Each week in Refill, the Pen Addict Members newsletter, I publish Ink Links as part of the additional content you receive for being a member. And each week, after 10 to 15 links, plus my added commentary on each, I'm left with many great items I want to share. Enter Misfill. Here are this weeks links:
Another Atlanta Pen Show is in the books, and it was exactly what I needed. The people and the pens refreshed me, and what I gained from this event is more than can be described in words. Thank you to everyone at the show!
My hot mess of a schedule continues for the first part of the week, but I’ll be back on track for the podcast on Wednesday. Stay tuned, and talk soon!
After last week’s shenanigans I thought I would bring us back into reality by giving away one of the hottest products of the year so far. LAMY’s reintroduction of Dark Lilac Ink could have gone better, but in the end, we have a great ink added to the standard lineup. I picked up a bottle at last weekend’s Atlanta Pen Show, so read the rules below and enter to win it!
(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)
This multi pen from Uni might not have the most catchy name, but it's still a fantastic pen. The Uni Jetstream 4&1 Metal 4-color 0.5mm ballpoint multi pen and 0.5mm pencil is a sleek package that packs 5 different writing implements. Unlike other Jetstream multi pens, this one also features a knurled metal grip section.
The Uni Jetstream 4&1 Metal in the dark green colorway is a favorite of mine. I've always loved multi pens, and I'm a fan of the Jetstream ink formulation and their line of quirky and utilitarian multi pens. This latest variant to cross my desk is unique enough to grab my attention, but also incredibly useful due to the different writing options nestled inside.
Like many other Jetstream multi pens, this one relies on individual sliding latch mechanisms to select and retract the refill you want to use. There are four slides around the top of the pen body, and they have small color indicators at the top to let you know which color is which. The 0.5mm mechanical pencil option pulls double duty with the pen clip. Pushing the clip down the body extends the pencil refill, and pushing further down on the clip also advances the lead. It's a great system that works well and also keeps the pen sleek. To retract any of the extended refills, just push down on another tab.
Many of the Jetstream multi pens I already have use a soft, grippy rubber-like material on the grip section. It's firm, comfortable, and provides lots of tactile grip when writing. This pen is different in that it has a knurled metal grip section, and it's much better (for me, anyway) than the rubber material version.
That's right — this Jetstream is a mixture of metal and plastic parts. The grip section, nose cone, eraser cap, and clip are all made of metal. The body and refill slides are plastic, but the finishes on all these materials match each other so well that it's difficult to tell that only part of the pen is metal.
It's easy to see a difference in the color between the grip section and the plastic body, but the color difference is complementary instead of being distracting or making the pen look/feel cheaper than it is. I understand why the entire pen isn't made of metal — this is still a fairly cheap multi pen, and using metal for everything would have increased the price and weight. But, I'm glad that the colors work so well together and aren't distracting. It's a bummer for me when you can obviously tell that one part of a pen is one material while the rest is something cheaper. That's not the case here!
Hidden under the top of the pen is a tiny eraser that can be deployed in emergency situations. Unlike most mechanical pencils with a tiny eraser, this isn't where you refill the pencil lead. The little eraser is replaceable, but there's no hole to the lead reservoir underneath it. To replace the lead, you unscrew the grip section from body, pull out the pencil refill, and insert the fresh pencil lead into the refill. Since these refill are so small, it doesn't hold many pieces of lead, but that's an acceptable trade-off for all the additional refill options it packs.
The eraser cap is a small piece that I worry will be easy to lose. Thankfully, Uni made this piece fit really snug on the top of the pen. It takes a good deal of precise effort to remove it when you want to use the eraser. It won't come off by accident, and I'm glad for it.
Writing with this pen is a great experience. Like all multi pens that pack more than three refills into the package, it's a wide diameter body. It won't fit everyone's hands or grip style, so I count myself lucky to be in the percentage that lends itself to this pen's size.
The knurled metal grip provides plenty of tactility and control when writing. For my grip style, it's really comfortable. I have medium-sized hands and a fairly standard tripod grip style. Another benefit of the metal grip versus the rubber-like material is that this one doesn't collect lint and dust!
At $27, this is one of the more premium Jetstream models, though you can spend even more if you want. There's an all-metal Jetstream Prime that costs $45, and that's the price I'd expect for an all-metal multi pen (at a minimum). Other brands offer premium level multi pens that cost more, and I think they are fairly popular. I really wish Uni would offer one or two premium models as well. The Jetstream Prime is a different body style. What I really want is a pen like the Jetstream 4&1 or 3&1 body, but with an all aluminum build. I'd gladly pay extra for this.
The included refills (besides the 0.5mm pencil module) are all 0.5mm in black, blue, green, and red. This pen uses the Uni SXR-80 refill, which are available in lots of tip sizes and colors, but are not compatible with D1 style refills.
I haven't found a perfect multi pen to date, but the Jetstream 4&1 Metal is definitely in my favorites list and one that I can easily recommend to anyone that's looking for a great ballpoint multi pen. If the dark green version doesn't suit your fancy, there's also silver, gunmetal gray, and pink gold.
(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.
Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!
(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And her latest book, Root Rot, is now available for pre-order!)
The Public Library Association's conference was held in Columbus, Ohio last week and it was immediately followed, for me, by a Horror Writers Association Wisconsin Chapter writing retreat near Milwaukee. That meant packing stationery for educational, professional, and recreational purposes! It also meant stopping in to a Columbus stationery store, On Paper, which was conveniently/dangerously close to my hotel.
For the conference:
My main stationery for notetaking at the conference was my Plotter Bible size with a CW&T Pen Type B in Brass. These weren't tools specifically chosen for the conference; they're my everyday carry writing tools that are never out of reach. They weren't perfect for the job. I could have used a gel pen to write more quickly and a larger page to expand my notes, but these were handy and portable--which were essential features for running around a massive conference.
Columbus was awesome. I got to explore a new city, reconnect with some local friends, and hang out with roughly 7,000 colleagues who were doing brilliant and amazing things. I visited two bookstores, Prologue Books and The Book Loft. Both were lovely, but I think I could live at the Book Loft. You know a bookstore is good when you're at a conference where publishers are literally throwing free books at you, but you still end up buying two books. Oops? No regrets. Okay, one regret. I regret not buying some of the cool t-shirts, too.
One highlight of Columbus is, of course, the stationery shop. On Paper is located right on the High Street, with lots of fun boutiques and coffee shops and restaurants nearby. The shop's interior is quaint and tidy, with antique furniture for displays and a fun assortment of cards, papers, notebooks, wax seals, bottled inks, and desk accessories. They had some lovely Retro 51 pens and some Kaweco fountain pens, but the majority of the focus was paper. They are my people. The vibe reminded me a lot of Papier Plume in New Orleans, minus the gothic flair of its distant cousin.
While I exercised an immense amount of self-control, I could not resist the "Hexes and Vexes" list pad from Open Sea Design Co. I mean. Who could? It was also the perfect opportunity to pick myself up a postcard souvenir. And I would like praise for resisting the recycled book cover journals, please and thank you.
If you're a PenAddict and find yourself in Columbus, I definitely recommend visiting On Paper for your stationery souvenir fix.
For the writing retreat:
I used my current story draft notebook, the Pebble Stationery Liberty Fabric notebook with Cosmo Air Light paper. For the pen, I used the Visconti Mirage Mythos, which I'm reviewing for next week's post. They were a great team, and between the lovely tools, the restful setting, and the quiet of the retreat center (and probably also the unlimited coffee and muffins of the retreat center), I knocked out about six thousand words of the best stuff I've written this year so far. Magic. The llamas also helped.
The two settings could not have been more different. A bustling city with far too much to do, oceans of people, and countless distractions--to a remote farm with a monastic room, an abundance of silence, and only a few other quiet writers. Okay, there was also a quilting retreat happening there, and they were... boisterous. But there were plenty of quiet corners to hide in, away from all humans. Which was exactly what I needed between a week of work travel and a week of solo parenting while my spouse travels.
April has been wild so far. Thank goodness for the writing tools that keep it all on track. Tomorrow I'm taking the day off just to write. Well, and taxi the kids around and pick my spouse up from the airport, but between those things...WRITING. I have goals, lists, deadlines, and empty pages to fill.
Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.
Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!
(Caroline Foty's first fountain pen was a 1970s Sheaffer No Nonsense that still writes perfectly. Since she discovered pens by independent makers, she wants "one of each, please" and wants to meet all the makers. Maybe you do, too. She lives in Baltimore with pens, cats, and all kinds of fiber arts supplies.)
Nathan Booth had never heard of individual people hand-making pens, until the day in late 2016 when he and his wife took his mother-in-law out for a birthday lunch. When they asked her half-jokingly what she’d gotten for her birthday, she pulled out a pen that had been made for her by the principal at the school where she worked. It was a kit pen made of a wood/resin hybrid material, and it struck him as so cool that he began browsing YouTube for information about people making pens.
He joined a few Facebook groups for people learning to make pens, seeing both absolute beginners and people doing high-quality work, and it inspired him to look further. “I’ve always worked in manufacturing for the oil and gas industry, always been around machines, I’ve always been mechanically inclined – so I set out to figure it out on my own.” He asked his mother-in-law’s principal if he could come visit his shop to see what was involved, and soon bought a small lathe.
Kit pens came first, and after awhile Booth took his pens to a craft show where he set up a card table and made a few hundred dollars; the success caught him by surprise. Even after making the move to kitless pens, he’ll still make a kit pen occasionally because “not every customer is going to be a fountain pen enthusiast. And I don’t want to give up the side I started on.” He’s found that on Instagram, he reaches the fountain pen lovers, and on Facebook (where he’s not very active) he reaches more of the craft-show clientele, so the two social media outlets complement each other for him.
Instagram played a part in his decision to try kitless pens, in 2020 – “I wanted the challenge of what I saw on Instagram. I wonder if I can do this?” Like most pen makers, Booth found help from other makers when he needed it. Jim Hinze at Hinze Pens helped with information about tooling, and he also turned often to Jason Miller of Jason Neil Penworks and Braxton Frankenberry of Divine Pens Plus.
It didn’t take long for Booth to be lured into casting materials. “There is an art form to casting – you have only so much time to get it mixed, and it has to be at a certain temperature to keep the colors from bleeding together.” He casts just for himself, with only one pot, and doesn’t want to expand into producing resins for others because he doesn’t want it to become his primary product. With a full-time job and a family, he tries to keep his shop time every evening to just a couple of hours. Such a limitation also helps avoid wasting time and materials. “You get tired and start missing little things. You can be experienced and that cap will still sometimes blow out. I will stop for the night if I get frustrated because it will affect everything I do. A rough day at work can trickle down.”
Inspiration can come from the ability to quickly realize a color idea in a cast, as well as from customer requests. “During COVID, everyone was so busy because people were on Instagram buying pens – there were so many commissions and makers were meeting that demand.” He still maintains an “average size” commission list, because it keeps the business steady and because “if a customer wants to talk to me, I want to have the time.” The customers provide the feedback that keeps the process rewarding: “I made this, and it’s worth it to someone to buy it.”
When it became inevitable that he needed a company name, Booth drew on his love of his lifelong home state: Texas became independent of Mexico in 1836. The CC stands for Custom Creations, which besides pens can still include “fun things” like duck calls and holders for razors or cigars. His wife makes the sleeves that protect his pens in shipping.
With the surge of independent pen makers over the past several years, like all of them Booth has given thought to how to stand out. “How do you make something unique enough, but that you can replicate efficiently – if you can’t do that, you have to charge a lot more for it.” His flagship Three Wishes model came out of playing with shapes to find something striking, and ended up with a cap that made him think of a genie’s bottle. “Either people say it’s for them or it’s not – you either love it or hate it.”
One of the most unusual pens he’s made went beyond uniqueness of shape. An artist named Toni Street worked with polymer clay to make flowers and the comedy/tragedy theater mask faces, and applied them to very thin brass tubes before curing them at high temperature. Booth turned pieces of Jonathon Brooks’ Fubuki Koi material to fit inside the brass tubes, created the internal and external threading, and epoxied the sleeves inside the tubes, to make a pen that would both showcase the clay and keep the nib from drying out. He then added Fubuki Koi finials on cap and body, built a CA finish in layers over the pen, and polished it. The result was one of a kind for the person who commissioned it.
Pen shows are not currently on the agenda for Booth. “Mostly I’m not going to have the inventory. Maybe Dallas or Arkansas … but I’m not really ready to make that investment, I’m not there yet. There’s some impostor syndrome involved too – a fear that people won’t like the work.” Attending craft shows where he’s the only pen maker relieves some of that pressure to be different from every other table. And keeping the size of his business small helps him to stay fresh. “I don’t want to get burned out and not enjoy it anymore.”
Booth does not have a large pen collection. “I enjoy making pens for the artistic side of it, I have no great interest in the big brands.” His favorite pens come from other makers. He picked up a Dragonslayer pen from Ryan Krusac at the Dallas pen show that he finds constantly a marvel because, as he points out, “the art is designed flat, but on the pen there is no seam, it’s a continuous design.” He has a pen made by John Albert that he received at a secret Santa exchange held by the As The Pen Turns podcast, with silver art deco accents on a vintage resin. And when Dromgooles in Houston hosted Jonathon Brooks, he couldn’t walk away from a pen with resin of gold and brown with small bits of red. “If I buy a pen it’s because I really appreciate the work.”
Booth has thoughts for people who buy maker pens. “It’s not just my time, a piece of me is going into that pen, and time I could have spent on other things. If a pen is so perfect you can’t distinguish it from something machine made or injection molded – why bother?” “If you’re into this world you’re buying into, if you’re invested into the maker side, then if you have access to someone near you who does it – reach out and ask if you can come see and understand their process and make a pen. It’s beneficial for people to see what it takes to make a pen that’s done well. If someone reaches out to you as a maker asking for that – it’s a compliment.”
After last week’s shenanigans I thought I would bring us back into reality by giving away one of the hottest products of the year so far. LAMY’s reintroduction of Dark Lilac Ink could have gone better, but in the end, we have a great ink added to the standard lineup. I picked up a bottle at last weekend’s Atlanta Pen Show, and the winner is:
Congrats Kobe! I’ve sent you an email to collect your shipping address.
Does anyone else feel like they need to go back to school to understand current ink naming conventions? I do, and I am here for it. Wearingeul is the current leader of the “what does that ink name mean” game, and Heimdall, from their World Myth Series, sent me scurrying to the internet to find out more.
In Norse Mythology, Heimdall is the god of light, and the son of one of the most prominent gods, Odin. Heimdall also had nine mothers … and that’s right about where my mythology lesson was done for the day.
Light is something I can get behind, and this shade of Orange features a wide range of colors from yellow to red. It’s a bit more “fiery” in tone than a standard Orange, and to no one’s surprise, I am a fan.
I’ve been using Heimdall for several weeks and in several different nib sizes before inking it up in this 1.1 mm Jowo #6 Stub Nib for the review. One of the challenges with Orange inks is that they can be drier inks on the page, or dry up in the nib and make for harder starts. I’m happy to say that I’ve had zero nib issues with either dry writing or hard starts in a nib size range from XXF to this stub. It’s been a solid, consistent performer.
Related to the dry time, I’d say it’s moderately quick on Sanzen Tomoe River, but not too fast. This adds up given the feel of the ink on the page I mentioned above. If you use a more absorbent paper it will dry quickly.
Paper: Sanzen Tomoe River S 52 gsm
Color-wise, it does lean a little red in the deepest applications of the ink, but the yellow levels keep it metered, and bright. I saw good shading with my 1.1 Stub, and even when using finer nibs I saw some color differentiation in my lettering. This is an all day writing Orange ink.
Speaking of color, Wearingeul does something cool for each of their inks by listing the RGB representation for those looking for a digital representation.
Wearingeul inks are not cheap at $22 for a 30 ml bottle in the case of Heimdall (other are up to $25,) but given how much I’ve enjoyed every ink I’ve tried from them, that is a price I’m happy to pay. I just wish I didn’t want every single one they have ever released!
(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.
Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!
When I saw the Retro 51 Tornado Sea Turtle Rescue pop into my feed, I knew it was only a matter of time before I acquired one. I also knew my intent was to give it away, and spread the news that a portion of each sale goes to the Sea Turtle Conservancy. How cool is that? I have one pen to give away this week, so read the rules below and enter away!
(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And her latest book, Root Rot, is now available for pre-order!)
Visconti does a good job of making their version of an entry-level pen feel very fancy. While the $159 price tag of the Mirage Mythos Athena Fountain Pen is far from beginner-friendly, it's a good entry point for those interested in trying out this luxury brand. It's also a perfectly good pen in its own right, and this one in particular has been a delight to write with for the past few weeks. It also comes in a fancy gift box that feels like a whole event to unwrap. It's not as much packaging fanfare as their other pens, but it's decidedly Extra for a pen in this price range. I generally prefer simpler packaging, but I appreciated feeling like it was my birthday for a few minutes.
The Mirage is made from a lightweight acrylic in lovely swirling colors. The Athena is in this gorgeous turquoise with pink, rust, purple, and even a touch of green rippling through. There's a subtle sparkle to it. The color is offset with brass accents on the grip, clip, finial, and cap band, which also has some textured etching. It has the classic bridge-shaped, spring-loaded Visconti clip, which gives it its signature look.
The body of the pen is lightly fluted, which helps with grip and keeps it from rolling on the desk.
The brass grip section unscrews from the body of the pen, and the body is lined with a brass sleeve that prevents a brass-on-acrylic thread connection--a nice detail that will prevent wear and cracking over time. The concentration of brass at the grip does make the pen a little front-heavy, but that doesn't have a negative effect on the writing experience.
The cap closes--and also posts--with a clever magnetic attachment. To close, the magnets pull the lid into some notched threads that keep it securely in place. The seal is good--the pen has never dried out between uses. When posting, the magnet helps secure the pen to the end of the pen, though it's a less secure connection and it rattles a little when writing. It's also quite large when posted. But it can be done! Just don't make any sweeping gestures or the cap will fly off.
The highlight of this pen, for me, is the nib. Visconti has had some nib quality issues in the past, mostly on their very high-end pens, but this gold-colored steel nib is totally dreamy. It writes as smooth as butter with the perfect balance of wetness. It's so pleasant to use that I find myself doodling between thoughts just so I can keep using it when my writing is paused.
This pen has been a delight. It was my solo writing instrument on my recent writing retreat and I cranked out over six thousand words that weekend and enjoyed every minute of the writing experience. I'm very content with this pen, but the good experience does tempt me toward someday trying one the fancier Visconti models. This one will do just fine until I cave to temptation.
(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.
Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!
This was such a fun episode, as I got to discuss one of my favorite topics: why we like the things that we do. And, even more importantly, why differing opinions are fun in the stationery world.
(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)
One of the things I got to do when I visited the Vanness Pens shop last month, was play with an ink set that they just got in from Journalize, a Hong Kong-based stationery store. And after experiencing the eclipse last week, I knew this was what I was going to play with this week!
The set, called Mirror of the Sky, comes in a beautiful blue and purple sky & horizon themed square box with a blue outer sleeve. The box is made in Hong Kong but the ink is made in Hungary.
Box in the blue outer sleeve (clumsy ink stain by yours truly not included.)
The bottom part of the image is a reflection of the sky (for once, it’s not blurry because of my crappy photography skills.)
The box contains a 30 ml bottle of Mirror of the Sky, a small glass vial of turquoise ink, an empty small glass vial (for mixing), a plastic pipette and a UV flashlight (needs one AAA battery, which is not included).
After opening up the box, find a AAA battery and get that UV flashlight working!
Use the flashlight on the box cover - this is just one of the little surprises!
Blue Moon!!
The Mirror of the Sky ink is a pale bluish-lavender color with blue shimmer. It is fairly legible but I wouldn’t use it in anything finer than a Medium. It’s a pretty color but that’s not the cool part.The magic happens when you shine the UV flashlight on it. It fluoresces under UV light! It does not actually glow in the dark.
Writing sample and swatch of Mirror of the Sky and Journalize ink on 68 gsm Tomoe River Paper.
As you can see, adding drops of Mirror doesn’t really change the color of the ink (any subtle differences are likely due to shimmer and/or the wetness from the dip.)
Flashlight on and let the oooh-ing and aahh-ing begin!
(Note: My iPhone camera doesn’t accurately capture what the UV light looks like, so it’s a much brighter and darker blurple in pictures than it is in real life.)
There are no instructions, so I played around with adding drops until I got the UV effect I wanted. I didn’t really notice any difference in the color of the turquoise ink when I added more drops of Mirror, but you can slowly see the difference in UV reactivity under the flashlight. The vials are very small and narrow, so I recommend something like an Ink Miser so you can use whatever instrument you’d like to test the mixture with - I used my Kakimori dip nib in the Kaweco SketchUp pencil and very carefully tilted it for dipping.
You can see there is some glow in the photo but it’s a bit more prominent in real life.
I decided to try mixing it with other inks but didn’t see any UV reactivity; more shimmer shows up if you add more Mirror, as expected. I think it was because I initially picked inks that were a fair bit darker than the turquoise.
Diamine Imperial Purple (top) and J Herbin’s Violette Pensee - I didn’t see any noticeable color change with Imperial Purple but you can see a bit more blue shimmer in the latter’s writing sample with increasing drops of Mirror.
Under UV light, I don’t really see any fluorescence with Diamine, though the bottom line looks like it might be reflecting a bit of the shimmer.
Ditto with Herbin, no fluorescence, just shimmer.
Again, no significant color change with added Mirror drops to Diamine Frosted Orchid or Iroshizuku Kon-peki.
No fluorescence with Frosted Orchid so here’s the wee bit from Iroshizuku.
Decided to try some much lighter inks - Sailor Manyo Nekoyanagi and Haha.
Ahh, now we’re getting somewhere! You can now see the UV’s effect on Nekoyanagi and Haha.
If I had more patience, I might try even more inks to see if different brands get more or less UV reactivity. One thing I did notice during the experiments is that the Mirror drops seem to make an ink a wee bit wetter – this was most noticeable with the two Sailor Manyo inks which are fairly dry (as many chromashaders are). The Mirror drops didn’t seem to affect the chromashading too much (I can still see the hints of blue with the purple of Nekoyanagi), with the added bonus of subtle blue shimmer. With some inks, the Mirror drops barely lightened the color, while others might look darker because it’s a bit wetter, so more ink is being put on down. When I mixed it with other inks at the Vanness shop, some of the ink colors were affected by the Mirror drops, aka a light orange ink might have more pink tones, etc. Your mileage may vary, which is part of the fun in experimenting!
A few things to note:
This is advertised as fountain pen ink, but I only dip tested it since I was playing with so many formulations. The shimmer particles seemed pretty small so I don’t think they will cause any issues.
When mixing inks, it’s common practice to set them aside in a vial for at least 24 hours to make sure there aren’t any negative reactions. I did NOT do this when mixing it with other brands, so be sure to do that before inking up a pen.
It’s unclear how long the UV effects will last.
It does not fluoresce in sunlight. Unlike some pens that almost light up in the sun’s UV rays, this ink does not.
There is a bit more shimmer in the sunlight but no glow.
The Journalize Mirror of the Sky set sells for $45 and is available from Vanness Pens. If you like experimenting with ink mixing, this is a fun set to add to your collection. I think I might use this to write out a page to a penpal who has a UV flashlight!
(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.
Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!
When I saw the Retro 51 Tornado Sea Turtle Rescue pop into my feed, I knew it was only a matter of time before I acquired one. I also knew my intent was to give it away, and spread the word of a portion of each sale going to the Sea Turtle Conservancy. How cool is that? I have one pen to give away this week, and the winner is:
Congrats Gretchen! I’ve sent you an email to collect your shipping address.
Each week in Refill, the Pen Addict Members newsletter, I publish Ink Links as part of the additional content you receive for being a member. And each week, after 10 to 15 links, plus my added commentary on each, I'm left with many great items I want to share. Enter Misfill. Here are this weeks links:
Is there a more underrated stationery item than the simple postcard? Probably, but for the sake of this discussion, let’s talk about how great postcards are, and how I use them.
The BGM Encyclopedia of Plants Postcard Set is the latest addition to an ever-growing postcard stash. The design of these fit my aesthetic, but BGM has five other themed sets to choose from if you prefer a different style. Picking out cool designs for postcards is what it’s all about - even ahead of performance, which we will get to in a minute.
All 16 cards in this set feature a different design on the outside, and include various lines of text (Poetry? Motivational quotes?) of unknown origin. It’s interesting to say the least, and I would have been happier with just the beautiful floral imagery, but I can have fun with it. For example:
Grow fonder
Life may always
have
Regret but the future is still good
Beauty, AI, or bad translation? You be the judge.
The flip side of the card is where the magic happens, and BGM designed a winner by keeping the extraneous text to a bare minimum. I’ve seen cards that place text in all kinds of random places, have huge lines taking up too much space for the address, and random images that get in the way. Give me a nice, clean space to write or draw, and then I’ll handle the rest. That’s exactly what these cards do.
As a bonus, the paper stock is nice! I never expect a flawless writing experience from postcards, so when I get it I consider that a bonus. The first thing I tested were fountain pens, and there was no bleeding or feathering to be found. That’s always my first test, and then I grab a rollerball because their water-based ink is similar to that of fountain pen ink. Once I saw how well these performed I knew I was in good shape with any ink or graphite I wanted to use.
A few notes on how I use postcards: For starters, I mark out a block on one area of the card for the stamp and the mailing address. I prefer not having built-in lines and rolling my own. I don’t leave a ton of space, but I feel ok about it. I can move this block around as needed. For content, I generally do what I did here - doodle line art, or write song lyrics. I don’t write traditionally, as if I were writing a letter, but more as a meditative, relaxing moment. Finally, I don’t obsess over using waterproof ink or anything like that. Postcards are bound to get damaged, so I figure I use the ink that I want, and they get more beautiful on the way to their destination. I will use a ballpoint ink for the address for permanence reasons, though.
I use a ruler and a ballpoint to draw my address block.
At $6.50 for a pack of 16 (approximately 40 cents per card,) I can’t recommend these postcards highly enough. Yes, even with the odd choice of words alongside the artwork on the front. I mean, I’m adding my own weird words and designs on the back, so who am I to talk!
(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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There is a lot going on with the marketing around Ferris Wheel Press Aurorealis, but the only thing that matters to most of us is if it is a good fountain pen ink. It looks great, with its deep purple base color, and a duochrome gold/pink shimmer. I have one bottle to give away this week, so read the rules below and enter away!
(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)
If the eight-year-old version of me knew how many different types of great multi-pens would exist in the near future, I'm not sure I would have believed you. At the time, the only multi-pen I was aware of was the standard Bic 4-Color. It was great when it was the only one in my realm of awareness, but today is a totally different story. There are almost too many multi-pens to choose from, and so many of them are really good. The latest multi-pen to find its way to my desk is the Pentel Calme.
The Calme comes in a few different versions and colors, but this one is a black body that includes a black and red 0.5mm ballpoint cartridge, as well as a 0.5mm mechanical pencil component. Until using this pen, I hadn't tried Pentel's hybrid ballpoint ink formula, which they call Vicuña. Similar to Jetstreams and Acroballs, the ink is smooth, consistent, and creates sharp lines when writing.
When it comes to multi-pens on the cheaper end of the spectrum, it's been my experience that they are typically a bit chunky and have a larger diameter barrel. With the Calme, it's actually a good deal smaller in diameter than its direct competitors, like the Jetstream or Acroball 3-component options in the same price range. I don't mind the larger diameter, but I'm sure this can be a downside for some people. The Calme's diameter is closer to a normal pen that you'll find on the office supply shelf. This smaller diameter gives the pen a familiar feel in the hand and makes it easier to handle.
Along with the smaller diameter, the long grip section is made of a soft, textured material that feels great. The texture is easy to feel and provides loads of grip, and the slightly cushioned feel is really comfortable. I doubt this material will stand up to a lot of abuse, but it should do fine for normal use and conditions.
Extending and retracting the refills uses the same mechanism as other multi-pens in this price range. There are a couple of color-coded tabs at the top of the barrel for extending the ballpoint refills, and the clip doubles as the mechanical pencil control. Simply depress one of the inactive tabs to retract the current refill into the pen. The extending/retracting feel on this pen is solid, and I haven't had any issues using it.
As an added bonus (or detriment), this pen does not include a tiny eraser, so you'll need to remember to pack a real eraser if that's something you might need. In my experience, the tiny erasers are pretty useless and only serve to frustrate me, so I won't miss it on this pen!
At $6.75, the Pentel Calme is a great deal and a worthy competitor to the Uni Jetstream, Pilot Acroball, and the like. You can get a 3-color ballpoint version for a little cheaper if you don't want or need the mechanical pencil component. Depending on the barrel color and component options, you can choose from 0.5mm or 0.7mm refills that are included with the pen. And of course, there are gobs of replacement refills that will fit this pen, so your choices are vast in terms of outfitting this pen with the perfect combo of inks.
(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.
Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!
(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And her latest book, Root Rot, is now available for pre-order!)
Don't let the name fool you--the "Fools" comes from the foolscap paper that's featured in the Tsubame Fools E-Style Horizontal Notebook. Foolscap paper used to refer to inexpensive paper that was a little larger than A4, and while this notebook is indeed fairly inexpensive, you're no fool if you love it.
This horizontal notebook has a lightweight cardstock cover in a flecked grey color decorated with lovely ornate scrollwork. It has a spot to write your name or subject and some minimal branding.
The binding is sewn and reinforced with black fabric tape. It's survived several outings in my overstuffed backpack with very little wear despite its minimal reinforcement. Inside the binding are 40 sheets (80 pages) of lined paper. 40 isn't a ton, but the quality of this paper makes using both sides of the sheet easy.
When held up to the light, this paper shows the grid pattern of traditionally made paper, but we discerning types would be able to tell just from the way it handles all our favorite writing instruments. It has just the right amount of texture to make pencil writing pleasant, but it's smooth enough to handle fountain pens of any nib width. Liquid inks do just fine with no feathering, no bleeding, and very little ghosting. Even marker does great--though a fresh Sharpie did bleed through.
My favorite thing about this paper, though, is the landscape orientation. It's different from most of my notebooks, and the layout took some getting used to, but once it clicked, it was indispensable. It's fantastic for creating columns or handmade spreadsheets--there are guide lines along the top margin to assist. It makes an excellent ledger and would be perfect for hand-drawing calendar pages. And because of its shape, it just seems to work better on a desk than standard notebooks. Taking notes in this book quickly went from "this feels weird and different" to "I need more of these."
Fortunately, more of these are accessible, as the notebook only costs $10 for B5 or $12.25 for A4 at JetPens, which is not too bad for nice big sheets of quality paper. I'm not above wishing there were a few more pages in it for that price, especially as the portrait-oriented B5 version, which has 30 sheets, is only $6.50, but this 81.4gsm paper does seem to be a bit better than in that notebook. So, it's certainly fair.
In any case, the horizontal notebook layout is a great brain-hack. Changing perspective can be a good way to kick-start your creativity, and the different shape might be just the trick. If it works, it will be handy to have all those fresh pages at your fingertips.
(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.
Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!
Do you even know how paper sizes work? I do, and somehow I get sent into an uncontrollable giggle-fest because of this knowledge. We also discuss new releases from Retro 51, Pilot, and discuss why expensive notebooks are that way.
