The Pen Addict

The Pen Addict is moving!!!

2008-10-20T07:31:00.002-04:00

Please follow me over to my new home at www.penaddict.com.

This blog will remain in it's current state for reference purposes, but all new posts will be at www.penaddict.com, so please come join me!

Ink Links

2008-10-18T07:19:00.001-04:00

Sorry I'm a bit behind with some of these.....
-- Moleskine Limited Edition Leather Diary 2009 (Scription)

-- Review: Derwent Journal (Spiritual Evolution of the Bean)

-- Review: Pocket Stifflexible Notebook (Spiritual Evolution of the Bean)

-- Pilot Latte Pens Review (Wait… Come Back)

-- Spot on....The Pilot Super (Good Pens)

-- Ana, her green pens, and pandas! (Snowangels)

-- Moleskine Collection at Behance (Moleskinerie)

-- Review: Quo Vadis "My Weekends" notebook (The Pen Hunter)

-- Uni-ball Signo UM-153 White Gel Pen (Manon Doyle)

-- Doane Paper store up and running on Nov. 3rd (Doane Paper Feed)

-- If you start a blog post with "i have always been particular about my pens" you are a friend of mine (musings of a jaded optimist)

-- The Paper Version of the Web (Deeplinking via Notebook Stories)

-- Postal Destruction - poor Nrepose! (Unposted)

-- Win The New Piccadilly Notebooks (Black Cover)

-- Seth is into pen modifications - awesome! (Good Pens)

-- Oops...some pens I left off the list (Kelly Kilmer)

-- The purple beaded Pilot G-2 - not bad! (Unique You)

Limited Edition Hello Kitty Pilot Hi-Tec-C

2008-10-17T14:33:00.001-04:00

I was browsing the What's New section at JetPens today and saw these cool Pilot Hello Kitty Cap Limited Edition Hi-Tec-C Gel Ink Pens for sale. I'm not a Hello Kitty fan, but many people are, and these just look fantastic:

Here is the description from JetPens:

In this winning combination, Pilot has combined two of Japan's most popular items, Hello Kitty and the Hi-Tec-C. A collection of nine adorable figurines adorn this limited-edition collection. The figurines include images of the standard Hello Kitty, Charmmy Kitty, as well as her charming mouse friend. Each set includes a RANDOM set of figurines, so what you receive will not necessarily match the picture displayed. The figurines on the caps can also be removed, so when you are done with this Hi-Tec-C you can always transfer Hello Kitty to your new Hi-Tec-C for another round of joyful writing.

JetPens Gift Certificate Winners

2008-10-17T07:28:00.002-04:00

Thanks to everyone who entered the first giveaway here at The Pen Addict - I think it was a runaway success! To pick the winners, I had randomizer.org pick out three numbers between 1 and 127, and the winners are:

#53 Jeff of MargaretAndJeff (Margaret And Jeff)
#79 Ashley (The Life and Times of a Caniac)
#82 Definatalie (Definatalie)

Congratulations you three! Just send me an email (address is on the right sidebar), and I'll get your gift certificate to you right away.

Thanks again to all who participated, and don't fret if you didn't win - I will have a new giveaway next week!

Review: Pilot Super Gel 0.5mm Black

2008-10-16T08:12:00.000-04:00

The Pilot Super Gel is an average pen at best. This image actually came out looking better than the pen performed. It is really rough and scratchy when writing, even on this smooth Doane Paper, resulting in a lot of effort and a tiring writing experience. Maybe that's the reason why this review was so short? There are many better options out there.

JetPens Facebook Promo

2008-10-15T08:08:00.000-04:00

I've been asked the question a million times about getting samples from JetPens, and now is your chance to join in on the fun. The gang at JetPens is looking for more bloggers to review their products, and have all of the details in their Facebook group called We Love JetPens. You will have to join this group to get all of the info, but they will be starting monthly giveaways in October with the new colors of the Uni-Ball Signo DX.

Win the new Picadilly Notebooks from Black Cover

2008-10-15T07:58:00.000-04:00

October must be the time for giveaways! Nick at the Black Cover has a contest going for the new Picadilly Notebook, which you can enter from now until October 31st. The rules are at the bottom of this post, so hop to it! Nick's site is fantastic, so be sure to follow his quest for the perfect Moleskine alternative.

Giveaway Time!

2008-10-14T07:22:00.000-04:00

It is finally time for the first round of giveaways at The Pen Addict! I really appreciate all of the support I have had since starting this blog, and it is time I started to give something back to you, the reader. I have four giveaways in total to dish out over the next few weeks, so be sure to keep an eye out.

Everyone knows I am a huge fan of JetPens, and the good people at JetPens have been a big part of the success of The Pen Addict. They have been kind enough to donate three $10 gift certificates to their online store for this round of giveaways - thank you JetPens team!

I'm a pretty simple guy, so I am going to keep the rules for these giveaways as simple as possible:

1. Leave one comment on this post anytime between now, and Thursday night at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. You are limited to one entry.

2. For this contest, I will pick three winners (one for each gift certificate) at random from the comments section of this post. The comments will be numbered in the order they are received, i.e. the first comment is #1, the second #2, and so on. The random number generator at randomizer.org http://www.randomizer.org/ will be used to pick the numbers of the winners.

3. The contest winners will be posted on Friday, October, 17th. The winners will have one week to email me at the email address posted in the right sidebar.

And that's it.

If you have any questions about the contest please email me directly - do not post them in the comments section. If it is an issue that I feel needs to be addressed, I will update this post with any additional information.

Thanks, and good luck!

Weekend Wonderings - The Perfect Notebook

2008-10-10T17:41:00.002-04:00

I'm headed out of town for a long weekend, but wanted to throw this out there real quick before I go: What qualities make up the perfect notebook for you?

This is a pretty broad question, but the comments are wide open for you to post your thoughts. Has anyone ever found the perfect notebook for them? We all have different requirements. For me, I like a medium size - say 8"x5" - with a firm but flexible cover, grid lines, and smooth paper for a variety of writing instruments. I can hit most of those basic requirements, but I seem to be struggling with the paper being smooth enough. And if I do find some paper I like, I generally don't like the notebook for other reasons. I probably haven't experimented enough, but I have yet to have that aha! moment with one particular notebook.

So tell me, what does it for you in a notebook?

I likely will not have internet access while I am gone, so I'll be sure to respond in the comments when I get back on Tuesday. And keep an eye out on the blog next week - it looks like I am about ready to start the giveaways. Hopefully everyone will enjoy what is in store!

Review: Uni-Ball Signo DX 0.28mm Lime Green

2008-10-09T07:32:00.001-04:00

Sorry gang - you are going to have to put up with me fawning over another one of my Uni-Ball Signo DX's. Memo to Pentel and Uni-Ball: I need to build my own multi-pens out of Slicci's and Signo DX's. See Coleto, Pilot Hi-Tec-C for reference. I use way too many colors every day to keep popping caps off of pens and putting them back on all the time. Give me a two or three cartridge barrel, lots of colors, and I'll go to town, as will I bet most readers of this blog.

Thank you, drive thru.

Oh yeah - the Lime Green DX 0.28mm is smokin' hot!

Kool Stuff From Kata

2008-10-07T17:03:00.001-04:00

Wow - talk about a great mail day! My friend Kata sent me this great package full off coffee beans from The Fire Roasted Coffee Co. (Nicaraguan and Columbian Fair Trade beans to be exact), plus all of these cool pens: Berol Dart II Extra Fine, Staples Optiflow Rollerball Needle Point, and an Itoya Xenon Aqua Roller.

Thanks Kata - you know I will put all of this to good use!

Review: Pilot Drawing Pen 05 Blue

2008-10-06T07:20:00.000-04:00

The more I use the Pilot Drawing Pen, the more I keep trying to find something that I don't like about it. Truth is, there really isn't much not to like. My only real gripe is that the line is just slightly less clean and consistent compared to the Sakura Pigma Micron and the Copic Multiliner. In a drawing pen, I want that sharpness, and therefore the Pilot falls in line just behind the other two. It's really a decent pen though.

Special note on Doane Paper:

I have had a lot of readers recently mention they were having a tough time finding Doane paper in stock at DoanePaper.com. I emailed Chad Doane recently, and he sent me this update:

The Houston based printer we use did recently open back up but they raised their prices 25% to cover the costs of what they lost in the huricane. I can't afford that so we're looking for another alternative vendor to print DP pads, we think we might have found a printer in Ark. called Drumline that can make DP pads at a reasonable cost. That's the bad news, the good news is that we're collaborating with another stationery company to bring a couple of DP journals to market in the next month.

So it's a good news/bad news situation with Doane Paper, but hang tight and it should get straightened out soon. Thanks for the update Chad!

Ink Links

2008-10-04T07:10:00.000-04:00

-- JetPens September Newsletter (JetPens)

-- Lamy's are the Volvo's of Fountain pens (Good Pens)

-- Quo Vadis Habana, Large vs. Small (Spiritual Evolution of the Bean)

-- I agree with Ellie: Getting mail pretty much rocks (The Pen Hunter)

-- Skateboard art fascinates me for some reason (Juxtapoz)

-- Meredith is a pen snob (True Confessions of a Southern Baptist Pastor's Daughter)

-- Stickers and Donuts Currently Obssesed list rule! (Stickers and Donuts)

-- Proving Moleskine Is Just A Style: The Piccadilly Notebook (Black Cover)

-- Oneloneman is down with the pen movement (Pens and Pencils)

Review: Muji Gel Ink Pen 0.38mm Black

2008-10-02T07:45:00.000-04:00

Is this the pound-for-pound gel pen champion? At approximately 1/3 the cost of of the Pilot Hi-Tec-C or Pentel Slicci, the Muji Gel Ink pen is a great alternative - if you can get your hands on one. Muji stores are mainly found in Asia and Europe, with a recently opened store in New York. Pen Addict reader Fabian graciously sent me this sample which he received from a friend in Japan - sorry the review took so long Fabian!

The first thing I noticed about this pen was how lightweight it is. I can't think of another pen I own that is this light. This can be good or bad, depending on your preference. The second thing I notcied is that the gel ink isn't as gelly as other gel pens. What I mean by that, is that the ink seems a bit thinner and wetter than say a Pilot G-2, and I get a little bleed on the page. Not much mind you, but enough to make me notice a difference if my writing becomes too slow. I think it didn't fare as well on the highlighter test for the same reason. One final thing I noticed is that the combination of the brushed plastic finish of the barrel (think Bic Stic Grip, minus the grip) and my dry hands made my grip a little slick. A rubber grip would make this pen awesome, but I assume that goes against Muji's focus on minimalism.

That may sound like a lot of negatives, but they are all minor in my book. It's hard to pass up an 0.38mm gel ink pen for less than a dollar. I find myself using it all the time at work, and I'd jump at the chance to get the rainbow assortment of colors.

Google AdSense and Pens For Kids Update

2008-09-30T15:27:00.001-04:00

If you remember a while back, I mentioned my plan for any Google AdSense revenue generated by The Pen Addict. Well, my first check has arrived, and based on my previous plan, I will be sending Pens For Kids a check for 1/2 of the amount, along with a big bag of extra pens, and will be using the remaining 1/2 for giveaways on this blog.

I just wanted to says thanks to all of the readers and friends that make The Pen Addict a success. As always, stay tuned for more, and look for the first giveaway in the coming weeks.

Review: Pilot G-1 Grip 0.5mm Blue

2008-09-29T07:18:00.001-04:00

As I re-read my handwritten review, I should have been more clear. The Pilot G-1 is the predecessor to the G-2 and G-3 - gogo numerical order! So as you can imagine, it writes similarly as well. It has been a while since I have used an 0.5mm G-2, but I remember it writing a little more cleanly than this G-1. Maybe it is the barrel design I prefer on the G-2, as well as the convenience of the retractable tip, that makes be like it better. The G-1 isn't a bad pen. It's just redundant these days.

One additional note: I added a highlighter test at the request of a few readers. The G-1 did very well in that regard, hardly smudging at all. I barely gave it any time to dry either - I wrote the line, and then came right back over it with the highlighter. I'll try to do this on other reviews from time to time, and I'll try to photograph it better as well.

Ink Links

2008-09-27T07:57:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the lack of reviews this week - real life has a knack for getting in the way sometimes. Hopefully I can make up for it with a load of cool links. Enjoy!

-- Man decorates basement with $10 worth of Sharpie (Kentucky.com)

-- Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto Multi Pen Review (Lung Sketching Scrolls)

-- Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto, how I love you (Super Eggplant)

-- Pelikan M800 Demonstrator Review (Fountain Pen Network via Amateur Economist)

-- The Art of Japanese Paper-making: The Awagami +1 (Black Cover)

-- Rhodia ePure Journal (Spiritual Evolution of the Bean)

-- My friend Murderface has been busy at the Reciprocal Crap Exchange:
California Republic Palomino HB

Skinny Conical Aluminum Pencil Caps

Field Notes Brand Pocket Notebook

Field Notes Brand Pencil

-- Felipe got his hands on the Sharpie Pen (The Pen Collector)

-- Big time pen addict and pen friend Nrepose has started his own blog (Unposted)

-- Daily posts of my pens from a collecting addict is new to the pen blogging scene as well (Goodpens)

-- Thea is a pen addict!!! (Theazy)

Review: Uni-Ball Signo DX 0.38mm Pink

2008-09-25T08:41:00.000-04:00

If you are new to this blog, or are new to Japanese and micro tip pens, the Uni-Ball Signo DX is the first pen I would reccomend for you to try out. It is the perfect combination of function and form. I rank the Pentel Slicci and Pilot Hi-Tec-C higher on my personal favorite list, but I think the DX is a pen everyone can love, while there may be a thing or two about the Slicci and Hi-Tec-C that aren't for everyone. Start your journey here and you will do just fine.

Now on to this pink DX. The picture doesn't do justice to how bright this shade of pink is - it is almost fluorescent. I mention that pink is my third favorite color behind black and blue. My list of most used basic colors would look something like this:

Black
Blue
Pink
Orange
Purple

What colors do you use the most?

Contests and Deals

2008-09-24T08:24:00.001-04:00

Two quick hits in case you missed them and are interested:

Moleskinerie.com has begun their 2008 Fall Giveaways. Hit this link to get all the details, but all you have to do to enter is send them an email.

Field Notes has a Limited Edition (1000 units) 2009 Calendar Pre-Order available, as well as a promotion for when you order four or more 3-packs, they will pick up the cost of one of them. Essentialy buy 3, get the 4th free. Enter the code INEEDAFIX between now and Friday, September 26th at Field Notes.

Review: Copic Multiliner 0.03 Black

2008-09-23T07:56:00.000-04:00

The Copic Multiliner 0.03mm is just downright cool! Marianne from I Like Markers sent me this sample to try out, and mentioned that this is the world's finest tip pen - I sure haven't heard of or seen anything smaller. What is impressive about it is that it doesn't feel too fragile when writing with it. I have used other micro tip pens, like the Pilot 0.05mm Drawing Pen, and I could hardly use it because I thought I was going to ruin the tip. I don't get any of that feeling with this Copic. Quite Impressive.

I meant to add a coin or a ruler to the photo to relate the size better, but hopefully you can tell with the pen included. It is a standard size pen, and the paper is Doane of course.

Ink Links

2008-09-20T10:07:00.001-04:00

-- Welcome to the addiction Jayme, Graciepooh and Jess!

-- Kirsty with some Top 10 lists in her Rhodia (Rhodia Drive)

-- Shoot-out Review: 3 Cheap Fountain Pens, Part II - Bic Select X Pen (D*I*Y Planner)

-- Black Cover on the Quo Vadis Habana (Black Cover)

-- Review: Awagami +1 Journal (Amateur Economist)

-- Write Like an Architect (via pica+pixel)

Review: Uni-Ball Power Tank Ballpoint

2008-09-19T05:57:00.000-04:00

The Uni-Ball Power Tank Ballpoint is actually a lot more interesting than my review indicates. I'll let JetPens explain:

This pen is worthy of being used either in the military or excursions to Antarctica. The pen writes in extreme conditions including wet surfaces, cool temperatures, and even upside down. Normal pens utilize gravity to create ink flow onto a paper. But the Uni-Ball Power Tank utilizes internal compressed air pressure to push out ink onto the paper. Revolving air inside allows it to continually push ink out until the end. The pen can write in weightless conditions such as in space, on wet paper and subzero environments. The oil based pigment ink is high density and comes out smooth and dark on paper. Pen also features a finely texturize grip composed of 0.16mm slits so that it not only fits comfortably in your hands but is also hard to slip away. Such a high-technology group is only to be expected to match the high performance of this pen. Five body colors and red and blue ink refills are available.

All of that, and still only $3.00? No wonder it is nearly sold out. Consider this part one of the review, and I will work on a few more writing tests to see what this pen can really do.

Review: Pilot Hi-Tec-C Mandarin Orange 0.3mm

2008-09-17T07:44:00.000-04:00

The shade of orange this Pilot Hi-Tec-C Mandarin Orange lays down is awesome! It is a very strong and sharp color, which I am getting a lot of use out of. And it looks like the 0.3mm Hi-Tec-C's are my sweet spot - the perfect combination of line thickness and performance.

I did this review on Doane Paper, as opposed to the Moleskine Reporter notebook paper, which most of my past reviews are done on. The Doane Paper is much smoother, and I have more room to do a few different things with the reviews. I need to work on the lighting in my photographs a bit, but otherwise, I like it a lot, and I am thinking about doing the majority of my reviews on Doane Paper going forward. What do you other pen addicts think about the possible new format?

Review: Pilot VBall RT Extra Fine

2008-09-15T07:30:00.000-04:00

I am pleasantly surprised with the Pilot VBall RT Extra Fine. This is a pen that you should be able to pick up from just about any major retailer or office supply chain (Wal-Mart, Target, Staples, etc.), and at a decent price to boot. The 0.5mm extra fine puts down a nice and solid black line, with really no resistance from the tip on the paper. I had no idea I would be using this pen so much.

Ink Links

2008-09-13T17:28:00.000-04:00

-- Chad Doane, you sneaky devil! Click the link, scroll about 2/3 of the way down the right side, and check out the cool Pen Addict link. Thanks Chad! (Doane Paper)

-- Even Harvard grads are down with the Pilot G-2 (Us Doing Whatever It Is We Do)

-- Eco-Pencils, When Enough Is Too Much (Amateur Economist)

-- Seth is thinking about a fountain pen (Another Postcard From The Highway)

-- D*I*Y Planner starting up a fountain pen shootout (D*I*Y Planner)

-- Travels and Old Notebooks Revisited - Black cover back in the game (Black Cover)

-- Review: Nomad Adventure Journals (Spiritual Evolution of the Bean)

-- Review: Bic Select Fountain Pen (The Pen Collector)

-- Academic Light-up erasers (Joy of Erasers)