... I was really happy. So... Yeah.

'''Brad:''' Yeah. I wasn't anticipating you having them. So, what do you think?

'''Myke:''' Let me start with the axle.

'''Brad:''' Okay. Which one did you get? Did you get the long one or the short one? I don't remember.

'''Myke:''' I got the regular one. The axle. Okay. Yep. I went with blue and titanium. Yep. So, you know, this pen, I didn't really... This one isn't the one for me, right? It's like, I like it, but it's out of the two, this isn't the one that I would have expected to like the most anyway. Just because, just from a design perspective, I was more intrigued by the icon. Right. And I would say that the axle, it lives up to what I would have expected from a pen like this. There is a part of me that now thinks, well, maybe the S would actually be more fun in a way, because it's weird. Like, you know, this is so small. And now that I've used the axle, like, it just would be interesting to me to see like the grip and the cap of this size of a body way smaller. Because like, I can't post the axle. I don't like the axle posted. Yes. So like, I just, you know, I'm intrigued to try out an axle S at some point as well. But like, this is, I would say that this is like what I would think of as like the quintessential spoke aesthetic fountain pen. Right? Like, if I was going to imagine what you guys would do to make a fountain pen, it would look kind of like this one. Where, like, and that is in the fact that everything lines up, right? There's no curve in it at all. It is just like, very like industrial design. And I like the general aesthetic of spoke anyway. It's like I have the spoke. Which one do I have? I mean, way back in the day, the spoke for mechanical pencil. Because I remember the two of us freaking out when we saw that. Yeah. So I do enjoy the aesthetic. It's different to a lot of the typical aesthetics that I get. And I mean, look, ultimately for me, the experience is one in the number six nib. Yes. Right? Like, even the regular Axel is still a, I would consider, more than pocketable pen in its size. And the fact that it has a number six nib on it, I think is just such a fantastic decision that you made to do that. Because it is just a nicer experience to use the whole way around.

'''Brad:''' So I think it's interesting what you said about, like, this is the fountain pen you'd expect from us. The spoke. If you could think of a spoke fountain pen before it existed, like, you would think this is what would come out of that. And I haven't thought of it that way because we did a second pen with this. But I think you're exactly right in saying that, right? Like, that is a very spoke thing, even though the icon, which we'll talk about in a minute, is, too, by some of the design cues. Yeah, I see exactly what you're saying, and I agree with that completely.



== Number Six Nib Discussion ==


'''Myke:''' So people in the Discord are asking about what a number six nib is. Basically, a number six nib is, like, a four-sized fountain pen nib. So, you know, and a four-sized fountain pen nib will just, in my experience, feels nicer for the characteristics that I'm looking for because I like mediums and broads, and I feel like I get a softer, like, more consistent experience with larger nibs. And the reason that this is even coming up is a pen of the physical attributes and size and thickness and overall dimensions, as the spoke, as the axle is, would not have a number six nib. It would have a smaller nib on it, right? Is that fair to say?

'''Brad:''' You have to make a certain diameter of pen to fit the hardware of a number six nib. So there's one called a number five, which is a little bit narrower, narrower, which you see in a lot of pocket pens.

'''Brad:''' And it's, like, I have no problems with number five nibs, but number six, if you can make it work, is just going to be the choice every time.

'''Myke:''' So I got the titanium one. What, remind me, like, what am I seeing different to the aluminum version of the axle over the titanium?

'''Brad:''' Finish and feel. So the titanium is shiny. It's a polished titanium. It has some weight to it that the aluminum cap would not have, right? So yours is a little bit heavier, right? Even though you don't necessarily say, oh, this is a heavy pen. If you had the two of them side by side, you say, oh, the titanium is heavier than aluminum. So you just get that bright finish as opposed to, like, the dark style of the black aluminum. But that's pretty much it. So a little bit of feel, a little bit of weight, a little bit of look.

'''Myke:''' I feel like there's a warmth to the titanium as well when you hold it more than aluminum. But that might just be me.

'''Brad:''' Yeah, maybe so. Maybe so. Aluminum does take a little bit longer to warm up to me, but they still do.

'''Myke:''' So I really like the axle. I would like the axle even more if the icon didn't exist because I'm all about the icon. So, like, I just freaking love it. It's fantastic. So, like, all of my focus is on that pen.

'''Myke:''' I can't tell you, you maybe know exactly why the grip section feels so good. But there's something about the shape of the grip section that makes this pen just fantastic to hold. Why do I feel this way? Am I alone in this? Like, what have you done here about the curve on this? It just feels so comfortable.

'''Brad:''' Yeah, there's not a golden ratio, like, for the curve. There's not, like, a perfect, you know, radius to machine those in, right? Whether it's flatter or deeper. But I like a section that has, that kind of holds your finger in place accidentally, right? You don't think about it going into it, you know, where you grip the pen.

'''Myke:''' Yeah, I feel like when I pick it up, my fingers just take a second and they slip into place and then it's good to go.

'''Brad:''' Then they just lock in, right? So, I don't, there's no, there's no magic behind that. It's just a feel thing, right? Like, that's how I wanted it to feel when you grab it as opposed to the axle pins, which are straight in the section, which I actually enjoy that too. There's a difference in having a concave section to where you want to make it comfortable for, like, different types of grips and have enough space for people's grips to work in there. And then when you're gripping it, you just feel like you don't even have to think about your grip. Like, some pins you have to think about your grip. And I write about that sometimes. I wrote about that in the Tabaldi review I did on Monday. We'll save that discussion for another, maybe next week's podcast, because I want to talk about that pen. Like, you had to, when you pick up the pen, you have to think about where to grip it. And with concave grips, I don't think you really do. And a lot of companies do that. And I just think that's the correct shape for the type of pen that we wanted to build.

'''Myke:''' The overall shape and size of the pen, when capped. Now, like, I'm not trying to blow smoke on you here, but it has an, in physical dimensions, reminds me of, like, the Nakaya Piccolo-type size. Mm-hmm. Right?

'''Brad:''' Yeah, I don't think it's much bigger.

'''Brad:''' You know, maybe a quarter inch bigger? Not too much bigger.

'''Myke:''' And the overall shape of it is reminiscent to me, too, where it's, you know, like, it has the curves at the top and the end, but it's flattened off. Mm-hmm. And so I think that you've chosen overall very pleasant shape. I think that it's incredibly light for its size.

'''Myke:''' I don't know exactly why that would be. Maybe I just haven't used a lot of aluminium pens in a while, but...

'''Brad:''' No, it's definitely light.

'''Myke:''' Yeah, and I like that. I think that that's really great.

'''Brad:''' Like, comparatively, like, if you compare it to, like, one of your Pro Gears, it's lighter than, like, one of your standard plastic barrel Pro Gears. Yeah. Like, we did some measurement. I don't have the weights in front of me, so I don't want to speak on it, but, you know, it's a few grams less. You know, it's a little bit less.

'''Myke:''' Yeah, I can feel it. I mean, that must be what's so surprising to me, is I'm used to a pen that I think is fine weighting, and it's plastic. So just naturally, the aluminium pen in my mind, like, oh, sure, aluminium's heavier than plastic, right? So that's just what my brain is telling me. So you've explained to me now, like, why this feels so interesting. It feels so impossibly light, really. Mm-hmm. So you've done a good job there. I went with the black with the orange insert, and I feel like I won the lottery on that color. I think I chose completely correct. Because I got the lime one as well. You sent that to me. Thank you for sending it to me. And I put it in, and I was like, nah, the orange is the best one.



== Icon Pen Design Philosophy ==


'''Brad:''' Yeah, I like the orange with the black. I like the lime in general, but I like the lime with the blues. Oh, yeah, but that looks good. Or other colors, yeah. Yeah, the lime and-

'''Myke:''' I could get out of there, but I wouldn't have expected it any other way. Yeah, it's a deep thread. Yeah, I mean, which it should be, because I don't want this thing falling out when I'm unscrewing it, right? Just in general. And I just think that it's so cool. It's such a cool idea. And from a business perspective, so not as a user, I think it's genius because you can just keep selling new colors to existing customers. I think that's just a really smart idea. You could do some wicked and wild anodization thing and do a limited edition insert and have just another revenue stream for the business for existing customers who love their icons. I think that's just super clever. I don't know if you did it for that reason, but I just think that it's super smart. But as a user, I really like it because I get to give my pen a fresh paint job. I thought about maybe, again, in the future, you could buy a couple and I could change out the color depending on what ink I've got in it.

'''Brad:''' Right.

'''Myke:''' So it could be a fun visual thing. The ink that I'm using right now doesn't match at all just because I wanted to use. I haven't used any of those Sailor Studio inks that Adina got. Oh, yeah. So I've gone with 731, which is a really bright pink one, which I just wanted to use it purely because it was like, I have enough orange pens. I'm not going to put enough orange ink in this pen. So I'm trying that out. But I just think it's very clever. But also, you know, I love customization in things. Right. And I think allowing people to choose and mix and match and stuff like that, I think that's just super cool. And I'm really into it.

'''Brad:''' And so the thought process, the design thought process had nothing to do with, like, can we figure out, like, how to, you know, sell more parts, you know, down the line.

'''Brad:''' Because we had no idea if this would even technically work. Right. We like we want to make a cool fountain pen and we like making these really wild colors and crazy designs. And how can we make them in the spoke style? And then Brian just up and up and shows me this one day. And I'm like, do that again? It's like, what is even happening here? So, like, those those things don't happen until, like, we're way down the line. And then I was like, oh, you mean we can change that color and we can change these parts and do these different colors and add those on? I was like, yeah, that's cool. It's like that comes way down the line because you want to see, like, do you have a technically, like, stable product first? Yeah. And that's Brian's forte. Yeah. He's really, really strong at that.

'''Myke:''' But now I'm just suggesting to you as a business owner to consider that as a potential future. Oh, yeah.

'''Brad:''' Well, so now we have long ago considered that. But I'm saying, like, in the initial, like, there's, like, this isn't a product that should exist.

'''Myke:''' Yeah. Like, look, take everything with a grain of salt from me because I'm just so deeply in love with Brad. He could give me anything and I think it's fantastic. But I, like, so for me, the Axel, it's a fun pen that I would put in a pen case and would have as a little EDC kind of package. Right? Yes. So I could imagine I'll put that in with a notebook, a Field Notes notebook. That would stay in my backpack. Right? And then I've got it there whenever I need it. The Icon, straight up in general rotation for me, is an absolutely stunning, fantastic pen that you have made. And it should be something that you are proud to put your name on. Absolutely. Like, because this is a Brad Dowdy fountain pen. Because it looks great. It's got some fun trick to it that you don't see anywhere else. And it just feels good to use. So, like, that absolute home run.

'''Brad:''' So, I feel that this is a flagship product. Yes. But you only get to the, you don't go into it to say, let's design our flagship. Right? That comes after. When you feel like you've made something good. The feedback has been good. The position of that product within your, the rest of your product line and how it tells the story of whichever brand you're involved in. Like, with Knock, like, I think we have two flagship products. I think it's our Brasstown and Sinclair. Right? Those are our flagship cases. But you don't go into it and say, today we design our flagship. You know? So, but I think that's, in the end, what has happened here. At least for fountain pens, right? You know, Spoke's always going to be known for awesome pencils and awesome pens. But for a fountain pen, like, the icon is the flagship.

'''Myke:''' Yeah. I mean, I'll say, if you went into this not thinking it would be the flagship and called it Icon, I don't know what you're doing.

'''Brad:''' Like, it honestly, that never crossed my mind. No, I don't. Like, it was. I like to tease you about the name. Yeah.

'''Myke:''' Because it's a great name, but it's just such a statement name.

'''Brad:''' Like, at some point, you have to stop thinking about names and pick one. Yeah, because you'll just go forever. Yeah. And that's where we were. We just, like, wanted, like, a solid name. And then Brian's like, well, how about Icon? And I'm like, it goes like this. What do you think about this name? And then the response is, that's not terrible. It's never like, yes, that's exactly it. Right? It's, that's not terrible. Most names are just what you can live with.

'''Myke:''' Like, what you best can live with. So you can continue the project.

'''Brad:''' Yeah, that's exactly right. So naming, that's how names get decided is, what is the least terrible option you've come up with? Because there's never, like, an absolute lock winner. Although Axl was pretty easy.

'''Myke:''' Axl's great. But for me, subtlety. Like, there was just, that was a whole, that was just like, I nailed that. One try. Perfect name. Move on. Yeah. So maybe the only time I've ever felt like, yeah, no, I got that one. That is a lock.

'''Brad:''' Yeah, but you know that, right? You know that way early in your done.

'''Myke:''' Oh, I mean, I genuinely think. Most of the time it comes down to the wire. The name, I think, was actually drove the product. I had the idea for the name and then just moved and created an idea around it. So that's kind of, that's a different thing. So yeah, I love it, man. I'm into it.

'''Brad:''' I thought you would like it. Like, I thought you would for sure like the icon. Yeah. So good. I'm glad you do.

'''Myke:''' All right. Let's take a break. You actually sent me some more stuff. We'll talk about that in a minute. Let's thank the Canalea Pen Company for their support of this week's episode. Canalea Pen Co. makes stunningly beautiful pens that are inspired by images of Hawaii. Canalea's founders, Hugh and Carol, not only are they incredible people, they believe that these locations can help recharge our spirit and help us connect with nature. And they embody that in the products that they produce. While the story behind these pens is a wonderful one, the execution is what sets them apart. You can have the best story in the world. Like you can, you know, come up with something unbelievable. But it's got to come through in the product. And in my mind, nobody does it better. Every single Canalea pen is handmade in a process that means that no two pens are ever going to look alike, with every nib tuned before it ships to a customer. And what you get is something truly unique to you. They all look different. Every Canalea pen is a one-off, which is kind of incredible, really. Their most recent releases are the Kona Snow and the Kona Cherry. They were both created to celebrate the lifestyle of the Kona coffee plant. Kona Snow is named for the fragrant white coffee blossoms each spring that make the area of Hawaii Island look like it is covered in snow. And Kona Cherry is named for the glowing red coffee beans, the cherries, that are handpicked at their peak of ripeness. Canalea pens feature Yo-O No. 6 nibs, the exact nib that I was just praising, right? You use Yo-O No. 6 too, right? Like it's just a superb product. You can buy steel or 18-karat gold nibs direct from Canalea, and they offer sizes from extra fine to 1.1mm stub, with every pen shipping in a beautifully packaged keepsake box. Also, best packaging in the game. The Kona Snow, Kona Cherry, and the Eolani, which is a stunning purple and blue model, can all be created especially for you within just four weeks. But there are many more beautiful Canalea pens that you can choose from, with tons of different styles and colors. There really is a Canalea pen for everyone. Go and see for yourself right now at CanaleaPenco.com. That's K-A-N-I-L-E-A-P-E-N-C-O. Canalea Penco. Go there right now to choose your aloha today. Thanks to the Canalea Penco for their support of this show.

'''Brad:''' So I haven't done it yet, but the next time I get a Canalea, because there will be a next time I might get one of the existing ones, to be quite honest. I really, really want to get, and I think we talked about this before, the Classic Slim, because I usually get the Classic Flush, which is kind of the largest size. The Classic Slim has a little bit of barrel differentiation and cap differentiation, like there's a little drop-off there. And I'm going to get it with a clip. Like, I want to do something different next time, because I've been seeing pictures of the ones with a clip. And I just want to try that. So that's my next move, Myke, my next Canalea move.

'''Myke:''' I'm looking on their website now. I haven't noticed this before, but they have, because they always had the size comparison, like the shape comparison. But now the image is actually featuring one of the Kona Snow.

'''Brad:''' Okay. I was looking at the Kona Snow one, so I didn't notice it was different, because I was on the Kona Snow page.

'''Myke:''' Because previously it had just been an outline where they showed the different shapes. And I find this actually much more helpful, because now I can see how it looks on an actual real pen and compare them. The Classic V looks kind of interesting.

'''Brad:''' Yeah. Like, I'm definitely going to branch out. So I have two of the large, the Classic Flush. So the next one will be different. Like, you got to mix it up.

'''Myke:''' I might have to do that, because I think I have like five or six of the Classic Flush. Maybe I should look at some extras. But I do really love how that whole thing comes together.

'''Brad:''' Yep.



== Journal Sales Follow-Up ==


'''Myke:''' All right. So I just want to give a bit of follow-up on the journal sales. So if you want to get yourself a theme system journey, go to cortexmerch.com, and you can do that. We had a super strong start. Really, like, in the first week, sold more than we've sold in any first week. And that wasn't a surprise to me, because we had quite a pent-up demand from Gray's YouTube video that he produced. So we had like a very large restock list. So because of how fast it was going, placed an order double the size of any order we have ever placed before. So we still, now I think it's finding its level. I think we're about 50% sold out of what we have. So it's finding its level now, and we'll see how it goes over the next couple of days. We did just release an episode yesterday as well. So maybe that will bump it up a bit. But considering what we have in stock now, and what we have ordered, my expectation now is we'll actually be able to keep these in stock for the rest of the year. Cool. So we may have finally found it.

'''Brad:''' Yeah, I was going to say, that's actually really good. Yes. That's what I want. That's a good answer. Yeah. Because now we can maybe do some planning and thinking about how we manage this day-to-day, long-term. Mm-hmm. And that's exactly what I wanted. Taking shots. Yeah.

'''Myke:''' So we've sold enough to cover our costs, right? Which is what you want. And now, so we're not out of pocket on it. And we can now find what the business is. And also, as I've kind of touched on this before, there are things that I want to do, marketing-wise, that I can't do if we have no stock. Because it's pointless. Trust me. Right? So, you know, we really had to just nail down the issue. And the way that we have been able to nail down the issue is by changing production. Because if we were still having them produced in China, we would not have yet restocked. Right. From, you know, like what we just put up last week, we wouldn't even have that yet. So, and the fact that we've now kind of ordered the amount that we're ordering and have them arrive in a month, like that's what we need to happen for us to be able to keep this as a consistent in-stock product, which is the design. And, you know, I think people like to assume that we're trying to hype it. Right. And like, look, the hype is great. But hype on a journal where you're supposed to, if you use it every day, buy three or four of them a year, it's not a good thing. We need to have a consistent stock. So people feel like they can rely on it and they can invest in it.

'''Brad:''' Well, you want to be able to offer an annual pack too, or two or four pack.

'''Myke:''' I have other plans for that. Gotcha. Which, again, I can't do that, anything like that, until we can get our stock levels fixed.

'''Brad:''' Well, and you've also mostly finalized the design, right? You did the first round, almost like a beta, like what you said, you know, publicly the first time. So you could see what improvements needed to be made for round two. And now I feel like you're pretty locked in. Oh, it is locked in now. To that design. So now you just, you know, you just send emails and say. Exactly. Which is all it is. Wire transfers.

'''Myke:''' Do it again. Print it again. Right. Right. And I don't need prototypes or anything, right? Right. Just send me a sample now, because there should be no issue, right? Like we've done it. This will be the third time we've done it. So, you know, these things should just roll off the production line now. And we could only order the amounts that we've ordered. Like we've already sold significantly more of the second edition than we ever sold the first edition. Right. And the first editions only existed for three months, where the previous edition existed for over a year, nearly 18 months. Right. And this is because we could order more of them. We could order them more frequently. And we were comfortable to make those larger orders because we knew if it doesn't sell out, we don't need to change it. You know? So we're definitely aiming to settle this into a standard product now. And, you know, there is a tweak that I will make, which is I need to change the year of the copyright now. Yeah. But like I'm not going to do that anytime soon. Yeah. Easy peasy. So, yeah. I'm very pleased. If you want one, go to cortexmerch.com. You can rely on us now. We'll be in stock.

'''Myke:''' This wasn't the... So the spoke pens weren't the only products that I got from you. I got the much threatened box of other stuff you've been keeping from me for a while. Which you only sent... This is a big week. You only sent this to me because you had to fulfill my Sinclair order.

'''Myke:''' Because I backed the Knox Sinclair project. And so I got that. I got the wax canvas Sinclair, which I like very much. I always have to remember, like, the wax canvas is so different to the regular canvas. Mega different. I think for me personally, I prefer the regular canvas, but I like having the option.

'''Brad:''' Yeah. A lot of people don't like the wax canvas at all. And I totally get that.

'''Myke:''' I like it. I like it enough. But I like the regular canvas more. Yeah. But I like the wax canvas too. I assume the wax gives it some level of water resistance, right?

'''Brad:''' The standard nylon has that too. But maybe a little bit more in the wax. I don't know. Because regular... The nylon that we use is Cordura. And Cordura comes with DWR coating, which is durable water repellent coating. Yeah.

'''Myke:''' When I'm saying canvas, I mean the Cordura, right? That's what I mean. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like the regular.

'''Brad:''' So it's not going to survive sitting out in a rainstorm, because there's seams and zippers and other ways to get through. But if you spilled a drink on it, it should essentially just bounce off.

'''Myke:''' Right.

'''Myke:''' But I also got my Spoke Roadie.

'''Brad:''' Yeah. This is a big week for you for me. It is a big week for me. I got a lot of stuff in the mail. Your fountain pens almost beat this box in, to be honest.

'''Myke:''' Yeah, it really did. There was just a couple of days difference, which is hilarious.

'''Brad:''' Because I sent this UPS a while ago. So the Roadies are all sold out, right? Yeah. I think we're going to have a restock on Friday is what we're tracking. So yeah. That's just been like a huge hit for us. The Roadie has been really, really popular.

'''Myke:''' And this is the one that takes the Jetstream refill. What is the model that I have? I don't see it on the website.

'''Brad:''' It's the Gecko is the one that you wanted. It's currently sold out. Okay. Well, they're all sold out. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I had, that might be my photo version. I have a set of photo versions. I was like, oh, well, I'll just send this one to Myke because it's not in inventory. And this is the one.

'''Myke:''' It's orange and orange body, kind of line green cap. And it has the like, what do you call this? Anodization with all the colors on it on the group section.

'''Brad:''' Yeah, just the anodization. It's like a rainbow anodization. Yeah. This was the best seller. This was the number one seller. Okay. Easily. It's cool. It's not on the website though. At all. Yeah, yeah. Like all the other products say sold out, but. Yeah, because we did have a small restock of those. So ones that have been zeroed out for a while get like turned off the page. And then when they come back, they'll just come back on.

'''Myke:''' And this killer, like, I love it. I love how weird it is. I think it's fantastic.

'''Brad:''' This pen surprises people. I think that's why it's so popular because people don't know what to expect from it. Yeah. And they get it and they're like, I'll be damned.

'''Myke:''' Because the design of it is so strange in a way. Like how large the cap is, you know, compared to the body of the pen.

'''Brad:''' Yeah, yeah. That's one of those things you don't know if it's going to work, right? Aesthetically. Like, is this really what we want to do? Is this going to work? Do we have the, you know, the design right? Do we have all the measurements correct? Like, is it going to look, is it going to look right? And yeah.



== EDC Kit with Roadie and Axle ==


'''Myke:''' Because I guess there's like a, similar to the axle on the Axel S, there's a big brother, little brother between the spoke pen and the spoke roadie. Because the caps are the same, right? Yep.

'''Brad:''' Yep. Crossover parts. The caps are the same and the grips are the same, right? So we basically change the barrel, right? So we can mix and match like parts as we need, but make a completely different looking pen. Like it, I mean, yes, it looks like a spoke pen, but it's really completely different from the standard spoke pen, the full size.

'''Myke:''' But the fact that the cap covers so much of the body when it's posted makes it comfortable for me to post it because the weight is balanced better. The weight of the cap isn't just hanging off the end of the pen, it's making up the body of the pen. Right. So I find that much more comfortable. I really like this pen. I just can't get on board with the Jetstream refilter.

'''Brad:''' Yeah, I get that.

'''Myke:''' It's just not my thing, but I know it's so popular.

'''Brad:''' Yeah. I don't think you have like a go-to Parker style refill. Like you start with like the Schmitts and there's really not a good roller. There's not a good comparable to the Schmitt P81. No, I tried.

'''Myke:''' I remember back in the day, I bought so many of them. I remember doing this. Like I remember buying loads and loads of Parker style refills to try and find one that I would really like. And I just never found one.

'''Brad:''' Yeah.

'''Myke:''' Like the Jetstream is perfectly fine. Like as far as it goes for something like this, the Jetstream does a good job, but I just don't get joy using this type of refill.

'''Brad:''' Yeah. It's different. Right. It's a different feel on the page, different feedback on the page. And I totally get that. But I could imagine. That said, it's absolutely the best choice.

'''Myke:''' The roadie and the axle would, these two together would make that perfect EDC kit that I was just talking about. Like I could imagine putting these in maybe like a, what was it? The lookout? The one where you have just the, like the, the note cards.

'''Brad:''' The one that closes up. No, the Sinclair, the one that closes up.

'''Myke:''' No, I'm thinking of the one that you just put the note cards in and then it had a pen.

'''Brad:''' Oh, on the front, the fodder stack. That's coming back soon. Yeah. We'll talk about that maybe in like a month or so.

'''Myke:''' So like, I feel like there would be a good, a good little pairing, especially with something else that you sent me because you just got it all out in one go, which was the pen addict write members only notepads, right? Yeah. Very nice. These little things. I like the packaging on them a lot. They crack me up. So this was a members only purchasable product.

'''Brad:''' Well, they're available to anyone, but we just called it that because I think the name I think members only is funny. That's just one of those little in jokes I have with myself.

'''Myke:''' See, then I think it's available just for members because it says members only on it, but you can, you can buy them. Anyone can buy them. The packaging on these is my favorite.

'''Brad:''' Did I tell you about that, that material? It's, it's basically processed denim that was turned into paper.

'''Myke:''' Whoa. Okay.

'''Brad:''' So yeah, that's why it's so, that's why it's so neat to use. Like those things that like come out in the end, like you're just buying these notebooks and the packaging's killer, but like all the little details that went into some of the stuff that we make is pretty fun to like work on and then shoot it out there into the wild and have someone comment on it. Yeah. But it's actually like this weird denim thing. We were actually going to do like some members only jacket like design on there, but we decided to just go with the pen addict stuff.

'''Myke:''' You also finally sent me my Relay FM wax seal from Jonathan Brooks that he made in November.

'''Myke:''' Me and Jonathan were talking and I messaged him to thank him. And he said, do you want to just give me your address?

'''Myke:''' So I did. Jonathan now has my home address so he can send me things rather than us waiting on you.

'''Brad:''' No, send it to me. It's much more fun that way. For you? Yes. I don't care about you.

'''Myke:''' It's a big mail, big mail week for me. I actually also got my Safari colored Lamy Safaris, but I haven't put any ink in them yet. You've beaten me to that. Mine still haven't arrived, but they have shipped. They're really nice. The new Lamy packaging is so boring, but it's fine.

'''Brad:''' Well, because we have to look at pictures of back in the day they did this and you can't help but compare it, but I get it. And then they did away the fin boxes. So, you know, whatever. It's whatever.

'''Myke:''' But it's, you know, I've got both of the colors. I just want the pen. Okay. I'm happy I got these because they look really fun, but I don't really know what I would use them for. I don't have a particular use in mind, but I do really like them.

'''Brad:''' Yeah. I hope mine come this week. I'll have to check the tracking. I can't remember if I ordered any extra to give away. If not, I'll work on that and I'll order some more to give away. Yeah. They would feel like the giveaway products, I think. Yeah. They're perfect for that.

'''Myke:''' So, great mail week. Thank you for finally sending me everything.

'''Brad:''' You got it.

'''Myke:''' So, I guess what I've learned is I have to buy products from you to get you to send stuff to me. Oh, you also sent me the bullet journal that we ordered last year.

'''Brad:''' Yeah. What do you think about that? That is a behemoth of a notebook.

'''Myke:''' It's a big, chunky notebook. It's quite the thing. So, this is the, is it the edition two? Yes.

'''Brad:''' Yeah, it is. Which edition one was like five years ago? Forever ago. I forget when we did the Kickstarter recap. Yeah. It might have been 2017.

'''Myke:''' So, it's a big book anyway, but it's made even bigger by all this stuff that comes in it. There's like a little guide and stuff, which is good. Like, I think having a guide is actually really useful. Because one of the reasons I have never done the bullet journal technique is I can never remember what to do with it. And I'll say, this is, this product is weird to me. Because one, I was expecting more inside than there actually is, like from a printing perspective. Because there's all this like beautiful, like bronze and silver foil stamping, but it's just on the end sheets. So, the front and the back. And then on the inside, it's just a dot grid, like the whole way through. And it has some, some pages have some different headings. But I was expecting there to be a little bit more inside than there is. I don't know why. Also, I will just say, because of everything that's packed into this book, mine is kind of banana shaped.

'''Myke:''' With the way that it's packaged.



== Edition Two Notebook Review ==


'''Brad:''' They did a bad job shipping them. Yeah. So, there was a, whatchamacallit, like a distributor shipping, right? Say, I don't know that this is the case. Let's just say, it was like an Amazon warehouse type of situation, right? Like, these weren't packed, like, by a writer in the bullet journal offices. You know what I'm saying? Sure. So, they came, so I ordered three, one for me, one for you, and one to give away. And that's a lot of bulk in notebooks for one. And then they were in, like, a two foot by 18 inch envelope just flying around in there. Like, they weren't in a box. There was no, they weren't wrapped together. The envelope was destroyed because they're basically, you know, they're throwing around like a five pounds worth of notebooks in a bubble wrapper and they were just thrashed.

'''Brad:''' So, I mean, that was, there were some shipping issues with those. I wasn't the only one that had that problem. I saw some other people mentioning that. I was like, yeah, me too. I raised my hand on that one. So, that was a, they did a bad job with that. The paper's weird, too. Why is the paper weird? I don't know that one. I was going to comment on the notebook itself, though.

'''Myke:''' But I feel like the texture of it, it's smoother than I would have expected. But also, throughout the book, it feels like the texture changes.

'''Brad:''' Oh, I'll have to check that out.

'''Myke:''' To my touch, right? So, some pages feel smoother and some feel like they have more of a texture on them. But there isn't a reason that that should be the case.

'''Brad:''' Gotcha. You understand? Yep. So, I'll have to look at that. But I thought the same thing when I opened it. I was like, oh, this is literally just a gigantic notebook.

'''Myke:''' It's huge. Which is great. Which is fine. You know, because this is obviously like, they have understood that to effectively bullet journal, you need more pages. Trust me, I understand that. If anyone understands that kind of stuff, right? Like, I feel like I've gone through that journey, right? Yeah. That's why I wanted to send you this. I was expecting more in the notebook than just what is put inside the notebook. In a sense, like, I thought there was going to be more printed on the pages rather than just the guide itself. So, I was just a little bit surprised by it. But I could imagine it being the product that bullet journalers want. But I just thought there was going to be more to it.

'''Brad:''' Yeah. So, like, think about the end destination for this, right? This is going to be on retail shelves, like at Barnes & Noble and bookstores and all kinds of different places, right? It's going to be, it's like perfect for that. Just having this big, oh, I've heard of, like, I want to try bullet journaling. And here's a little guide and here's a notebook.

'''Brad:''' So, yeah. The, I just thought the entire, the overall package was like A plus. But then, like, when you open it up, it's like, oh, okay. It's like, it's just a big Leuch term, which is, it's cool too. Yeah. I think they did change the paper, but I don't know about the consistency stuff.

'''Myke:''' It says on the page that they came up with, like, a new formulation. But I would be keen to know if you can feel what I can feel.

'''Brad:''' Okay. I'll check it out. I haven't had time to mess with it yet. Other than to just, like, open it up and kind of check it out. And it's certainly an impressive notebook. I think it's going to do extremely well. It's a big step up from the previous one.

'''Myke:''' Yeah. It's premium. It's premium as heck. It's premium. It is. And I love, like, I love the foil stamping. But they've done it. I just think it looks so fancy.

'''Brad:''' Yeah.

'''Myke:''' Yep. All right. This episode is brought to you by Squarespace. You can make your next move with Squarespace because they will let you easily create a website for your next idea or project. You can register a unique domain name. You can customize beautiful award-winning templates and so much more. It really is an all-in-one platform that will let you build just about any website that you want to make. If you want to make a blog, a portfolio, a site for your business, maybe a site for your band, a site for an upcoming event that you're hosting online. What about an online store of physical digital goods? You can sell them all on Squarespace. It's so easy to do. You can build everything on the web, but you can also manage and customize on iPads and iPhones and stuff. Now they have fantastic apps. They have great inbuilt analytics. It really is an all-in-one platform. Everything that you're going to need to build your website is available to you to Squarespace. There's nothing to install or patch or upgrade, and they have award-winning 24-7 customer support to help you out if you do have any questions. They have everything covered for you over at Squarespace. This is one of the reasons that I have been an incredibly happy customer for 10 years and more, I think, at this point. If I want to put something online, I don't want to have to think about all the hoops that I need to jump to. I go to squarespace.com and I sign up right there. And you can too. In fact, if you go to squarespace.com slash penaddict, you can sign up for a trial today with no credit card required and build your entire website. And then when you're ready to show the world, you sign up for one of their plans. They start at just $12 a month, but you can get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain and show your support for this show by using the offer code penaddict. That's squarespace.com slash penaddict. And the code penaddict for 10% off your first purchase. So thanks to Squarespace for the continued support of this show and RelayFM. Squarespace, make your next move, make your next website.

'''Brad:''' So let's talk about some very penaddict-y podcast brands and some of their new products. What do you think?

'''Myke:''' I love it.

'''Brad:''' It's kind of what we do. The first one's a surprise, even though it kind of shouldn't be. And we'll get into that in a second. But Pilot, one of my favorite punching bags recently. I do it out of love. I love Pilot to death. They released, and thank you to CY from Tokyo Station Pens for sending this to me, a dark blue translucent Pilot 823, which is a store exclusive. So CY sent this over to me because he knows that I'm super interested in these types of things. And he gave us a shout out in the Tokyo Station's podcast this week. I think mostly he gave us the shout out because we agreed with him on the Pilot Custom, the one that we discussed, you know, the color limited edition Pilot Custom SE. In that, it was just kind of fell flat. So I think that's really why he wanted some support on the podcast from us at What You Got. But this pen he brought up, so the store is called Shoshikan, Shosaikan. And the way they explain it on Tokyo Inklings is like, this is like a high-end type of store that's like just really nice, really beautiful. You know, it's been around for a long time. It's well-respected in Japan. And, you know, they do a lot of premium, premium stuff. So, of course, for their 20th anniversary, they were able to work with Pilot to make 100 custom 823s in this dark blue translucent material, which looks great, right? But no one's really going to be able to get these. They're only making 100 of them. They're charging almost $500 US for it when it's normally like $280 for the standard ones. And, like, this is cool. Like, Pilot does this for stores they partner with, right? And the way CY put it is Pilot will do this for... They like to do... Pilot loves the big anniversary dates, right? They'll do it for the 1st, for the 5th, for the 10th, for the 20th anniversary. They'll work with these shops and make something special. Now, this one's really special, right? But it's kind of like the Lamy 2000 in blue to where, like, it's one of the flagship pen models of the line. It's something normal users have been clamoring for. You know, like your regular everyday users of the Lamy 2000 or Pilot 823 as, like, their workhorse writing pens to have something more special than the stock versions that they've kept the same for 10 years or so or more in the 823 and forever in the 2000.

'''Brad:''' You know, we want something more for the regular customers to, you know, we'd like to see a little bit of change and a little bit of the brand seeing the value in their day-to-day customers, you know, even though they're obviously, you know, loyal to their high-end, high-volume customers like this. So, I think it's cool.

'''Brad:''' I would love to see something like this come normally. I would love to see not this color. Like, I think the color is awesome, but it's not that far from the black that they have already. You know, if they did this in their standard translucent blue that they use in the 74 and the 92 that's a bright blue, I would actually jump through the screen and try to acquire one of these even for $500. But this one looks like the basic black one, pretty much. But if they did like a purple one or heaven forbid an orange one or something like that, I would actually try. I would pay that much of a premium to have a different 823. But I like seeing this, but I am resigned to the fact that I might never see this pen in real life, right?

'''Myke:''' Yeah, of course.

'''Brad:''' So, like, I'm even hesitant to talk about it. It's like, I want Pilot to do these things, but I want them to do them for the mass market. And same with Lamy and same with, you know, every other company except Sailor. Sailor does it for the mass market. Or at least has options of access for the mass market. So, anyway. Yeah, I like it. And, like, if this was a certain color, I might try to get one, even at that exorbitant price. But, you know, it's a thing. I just want the customer base that listens to this show to be able to play as well. Right? That's all.

'''Brad:''' Which brings us to Sailor.

'''Brad:''' I want you to lead this one.

'''Myke:''' Sailor has a new North American edition. It is called Too Hot Habanero. It is an orange, all-orange pen with a translucent demonstrator body. It has an orange grip section. It has a two-tone nib, which is cool, in 14 or 21-carat gold. And it also has the grip section, which is a non-translucent. What would you call that? Just, like, regular acrylic? Yeah, it matches the cap. Which matches the cap. With a custom, unique finial of a chili pepper.

'''Brad:''' It's a habanero, Myke. It's a habanero pen.

'''Myke:''' I know. But habaneros are chili peppers, aren't they?

'''Brad:''' Yeah, that's not a habanero. The one thing, people knew I was going to talk about this today. The only thing people cared about was to tell me to make sure you say that's not a habanero on the top of the pen. And I'm like, I know it's not a habanero, but it would look like a turd if they used a habanero on there.

'''Myke:''' Yeah, because the thing is, like, that, it, it, it.

'''Brad:''' I had to mention that. That was the only thing of importance that people wanted to talk about because they know I'm going to love this pen. And I want to know what you think about this pen, though. It's not. It looks awesome. It looks great. The pepper looks like a pen.

'''Myke:''' It is like the universally recognized symbol for pepper. Yes.

'''Brad:''' Right? Mm-hmm.

'''Myke:''' People get too upset about too many things.

'''Brad:''' They weren't upset. They just wanted to be clear. Very clear, Myke.

'''Myke:''' Yes, definitely needed. The clarity is definitely needed because nobody would understand it otherwise, right?

'''Myke:''' Anyway, this is fantastic. This is just a fantastic pen. They knocked this one right out of the park, right? Like, this is a great idea, fantastically executed. I love it.

'''Brad:''' Completely agree. It's awesome. Like, this is what I would make if I was, if I was allowed to make, like, a sailor pen, right? Yeah. For, like, the pen addict. Like, this, I would choose, like, some part of it would be translucent. Some part of it would be solid. We'd mix and match a couple things. We'd do a little finial. I wouldn't have chosen the two-tone nib, but that's picking knits. I think it looks better on some pens than others. Like, Lucky Charm. I like the two-tone nib. I do. It's a cool nib.

'''Myke:''' It matches with the theme of, like, this two-tone plastic, basically. Yeah.

'''Brad:''' You know, so, like... I don't dislike it. But this is, like, the 4AM black ion trim rhodium nib thing. It's just, like, it's kind of their thing to kind of, like, mix and match nibs.

'''Myke:''' And then doing a slim and standard.

'''Brad:''' Yes. Which is cool. So, the thing people wanted was, like, a Pro Gear limited edition because they've mostly done 1911 limited editions because the 1911s sell better. Well, it's because there's no Pro Gears that look like this to have a chance to sell. Right? So, I think this will do better than the pen of the 1911, pen of the year, cranberry sauce with no name pen.

'''Myke:''' Yeah. But there's 800 of these. They're going to sell out super fast.

'''Brad:''' Is it 800 of both sizes? That's what I haven't, like, clarified.

'''Myke:''' I don't know. Is it 800 of both sizes? I think it might be... They're not clear. They're saying it's 800 pieces. Correct. I think it's split across both.

'''Brad:''' I agree with that statement. I agree with that statement. This will sell out, and even at the higher price. So, this is the new pricing. So, the Pro Gear regular is $392. Pro Gear slim is $280. I will not be buying this pen. Right? Like, I have no interest in purchasing this pen.

'''Myke:''' $392 is too much.

'''Brad:''' Yeah. It just is. Like, you know, I've got to be really kind of blown away to spend a lot of money on a pen these days. And, like, I have... Like, I'm covered on Sailor's.

'''Myke:''' Is this just the new standard pricing or the new limited edition pricing?

'''Brad:''' This will be the... I think it's going to be the new standard pricing, but that's one of my questions to Sailor is, do they actually have a standard pen lineup anymore?

'''Myke:''' Right, right, right. Okay.

'''Myke:''' Yeah, it's too much, man. I think it's too... I really love this pen, but I don't $400 love it.

'''Brad:''' Yeah. Yeah. It's great. Like, if I didn't have other Sailors and other orange pens, like, I'd maybe consider it. Right? This will definitely sell better than the red one, I think. But, like, we'll never know the answer to that. Like, I could ask around, but, I mean, no one's really going to tell me. Nor does it matter. But I think this is going to do extremely well. I have basically the opposite of this pen.

'''Brad:''' Mm-hmm.

'''Myke:''' Do you know which one?

'''Brad:''' The chocolate dipped orange one.

'''Myke:''' The orangeette? The Bunga Box orangeette?

'''Brad:''' Orangeette. Yeah. So, if I haven't bought the orangeette, and if I haven't bought Tequila Sunrise, I would buy both of those before I bought this one, right? And, like, if I haven't bought those, there's no reason for me to go jump in and buy this one. And I could have gotten both of those for cheaper than this.

'''Myke:''' Mm-hmm.

'''Brad:''' Right? So, like, I'm trying to manage, like, some of my purchases. It has to be, like, it has to be, like, the right amount of hype for me, right? I can't get overhyped about something, like, immediately and start pressing buttons to buy something. And I can't be, well, if I'm underwhelmed by it, I'm obviously not going to buy it. It has to be the right amount. And that's usually a combination of a lot of factors. And that usually doesn't come, like, immediately, right? So, I got to figure out the right amount of hype for things. So, I think this pen will do very well. I think the design is great. And, yeah, like, I have nothing bad to say about it other than, like, I don't like the new pricing. But it is what it is. And that's what it's going to be now. And they're going to come out with, like, the unicorn barf one. And I'm going to pay $392. So, my feeling... It's just going to happen.

'''Myke:''' Yeah, like, I now will be way more picky about the Progears I buy. I think the right... Honestly, for me, the right Progear is worth that money. Yeah. Because it is, in my opinion, about as good as a fountain pen can be. But it's now $100 more than I would have expected to pay, in my mind, for a pen like this. And so, I'm not going to get ones that I really like. Which I do. I really like this one. But I don't... You know, I could go really like to love. But it's not a love level where I would be willing to buy this to make it my one, two, three, four, fifth orange Progear.

'''Brad:''' Right.

'''Myke:''' You know? Right.

'''Brad:''' And, like, the thing we have to consider is this is already the second one, just the North America release in 2021. Right? We're, you know, not quite three months in. We got two limited editions. Give me all your money. Right? You got to balance that, too. Because there's lots of other pens releasing out there. We're going to talk about another one in a second. So, you know, it's like you can't buy all the things. So, I wonder how these prices are going to affect things. I don't know. We'll see. We've had this discussion. We can link back to whenever I lost my head about it the first time.

'''Brad:''' This one will do well, though.

'''Myke:''' What did Twizby doing? When did they have two?

'''Brad:''' The first comment I got was very similar to what you're saying right here. Right here. I don't hate it that much.

'''Myke:''' I'm not saying I hate it all.

'''Brad:''' Cool. The comments I got were not positive on the new Twizby Draco. I don't hate it either.

'''Brad:''' It's interesting. It's weird. It's the follow-up. They're not saying it's the follow-up to the Aurora, which was the green one that we really enjoyed. Right? I got to test it at the Atlanta Pen Show from our friend Kat. I can't remember if you tested it that day or not, which I really liked. It's a good price point. It's a unique material. It's a different Twizby than we're used to, but in a classic Twizby shape that I like. This was the micarta pen that I love. It kind of had this shape.

'''Brad:''' This one, there is a shocking amount going on with this pen. And I don't even know where to go with it. Where the Aurora had a lot going on with it too.

'''Brad:''' I don't know. Like, I don't know how limited. The Aurora was very, very limited. Right? It was like they were going to try something with these materials, this pen design, this pen shape. And they sold out of them pretty quickly. And then that's been over two years now since they've had another one of these. So I thought maybe they weren't going to do any more. Or maybe they shouldn't do any more. Or what the feedback was on that. But they have definitely leaned into this one. And this is a very, for a subtle pen, this is a very busy looking pen. I'm really curious, which I didn't know. I had to go back and look at the Aurora, which we'll link in the show notes, to a review of that pen if you're not familiar with it. I didn't realize where the ink window sat on that Aurora model. And it's exactly the same with this one, but this one, for some reason, stood out more. It's below the barrel cap threading is where the piston goes. Now, you see plenty of clear sections. And I'm not used to a piston going below the barrel cap threads like that. Maybe I'm mistaken. But the Aurora was the same way, and I didn't notice it there. But this one, for some reason, stands out to me because you can see the piston knob below the barrel threads if you're holding the pen. I don't have a price. It's launching March 31st, according to our good friends at Pen Chalet. I'm sure it'll be highly limited. I'm not, again, not interested. Just like the Aurora.

'''Myke:''' I like the pairing of the rose gold with this colorway.

'''Brad:''' Yeah.

'''Myke:''' But it just does nothing for me.

'''Brad:''' I'm having real trouble with this design, and I can't pinpoint it. Because it's the exact same shape as the Aurora, but I didn't mind the Aurora shape. I really think it's that ink window next to the rose gold threads. I like some more. It's really making me question what's happening here. Even though it's, like, technically, I guess fine. I wonder where that unscrews. Does that unscrew right?

'''Brad:''' But, like I said, it's no different than the Aurora. Because I had to go back and double check. I was like, I need to go check this.

'''Myke:''' Does it unscrew? Why would it unscrew?

'''Brad:''' It's going to have to unscrew from somewhere.

'''Myke:''' But didn't they used to break when you try and unscrew them?

'''Brad:''' Maybe. So maybe it's just from the nib unit. Like, other piston fillers, like a Pelican, right? They just unscrew from the nib unit. So maybe that's it.

'''Brad:''' It's interesting.

'''Myke:''' Yeah. Weird.

'''Brad:''' Again, I want to see this in person. I don't know if I'll get to see this in person.

'''Brad:''' Just like the Aurora. Like, it was good. Like, I'm glad it exists. I'm just a little confused. I don't know. I don't... I'm hemming and hawing because I don't know what to say about it. It's such an interesting pen. But there's something that's throwing me off with this design. And I don't know if it's just that ink window thread piece or something else. But it's confusing me. Anyway. A lot of stuff.

'''Myke:''' A lot of stuff. And there's a lot of stuff in our show notes today. Which you can go to relay.fm slash penaddict slash 453. If you want to get your hands on those. And you can take a look. I'm going to give the same call to actions that I gave last time. Limited. You can go to spokedesign.com or cortexmerch.com. I'll also actually just throw in Tuesdays, Thursdays, 10 a.m. Eastern Time. Twitch.tv slash penaddict. You can see Brad streaming live. Yeah. Topping over there. We'd like you to buy our products, please. Which is what we will ask you to do today. Thanks so much to Canalea Panko and Squarespace for their continued support of this show. It's very, very much appreciated, as is your listenership. Thank you so much for listening to this week's episode of the Panadict Podcast. And we'll be back next time. Until then, say goodbye, Brad.

'''Brad:''' Goodbye, Brad. Goodbye, Brad.

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