Good Pens

Rhodia Journal Swap!

2012-02-02T12:28:00.000-05:00

I could not be more excited to be included in the first ever Rhodia Journal Swap. Here's a link if you haven't seen the details yet and see what other people are included.

Being a crazy planner- I have already sketched out my first page even though the journal hasn't arrived yet. I love the idea a bunch of artists/ bloggers coming together to put something collective together. Rhodia has always put out a pile of great products and supported us pen people nicely. Stay tuned for more info and the blow by blow over sharing of what's in store. Seth

Awesome Chalk Art

2012-01-24T21:20:00.000-05:00

Garden & Gun from Dana Tanamachi on Vimeo.

Sweet!

2012-01-17T09:07:00.002-05:00

One of my drawings got picked up and is getting passed around. http://youngfolksociety.tumblr.com/

Scroll down and on the right you might recognize the "Let me Down Easy" doodle. Word of warning....the site is sometimes a little NSFW but mostly tame.

Seth

Moleskine Destruction!

2011-12-24T14:17:00.004-05:00

I am working on an amazing Moleskine project that I can't post about until after tomorrow and it is killing me. So good.

Have a great Holiday.

Seth

Kaweco Sport Fountain Pen

2011-12-05T13:02:00.001-05:00

Kaweco might be one of those companies that even some real pen people don't know that much about. I have been a huge fan of their stuff for years and I really like what they do.

In 1883 Kaweco started making pens. 1883! What's interesting is that they are still in business and that's the same year that Louis Waterman began doing experiments to create the fountain pen. I love when companies appreciate their history and do a decent job in presenting it. Kaweco does that here with a nice little wrap up. If you do not feel like clicking, the short story is around 1908 they starting making the Sport Pen (or Ladies Pens, or Pocket Pens) after a run of nice dip pens. They really haven't changed that much since they kicked it off.

The Sport is a style of pen that I really like: a nice, small form when capped and then suddenly large enough for my hand when the cap is posted. It's tricky... "it's tricky, tricky, tricky"...and yes... somehow I managed to go through 104 years of History. The start of a wonderful pen company straight in 1883 to RUN DMC's 1987 hit. Sing it together: "to rock a rhyme, to rock a rhyme that's right on time....it's tricky."

If you haven't met before...here is the Kaweco Sport. A wonderful little cartridge filled fountain pen that has landed a special spot in my rotation. At first blush you might question the gold end piece and the silver clip. That's completely my doing. It doesn't come with a clip, you have to order them separately and I picked the silver over the gold. Yes, the nib is gold also. It's just my preference. More on that later.

The cap is beveled to keep it from rolling around your desk if you opt out of the clip and here is how it stretches out. Nice lines.

I cheated a little here for impact. The Sheaffer Lifetime is a slightly larger fountain but here you see them side by side. Notice how the caps are really similar in length. It has to be for the Kaweco to give it a little extra room in your hand.

As always, click for better images. Here's how the world comes together in odd little bursts...I swear that I simply Googled "small quotes" and this was one of the ones that I liked...When I hit Mr. Hill's Wiki Page to find out who he was- the first thing I noticed was his birth year. You got it. 1883. I just blew my mind a little. I know not everyone loves blue ink...I just need to burn through this cartridge and then I can trade it out. This EF is a little thicker than I am used to for EF's but it doesn't bother me. Even from the first time it hit paper this one was smooth and crisp. I can't wait to throw some nice ink in here. Someday I will write a full review in the pen I am reviewing and not have any typing...some day.

Here's the breakdown. Nothing unusual here. Just good, solid German manufacturing.

Nice touch on the end cap here. If you are an iPad user I really recommend a little app called Flipboard. Once you are in there search the feeds for Good Pens. It looks pretty decent on the page. (Thanks JR.)

I bought this one at JetPens, I went with the EF nib and the Silver Clip. There's a ton of options depending on your needs and style. There is also a demonstrator if you feel lucky. Bottom line...even if you do have large hands, don't be afraid to give these pens a try.

Good Pens.

Updates!

2011-12-04T17:36:00.001-05:00

If you have noticed some changes...I thought that I should put up some new drapes and add some features. You might have noticed the Tabs being added up top and I added an official Facebook page for quick little updates when I can't do a full post. Bear with me as I clean things up and thanks again for reading.

Holiday Gift Guide Penstravaganza!

2011-11-28T21:01:00.001-05:00

It's always around this time of year when I start to get a few emails and comments from people asking about gifts and they usually go something like this:

Hey Good Pens Guy Dude: I LOVE your blog...but I need some potential gift ideas for my (fill in the blank) girlfriend, sister, room mate, father, Siamese twin etc. and oh..they really like pens.

Usually I try my best to gather some info and put a response together but this year, I thought that I would put a little buying guide together for you and pass along some knowledge hopefully saving you some time and energy. Don't get me wrong, I am still happy to answer your emails.

First of all, some words of warning and getting rid of all the legal mumbo-jumbo. In terms of warnings....there are two types of people that you could be potentially be buying for. 1. Pen people. 2. Non-Pen People. Know the difference. They are similar in looks and stature but should be treated slightly differently (more to follow on this.) The Legal stuff: I have zero affiliation with any links or sites or anything else I am about to post. I just had a glass of Beaujolais Nouveau and The Walking Dead is on so who knows what that this could bring.

Here's the deal, it's still November and there is no need to panic. Go down through your list, who do you want to buy pen stuff for? Cool, Crazy Uncle Benny would be perfect. Let's make a list.

First piece of advice...don't just go out and buy a fountain pen unless you are pretty sure the person might use it. Don't get me wrong, an unused pen that can get passed down is a cool thing, but a pen that will get used and appreciated is a better gift. Also, like I said, you have time: Sneak into the persons house late at night that you are buying for and take a look at what kind of pens they use (don't do this.) That way you know what sort of pen to buy. (Don't do this.)

1. Pens, Non-Fountain, low cost version. Everyone knows I am crazy for the Zebra Sarasa's. They have a sweet spot in my heart. Perfect colors, perfect points and at around $2 each they are dreamy. (Did I really just call a pen dreamy? Yes, yes I did.) I buy them from the Japanese Pen stores when I am in NYC or San Fransisco or Jetpens carries them. Buy a set, rave about how hard they are to find and thank me later. Stay away from CVS and Staples, nothing good can come from this. Uncle Benny will haunt you for the rest of your life if you do this. Uniball's are nice. The secret is to buy a few colors and sizes and let them pick a favorite.

1.a Pens, Non-Fountain Medium and High Cost Versions- You know... I kinda like my Lamy's. Rarely have they disappointed me. I never really had to do much to they to keep them flowing and it's a name that most will recognize. Here's one I like that can get picked up for about $60 or so the Lamy Studio Roller ball. The Cross Affinity is popular also or any Parker Sonnet at this level would be nice. Oh and buy a couple refills for roller balls. It really makes it easier on the person getting the gift. It's much less likely to get thrown in a drawer once it runs dry. Think about his for the business guy/ graduate/ sister in law for the match here.

What? you have more to spend? Hold off there sparky, It is not worth it to spend more than that on one pen at this level. Let's move on and since you asked: stay away from brush pens or pen and pencil sets. Too quirky and too predictable. (In that order.) If you want to spend more, go with a combo gift (details below.)

2. Fountain Pens. Low Cost Version. Yee-Haw. My possible favorite category. For the Non-Pen Person, you could be introducing them to a whole new world without killing your pocketbook. For the Pen lovers...any fountain pen will be appreciated. Honestly it's rare that a pen guy will frown upon a new pen. Low cost is probably around $25. Anything less than $8 is likely disposable, anything more than $50 will creep into the next category. The Lamy Nexx is nice. Pelikens are fun and durable. I love the Lamy Vista Demonstrators (more on these later.) in fact, tons of Lamy's in this category will work. The Sheaffer Prelude is a Classic. Even Rotring has something in this category.

Ok, shhhhh, here's a secret: It will be another one in the list as well but buy some ink along with the fountain pen. If it's a cartridge pen, try to find a converter for it instead of cartridges. (Just ask, they will know) Wrap it up, put a bow on it and wait for the return gifts. Wait, I am being told that is not what the Holidays are about. Moving on.

2.a Fountain Pens. Medium Cost Version. This one is fun also. Here's the trick, finding your comfort zone (in terms of dollars) and matching that with a potential pen. Having a secret that only you and AMEX know is fun, but don't let it drive you crazy. Here's another secret, a lot of fountain people like demonstrators. Back in the day, they were used to show people the inner working of pens. Now... they are just plain cool. This Pilot Prera from JetPens rocks. Google them, tons of choices. The Sheaffer 300 is nice at around $100 and I also like Waterman Phileas line. Here's the only kicker: fountain pens come in different size nibs so be aware of this. I like EF (Extra Fine) Fine (F) is usually a safe, but some people like Mediums. I know I am not helping here. Just giving you a heads up. Your stalking skills will come in handy here.

2. Fountain Pens. High Cost Version. Skip this section. Again, unless it's on their list as a HAVE to HAVE Christmas item and you know exactly what the person wants...don't don't do it. Just being expensive does not mean that the person will love/use it. And...unless you know what you are doing, avoid used fountain pens on eBay, yes there are some great deals out there but its not that unusual to buy a fountain pen on eBay needs some work. Not a cool gift. It's easy to spend $1000 on a fountain pen, it's not easy to sneak in how much you paid for it to the person that has no idea what you just bought them. I will admit the Vanishing Point by Pilot is still pretty sweet. It's not for the novice, but a really fine gift for those who know their way around a pen.

3. Mechanical Pencils Are you kidding me? Mechanicals make a nice gift. A lot of people have really cheap Mechanical Pencils. Not a lot of people have really nice Mechanical Pencils. I have given one or two of these away as gifts and I hope they are well used. Coolness tip: Drafting or Architect pencils are a sweet gift for dudes. Again, be aware that there are different size leads available from the super fat the the ultra thin. .5 is usually a safe bet. Here are some of my favorites...The Kuru Toga will automatically rotate your lead for you and at $16.50 it is bad ass. LAMY makes another one for around $25 that is nice.

Side tip: buy some different hardness lead along with the pencil so the person has a choice. A nice eraser also makes a good side gift.

4. Ink. Ahh, assuming your Siamese twin likes to use fountain pens...they will need ink and ink is sexy.(yep, I said it) There are so many choices and the good news is, you can afford this. Noodlers has some awesome colors. Levengers is good. They are less expensive, but I like the Pelikan inks also. Buying tip: buy 3 or 4 in similar shades and give it that way. Blue-Blacks, Greens or even reds. Awesome gift. I have never heard a pen junky say "I have too many inks." That's just silly. Tons of choices here folks.

5. Others: Journals can be special gifts, but tricky unless you know what the receiver likes..A nice Bundle of Moleskines or Rhodia's or Field Notes would be sweet with a Sarasa or two on top. I could go on and on forever about pen cases, antique ink bottles, pen holders etc. they all are awesome in their own way and can make a great gift.

Bottom line, get creative, be comfortable and doing your research (i.e.stalking) can go a long way to making sure you get that pen lover (or not) a good gift.

Oh, and I ran a marathon last weekend. It was fun and that's why I didn't get a post out.

Happy Holidays,

The Pen Blog Guy Dude

and I did just get a fresh shipment of pens in...so some fun reviews are on the way.

Parker Vacumatic Blue Diamond Major...a favorite.

2011-11-13T07:44:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago, I was out with some friends that knew about this blog and as usual, the first question that came up was "What's your favorite pen?" My gut instinct was to run for a Sarasa .4 in Blue-Black. Jetpens sells them for $2.20 and do not tell them this, but I would pay double that price any day of the week for those.

Then, the more I thought about it...and after watching everyone's eyes roll around horribly after 20 minutes of discussing the finer points of ink flow, pen weight and other stuff, I realized there's a lot more to it. There are my favorite pens and then there are my favorite pens. My Sarasa is my favorite daily pen just because I know it's rock solid but when the zombie apocalypse happens there are other pens that I would make sure I have in my bug out bag or if I am grabbing a pen to throw in my pocket for a night out I wouldn't grab the Sarasa. See? Favorite vs. Favorite.

One of my definite favorite pens needed some love. I can do all the work I need on 95% of my fountain pens..pull them apart, replace what's needed and shine them up properly but the Parker Vacumatics are a different monster. This one needed professional help. (why does the scene from Ferris Bueller always come to mind here? "Relax, You have nothing to worry about I'm a professional."
I needed to send this one off for some love and to do the work I chose Pentiques. I sent a late night email that had a response in about 5 minutes and the second I returned from Copenhagen I mailed it off to them. Oh and it was terrifying to drop this thing in the mailbox.

Look at the clear celluloid bands...crazy clean.

After about a week or two (your mileage may vary) a payment and a few other friendly emails, my mailman dropped off a pleasant surprise. Imagine Christmas morning except in the form of a small very well wrapped and packaged US Mail Priority Box.

Sea glass really isn't that manly.

Blown Away. Time actually stopped. Here's a 65 year old pen that is now as close as it was to when it rolled off the assembly line as it ever will be. Un-inked, shiny, sparkling. Amazeballs.

Here's how it's broken down. That plunger on the far right is for filling this thing. It's happily inked now (equally scary just dirtying this thing up) and will get used. A lot.

This pen makes me want to write long letters that I don't even really care if they ever get read by anyone. Just write and hide them away for some stranger to find one day. It's that good. It's a joy to write with. I said it before. Mr. Parker, thank you. you created almost perfection.

Again, it's personal. For me..this is a classic pen in my perfect color and nib size.

The Blue Diamond doesn't hurt either. So thank you Pentiques for your work restoring this beauty. I am hoping I can give this another 65 years of use.

Good Pen.

Black n' Red A4 Journal

2011-11-08T14:30:00.000-05:00

When it comes to pens and stationary stuff I am rarely surprised. It’s sortof simple: if youhave seen a few pens in your day ("in your day?" What am I- 80 years old?) you/I can judgea book by its cover in a minute.

I can spot a cheap pen from a mile away and it kills me whenI see people who spend a lot of time writing suffering with a trade showgiveaway or a pen found in a box in the basement. Bad pens are easy to spot, journals are a little more difficult. An unlined journal thatruns away yipping when faced with fountain pen ink might be perfect for someoneout there… and on the other hand…a lined, heavy-weight, bleed-proof journalwould not be appreciated by someone who uses those CVS pens.
So when I was sent a journal from the awesome fellas over at www.officehero.co.uk I was skeptical. I felt like I had been there before. I thought..here’s a big lined journal that wouldn't holdup to anything. I was wrong. Introducingthe Black n Red A4 sized Smart RuledJournal.

So I started off with aPilot G2 in .38 to do make a few lists. No surprises there. I have a work journal (that I really need to review and love but it’s my to do , thoughts and reminder book) one thing I was missing was a notebook for meetings and phone-call notes with.
Then one amazingthing happened. I grabbed aWaterman with some Sailor Black ink and BAM! This paper held up to my heavyhanded inky doodles. Like…really held up. No idea this paper would be this good. It does not bleed. At all. I can’t believe the versatility.

You have seen my doodles in the past and occasionally theyget a little sloppy and something that might someday resemble some sortof homemade Copperplate Script. I am notaiming for perfection in penmanship, just something that looks cool to me. Suddenly this notebook started filling up withmy inky rants. It was a pleasure to use this paper.

Size does matter and when it comes to A4 paper I can appreciate breaking out of the 8.5 by 11 “ rut and expanding a bit. As always, click for better views. I like having the vertical lines as options. Checkboxes, dates, whatever. There's also a ton of info on the first and last couple pages, personal info, a calendar, rail schedules, etc. Good options.

And the more I think about it. This is the first hardbound journal that i have used in a while. It's easy to be able to throw it into the computer bag and not worry about creasing the covers. Here's the details from the experts: Black n Red casebound hard back book with Smart ruling system for organised note-taking. features left-hand column for bullets or numbering and two right-hand columns for actions and deadlines. High quality 90gsm smooth paper for minimal show-through.-

So, I like it. I really like it. If you are looking for a big sturdy notebook that can hold up to ink...you have another choice, check out Office Hero and the Black N Red. Now I am going to go work on my Copperplate and watch Shawshank.

Seth

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

2011-11-06T20:40:00.001-05:00

How appropriate to do a giveaway on post #250 for me!!! We should have cake. Instead we have what I think might be the first video reveal ever in the world of pen blogging. You might want to watch your volume. I was having a Kanye moment.

Uh, oh. I told you it was heavy. It looks like you low # people are in trouble. This was a box of pens from Grammy. (Everyone remembers Grammy right?) I probably went through this box at one point and pulled out all the good ones and the box was still full of ballpoints. More on those later.

Here's what I found. They are all ballpoints and no, I do not write with them and that's the reason they are tucked away in a box in the basement. Maybe someday they will get some use or I can donate them to a good cause, but for now they remain happily curled up in a box. Well except for the fact that I had to count them...and count them I did.

Those are piles of 10 except for the pile of three in the center. Breaking out the abacus, I come up with 24 piles and 3 to spare. Go ahead count them just to be sure...also, I am really curious how many of you went out and filled up a shoe box with pens just to see what kind of numbers we were looking at here. I did find a few decent pens, some mini's, a few Cross's and some other fairly newer ones that aren't going back in the box. Oh...that's 243 by the way.

Here's the deal, don't hate the pen blog, hate the rules. I stated that the contest ended at Midnight Eastern on Friday (last Friday.) Sorry, a few of you missed the deadline. I am just trying to keep it fair.

So, Aaron from HMMMMMMM is the winner at 250! Only 7 off and remember I said you could go over. Shoot me your details and I will get the prizepack out too you.

What was in the prizepack you ask? (Or actually, now that you haven't won you probably already closed the browser and moved on but - anyway but if you are curious:)

Ta da! Yes, that's a Pilot Explorer in there. Now you wish you had thrown all your pens into a box to see what you would have come up with. And that Blue one is a Fountain Pen. I might have a few more things to throw in there, this is just what I grabbed to shoot. Aaron... enjoy it.

And Dad to Liberty Lover of Pens wins the backup prize just for being scientific about this. An Explorer is on the way to you also if you shoot me your details.

So...post number 250. Wow. Thank you guys for supporting me and reading my blog. I really appreciate the comments, feedback emails and clicks on the AdWords. I do have some plans for this thing and hope you stick around for the ride.

Enjoy what's left of your weekend.
Seth

The times they are a Changing...

2011-11-03T01:00:00.001-04:00

Quick update: Here's my post from Vegas a few short months ago. Sadly, all I had with me were 4 pens and two pencils for 5 days in the desert. It was clear that I had lost some faith in my ability to love pens and the need for writing material.

Bob Dylan (I know, I know) wrote that "The Times they are a Changing" and they definitely were. Here we are now for a quick 2 night business trip to Chicago and there's a huge difference. 19 Pens (not all shown) and 2 pencils are in my bag.. That includes two fountain pens and not even close to my favorite Dylan song. I think I have spared you of that until now. Girl of the North Country might top my list. 3rd and 4th verse. Hits hard.

That is a full and happy bag and worth every ounce of dragging it around the city. It's nice to have a choice in the arsenal and good to know that there are writing options as the needs comes up. I haven't given up my electronic friends though...also in my bag are two laser pointers, a stylus, laptop, iPad 2, wireless mouse, Garmin GPS and about 20 GB's of storage. If the Stationary Apocalypse ever comes, I will be prepared.

And as for the contest...I could be waaaay off, but I think your guesses might be low. If I can drag 19 pens around in my bag imagine how many I can shove into a shoe box? Still open through Friday so keep them coming. Possibly even a video reveal. Kinda like Oprah revealing her secret sister...only not as awkward.

So the lesson learned is: break out of that funk. Break the rules, go nuts. Change it up and fix things.

Good Pens.

New Good Pens Contest!

2011-10-30T10:39:00.000-04:00

Have you ever watched A&E's TV show "Hoarders"? It's scary and freakish. I tend to go in the opposite direction and stay as minimalist as possible with my stuff. However, when it comes to pens...all rules are off. If A& E ever came to my house to start de-cluttering my pens they (and I) would have a serious issue. I would sort of just ball up and shake back and forth until they pried the last ballpoint from my cold dead hands (too far?) So, as I was going through an old desk in my basement this week...I found this box. Here's the deal...I haven't opened it. I did have one note on the box (above) letting me know the contents.

This contest is easy. Leave a comment on this post with the number of pens that you think are in the box. Closest to the correct amount wins. I don't care if you go over or not, just whoever is closest. Winner gets a Prizepack, I have some Uniballs, some fountain pen ink, I might even throw in a fountain pen that I just reviewed and a small journal might find its way in there also. It will be a good one trust me.

Side contest... I know you are not trained monkeys but the post that makes me laugh the most gets a runner up prize.

One clue that might help... the box was kinda heavy. There's not just 2 pens rattling around in there. The contest ends Friday at Midnight Eastern and even my International friends and welcome to enter (even if you are in Assam.)

Enjoy the rest of your weekend. Oh and I must have dropped some friend links off of the blog roll, if you want to share links let me know and I will get you back in there. Thanks.

Seth

Parker Jotter Mechanical Pencil

2011-10-29T10:19:00.003-04:00

Every now and then, for no particular reason, when I buy pens (or pencils) I will put a 2 in that order box or grab a second before I head to the checkout. Sometimes it's a mistake and sometimes it pays off. One of my favorite "2" purchases ever was a few weeks ago when I stumbled upon this Parker (and its mate.) It's so good that I am glad that I have a backup of this one. I have been known to lose pens and having an extra tucked away in good hands is comforting.

This is the the Parker Jotter Mechanical Pencil and it is kinda perfect for me- and this is coming from someone who generally prefers pens to pencils most of the time. The size of the pencil is just right and even though I prefer a .4 pencil, this .5 with good lead does the job. The click mechanics are smooth and it fits well in my hand.

Of course there's an eraser although I keep a few stand alone erasers on my desk to keep from wearing this down. (yep, Anal Andy.) As of right now, this is the only pencil in my computer bag and it's really all I need. The Parker name to me means quality and knowing that this pencil has the potential to last for 50 or 100 years is pretty incredible if it's anything like the Parker Fountains that I have.

Here's the deal. I have some really nice mechanicals...and I mean fancy expensive mechanical pencils that do not travel with me and are sort of unused. It's a shame but I don't really have a specific need for them unless I am doing art or doodling at home. I should use pencils more, but you know.. it's not called Good Pencils. Keeping one in my travel bag is common though and this one is it.

For those of you that are curious...it's a Pomelo, an Asian Grapefruit. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomelo I don't really like them that much. They are sort of a lot of work and the payoff for flavor isn't that great. I think it's funny that Wiki even says in Assam they use it as a soccer ball. (That tells you all you need to know about the flavor.) And to be honest I have no idea where Assam is but I feel connected with them. I would get more use out of this as a soccer ball also.

Click for better views. It is sort of silly to do a writing test with a pencil, but here you are. I doubt that Gilbert Parker has any relations to the Parker Pen Family but it works for the quote. If I need a pencil, this is the one that I am reaching for and I couldn't be happier with it.

Having a backup of your favorite pens is a good thing and one that can payoff in the end. Enjoy the weekend. Also...the Pen Addict just put up his Ink Links here if you haven't seen it yet.

Come back tomorrow for a fun contest- I just need to come up with the prize and I can post it.

Seth

Uni Pin 0.05.. like write on rice

2011-10-24T23:58:00.000-04:00

Every now and then, I like a thin line. Not literally...I mean the way a pen writes. Imagine the thinnest pen you like... then cut that in half...then do it two or three more times. That's how I like to write sometimes. This is another find from Copenhagen that I bought multiples of. I didn't even need to write a test to know this was a good one. Welcome to the Uni Pin Fine Line Water and Fade Proof 0.05

Yes, that is a piece of rice. (like "write" on rice... hello...I am doing this word magic for you.) I love the fact that if I would hand this pen to most people they would: A. Smudge the point into a clump right away. B. Play pin the tail on the donkey with the paper. C. Stab me in the eye with it because I am freaking that they would do A. or B or all of the above.

0.05...those are some magical numbers. that little 0 in front of the 5 and after the . makes a world of difference. and Pigmented ink! What's that you ask? Well I stole this info from the internets:

Pigmented ink particles tend to settle into the tiny fibers that make up the paper. As the ink drys, the pigment particles get stuck in the fibers. Thus, the pigmented inks are more water resistant than the dye-based inks. Only about 5 to 10 percent of the ink will re-flow if the paper is hit by water.

Yeah, I don't know what that means either. But I do know that I don't think there's "too thin" when it comes to pens. I have picked up some inking pens before and thought "whoa, little thin there" but in the end, I am sure I would take a chance on it. I would much rather take my time with a .05 than with a .7 globbing it's way through the paper.

This pen is exactly what you expect, nice and light, perfect ink and even a little window to see what color ink you are rocking. I could see this for my sketchbook rather than for my journal. I think it was only a couple bucks and I will never pass that up for this type of pen.

As always, click for a larger and better views and sorry, I didn't feel like breaking out the tripod to shoot these. Not my best photography tonight. I love this proverb. It was tough finding a thin quote without offending anyone. It's true though...there's no use quietly breaking the rules.

I have received tons of mail about the Pilot Explorers. Thanks everyone. Glad to know I wasn't a man on an island with this one. Just to clarify though... I am not the Johnny Appleseed of the Explorers and I am not giving them away to people. I gave one away to the correct guess on what I found and I probably will fire one off to Brad at Pen Addict just because, but other than that...make me a deal and we can make a trade. I didn't find a creative place to get these through customs for nothing. (that's another joke people... or is it?)

Enjoy your day.

Seth

Pilot Explorers... Found!

2011-10-23T10:54:00.000-04:00

Ok, so here's thebackstory. After a night of staying outtoo late with a group of Russians drinking in Copenhagen. (Did I mention that Iwas in Copenhagen?) I woke up and stumbled into a coffee shop that was a fewblocks from my hotel, it had been my regular spot all week because the espressowas REALLY (Joe and the Juice) good and they were the only place in Copenhagen not playing Adele non-stop (not that there's anything wrong with that.) After hitting my targeted heartrate, I had a few hours to kill so I took a walk. A little while later I found astationary store, within 30 seconds I was in there.

In the store...there was one nicefat wall of pens...ok, this could be good. So here's my entire thought processas I go through the display.

Hmmmm...I love pens...

Cool...Pilot G2's...crap only.7's anyway...no biggie

Fat rollerballs...&

Fat rollerballs...

.005...nice. (review coming soon on this one)

Those Russians made my head hurt...

Fat rollerball...

Ooh, a different label on the Signpens..

Fat rollerball...

Did I remember to put pants onthis morning?

Oh, there are a couple of boxesof Pilot Explorers...

Yawn..fat rollerball...

Blah, blah, (loud screechingnoise) Pilot Explorers...WHAT THE BLOODY HELL?

It's true. No, it wasn't a cigar box full of fountainpens at an auction but it was something I havent seen in a very long time. Ilooked over my shoulder all nervous-like, grabbed one and did a few test circles on thescratch paper and without even looking at the price tag (it was in Danish Kronersanyway, like I was going to be able to do any math this morning.) I fillled mysweaty little fists and headed for the checkout.

I tried to ask the owner of thestore if they actually still made these and he looked at me like I had a thirdeye (I actually might have one that morning and if I did, it would have alsobeen very bloodshot.) That was a badquestion...so I asked a better one.

"Can I call you (fine sir)to order more of these from the U.S.?

His response was "yes, butit vill be very expenshive." (that's my Danish accent) and I did confirm that he ordered these straightfrom Pilot and not some guy in a third world country reading my blog that decidedto craft these out of old tires and a Bic rollerball In his basement based on mydemands (I am so vain.)

But to be sure let's get allscientific and see if these are legit. (Iam not really going to get scientific, those brain cells were left in a tiny glassof some unknown black liquor earlier this week.) They match up exactly to the older Explorers that I had stashed.

I am pretty crafty but I haveno idea how to open this beast up without breaking it so we can’t see theguts.

So...if these are legit andthey are being manufactured. I will be putting in a call to Pilot US this weekto see what we can do. In fact, I will start now with an open letter to Pilot,

To whom it may concern...

You make these awesome pens...peoplewant them in the US of A. Fact: As faras I know you don't ship them to the US. Can we fix that?

Kindest regards, sincerely andnothing but love,

Seth

Or... Maybe Brad from the PenAddict and Jetpens can use his high powered position to see if we can get theseback in the US. (Brad?)

Here's the truth... It's not really for me, it’s for you. Back in the day I might have worn these pensout, but now-honestly..even the EF'swrite a tad too fat for me. I will use some of these but not really for my dailyarsenal.

So, let's go sign a petition oryou can go all radical and feel free to occupy my comment section until thisgets resolved or shoot me an email and we can discuss the ones in my hot littlehand.

(Tak) Danish for thanks.

Seth

The Holy Grail

2011-10-19T19:18:00.003-04:00

No one will be able to guess what I found earlier today in Copenhagen. Hint:

1. Pen related (directly)
2. Everyone thought they were gone
3. They are a hot topic on the blog

Still confirming authenticity...but I will post about them over the weekend.

Any guesses? First person to answer correctly wins one.

Seth

Oh and if you are doing the math... it's 1:19 a.m. and I haven's even thought about sleeping yet.

William Henry Studio Pinot Noir Pen

2011-10-11T22:16:00.000-04:00

Coming up on a big posting milestone (teaser) and this is the first article about apen that I don't own or haven't written with (unfortunately) but I felt the need to spend the time on this one.

I received a press release last week about the new RB8-Eyrie pen and it caught myeye. So here's the gist...someone hadthe brilliant idea to make the fancy pen parts out of American Pinot Noir grapevine wood. Grapes are to wine as pens are to paper... soreally, it's a natural move. I had had a few memorable bottles of wine in my life and this seems perfect.

You had me at wine...and pens. I set a meeting up and spoke with Dave Boeckel, The CEOof William Henry Studio and he offered some insight into the background on this beast. Please click on the link to the press release for all the juicy details.

First of all, here's the pen:

Nice, Right?

And Here's the interview..

Who's idea was it to create this pen?

My friend Jason Lett of Eyrie Vineyards showed up a couple of years ago with a pickup full of what looked like small tree limbs and asked if I wanted it. When I found out it was some of the original Pinot vines I said yes immediately. We then spent 2 years drying it before we tried to even make something (in reality I got a little impatient and had the studio make a proto pen for myself last summer to see what it would look like and if it would hold up. I have carried it ever since). So you can really say the idea came from both of us.
What was the number one factor in deciding on the details of the pen? Function, style, uniqueness? etc?
Matt Conable (our owner and designer) has an amazing fantastic eye for material combinations. He chose all of the details in order to make the pen beautiful and really celebrate the pinot vine. No matter what materials we choose we always insist that function is never compromised. He is also the designer of everything we make and is responsible for the Wave-lock closure system that we all like so much.
Side note-we spent months working with Swarovski who supplies all of our gems finding the perfect Pinot colored topaz.
Has anyone ever built a pen like this before?
Not to the very best of our knowledge.

Do you think this pen is meant to be used or put on display?
We truly hope that everything we make is used by this generation and passed on to the next to also be used. We understand that some items are owned and admired simply for their beauty, but we strive to create items that become even more treasured when used for their intended purpose.
Mightier than the sword?
Tough one. I own lots of pens and lots of knives and there are times when one or the other is a better choice for the task at hand.
Follow up: what's the determining factor?
Strictly what I am doing at that moment, but I must admit that I have opened a number of packages in airports with my pen (since I can no longer carry my pocket knife when flying) and I have never written a note with my knife.
Any thoughts on making this type of pen into a fountain pen?
Absolutely
Are you a pen junky?
I owned lots of pens before we ever started to make them (Montegrappa, Delta, Mont Blanc, Marlin, Faber Castell, Pelikan). That whole form and function thing really appeals to me.
Own any fountain pens?
A couple, but I mainly carry and write with roller balls out of convenience.
Ok, pop quiz.. your desk is on fire, you can grab one pen before you leave the office what is it? (other than the pen we are talking about)
I have another Proto that I am testing. My crew would not be happy after all the work they put in on it if I let it go up in flames.

Do we even discuss Merlot? Yes or no?
These are amazing pens, but the new closer system on the rb8 and f8 cabernets are much cooler. Simple answer-No

End of Interview... back to my rambling.

I see the real challenge with creating this type of pen. Aesthetically, it needs to be near perfect, butit also needs to appeal to the pen aficionado who might feel the need to firethis up and write things down.

The bad news... I don't think that I will be the owner ofthe 100 of these that are being produced.. The good news.. there are still artists and craftsmen thatappreciate the need for a high end heirloom type of pens and create them out of love.

Here's the link to view the pen on their website.http://www.williamhenrystudio.com/product-detail.cfm?knife_id=1970#

Big huge plans in the works for Good Pens. A contest, did I mention a milestone? and more pen reviews.

Enjoy your day.

Seth

Technology vs. the Pen and Paper

2011-10-09T01:10:00.000-04:00

iPad vs. Journal?

Everyone remembers the Vegas post from not too long ago right? Here's the summary in case you dont feel like clicking the link...sad times in Nevada...no the Bunny Ranch wasn't closed...I realized that I had become an iPad user, by that I mean heavy user, by that- I mean... pens were being thrown in drawers and forgotten about.

Technology had overwhelmed me and I had left my true love behind. However... I flipped the switch and built back my stable of pens and posts and here we are.

So.. you didn't think that I had thrown that iPad2 in the trash in Vegas did you? No way dude. It's really all about wants and needs. I want to use a pen and paper. I need to use Keynote and play Angry Birds. (Gack, I said it.)

Frankly, no one even questions when I waltz into a meeting carrying an iPad and a Journal. (iSad.) I don't think too many people actually correlate between ONLY having an iPad or using paper. Both still seem ok. Interesting.

Sidebar: Thank you for all the Journal suggestions in the prior posts..but the perfect journal fell into my lap and I couldn't be happier. Is there anything better than a lined journal that's leather bound and can hold up to fountain pen ink? Don't answer that without really thinking about it... I am saying no. Crane and Co. got it right...Deliriously in love with this journal. I don't deserve it. But thank you.

Ok, back to the post...now...it's the best of both worlds. On one hand- I have an INSANE journal, on the other hand I have a world of games, emails and .ppts and on the other hand- I can still use all my favorite pens. (yes, I realize that is three hands-did you?)

So here's the real question...Where do these worlds collide in my day to day activities? For me- it's simple...my Journal is a list of all my scrapbooking projects and the names of all my imaginary kittens.

Kidding...I use it for Getting Things Done. Work stuff, to do's and things I am waiting on...I can't go home at night until my inbox is Zeroed out and the iPad and the journal help in between meetings to crunch that out. When I see inbox's with 727 unread messages I get twitchy.

So, it's all about balance. Find your happy place. Don't give in to one thing or another: embrace your inner geek, but don't forget about the history of people putting pen to paper and making magic. Oh, and file some of those emails... geez.

So a simple question and feel free to comment. Has technology kept you from writing as much as you like and how do you respond to that? When do you put down the keyboard and pick up the pen?

The next post is a great interview I had with a company doing some cool pen stuff. Stay tuned.

Seth

Surprise...Morning Glory Mach 3

2011-09-29T22:40:00.000-04:00

Everyone loves surprises right? Good surprises are better than bad surprises also.. right? I guess it depends on the outcome. Certain things are good- like... a call from an old friend, finding a few minutes in your day you weren't expecting, a dry diaper (sorry...potty training in the Good Pens household...it's where my head is right now.) But there's also bad surprises... The Red Sox Tanking, Braves Missing out, wisdom teeth needed yanked etc.It's like luck and here's one of my favorite stories about this:

There is a Chinese story of an old farmer who had a horse for tilling his fields. One day the horse escaped into the hills and, when all the farmer's neighbors sympathised with the old man over his bad luck, the farmer replied, 'Bad luck? Good luck? Who knows?'
A week later the horse returned with a herd of wild horses from the hills and this time the neighbours congratulated the farmer on his good luck. His reply was, 'Good luck? Bad luck? Who knows?'
Then, when the farmer's son was attempted to tame one of the wild horses, he fell off its back and broke his leg. Everyone thought this very bad luck. Not the farmer, whose only reaction was, 'Bad luck? Good luck? Who knows?'
Some weeks later the army marched into the village and conscripted every able-bodied youth they found there. When they saw the farmer's son with his broken leg they let him off. Now was that good luck? Bad luck? Who knows?

There are variations of the story, but you get the idea. Any-who...let's talk about pens.

The other day I met a friend for dinner at an awesome little place called the H-Mart. Think Asian Grocery Store slash Asian Wal-Mart. You get the idea...usually, I am there for the food, but I popped over to a little store that had just about every sort of Hello Kitty product ever made in it. There is a tiny sliver of a pen aisle and I couldn't resist.

I looked down...and here where these little munchkins in between the Pinky erasers and Hello Kitty scissors. Quick mental rundown of the situation: 3 pack, .38, multiple colors and only $5.99...Check Please!

Two minutes later I am telling a story and MUST pull one of these out to draw a graphic and I stop in my tracks...It really is a .38. -it's not bleeding on the receipt like a stuck pig and I do like the blue color. What.The.Hell? Surprise! I have seen the pens that say "Extra Fine" or "Super Fine" and generally they crank out more ink than a tattoo parlor.

These are made in Korea and Morning Glory is the manufacturer.You can buy them here: Who Knew? And Googling shows me The Office Supply Geek reviewed a similar pen here. Surprise!

A couple days later and I am still pretty amazed by these things. they have stayed on my desk and my old pens are staring at these guys like they are cutting into their territory. (Sarasa's can be so sassy.) The ink stays crispy on most paper and I while I doubt that I will ever really use the red one- the blue is growing on me.

Clicking makes the picture bigger and clearer. This is recycled paper and I had very little faith the pen would hold up here. I am very happy with this set...good price, nice lines, unexpected quality...and that is a good surprise.. or is it?

Update Jetpens also sells some pens from this manufacturer. Surprise!

JZ Designs Key Pen

2011-09-26T21:37:00.003-04:00

Lately, even as much as I love my #dailyarsenal-- that I admit has some disposibles in it....I have interests in the not so traditional pens. The ones that you have to seek out to own or to gift or to write with and this one fits those bills perfectly. The more permanent the better. It's a fun trade off... carefully spending the extra money wisely on items that you want to keep and maintain and enjoy vs. buying crap that you could care less about.

This gem is one of keepers. Welcome the key Pen from JZ Design. I have said it before, but pens that designed to be kept and used and cherished already rank a lot higher to me than the traditional trash it and forget about it as soon as it starts skipping plastic pens. This world can use things that are not at all disposable. I hate losing things and there are certain things that I make sure I want to keep as close as possible because I don't want them to go away.

I know I shot this pen backwards, it should be reversed so that the JZ logo is facing the correct way, Sorry...but old habits die hard. By the way, I do appreciate the thought that went into this. Did you know that the little dangly piece that goes into the lock is called a Bit? Now you do. Nice touch.

More Bits

I also like a pen that you can "unbox." In this case...two refills and those are very much appreciated. There's just a pile of stuff here that adds up to a quality pen built right and ready to go. Too often a gift pen gets forgotten about about because a refill can sometimes be too hard to order a refill. Odd right? Including them saves time and keeps this one used more.

Voila, with a twist of the Bow (that the loopy part on the far left) out spins the writing portion of this pen. (You are so much smarter now for even reading this post.) It's called research and it's all for you.

Key..get it? I try. I admire a designer who takes the time and the energy to put together a solid product with a bit of thinking behind it. Fun to write with, fun to shoot and a Good Pen.

SG

A Sheaffer Fashion Ballpoint....For the ladies.

2011-09-17T11:55:00.000-04:00

Don't take any offense. Some pens are designed for female hands, or guys with really slender fingers. I do not have sausage fingers but I do wear a large glove. (Please remind me not to blog on Saturday mornings after killing an entire French Press of the good stuff, this could get personal and rambly.) I cant help but think of the man hands episode from Seinfeld as I write this.

There are certain weight watcher pens that I like. The Le Pen is one and that's really all I can think of now that my heart has hit the caffeine induced targeted rate for the day. But generally I like my pens fatter (and usually full of drippy ink.)

I do respect the fact that this one still has the factory sticker on it. It's nice to know someone had the restraint to not reach up and scrape this one off and the white dot still screams Sheaffer.

This one still has the original Sheaffer refill in it. I am pretty sure if I wanted to I could still find a replacement fill for this one. Unfortunately, if this one runs out during the writing session of this post it might remain dry forever. It's just not my type of pen. Why you ask?

OK, here's the scenario: Business meeting, Friday afternoon, high powered execs just trying to crank through this last meeting in order to get closer to that bottle of Ketel One. "We need a pen!" comes a shout from across the room, apparently the contracts are agreed upon and it is time to sign, I reach into my Brooks Brothers Regent Stripe 1818 Suit (so fancy) and pull out a pretty little baby blue ballpoint that slides out of every one's hands because it's too thin and then a fight breaks out and the world ends. Wow. Bad pen choice.

No cheating...did you notice what this pen doesn't have? Did you notice? That's correct. No clip. No dress shirt means no reason for a clip. Good thinking Sheaffer.

Don't sue, I borrowed this image from Vintage Paper Ads. Yep, that's mine in the center. The ad from was from 1984 so assuming this one is dated close to that. It was 12.50 back then which seems kind of high to me, but whatever.

I am convinced every pen has a person that loves it, this one just isn't for me. It has so many strikes against it that it's not funny but it is a Sheaffer and that is a plus.. Man hands... still funny.

Have a great day.
Next post: It's not your handwriting, it's your pen.

Doodles

2011-09-12T22:02:00.001-04:00

Pen people are also doodlers correct? You have pens, you have paper...naturally you want to use the two items together. Drawing for me is a normal part of my day. If my phone rings- I grab a pen to take notes, but inevitably- I will cover the paper with drawings and 1% phone call related content. I am listening.. I am just also doodling. (trust me.)

10 times out of 10 they hit the trash can. A few years ago I was riding a train about 3 hours a day and was cranking out some decent doodles and saved some of those, but normally my stuff gets tossed aside. I have done some pieces for people and really enjoy them (there's a pointillism AK-47 hanging up somewhere in Boston that I loved to create.(don't ask)

Sometimes I get inspired by something...like a house:

Or a song: This one has been clanging around my head for a few days now. Powerful stuff.

You only need to go back a post or two to hear about my Bon Iver addiction. To me, music eases the mind, I can think and draw and listen to music and don't expect perfection from my work. I also generally don't care about paper, just that the pen puts down the line or a dot I need. I never expect to need any sort of archival quality anything.

Click for bigger views. Not perfect, and not a care. I did it for me and that's all really.

For this one...sometimes I grabbed a ruler, or just free-handed it. The pen is a Pentel CeramicMicron 500 II 02. The paper is normal typing paper that I just tweaked a bit to look a little more antiqued in the photos. And no, I am not saying you need to go doodle to relax. Some people juggle, some people close their eyes and imagine themselves dancing in a sea of dolphins being played piano to by Yanni. (Freaks.)

Seth

Restocking Time!

2011-09-04T00:57:00.001-04:00

As promised from my last post, I was putting some new pens in rotation and stumbled upon one of my favorites that was sitting in the vault completely un-inked. It's sort of a sin for this monster.

And yes, that pen is resting on my new sweet skim board. I am pretty sure this is the first time in blogging history that a pen was ever photographed on a skim board. Actually I doubt it, there's probably a site somewhere dedicated to pens and surf paraphernalia. I had an awesome idea once to dedicate a website to my fish taco addiction. Yep, been done...multiple times. So sad.

I didn't take the time to research this one tonight, but my gut tells me this is from the late 30's based on the filling mechanism. You know I am not a huge fan of gold in pens... but with the dark red it just looks so good. Piston filler and perfect nib. Speaking of the nib. Here's my favorite part:

Do you see it? Click the pic for a larger image. There it is. It's the little details that make you smile. Some say the white dot is what reminds them of Sheaffer pens- but its the heart for me. I hope there's some awesome story about an engineer that was professing his love and created this nib, but I can't verify.

The paper is cheap, the ink is Lie De The and the pen is just about perfect. It needs a shine, but that's it. Buddha was right.

Late night multitasking writing a post at 12:43 a.m. finishing up the Open on DVR and staring at Facebook. And the good thing is...a really solid pen has been put back into rotation.

Have a good night.

Vegas Baby...let's ramble for a bit

2011-09-01T21:48:00.002-04:00

I know... I know... Another long period of time has passed since I have even thought about blogging. I take full responsibility.
Any who..I have a tremendous amount of time sitting at gate 50 in Vegas Airport so I thought I would let you know what is going on.

Here's the problem. I *gasp* haven't been writing with pens a lot. I now have an iPad. It's dreamy but the bad part is...it keeps pens out of my hands. And that means I haven't been dragging my good pens with me when I travel.

I was embarrassed when I realized that this is all I brought to Vegas and I actually found the Signo. Granted the pencils that I did bring are Phat. The Kuru Toga is monumentally good.
(taken on my iPad, sorry for the quality)
Click on the pic for a better view.

2 sharpies and 2 mechanical pencils and only 1 Sarasa. It's a little sad. I think I need to go home and load my bag back up. Historically I over carried pens. Going to extremes was part of the routine that I had when it came to what I carried with me.

I tried to simplify and it backfired. The movement to reduce has a place in this world...but not with my pens. Before I post this I need to do some deleting. I am going to smile and delete the two note taking tools that I downloaded for the iPad. The journal will go back into action and I will compromise. iPad- you have your place, but when technology takes away from me putting ink on paper I want it to stop. Oh and yes I realize that I am writing a post about using more pens on my iPad. That irony is thick.

For those that like music updates from me, the new Bon Iver is on heavy rotation and although the lyrics don't usually make a lick of sense...the songs are beautiful. I highly recommend a good set of headphones and a little quiet time for yourself to enjoy it.

So thanks for sticking with me through the long drought and expect more soon.

SG

Pilot Explorer Source!

2011-04-17T08:56:00.000-04:00

My Pilot Explorer post here remains one of the most popular on the blog. I didn't realize how popular this pen was. It's also probably the number one email I get asking where to buy these.

And after searching through some pen sources came up empty... I found them on some warehousing and random stores.. And I found some more this morning at a reasonable price.

http://www.nationalcompsupply.com/pilot%C3%82%C2%AE-explorer-retractable-roller-ball-p-19013.html

http://www.e-rackonline.com/store/pens-refills/pilotreg-explorer-retractable-roller-ball-pen/35361/

No affiliation, and I don't know how many they have, Just passing along the info if you want to pick up a good pen.

Seth

I need some journal help please

2011-04-16T14:00:00.000-04:00

Any suggestions for a solid work notebook? Preferably lined and project based with enough strength to handle an occasional fountain pen. Larger is better. Hard Bound is even better (it will get thrown in a bag and travel a lot) Thanks, what's everyone using?

World Leader Stealing pens!

2011-04-13T13:03:00.005-04:00

Wouldn't you? Heck yeah.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/video/item/czech-president-steals-pen/

Updated with a better link. Sorry about the ads.

Pay no attention here. I am only closing the box. Look a squirrel!

Also I love when a pen blog can start a good World War 1 debate. I have about 10 emails in my inbox about this I need to share. In case you missed it, check the comments on my last post. Good stuff.

24 karat Club Mechanical Pencil

2011-03-28T23:43:00.000-04:00

For being a fairly young dude (ish.) I have a sincere love for older pens and pencils. Don't bother asking why, it might be that they simply just aren't disposable. There's a REASON why they didn't end up in a trash heap. Someone at some point held onto the pen or pencil and decided it was worth keeping.

Here's one.

The mechanical pencil says...

Tenth Annual Banquet of the Jewelers' 24 karat Club of Pittsburgh
William Penn Hotel- April 5th, 1921

Yeah... so Googling didn't really help. I found a current 24 Karat club of Southern California, but the only reference for Pittsburgh was in an Obituary. So this club decided to give out mechanical pencils for something during their 10th Annual Banquet. Oh yeah... Sterling silver mechanical pencils.

Next Tuesday night when you are having dinner or watching Housewives or whatever you do...think about it...in 1921 a bunch of Jewelry loving fools were gathering in a small room staring at their pinky rings and tossing a sweet pencil into their pockets. 1921. Before the end of the FIRST World War.

I haven't put lead in this, I cleaned it up a little, but I don't really feel the need to write with this one. Maybe one day. But probably not. All the bits still work on this and it has a great feel to it.

OK, who's the wiseguy that decided to go all tom-foolery and put actual carrots on the pencil. Oh and yes there are 24 carrots. Wiseguy.

Good Pens. (and non-pens)

Grammy

2011-02-27T22:26:00.000-05:00

This weekend there was a gathering of friends and family in a little town outside of Pittsburgh to celebrate the life of Jean McWilliams Fisher Eberly. I was at home in Boston changing diapers, chasing toddlers and slamming Red Bulls at an alarming rate- so that my wife could attend. In Pittsburgh they had hymns, tears and wonderful memories. In Boston I had to wait until nap-time and take a moment to relax, breathe and remember Grammy on my own.

Jean McWilliams Fisher Eberly to me...was simply "Grammy" from day 1...even though she was my wife's grandmother. We shared two things...1. a love for her granddaughter and 2. collections.. specifically pens. A great deal of the pens posted on this site were collected individually by Grammy and passed down to me to care for.

I have thanked Grammy many, many times for her gifts and those notes were always written with a pen that she gave me. Usually a special Parker 51 that was saved for such events...

Grammy collected and when it came to pens...she had them all. There was the awesome: Like this gorgeous Swan that has incredible flex in near perfect shape....

and the still awesome...like this little red beauty below that I have yet to research and catalog...but I am pretty sure this might be a one of a kind ;) It's not in mint shape... but it was a gift from Grammy.

That's the thing...we all have flaws and are far from perfect...but being a part of something.. a collection, or a grouping...or a family is what brings you together (literally.)

Buddha said "Neither fire nor wind, birth nor death can erase our good deeds." It seems the older you get the more you reflect...maybe it's because you finally have something to reflect on, or you finally have the actual time to reflect, but I hope when I am sensible enough to look back... I can say that I did good things for the people I cared for.. that's how I think of Grammy..she did good things.

SG

Marathon Fountain Pen Cleaning Session

2011-02-06T21:24:00.004-05:00

It was time. I was due to spend some effort taking care of cleaning what I had messed up. Putting ink in fountain pens means someday that you have to clean out that ink. It was good... cathartic even...like chopping wood or mowing your yard. I went into rinse mode and didn't come out till everything was clean and shiny. (Oh.. The Head and the Heard on shuffle also REALLY helped.)

Every now and then you have to spend some time to maintain...I race bikes and I kinda hate to clean my bike chains... I would actually rather buy a new chain, but I know I have to do it. Before you do it.. it sucks and procrastination stands on your shoulder yelling that there are 507 other things that you would prefer to be doing.. when you start it you feel better and when you are done... you feel refreshed. Time well spent... It's getting to "doing" that is the hardest part.

Mont Blanc, Waterman, Hero, Swans, they all were included here. They are all now dry, clean and ready for a fresh start. Renewed. Now looking at it, I know I won't pull one of these out in 2 months and have a crusty nib that I have to spend even more time scraping...

Some of you know I started a new job and am now in an real honest to goodness office. Which means that I am no longer in a nice warm cozy quiet home office. Which means I go from a choice of a couple thousand pens down to whatever I can put in my bag...So today I went for a search for office pens... Here's what I came up with. These should last a while. I sort of had these filed away for a few months forgotten about. I am looking forward to that Waterman loaded with a Sarasa .4.

Enjoy the Superbowl (or better yet, go clean your pens.)

Seth

New Twitter Account

2010-12-13T15:41:00.000-05:00

Feel free to click on the Twitter icon on the right and update your account. I will be switching the sethgoodling Twitter account over to work stuff and re-organizing. http://twitter.com/#!/goodpensblog will be for all the fun pen and paper stuff. Thanks and sorry.

(Unless you care to see where I had lunch and Technology stuff)

Seth

Haven't put this down all day.

2010-12-10T15:41:00.001-05:00

Kinda impressed: more to follow.

Signs, signs, everywhere there's signs.

2010-11-10T08:44:00.001-05:00

You might remember this post where a small local welder was giving away fountain pens as advertising for his business. I still yearn for those days, but wanted to expand a little on the idea.

I have tons of unusable cheap old ball points. (Don't ask, it's a known issue.) Going through an old box of them the other day- I found some real gems. Not all advertisements, but messages as well. Like this one:

Who in the hell was Ruth? Doesn't anyone else really want to know? Click for a clearer picture but it says "Thinking of you Ruth." Oh, ok, that makes sense...wait! What does that mean? That you are in my thoughts in general, or you got mauled by a bear and are in the hospital? And shame on me for never wanting to put a message on a pen to give to someone instead of a card or a note. Or was the pen from Ruth and she hands them out? Like "hey! Thinking of you!" Regardless, Ruth...feel better or stop being so vague, either one.

"This one says" "First Prize For Best Speech Dale Carnagie Course in Effective Speaking" I wish pens had VIN numbers like cars with a Carfax report so I could take a peek into who had this pen in the past. I can still imagine the sweaty palm reaching out to accept this after fumbling through 5 minutes of Sales 101 in a dark classroom in the 50's. ( Eww, sweaty palms, I am going to go wash up after typing this) and then after 6 weeks of being proud about it... getting tossed into a drawer for me to find.

How cool is this little one? Other than almost guaranteeing (naysayers will say you can retract the whole way) that you will get red or yellow lead on you if you put this in your pocket...it rocks. A multi-pencil. I would give this guy my business if he was handing these out to me.

A Company called Crest Air was even handing out Sheaffer's Mechanical pencils. (I actually have 4.. again.. you are better off not asking.) Heck, yes.. I will take some Crest Air!

And finally...What's better than this? Have a happy day. It's a disposable world now out there and I think the pen lovers are at least trying to maintain some sense of history. I know most of these were made before I was born, but I will do what I can to preserve them for another day. Good Pens.

-Seth

Hero 616 - Made in China

2010-11-03T22:28:00.001-04:00

What does this pen and this car have in common? Yep... made in China. If you have spent anytime at all on eBay drooling over Fountain Pens...these must have come across your browser. Well, I fell for it. Bought a 6 pack, or a 10 pack...I am not sure which anymore. All I remember is they were about $1 a pen. In red black and I might have a green one floating around.

The goal was definitely to make this bad boy look like a Parker 51. At first blush they pass the test. They do look like a Parker... until you pick one up. If you ever picked up a 51, you know this one does not feel like a Parker. It's eerily light...even with ink in it.

Don't cheat....which one is the Parker 21 and which one is the Hero?

Filling is...twist off the body...dip (ink is preferred) , squeeze a few times and wipe off the nib. That's it. Keep it simple right? Here's the guts.

In this case, I don't think it's suicide, or flattery. More doing what you have to do to get by. "It is what it is" comes to mind here. For a $1 you get a very workable fountain pen that across the conference table looks like a more expensive model. The nib might not be as smooth, or the metal quite as shiny. But again. A buck.

Ebay links:

http://cgi.ebay.com/10-X-PIECES-HERO-616-CARBON-FIBER-FOUNTAIN-PEN-H19-/150340204103?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2300f97647#ht_3447wt_754

http://cgi.ebay.com/H33-10-X-PIECES-HERO-329-CARBON-FIBER-FOUNTAIN-PEN-/350366537827?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5193791863#ht_3813wt_754

http://cgi.ebay.com/3X-HERO-616-Fountain-Pen-Vintage-Style-Classic-Pen-NEW-/180580306069?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a0b6ccc95

I don't have any affiliation with these sellers...just passing along the info.

Pen News!

2010-11-02T19:57:00.003-04:00

I added a new column on the right hand side that I plan on keeping updated as news related stuff comes flowing in. I am tempted to put it in the body...and I might eventually but in order to keep the noise down I will tuck it over there.
Enjoy!

If you are interested in this sort of thing, let me know and I could start putting more in the main part of the blog... up to you. Feel free to leave a comment.

And I started putting my missing links back in, shoot me an email if you want a link exchange.

Pentel Graphlet 0.4 ... a good non-pen

2010-11-01T16:04:00.000-04:00

Who has two thumbs and cannot stop using his new .4 mechanical pencil? This guy. Larger pictures if you click...

I think like most people... I had natural progression down to smaller leads from when I first started using non-pens. (everyone calls pencils "non-pens" right?) You had your Yellow #2 and it stayed as sharp as you had the energy to walk to the pencil sharpener for.
Years later...I remember my first .3 pencil. It was almost perfect. There was the occasional scratching and lead breaking and paper tearing but for the most part... It was near perfect. However...I found some really good feeling .5's that a solid grip that made up for the thicker lead. Now I think I have found my happy place....

Each different lead thickness has a different color cap!

Then I discovered the .4. OOOOH baby. It's kinda like chewing on a old pieces of leather for all your life and then someone handing you a piece of gum and saying "Here, try this."

"Thank you... where were you 4 cows ago?" (you have to excuse me today-I had a fresh new brand of espresso this morning and I might have gone overboard.)

If lead ever had a small family reunion and some of them got together for a distant cousin portrait... this would be it. That's a .3 on the left then a .4, 5, 7, 9 and up to a who knows what that size is on the right. Oh...and that is a Parker 61 Mechanical pencil that I need to review (second from the right.)Love.

Jetpens sell these for $7.50 a pop. Before you go start a rally about it...it's a very fair price for the quality. I will be picking up the entire series.

Oh, I cannot stop listening to The Avett Brothers. Anytime punk and folk are blended give me a shout, I would be in... Enjoy your day.

1944 Parker 51 Mustard with Empire Cap

2010-10-21T15:45:00.002-04:00

It's a little dreary in Boston today, so I decided to break out the good china to liven things up a bit. Nothing can inspire you like a nice pen. I have seen this exact pen model on the cover of books-so to be able to have one in my collection is a true dream.

I have probably picked up this pen about 30 times to actually blog about it, but I sort of liked that it was my secret. But in car talk... it compares to leaving a GT40 in your garage and just dusting it off every now and then and imagining how fast it would go. No, this one does not travel, but it is worth sharing. There were some old pictures floating around on Flickr that got some attention (and offers) but this one remains with me.

It was build in 1944 and the two dots on either side of the 4-like this ".4." let me know that is was build in the second quarter of 1944. Sweet huh? 66 years. I kinda want to have a reunion with everyone that has owned this pen. We could all get together and hug... unless they are all creepy people, then maybe just coffee and crumpets or something. yeah... skip the hugging. Thanks.

As always...click for larger pictures.This pen was built the way that pens were supposed to be built. I have reviewed a few 51's before, but this one is special. People's eyes tend to glaze over when they see or talk about Empire caps.

I kinda realized that blogging is a winter thing for me. During the Summer, I just have too much stuff going on. I want to thank everyone for your patience and caring and keeping me in your readers. Stay tuned for more frequent updates and more fun pens.

Dr. Grip....Meet Mr. Dremel.

2010-09-23T22:08:00.001-04:00

If you have a second... go back and read this post. Trust me, it will all make sense in the end. Scan even if you like. But the idea was that I REALLY like this version of the Pilot Dr. Grip. Not everything, but I saw the potential.

I liked it, but did not like the ink. So...I did what most pen lovers....errr... guys would do and I made it work for me. Please forgive me, but I sacrificed a Zebra Sarasa 0.4 in Black for this project.

Mr. Dremel...meet Mr. Pen. The Pilot ink is on the right, the Sarasa needed some serious whittling and about 1/2 inch hacked off the back. Shaved done, tested...shaved some more...shaved some more. I sort of was careful. After all there is ink in there and I do have carpets....

I think i had to go back one more time after this picture and then it dropped right in and started clicking like it was made for this pen.

So now a pen that's been sitting stale in my desk drawer will go into the rotation. So here's the lesson... Pen you don't really like + power tools + favorite other pen = Nice solid usable pen.

Oh, and I threw the first pitch out at Fenway for the Red Sox the other week. That's cool also.
Enjoy your weekend.
Seth

Haven't used these but they seem like a good deal!

2010-09-22T21:45:00.000-04:00

https://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.40564

0.3mm Black Gel Ink Pens (12-Pen Pack)

Anytime I can buy a 12 pack of pens I tend to get a little giddy.
No they are not a sponsor or have I ever considered buying anything from them before, but they showed up in my feed. Let me know if you order them and if you have a review to share. Yes... this is my first post in a long time. The summer was for my bike and my family. Colder weather means blogging.

Journal 21...a planner review!

2010-03-18T22:28:00.001-04:00

The good folks over at The Quo Vais Blog sent this planner out late last year and I bet they thought that I forgot about it. No way. However...here's a preface to this post. I am not a daily planner guy in the traditional "write it all down" sense...because of my work, I have to be tied to an electronic calendar. There aren't enough Getting Things Done seminars in the world that could figure out a way for me to accuratly keep two separate calendars matched if one is written with a pen. I simply don't have that functionality. That being said, what I do have is a need to track lots of items. Like: miles and expenses and calls and how many times a day Janet goes to the bathroom. (that would be funny and hurtful, except that I work from home.) Ehh...still funny.

But here I was, saddled with a journal that impressed me from the start. 1. It has some heft to it. It just feels substantial. 2. The paper is magical.

I will let the experts go over the details:

16 months monthly, September 2009 to December 2010
12 months daily, January to December
8 AM to 9 PM schedule
Soft green tinted vellum paper
72g, acid-free and pH neutral paper
Annual planning calendars for 2010 and 2011
Current and following month calendars
Elegant round corners — tear-off corner opens to day in progress
Sewn binding, lays flat when open
Full line per half-hour
Blank space for daily notes
Bound in address book
Refillable

You know what, there isn't one of those things that I disagree with. (and I have a little man crush on a few of those up there.)

So I don't tend to fill it up. I add things daily, but I am not sure I am using this as it is intended. Sure it reminds me of things and tracks items but I see this as a planner for someone who REALLY uses a planner. Like...life starts to crumble if the planner gets lost. Those people are still out there.

The good news is...that it is vacumatic and I love it. (no that's not the good news.) The good news is that it works on this paper. It's true, a journal that you can use your sloppiest fountain pens on. So go nuts! You can make this picture larger and try to figure out what I do during the day, but it's mostly like Nicholas Cage in Windtalkers....some sort of Navajo-like clicky sounds that would be impossible for the enemy to decipher. (Whew, that took a bit longer to explain that I needed.)

So, pop quiz...you are called to a meeting in D.C. and you have 5 minutes to pack for a day trip. (not tottly unrealistic for me) What do YOU take? Here are the 4 things that I would grab to handle the meeting. Maybe a power cord also, but if I am limited to 4 items I can handle it for a while.

Bottom line, great journal, you can buy it here and I am glad I get the chance to use it.

I didn't have a quote in the journal so I will leave you with this one:

A man who does not plan long ahead will find trouble at his door.
- Confucius

Planning...get it?

We have a winner (in my best carnival voice)

2010-03-17T09:29:00.001-04:00

Jamie at Waterhalo is the winner. I was going to get creative with cats or a monkey or something to determine the winner randomly, but some people freak out about stuff like that, so I picked the most boring option ever.

Jamie, shoot me an email and we can sort out the details, congrats.

And how could I not give the bonus prize to A Quiet mind for bringing Buddha into the mix. I don't need that kind of bad karma on me, so I will dig into the vault and pass something along to you as well. Thanks for all the comments!

Seth

It's a tool...silly and a giveaway.

2010-03-10T22:16:00.001-05:00

Going through some of the fountain pen blogs and reading some of the comments that people write about their pens kinda drives me nuts. Maybe it's a personal thing, but pens to me were never meant to be put in a box and never inked or drooled on. I suppose if all I had to do was burn money--- I would buy pens and forget I had them... but I don't see why people do it. If it's art, then call it art and not a pen. I'll write with my pens.

This Cross likes to write as well. Fat, long and full of inky goodness and the weight of this monster reminds me that it is in my pocket or jacket and I appreciate that. The gold nib and chrome body isn't my favorite combo but Cross can get away with it somehow. While I admit I do have a few pens that I don't take out of the house....I still ink them up and write with them. It's more me knowing that I could always lose a pen and there are a few that I do not want to lose.

I might have used this quote before. It's one of my favorites. Doing some research about Mr. Maslow I learned that he married a woman named Bertha. That's no big deal except for the fact that she was his first cousin. Did you know it's legal in all 50 states to marry your SECOND cousin? Hmmm. It might be me, but I always felt that the last place to look for a hot date/future wife is at your family reunion. Of course there's a website http://www.cousincouples.com/?page=states in case you are curious.

Here's the giveaway. The usual rules: Leave a comment on this post and I will come up with a silly yet completely random way to determine which number wins the 24 pack of Sharpies. As always, there could be a bonus prize if you make me laugh so hard I spit my morning ceral on my keyboard. You have till Monday at noon to leave a comment.

Good luck and thanks for reading.

The Perfect Pair - Rhodia and a 616

2010-03-09T19:50:00.001-05:00

So this addiction usually runs in waves. Meaning...if I like a pen and paper combo, I will stick with until it runs the course and I move on to the next journal or pen or even ink if needed. Depending on the day, this could almost be hourly. Oddly enough, these two little gems came together quite nicely and the have remained friends for a long time now. #1 is the Rhodia 5 x5 and #2 is (oddly enough) a very low end Parker knock off (616.) These two came together like Starsky and Hutch and have been my "go to" for almost everything lately.

As always..click for larger pictures. Sometimes pen and paper combos surprise me. I normally would not throw these two together- but with a little good ink added in.. I am a happy man. These pens seem to last a very short time. Believe it or not I almost consider them disposable at less that $1.00 each. They have been "testy" to say the least...but this one at least for now... is working very well.

"Did you ever get the feeling that the world was a tuxedo and you were a PAIR of brown shoes" George Gobel. Pair...get it? I am getting into a rhythm with this combo and they are working for me right now. Sure tomorrow... I might make the switch, but it's a about staying fresh and excited about what you do. If that means changing inks or pens often. So be it.

Tomorrow is giveaway day so I will see you then!

Seth

The Pilot Plumix (fence sitter)

2010-03-06T10:22:00.001-05:00

Pacifiers do make good pen holders. It's true.

Wow, I don't think that I have ever been more on the fence over a pen than with this one. The nib just throws me off a bit and believe me, I have written with every kind of nib (almost) known to mankind. I am pretty sure this was a Target purchase that has been sitting in my pen cup filled but unused for a while. I thought that I didn't have a use for it till I picked up an envelope (nice paper) to test this and it actually flowed pretty nicely and in all CAPS turned out okay for me.

The thins are just a little to thick to do any seriously nice work, but I could use this for Christmas cards or to write that letter to my neighbor asking them if they wouldn't mind peeling that Scott Brown sticker off of their car. (seriously, we get it.) It just sort of feels like a cheaper version of this pen http://goodpens.blogspot.com/2009/03/pilot-fountain-pen-tee-hee.html and I would much rather use that one. (Because I friggin love it.)

So let's not dwell on time or timing. I know I need to blog more. Thanks for the support/emails and kind works on Twitter and Facebook. I am going to go pen shopping right now so I have some fresh new stuff to bring to the game. Oh, and I have a journal or two and some new inks, so stay tuned. Oh, and why not, let's do a giveaway this week.

Seth

The Pilot G-knock 7

2010-01-28T21:20:00.002-05:00

This one showed up in my Christmas stocking of all places. It's funny because before Christmas I wrote:

"Dear Santa, All I want is a 1984 Honda CB750 Cafe Racer Motorcycle like this for Christmas. That is all, nothing else, thank you, you are great and say hey to the Elves for me"

....and I got a 3 pack of .7 pens. That aside... I had a wonderful Christmas and I am adding the motorcycle to my birthday list (damn you Santa.) I kinda "mehed' on these pens when I first saw them. They had a couple things against them.

1. They were .7's
2. They were not a motorcycle (bitter much? Obsessed much?)

But after busting off the plastic and using these, they were not that bad. They felt skinnier than a .7 and I found myself reaching for them every now and then--which surprised me and even writing the quote before I was a little taken back at not horrible it is. Still not in my top 10 (I can't believe you brought that up.) But not bad.

So, don't be afraid to pick up those pens in a store you might pass over because they do not fit into your category... branch out... try something new, but you will always have your Good Pens.

Cheers, Happy New Year!! And thanks to those who offered to donate for my ride!

Seth

I really suck at Countdowns

2010-01-28T20:58:00.005-05:00

Learned my lesson, countdowns sidetrack you. Here I was rolling through the countdown and life came in at number 3 and said "hey, you... you are busy now." So, let's get this out of the way and then get back to the silliness.

#2

And #1

That's a 0.38 by the way. Ta DAAAA! The Countdown is over, Refresh your browser and let's move past this.

Oh, Final note for the Year..(non-pen related)

2009-12-31T11:29:00.004-05:00

I posted this on Twitter and Facebook and had a few people request the link again so here it is in case you need a good end of year tax donation. I am riding my bike in a single day 100 mile ride next Spring raising money for the American Diabetes Association with the Tour de Cure in CT.

I gathered a few good friends of mine that I raced with in the past and convinced them to pedal for 6 or more hours straight. If you feel inclined, here is my donation page , you can search for Seth Goodling (my name) and here is a link to the Tour De Cure page if you need a little more info. Or direct link here http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR/TourdeCure/TDC060138030?px=5469829&pg=personal&fr_id=6847

Thanks in advance, I appreciate it.

Seth

Top 10 of 2010 #3 Waterman 92

2009-12-31T11:17:00.001-05:00

There's a couple reasons why this is so high up on my list. #1 is that I rescued this pen from an antique store where it was sitting there with a ridiculously low price tag on it. The sac was as dry as they come but the nib was something beautiful. A quick shine and it was a thing of beauty once again. #2. It makes me want to use it. Nope not for a journal or a calendar, but to just flow and create. #3...it looks pretty sweet.

This is all you need to see. The 92 stamped on the butt. In 1892 Sad Sam Jones, the Major league pitcher was born. In 1992 I was living in Japan surfing my way through the islands. That was a good year. This is a good pen.

I will never need therapy. All I need to do is find a nice clean sheet of good paper, some nice ink and I can doodle my troubles away. Unless I ever lose this pen, then I will need therapy.

Well...it is New Years eve and it has been a fun year. I had a new baby, I took a few months off, I picked up some good pens...and I am glad to see that after a break you guys came back. 2010 should be a blast.

I know I still owe you #2 and #1 there will be out shortly. Have a great night, stay safe and see you Jan 1.

Seth

Top 10 of 2009. # 5 and #4

2009-12-29T17:31:00.002-05:00

#5 is simply...Pens in wrappers.....Sing along... These are a few of my favorite things.

A pen in a wrapper means something special to me. It's not a fancy box or a felt bag---but it means "pen goodness". It's rare that I find a pen wrapped in cellophane that isn't a favorite or in my rotation. You find these buried in the best part of the Japanese stationary stores and chances are I have worn a hole in the carpet from standing there staring at the various ink color and other selections. (Tester pens almost made this list as well.) These pens are made to be ripped from their plastic and used as soon as possible.

#4 The Pilot Hi-Tec -C 03 in black

I love thin-lined paper and a fat honking medium point anything will not cut it for me there. I need a pen that if I am not careful will poke through the paper like a needle. This will poke nicely.

It's thin, but it's not delicate. One of my reviews is here if you are interested. I need to have this pen close to me when I am working, I am one of those people who writes in my books (they are my books, leave me alone) and these are perfect for a quick note on the edge to remind me or to highlight something.

Yes, that is a normal sized dime. Click for a better view, this is how I like it to use it. Small and Neat. Tidy.

It's just right for me and I thought about moving this up 1 notch, but if I am going to have to write a ton of stuff, this might not be the first one I would grab. But it has it's purpose and it is a staple pen of mine.

3, 2, and 1 are coming right up!

Enjoy

Seth

Top 10 of 2009. # 6 Pilot G-3 Gel .38

2009-12-28T13:24:00.004-05:00

These might all start to blend together for me. From 6 on down it will be tough, but I am getting them to you before the end of the year, so hold on to your hats and get your fingers inky.

I have reviewed these once or twice and it truly is the one pen that I don't mind pulling a cap off of. I can clicky-clicky with the best of them, but for this kind of writing perfection, I would drop down and do 20 push-ups every time I had to write if needed. Wow, not going to do that anytime soon, but feel free to if you dumped a little extra gravy on your Christmas mashed potatoes. Gravy Free in 2010 is the new anthem.

Yee-Haw. There's a pretty nice shade of blue that is also available in this pen, but I tend to use the black the most. The pen actually feels like it weighs a little more than it should, which to me.. is a good thing. By the way, the same rule applies to a watermelon, they are 98% water so when you pick them up, they should feel heavier than they look. That way you know they are ripe.

I hope everyone is enjoying their Holiday and I am looking forward to an outstanding 2010 and getting back to proper reviews.

Cheers.

Top 10 of 2009. # 7 Tombow 4B

2009-12-23T09:18:00.000-05:00

I imagine the gasps...and the coffee getting spit coffee all over your desks...a Pencil? Der..of course a pencil. Man cannot live on ink alone. There has to be a delicate balance. Days where you do not feel like spilling a bottle of ink on your carpet or getting blue fingers. These times call for a pencil..but a really good pencil.

As always, click for better photos. I have always been a fan of these pencils. I keep trying to like cheaper ones, but they end up failing for me. So, I spend the money on a 12 pack of these and try to not plow through them too fast. Not easy, they sharpen to a pin point and hold it pretty well.

I still need to find a REALLY good sharpener. I know they are out there, I just haven't upgraded yet. The eraser is an upgrade and if my list went to 11 this eraser would be on it. I do draw a little with these, but I use them more for notes than anything. Sharpening a few of these to start the day is a great tradition. It just gets you in the correct frame of mind. Sort of like wet-shaving (don't get me started.)

It does make sense that because I love my Japanese pens so much that I would also hold these pencils in high regard. It's not worth doing a writing sample... I think everyone knows how a pencil properly sharpened will write.

So I should have #6 tomorrow, take Christmas off and finish out the year with the rest of the list. Have a great day everyone and keep those pencils sharpened!

Seth

Top 10 of 2009. #8 Pentel Sign Pen

2009-12-21T23:50:00.000-05:00

In terms of pure numbers, for me...this pen was probably the one that was bought and used the most this year. I would wager that I went through about 15 of these so far. Not because I lost them, or gave them away, but because I use them. Heavy. You can read my old reviews here and here if you haven't yet.

I am a list maker and I like the titles of my lists to be BOLD. That's where the sign pen comes in. I also have a heavy addiction to Post-its and these are perfect for making a quick note, sticking it up on the board and then knowing what I was supposed to remember.

The tips of these get better and better with every use. Out of the box they are long and sharp- but as you write with them, they just seem to wear perfectly. Never mushy, never dull. Creating a perfect point that stays there until the well runs dry.

I am not sure why this one is number 8. It seemed fair to put it there.. I use it a ton, but I don't really "write" with it or use it in my journals-- but it does get heavy use and I would have a hard time trying to replace it.

It's a good pen. The Christmas shopping is done, I did manage to buy 1 pen for a friend. That number is way down from last year. As a pen lover, it is really hard to give pens as gifts. You just never know what people will like, but I think I nailed it. I will give the details after the Holidays.

Cheers!

Number 9. The Parker 51

2009-12-18T12:55:00.000-05:00

Choosing # 9 was not an easy decision. It wasn't my most used pen this year, but this 51 did see some heavy use. You can do a search for numerous Good Pen reviews on these, but it's true: the 51 is a classic all around. The only reason it dropped down to #9 is because there are so many pens that I need with me at all times and truthfully, I don't drag this one out to the grocery store when I need to check ~~Desenex Antifungal Athlete's Foot Spray Powder~~ I mean...milk off of the list.

But when it comes time to sit down and enjoy writing- this one is my ideal pen. Sure, the paper/ink combo has to be pretty good, but I don't even mind a little bleeding with this baby.

Here's the business end. I have mentioned a few times...but, I need to say it again...George S. Parker- Thank you. Thank you sir for this pen.

Get it? There's a nine in this quote. This 51 is loaded with Sailor Black right now and it's a good ink for me. Some may want the carpet to match the drapes and try to put some sort of Blue/black ink in this one, but for now, I like the black.

Is anyone else putting their top 10 together? I would love to see what I am missing. Feel free to comment and have a great weekend!

Seth

Top 10 of 2009. #10

2009-12-15T23:36:00.003-05:00

In the 6th grade I had to quit learning the Saxophone for a number of reasons...my sax was on back order- so I was late in learning the notes... I had a cold- so I couldn't really play that well oh..and my rhythm sucked. Looking back, I really just wanted to go ride my bike. (Some things never change.) That was a pretty hard decision to tell my instructor that I no longer was able to continue taking lessons. Now, I am kinda glad I didn't toil away precious hours drooling into a piece of brass.

That was a long introduction into another difficult decision...picking my top ten pens/writing instruments/related pen thingy of 2009. The next 10 posts will be a rating in order of the stuff I have used the most this year. Simple right?

My best Casey Casem voice ..."Coming in at # 10, the Zebra Sarasa Clip .04 in Blue-Black." (OK, back to the normal voice now) If this pen were an alarm clock, it would gently wake you up with cute little whispers, put some almond butter on a piece of toast and make you a perfect double espresso. It's that good. My original review is here if you are curious.

As always, click for better pictures...Seen here on a nice Rhodia 5x5, you can get an idea of how fine that .4 is. It's just a little insane how good this ink/roller combination is. The kicker is, you can get it from Jetpens for less than that double espresso would actually cost you. Buy one here if you are interested.

I have given these pens away to people and said "trust me, you will love this pen" and I don't have a negative thing to say about it. I have bought these 10 and 20 at a time and have never regretted it once. It's a good pen and an early prediction is that this one will be in my top 10 for a long time. Oh, and it's good to be back, thanks for all the comments and emails everyone.

Seth

Guest Pen Cup #5

2009-12-09T23:05:00.003-05:00

I have always said that I can tell everything I need to know about a person with one look in his or her pen cup. (If I never said that before, I am saying it now.) I was going to photograph a pen for the blog when I walked by my wife's desk and wondered what she had in there. It's her desk, I never use it, so any of my pens would have arrived in her cup by theft.

So, let's break it down, 2 pair of scissors, a .7 G2 (meh), 3 sharpies, 4-5 cheap mechanical pencils (one missing a cap) a clicky permanent marker, a wet erase marker and...what the hell?...one of my Hi-Tech-C's... just so you know- that one is now safely back in MY pen cup. You can pass me a kid with a diaper that has passed maximum load capacity and I will gladly share the responsibilities...but come on....a High Tech-C? That just hurts.

I have passed 100 or more pens to my wife saying "try this pen, I think you will like it" which really is code for "I hate this pen, you can have it." but I am not sure where those pens actually go. It could have been worse, I could have found a couple 51's and a Flex nib crinkled up in the bottom. For that I am thankful.

Christmas is coming up, it might be time to upgrade her pen cup. Maybe...

Fountain Pen Tree Ornament

2009-12-08T08:06:00.007-05:00

I once worked at a job, where a guy just dissapeared. Poof, went all Keyser Soze. A few months later he showed up at his desk one morning like nothing had ever happened. He fully expected to have his job back and was anxious to get to work. It's a true story and kinda what I just did this morning. I am sure there are a few people looking at their Reader scratching their heads and saying "Huh." Consider me back at me desk ready to work.

Last night was tree trimming night here in the Good Pens Household and I was reminded that the simplist things are sometimes the best. So if you are feeling inspired, grab and old pen, hang a string on it and throw it up on the tree. . My son pulled this pen out of the box and said "a pen!" Why...yes it is, the pen is back on the tree.

If you are curious what I have been up to...take a look at www.sethgoodling.blogspot.com. Just a little photo journey of the last few months of growing this family. It's absolutely non-pen related, just as an FYI.

Oh, and as LL Cool J said "Don't call it a comeback!"

Great deal for 2 good pencils!

2009-08-25T09:21:00.003-04:00

I might not be posting, but I am not dead! Here's a great deal on two Mechanical pencils that I love.

http://www.buy.com/prod/2-pack-phd-black-mechanical-pencil-0-5mm/q/loc/101/211948531.html?adid=17653

Enjoy!

My 200th pen post (wow)

2009-08-14T07:59:00.000-04:00

I really miss the process, a good friend emailed me last night hoping that the updates were coming along smoothly...they are, but working on your current house while building a new one did not work for me. I was hoping to start some new pens on the new site, but here we are today with a fresh post. The only markings on this pen are on the cap, it says "Japan Marksman" and it is a cartridge filler. It's thin, like really thin, almost too thin for my hands.

The sun was shining in my kitchen window so I actually got to shoot with sunlight. Interesting. This pen has a bit of a "cheap look" to the metal. For how thin it is..it does have a bit of weight to it. You can see the threads by the nib, so it is a screw cap. I can only imagine that this came in a set, or with a notebook...it just has kinda that feel to it.

I just dipped it here, so it was not the smoothest writing ever, but it is true, Sara, Sam ,Brad, Jason, Mike, (and many others) you guys
have been great and I appreciate all your help and links and conversations. I am looking forward to another 200.

Have a great weekend.

Sharpie Mini

2009-08-06T08:41:00.000-04:00

Everything lately for me has been about simplicity. How can I get the most effect for the least amount of input. It's not that I am not willing to put in the extra time for things...it's that a 2 year old + a one month old= I am not sure really what is simple (or where me pants area) anymore. One bright shining star lately has been the Sharpie Micro. I have been on a labeling run lately and between this and my Brother ptouch, everything has a place and an owner.

I don't imagine I will ever hang a chain on the nifty cap loop, but its nice to know if I have this pen when I am 80 and feel the need to wear it around my neck to permanently mark down on my wall the number of grapes I had that day, it will be there. (wow...there was a little flash into the future I did not want to see.) For this pen...there's really no need to do a writing test. If you are unsure how a sharpie writes you should immediatly go eat about 42 grapes.

Have a great day.

Coolest thing I have seen in a while

2009-08-03T23:51:00.005-04:00

I really hope every one gets to take a peek at Cheeming Boey's amazing flickr set. This is the kind of stuff that amazes and inspires me. I love finding the coolest art in the oddest places. I could stare at these all day long and this is one of my favorites. The even sweeter thing is...these are for sale. Incredible stuff. Enjoy.

Update...and I already asked what kind of pens are used for this. Update number 2: A simple Sharpie is used.

Not Dead Yet

2009-07-31T10:39:00.000-04:00

Thanks for all the emails asking where I am, no I am not curled up in a bottle of Private Reserve American blue... truth is.. I am working on a new and updated and cool (and dare I say better) Good Pens that I hope to launch in the next few weeks. I will keep you updated and thanks for your support. Seth

#2 in 2 weeks...Broken Preppy

2009-07-21T18:03:00.000-04:00

Crack..."Man down, Man Down!...Medic! Mediiiiic!" Ok, maybe it was not that dramatic... but yes, I have had 2 broken pens in two weeks. My beloved eyedropper Preppy sadly is no more.

There was a note left on my desk: It went a like this:

"Dear Seth, you have asked too much of me for too long. I am a cartridge filled pen that lives on the edge of being a disposable, but you made me into something I cannot stand up to with your crazy silicon grease and your syringes. I am not a Parker 51 or Waterman designed to live through the stress and through years of punishment, I am a little Japanese flower that must be treated carefully. Sadly, I can put up with you no longer and I am leaving you. My ink is on your hands (literally, insert Nelson from The Simpsons saying "Ha Ha" here) Signed: Preppy

After the autopsy, I found a little crack through the body that was enough to allow air in and sadly...ink out. I have not thought about bringing this one back yet. I have another body that fits from a sign pen, but I like that sign pen. Good bye Preppy. Stay tuned as I sort this one out. Preppy...you will be missed.

Pen Lust

2009-07-21T08:15:00.005-04:00

How does it happen? One minute I log on to check the weather and the next minute- I am on Ebay searching for a quick way to drain my bank account. Then it happens. Lust: I will skip the first 6 definitions to keep this PG-13 but #7 applies here: 7. to have a yearning or desire; have a strong or excessive craving (often fol. by for or after).

Strong excessive craving definitely applies here. The object of my lust? This little beast. (link to Ebay) I know it's not perfect, but I almost have to have it. I usually have about 30 items that I am in need of, so I do need to pick my battles, but sometimes they just call your name.

Again, I probably will let this one pass because it will go for far more than it's worth, but for now...today...I love it. Then again...we might be fighting for it in 5 days and 12 hours.

Colibri and Gift pens

2009-07-16T08:46:00.001-04:00

As always, click for better views....I am a huge fan of gifting pens. (I am also a fan of receiving gifted pens.) If you divide things evenly and say that there are 2 groups 1. Pen Lovers and 2. People that use pens because they have to...then it gets very interesting when group 1. buys for Group 2. or vice-versa. I think about that scene in the 2000 classic Meet the Parents where Ben Stiller's character gives a rare Jerusalem tulip to Robert De Niro's character and he has no idea what he was just given. Things could get awkward quickly. Suddenly a Parker 51 gets thrown in the back of drawer never to be seen again.

Engraving the initials on a pen is a nice touch. The odd thing is, I have more pens with OTHER peoples initials on them than with my own. Anytime I can use 3 little initials to let the world know that the pen I am loaning them is not theirs...I am happy. This pen (for a company that makes lighters) actually has a nice balance to it and is nice to write with. I have always loved black pens and I have a pile of refills for this one and it usually travels with me.

I hold on to the pens that I love to write with, but my friends know I can deliver a steady stream of pens to them from the ones that did not make the cut. They might appreciate a fat goopy .9 that I would never use. Technically I guess that is not gifting...but it's the thought that counts rights? Next time I will put a bow on it.

Aint it Strange...Broken Montblanc

2009-07-13T23:17:00.003-04:00

I am NOT the guy you see in business meetings that pulls out the Montblanc just to let everyone know he (or she) has a pretty little snow cap on their pens. "Look at me, Look at me...I must be important!!!!" It's actually my biggest pet peeve with MB's...non pen lovers try to use them to make people think they love pens. (Work with me...in my head this makes sense, I have had a lot of coffee today.)

I have a few MB's and I do love them, it's a little ironic. This one is now in need of repair. I am not sure if it was in my bag or my pocket, but this happened somehow. It's a roller so... I am not devastated...but I am not really happy either. I think I won this one in a sales contest about 5 years ago.

Montblanc has had an interesting history, there are scandals and many lawsuits and some odd practices in how they sell their pens. Dunhill bought the company in 1977 and dropped all the low end pens.

I might run into the Montblanc store in Boston and give them my best "Look at what just happened face." I haven't used it in a while because it almost never works. By the way, the notebook is a Moleskine designed for you to write/draw on, I haven't finished my last word on it yet, but I definitely am going with "strange."

I also can't stop watching this pen spinning video

2009-07-09T22:07:00.002-04:00

Pilot V Razor Point

2009-07-09T22:04:00.000-04:00

I had to run into Staples today and literally jogged through the pen aisle because I did not have any intentions of buying anything...mainly because I just feel like I know everything that is there already. However, I saw Pilot and Extra Fine and I grabbed the package hoping for the best. I bought the 4 pack for around $6.00.

I like the way the pen felt right away. Nice and light and it feels nicely balanced. I grabbed the notebook that I have been using for work lately and remember that scene in There's Something About Mary when the paramedic screams "We got a Bleeder" ...yeah it was like that. Wrong paper. My problem is that when I see extra fine on the label... I expect a .38 and without any bleeding. Life is just not that simple.

But here in the Moleskine, it works a little better and I was little more comfortable. But at the end of the day, the 3 unused pens will probably end up in my next giveaway, I would be better off with the Razor II that markets itself as the Super Fine Point. (that means buying more pens :)

SPLASH pen Update

2009-07-07T11:36:00.002-04:00

I ended up calling the manufacturer http://www.yasutomo.com/ Great customer service and they actually were sad when they told me that the pens were no longer being manufactured. They stopped around 2003 or 2004 and have had trouble finding a manufacturer that is able to reproduce the pen. But check out their site, they have some cool stuff there. Sorry folks!

Don't call it a comeback! Micron 005

2009-07-06T23:46:00.000-04:00

As some of you know, I am a proud new papa and I took a week (and a few days) to get things in order and enjoy being a parent. My twitter updates were around, but the blog was left unattended. But I am back. Expect some hot and heavy posting and I should be more regular than two cups of coffee and a bran muffin in the morning.

My first post back is one of my favorites for everything. If you have seen these on the rack in your art store and passed them by, I insist that you pick one up and put it in rotation. The variety of widths make them very versatile and the archival ink is just cool.

Baby G is doing very well and we are starting to get into a routine. That's code for I am tired and am barely able to string a sentence together without stopping in the middle to wonder if I have pants on or not. I am going back upstairs now to put pants on, be right back.

I easily can switch from drawing to to-do lists and not afraid to loan this out if needed. There's also a ton of colors available for you to enjoy. The full name is the Pigma Micron and this one is a 005 black. love. There are a total of 6 line sizes available: 005 = 0.20 mm, 01 = 0.25 mm, 02 = 0.30 mm, 05 = 0.45 mm, and 08 = 0.50 mm. Good times! Enjoy it.

Splash Brush Pen

2009-06-25T08:34:00.000-04:00

I think I reviewed an orange version of this pen in the past but this one is green! When the doodling bug hits me, this tends to be the first pen that I reach for in my desk drawer. These is something about the ease of use of this thing... simply uncap and you can have razor thin lines or with a little pressure you can have a very fat fun line.

Prior to 1830 almost all paint brushes were imported into the US and it took us 50 years of hand manufacturing before we invented a machine that could crank out a paint brush. (Don't you feel a bit smarter now?) Use that at lunch today, no matter what the subject is. "Hey Bob, how's your wife?" "Good, hey, did you know that most of the paintbrushes before the 1830's were..." Your friends will love it.
I left myself a note as a reminder that I have to put Rocky in my queue at Netflix and I just thought about the refill possibilities on this one and I am dying to try it, of course I will let you know how it goes. Have a great day!

Seth

Why didn't I have this in High School---Cheater Pen

2009-06-22T13:44:00.000-04:00

It's a normal looking pen right? your typical ballpoint... nothing to see here right? Move along.

Except for this thin little metal tab neatly in line with the pen body. Nothing to see here right?

Except when you give it a little tug...out comes a spring loaded scroll of paper. In this case it was shortcuts from Sprint for a Blackberry, but a little pen hacking, (actually just sticking a post-it to the paper) and I have a legit cheat sheet. Click for larger views. I have a love/hate relationship with pens that do things other than just write....usually because that means that they do not write that well.

This rule holds absolutely true here. This one writes like it was run over by an 18 wheeler but the idea is cool. Please excuse all spelling and grammatical errors, I am running on Red Bulls and Espressos. Enjoy your day.

My tiny little excuse for the limited posting this week.

2009-06-20T12:12:00.001-04:00

I have mentioend in the past that life sometimes gets in the way of blogging (and vice-versa) and I have tried to mostly be the pen guy and not blather on about my personal life...but here is the reason for the lack of posting this week. Twitter has all the juicy details and I will be back in the swing on Monday with a fresh week of posts. Everyone enjoy their weekend and thanks for all the kind words so far.

Seth

Parker Vacumatic Pencil 1947

2009-06-16T23:52:00.000-04:00

I have said it before... but George S. Parker... "You complete me and you had me at Vacumatic." (OK, I am done with the Jerry McGuire quotes.) If we were being invaded and I had to grab some of my belongings and head into the hills for a few years to live off of twigs and berries, I would make sure I had this pencil with me.

62 years ago a person (or a machine) put a date stamp on this pencil and I am positive that they had no idea that some dude would be sitting up at 11:40 on a Tuesday night posting to his blog about his love for this particular pencil, but for proof... here's how the interview would go:

Questioner: "Sir, did you have any idea that in 2009 some dude would be sitting up at 11:40 on a Tuesday night posting to his blog on his computer about his love for this particular pencil?"

Parker Employee: "Uhhh, computer?"

Questioner: "Exactly."

Well there you are folks.

My pencil really wants to have a matching Vacumatic fountain twin, but this is as close as I can come to making it happy. These two are a few years apart but they hang out every now and then. There is a difference between getting better with time and staying consistently strong over time and this definitely falls into that strong category.

Good pencil.

I wish these days were still around

2009-06-15T22:06:00.000-04:00

OK, I am in my thirties so I was not around for this kind of stuff, but apparently-there was a welder in Pennsylvania that was giving away fountain pens to promote his livelihood. I know this was probably considered normal back in the day, but I wish I could have been around back in those days. Even the lowest cost fountain pens right now would probably put promoting your company out of reach.

I just think that it is kind of interesting that not that long ago a welder was able to give away fountain pens to his customers and now most companies (even the largest high tech firms) give away the cheapest,worst writing pens that they can find to represent themselves.

After a cleaning, rinse and re-sac, this pens is still very functional. There's a little bulge in the middle of the plastic and the cap looks like it was put a little to close to a welding job, but it works and it has some history to it. So...Harry Anderson, thank you. You sir, probably have left this world, but your pen remains in good hands.

The Fab Four Sarasa Clips

2009-06-11T23:48:00.001-04:00

I started using a new journal for work this week and a black 0.4 Sarasa was what I grabbed to start my work. I soon realized that I was not reaching for other pens like I normally do.... I had sort of found my pen nirvana for a bit. I mentioned it before that usually I change pens pretty often during the day. (by pretty often I mean a lot...like...really a lot)

So I tracked down all four of the flavors that I own and cleared the desk of all my pens.

I have a Google alert set for "good pens" (call it vanity) and the number one thing I see popping up is when people list out their favorite things. It's important to have favorites and I am not afraid to admit that one of my top five pens that I use and love costs around $1.85 each.

Its a combo of smooth flowing ink, a perfect roller size for me and a great selection of colors. I just cant get enough of these pens. Like Ferris Bueller said " It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up."

Have a great day.

Seth

The Sign Pen

2009-06-08T23:31:00.000-04:00

When I did my little "only write with a fountain pen experiment in April" (code named OWWAFPEIA) I had two issues, I missed my whiteboards and I really missed using my sign pens. A quick search will show some individual reviews on most of then pens but I don't think I ever put them all in one pile to admire and I actually forgot my Sanford 20/20 here.

The Pentels are definitely my favorites. Sorry, it's just the way it is. The tip wears down to a perfectly usable stub and its rare when a pen gets better (for me) the more you use it. The Zebra is cool and the Preppy has a replaceable cartridge that I cannot wait to throw some good ink into. The Bravo (obviously) was a good one also, I need to see if I can refill this one or just buy some more.

Lists, note taking, doodling, I almost always travel with a few of these and I can always find a need. The Pentel was Time Magazines product of the year in 1963. How could you not love it?

It's hard for me to walk by these in a store and not grab a handful. They are habit forming. I might go tackle that Bravo to see if I can get some good ink flowing.

Cheers!

Mystery Pen

2009-06-08T08:03:00.003-04:00

I love getting mail from you guys and a pen finding request came through and I really want to help. (and I also want to try one of these.)

Here are the details:

It's a ballpoint pen, which is kind of unusual ... I generally prefer gel pens, or rollerballs. But there's just something about this pen. It's approximately 5 1/2" long, the blue part is rubber, so it's comfy, but not it's not padded like the Dr Grip. It's perfectly weighted. I know I could probably get a standard refill, but the ink that came with it was also superb ... it never clotted, the color was a great blue and the perfect weight and it just had an ideal, consistent inkflow.

Do you have any idea who might have made this pen? I've been back to the card shop where he bought it, but they didn't know where it came from. Any suggestions for websites/vendors to look at would be great, also the ballpoint is retractable by twisting the top half of the pen.

I do not have the foggiest idea so I am opening it up to you to unite pen and hand again. Have a great day and thanks for looking.

Preppy cartridge fountain pen converted to an eyedropper

2009-06-03T21:50:00.005-04:00

After seeing the Preppy's over at Unposted today I was inspired to finally post about one of my favorite things to do: Convert my fountain pens from cartridges to eyedroppers. Ready? Let's go...all you really need is the above items and a cloth to clean things up should things get messy. You don't actually need two inks, I just decided on a blend.

Here is what most people are worried about, but actually the easiest part of the process. Go to Lowes or Home Depot... in the plumping section they should have something called "waterproof grease" Ask the guy in the orange vest, he knows where the hide it...buy it... its only a couple of bucks and it will last you a year. Act cool like you are going to go home and tackle that pesky water leak in your master bathroom. Use works like " Grease trap" and "Stop Valve." Pull your pants down a little in the back, and bend over a lot... it helps. Trust me.

Take your finger, dip it in the grease and run it around the threads of the nib. A light coating will take care of things and seal it up nicely.

Here's a better shot of how thin of a coating you can get away with. (click for larger view) Gently set this aside, let's grab some ink.... its time for the wet work.

So take your pen body and start dumping some ink in it, an eye dropper, or a squeeze bottle or anything that you can draw ink up with and fit in the end will work. I live dangerously- so I go for a syringe. You will be amazed how much ink you can get in here at the end of the day.

Screw the nib back on the body and IMPORTANT! Wipe down the pen for a minute or two, some of the grease will seep out of the threads and just wipe it off, it will not kill you. The job of the grease is to keep the ink in the pen.

You now have an eyedropper. The only maintenance you need to do is whenever you add ink, just run a little grease around the threads again. There you are.

Here's another blend... Some Private Reserve Midnight blues and some J Hervin Vert Olive. Heavy on the Olive. This whole process only works on fountains that do not have any holes in the body, the Preppy's and the Petits are great, fun pens to do this with. Enjoy.

Free Ink! (kinda)

2009-06-02T00:10:00.000-04:00

Did you know that if you buy 2 bottles of different color ink you pretty much have opened up doorway to another world full of rainbows and unicorns? Well, that is not all true- but what you have gotten yourself into is a whole new world of mixing possibilities. So here you have your normal Private Reserve American Blue and your typical J. Herbin Vert Olive....two great colors that I appreciate individually for what they are.

However, if a little Mr. Blue mixes parties with a decent amount of Mr. Green (5:1 ratio for the math majors out there) Presto. Happy day... you have yourself a new color to write home about (or with.)

Here you have it in the light, everyone owns a Preppy eyedropper right? If not, you should... we are talking a serious tank of ink. Instructions on how to make one later this week. A little more blue might actually make this even cooler. That is the fun part.

And here you have the mix, some of you might be concerned about ph factors and mixing certain types of ink can cause explosions and blah, blah, blah. I strictly went for color here, I mix the ink, I put it in a non-expensive (or explosive) pen and I write with it. I am happy and that's the main goal I was going for. If I hate the color, I burn through it and try again. No harm done. Have a great day! -Seth

Sharpie Accent Liquid Highlighter and what is it pt.2

2009-05-28T23:17:00.000-04:00

Meet my new favorite liquid highlighter. The Sharpie! Everyone knows that I am huge fan of the drylighters...as seen here in You Drylight my life., but every now and then I crave some good old fashioned liquid highlighter. (I also crave a really good hamburger every now and then- but that is for another day.) There's a little loop on the end which makes me want to wear it around my neck like an old lady but so far I have refused to take that next step. I love highlighters with big tanks of ink.

I was feeling just about as un-scientific as I could feel tonight so I just grabbed a few pens, wrote down what they were on a piece of paper and went to town with the highlighter. I love how the Noodler's held up, that was the shocker, but not if it was bulletproof, I am not sure what I had loaded in the fountain pen. The G2 on the bottom actually gave me a little blurring, but not so much that it bothers me. Flying colors all around.

Thanks for all of the comments, but without some proof, I am not buying the phone dialer thing. This seems a little high tech to just get used as a phone dialer.So here is a view where it opens up. The cap on the left has little gears on the stick thing. If this does not get solved, I might have to put a prize on it.

Pilot Petit 1 Fountain Pen and what is it?

2009-05-26T23:34:00.001-04:00

I bought this pen really wanting to like it. I reviewed in the past and for the most part gave it a thumbs down...but I kept going back to it trying to find some love. It just seems like I should like it, small, fountainy and clear. I have been giving it other chances and with a little nib tweaking and I can use it as needed for what it was intended=a quick, handy, easy to transport fountain pen.

So, I won an Ebay auction for some pens and this little thing came along with the winning. I have no idea what it is (seriously.) The brass part slides up and down and pulls off, the inside shows some sort of gearing mechanism. The only writing says "Swiss Made and Pat. Pending" Odd. I will post another picture of it tomorrow.

Here are the invisible twins. Just having them makes me feel a little bit cooler than I actually am. It's almost as if they have super powers.

Part of the problem initially was that I was not posting the cap hard enough and the tiny littlething was popping off. So, being a man I just pushed harder and that seemed to fix it. (yes, my next step was a hammer.) I use this pen now as it was intended, it goes in my bag with me when I travel and as long as I remember to dig way down in my pen pockets, I will use it.

We have a Winner ( Said in my best carnie voice)

2009-05-22T08:37:00.003-04:00

To keep things fair I went with a real randomizer. And......
Speedmaster over at Amateur Economist is the winner! Congrats on being randomly selected. The pens are yours! I don't know why it made me laugh, but the mental image of Sam's cats smoking was hysterical to me. Shoot me your details and I have some ink or some pens to get out to you as well.

Thanks for everyone that commented. These are great fun and have a good long weekend. I will be back Tuesday with some fresh pen posts!

Seth

Noodler's Ink "Luxury Blue" and a new cause

2009-05-21T08:30:00.005-04:00

I just wanted to drop a quick post because I am in love (like...circle one, "yes, no, or maybe" kind of love) with this ink. The Office Supply Geek was awesome enough to send a bottle over in a trade and I am glad he did. It's a fairly muted color, here is is compared to Private Reserve American Blue on the bottom. Subtle yet awesome. I have heard it referred to as "denim." But if loving denim is wrong I don't want to be right. I will get a proper review out in a little bit but for now, I have been loading this in every pen I can find.

I know this has nothing to do with pens, so bear with me.. I raced bicycles for a very long time in my life and bicycling remains a constant love. A few months ago I came across a great organization that is getting bikes in the hands of people that need them... to live. I have always rode my bike because I wanted to, I never realized that people in the world need to ride a bike to get medicine, or to get food for their family. So I have decided for the rest of the year (and maybe forever) 100% of my adsense revenue from this site will get dropped in a check to The World Bicycle Relief. You can read more about the organization here. Thanks.

It's Giveaway Time! 19 New pens!

2009-05-20T07:12:00.002-04:00

One big grand prize.
I will also throw in two of the Frixions from earlier this week. (not pictured if you were counting pens) and the ink goes along as well!

Here are the silly rules, the contest ends 8:00 am Eastern on Friday. My legal team is dreaming up my own (funnier) version of the randomizer and I will announce the winner after the holiday. All you have to do is leave any comment on this post and as usual, there will be a special separate prize sent out to the person who comes closest to making me laugh so hard I fall out of my chair and break a hip.
We can catch up with email after the contest to sort out which you like. That's it. Have a great day. Oh, and International readers...feel free to join in the fun. -Seth

Pelikan Pelikano Junior

2009-05-19T08:11:00.003-04:00

As always, click for bigger pictures...The great people over at Gold Spot Pens (Twitter here) kind enough to do a giveaway and give a few bloggers some Pelikans to test drive. Mine showed up on my doorstop yesterday, I quickly threw in the included cartridge and didn't put this pen down all day. I have owned a few Pelikan piston fillers in the past, but I had forgotten how fun they were to write with and how smooth they are.

Everyone knows there a sheet inside the pen box to write your name on right? This one says "Good pens" and it is mine now so you cannot have it back. Cool feature! So when you close the pen there is a little window that displays your info. You could write "Popsicle" if you wanted.

This pen does not have a clip, but that works for me. I rarely put a pen in my shirt pocket and the raised lettering seems to keep the pen from rolling around anyway. The cool thing is that they are available in 4 colors and nib versions for lefties as well! I love the emails that I get from people saying that "they used that fountain pen in school" or "when they were young." Maintaining fountain pens takes a little discipline and I am happy Pelikan is trying to bring that idea of fountain pens for kids back a little bit.

I was surprised how wet this writes, to me that is a good thing. It lays down a nice fat line of ink that I gladly welcome. The steel nib feels like it could take some abuse without complaining at all when the school kids start using this pen as darts. Saying all that, every fountain pen user should keep one of these in their pen cup and these seem bulletproof. (but I wont be doing any testing of that, these are staying safely on my desk.)

What did she bring me #4 Pilot Frixion

2009-05-18T08:08:00.001-04:00

What Did She Bring Me? usually involves asking my wife to go out and "pick up a pen." No questions asked and at this point now she just rolls her eyes and throws a new pen on my desk in a day or two. I think with this one, she was kind of messing with me.

You lefties will appreciate the way these pens are facing. In fact, this might be a first, I usually face my pen points to the left. In this case, it would have made the writing on the cap upside down. (odd) The tribal graphics seem a little out of place to me, but apparently the marketing works, because she bought them.

When I first opened these I didn't notice the little nub here. But I am a smart(ish) guy and I quickly realized that's the eraser (palm to forehead.) Oh... cool, these are eraserable. I should have read the packaging. I had my doubts.

So I took the three pens and started writing "This is a mistake" and then began erasing words. I was pretty impressed with how well the ink just disappeared. I erased these about 10 seconds after writing and yes, that pink is pink...like bubblegum pink. My kingdom for some blue ink. It's rare that something in the new pen world impresses me...but this actually worked.

My favorite eraser chewed through this ink with no problem as well. I am not sure if and or where these will fit into my daily pen world. I might actually go back and buy some blue and black to have because these colors are a little strong (by strong I mean horribly bright) for me, but overall, I am glad these showed up on my desk.

My Red Pens (or some of them anyway)

2009-05-14T08:25:00.000-04:00

I won a red pen in a giveaway this week and I was thinking about some of the red pens I own. I don't necessarily go out and gather red pens, but taking a quick inventory, I have a few. I loved the image that was floating around a while back of that woman in a circle of her pens and it inspired me a little.

I don't think this is all of my reds, but its what I gathered for the shoot. There might be a few oranges and a maroon or two in here (nitpickers) and a few Parker 51's that might be my favorite red(ish) pens, along with the Sheaffer in the picture below. Wiki tells me that several studies have indicated that red carries the strongest reaction of all the colors, with the level of reaction decreasing gradually with orange, yellow, and white, respectively. Sort of why stop signs are red and not a safe shade of tan.

Again, if there were a fire in the house and I only could grab a handful of my red pens these would definitely make the cut. Oh, hey, cool, the fire truck would be red! Well I am off to paint the town red but first I have to cut through the red tape and I hope everyone has a red letter day.

Parker Vector and site updates

2009-05-13T08:12:00.001-04:00

The Parker Vector might actually be my least favorite Parker Fountain pen that I own. That being said, it still is an OK writer and fairly reliable because it is a cartridge filler. I find that I just need to clean it a bit more than my similar pens to keep it smooth.

Parker started making the Vector in 1981 and there is a pretty cool Vector calligraphy set, but overall, I am just "meh" with these. I own a few and and they all put ink on paper, but I have never been inspired or jumped up from my chair and said "wow, this pen rocks and it won't leave my hand till you pry it from my cold dead fingers."

Funky long cartridges that (of course) I refill myself.

Dedicated readers (actually mostly just my mother in law) have been asking why I have missed a few days of blogging and there are several reasons. Life sort of got in the way last week. I had some red-eye flights and was a little backed up from travel. I also realized after 171 straight days (week days) of posting I needed a few days to chill and catch my breath. Lots of good stuff coming including a giveaway and a new W.D.S.B.M. I am also working on getting this on a real site up and running so I appreciate your dedication.

Osmiroid 75 Piston Filler

2009-05-11T07:45:00.000-04:00

Yes, I love my cartridge fillers, but compared to a good piston filler ...cartridges just seem so archaic. The combination of interchangeable nibs and a piston filler makes this a fun little pen to have. Then add in the Fine Oblique nib and you have things that dreams are made of.

Dreamy right? Indeed. Happy belated Mothers Day everyone! There are an estimated 82.8 million mothers in the United States (in 2004.) So let's not make them angry. The could revolt and we all could be grounded for the next two weeks.

This is of my few pens with bite marks, again, if you missed it...I do NOT bite my pens. I picture some angry calligrapher in the late 70's struggling to get invitations done and biting away here. (ew, I am going to go wash my hands.) I had a few travel days last week but I am back in the game.

The Discount Bin : Panache Calligraphy

2009-05-06T07:59:00.000-04:00

Times are tough and I am never afraid to go through the discount bin at my local art supply stores for a few bargains....and a bargain is what I found. Yes, this was marked down from $12.99 to $3.99 and that makes me happy. Any port in a storm right? I also picked up a few Expresso pens for .99 that are fun as well.

So that is $4.00 for two bodies and 4 different calligraphy nibs and 8 ink cartridges. Yes, thank you! I know that these are not the most awesome calligraphy pens ever made in the world, but I have been grabbing wide nibs for doodling and it's been kind of fun lately. I have calligraphy pens that I love and I am not sure how much use these pens will have but I will get some writing samples out for a better review soon. Enjoy your day!

The Container Store Rules

2009-05-05T08:11:00.000-04:00

More on my organizing... The container store sells these really cool shoe boxes that seal tightly and are pretty inexpensive. Perfect for pens, inks, etc. I bought about 6 and I am a better person for it. here's a link if you are curious. I now have my pens organized "by category." or I am working on it at least. Rollers, gels, pencils, markers, mechanicals, all have a fresh home. I couldn't stand putting my fountains in there. It just feels like they are left behind if I do that.

I also love that my inks have a spill proof home now. I will repost once I am completed, but stacks of pens in my office have now been gently put away in a clear organized fashion. Yeah!

This also makes me very curious how everyone else stores there pens outside of the traditional pen boxes and cups? Feel free to post and let everyone know. Have a great day!

Cartridge Filled Fountain Pens!

2009-05-04T07:53:00.000-04:00

I was doing some organizing over the weekend and part of that was making sure I had clean pens in storage. Crusty inky nibs are not a friend of mine. I started to pile up my cartridge fillers to separate from the other types of feeds (don't ask) and took a quick shot. I probably rely on at least one of these pens everyday and keep an empty cartridge in all of them ready to go.

I clean the cartridges the same way I fill them, after they are done, I turn them upside down, and spray in warm water with a syringe until it runs clear, let dry and pop back in. It keeps from having to search for cartridges.

When motivation strikes I grab the syringe and whatever ink inspires me and off I go with a refill. I usually only fill them up halfway unless i know I am doing a ton of writing or want to keep that pen inked for a while. These are mostly Sheaffer's with a few Esterbrooks and Scripto's included but I love them all equally. (that's not true, I have favorites!) Have great Monday everyone.

Quick update

2009-05-01T09:29:00.003-04:00

If you haven't seen it yet, Moleskinerie picked up my post yesterday and I appreciate all the RT's on Twitter. Thanks for your support, yesterday was a fun day with the comments and emails! I will back to the pen stuff in a minute but wanted to say thanks!

My Moleskine PDA Hacks

2009-04-30T06:59:00.002-04:00

So the Moleskine talk has been hot and heavy and I have seen a few tweets about Moleskine PDA's so I thought I would share how I organize my Moleskine life. I use two versions depending on my mood and time. If I am feeling crafty, I grab about 20 pages and make notches down the length of the book with a razor blade to create little tabs to separate my sections.

If time does not allow, I simply grab those pages and use a marker to color a section. Black=work, blue= personal, red=people I should run over with my car. It works for me, I tend to just keep the "chapters" straight in my head.
I am not sure where I grabbed these ideas from and I am positive I cannot take credit for them. But I have been using this system for so long I can't remember where they came from. Googling did not help so if I am stealing any thunder, I apologize.

Click for a better view of the way I cut the pages. Dig in your thumbnail in and off you are to your favorite section! I have also done this on the top of the Moleskine whick looks looks pretty cool as well. I love to write and I consistently try to make my writing world as organized and my computer world. This has definitly helped me.

Retro 51 Roller (and an Empire Cap tease)

2009-04-29T08:23:00.001-04:00

I love the weight of this pen. It's substantial and feels very solid when you grab it. It has a few dings on the outside but still looks good enough unless you look closely and the reason for not having a writing sample is because (of course) I threw a G2 refill in it. (Would you expect anything else?) I thought it was appropriate to put the Retro 51 on my Parker Box. If a pen thinks it is strong enough to carry the "51" label it better be good.

Here is just a peak into the Parker Box. You probably have seen about 50% of these. A few of you outside of the blog have seen the one sitting front and center. It's pretty much my favorite pen in the world. That's all. The Empire is strong.

And just a quick shot of the label. Retro 51 has a few decent pens out there (including some fountains) and a really cool bamboo pen that I really want. In fact, there are a lot of pens that I have had my eyes on lately. I need to force myself to hold off till the NE pen show. All bets are off there.

The Talking Pen

2009-04-28T08:15:00.000-04:00

So this is kind of cool for a pen. You can record your notes, or grocery lists or whatever. It has 2 channels and the battery for the recorder has way outlasted the ink supply. Not that I ever remember writing with this, but whatever. To me this was never actually for writing. It's was more of a novelty.

I think I have had this pen for a few years and so far I have recorded "cool" and "does this come in a fine tip" and "Don't make me stop this car..."

For the writing sample...why bother. I doubt they had writing instrument in mind when they made this pen. It's fun to play with, it works as a recorder and it's going back in the box right now. Welcome to Tuesday everyone.

Sharpie Chisel Point in Black

2009-04-27T08:26:00.000-04:00

So I am a huge Sharpie fan as seen here, but for some reason, this one slipped by all the other reviews and it just sort of popped up on my desk one day. It's a fun little Sharpie. The Chisel POint!

A chisel point on a Sharpie is a brilliant move if you ask me. I have a few regular Sharpies that have worn down to the plastic after heavy use, so I will see if this one holds an edge throughout the Sharpie lifetime.

I keep this one in my sock- like Terrell Owens and if I need it, I just pull it out and its ready to use. (kidding, I am not wearing socks) Pants yes...socks no. I try to keep that straight.

There is no need for me to go into the details on the ink stuff, that's already been done, but that tip is fascinating and fun to write with. I have been amazed at the amount of emails and comments on my little Fountain pen Experiment (using only fountain pens for a month.) It's actually much hard than I had imagined and I love my fp's, but I see May just around the corner and I need my gel fix.

Sanford 20/20

2009-04-24T08:24:00.001-04:00

I have always been a fan of sign pens, I know that basically they are just good black markers, but for some reason, I can't get away from them. Back in the day (like March before I started the experiment) if I was on the phone I would always grab a sign pen and a notepad and track my calls/to do's with them.

Doing a little research this pen- is used pretty extensively in the medical world as seen here (here) for people with bad vision. I am not really sure where I bought this or why I have it, but its not bad for what it is... a black fine point, non-bleeding marker. I am also not sure why the directions on the side say "do not shake" and I haven't yet to see what happens. If a genie pops out I will be really pissed that I missed it.

It is Friday which means tomorrow is Ink Link day on The Pen Addict (yeah!) and that somehow another week has slipped by. I will be at the Elmo Makes Music live show if anyone needs me (don't ask) and back on Monday with a fresh pen! I promise to get to the comments/questions and emails this weekend. Enjoy it.

Parker 51 Down!

2009-04-23T00:46:00.001-04:00

My evening got really bad, really fast. I was just working on some notes from today and I felt my nib get a little squirrely and next thing I know there is a small chunk of my 51 separated from the hood. I do not think I have to tell you that it was not meant to be a 2 piece hood.

It's not quite devastating, but it hurts. I can find a replacement hood or I heard there are people doing some really cool things with the plastic. It's just that I really liked this pen as it is. I know people have had serious damage from just dropping a fountain pen so I guess I am lucky that this happened when I was writing and not using my 51 as a lever to pry open a jar a peanut butter.

It still writes fine, It didn't crack far enough up to effect things. But it's just the point of it. Luckily the New England Pen Show is right around the corner and looks like I am adding one more thing I need to my list.

Wing Sung 612

2009-04-22T00:21:00.002-04:00

Last night on Twitter, DIYSara asked about the fountain pen only experiment and I told her my heavy hitter today was my Wing Sung 612. I kept Bay State Blue in this for a while and I am pretty sure it stained the plastic. (click for larger view) I have not tried to polish and remove it yet, but it's definitely there. No Biggie.

There are a ton of Hero pens similar to this on Ebay and at a really good price. I got this one un-inked as a present a few years ago.
It's been in heavy use since then. The packaging makes me think that one was a little older, but I am not sure of the date. I have no idea
how they date these (if they do at all.)

Believe me, this is really cheap paper with Private Reserve ink and I could use this combo all day long without a bleed or a feather or a glob. It's a Parker knock off and I don't try to pretend it's a 51. It's an honest pen that puts an honest line of ink on the paper and to me, that is refreshing.