Pentel EnerGel Tradio 0.5 mm Needle-Point Gel Ink Pen Review

I'm not sure what Pentel is trying to accomplish here. On one hand, the EnerGel is a staple in the world of gel ink pens because of its smooth, dark lines. On the other hand, the Tradio is well respected by artists and writers alike for its wild nib and line variation. Put them together and you get...what exactly?

The Pentel EnerGel Tradio Needle-Point Gel is a good pen. A really good pen in fact. It writes wonderfully, as you would expect, and is visually appealing. The grip is a little slick, but that's my only gripe as far as form and funtion goes. But for the life of me, I don't know why this pen exists.

The only Tradio feature this pen has is the window in the cap. That design does say to me "Hey, I'm a Tradio", but if you have ever used or seen a Tradio that is where the similarities stop.

That leaves the rest of the experience in the hands of the EnerGel. And as I mentioned earlier, it is a fine EnerGel. What I didn't mention is it is an expensive EnerGel at $4.00 per unit. My favorite online-only EnerGel is the Euro Needle. It has a better barrel and a better grip and the same great writing quality for just $2.50. For a base level EnerGel experience, you can get the EnerGel X for $1.35. So, three for the price of one, plus retractability and several more ink colors to choose from.

The EnerGel Tradio is straight out of the Redundant Department of Redundancy, and an inferior product to boot. Let's see some real innovation next time Pentel.

(Interesting note: Only after I completed this review I realized I had reviewed the 0.7 mm blue ink model of this pen a year and a half ago. Fun to compare my thoughts then and now.)

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

Etranger di Costarica Blanc de Noirs Black Paper Review

Image via JetPens

I ordered this paper by mistake.

Well, not purely by mistake. I mean I ordered it for sure, but I didn't know what I was ordering. I based my order on text only, seeing the name of this paper only in an email from Elaine at JetPens.

"Etranger di Costarica Blanc de Noirs Black Paper" - oooh that sounds fancy! I know French. White paper with black lines right? Cool - I'm in! Wait, how did this black paper get into my order?

That was my thought process ordering and receiving this paper. I actually had to go back and look at what I requested from Elaine because I know I didn't order any black paper. As it turns out, I got exactly what I ordered, and it is glorious.

Getting black paper allowed me to break out an amazing pen I rarely have a use for: The Uni-ball Signo UM-153 white gel ink pen. Not only is this the best white gel ink pen on the market for those looking for such a thing (and it's not close), it's one of the most popular products ever sold at JetPens, holding the top spot on the pen popularity rankings for as long as I can remember. Years and years.

This is a pen and paper match made in heaven, and one I would have likely never put together because I didn't know what I was ordering in the first place. The Etranger di Costarica feels very high quality. The white gel ink glided over the page with no effort and no feathering. It was smooth sailing. It held the ink wonderfully, and could probably handle more, like some of the pastel and shiny inks found on the JetPens sample page.

This paper is fun. It put a smile on my face. I loved using white gel ink on it. And I'll use it again very soon.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

Edison Menlo Pump Filler Fountain Pen Review

No sense in beating around the bush on this one. I love this pen.

The Edison Menlo Pump Filler is one of the unique filling systems that Brian Gray of Edison Pen Co. has created or re-introduced over the years. Brian can explain it much better than me in his videos and diagrams (see the Menlo home page), but in a nutshell, you dip the nib into your ink bottle, depress the pump to expel air, then release the pump to bring in ink. It’s a fascinating process to see, especially in a demonstrator like mine. In about four pumps the entire 1.7 ml reservoir is full and ready to write.

As great as this filling system is, there is more to this particular Menlo than that. First of all, this is a fully custom job done by Brian specifically for me. If you listen to the podcast or follow me on Instagram you have heard or seen me discuss how my Nock Co. partner Jeff got in touch with Brian to build this pen to give me as a gift. I had some general email conversations with Brian on a different pen that the two pulled from for the barrel colors, and then they conspired behind the scenes to nail down the final product. And nail it they did.

I love demonstrators, and I love red and blue, so why not combine the two? The result is what I refer to as my Menlo 3-D. It looks cool and is a joy to use. The aforementioned filling system works like a champ, and the steel fine cursive italic nib ground by Brian before leaving the shop is crisp and clean.

The barrel shape is almost an afterthought with everything else going on with this pen, but it may be the feature that suits me the most. It’s just the right length and just the right diameter to fit my hand and give me the best writing experience possible.

If there are any negatives to be mentioned about the Menlo, they would be the price and the difficulty in cleaning. The model I have cost $350 with the steel nib and will run you $450 with an 18k gold nib. With all of the additional design work and mechanics involved in making this pen you can be sure it will cost a pretty penny.

Cleaning the Menlo has proven to be a challenge, at least compared to cleaning a simple cartridge/converter fill pen. As easy as the pump is to fill the pen with, it takes several orders of magnitude more pumping to flush it clean. The pen can be unassembled for easier cleaning, which is the route I usually take. The nib unit is sealed on the back end to allow for the ink tube to function within the closed barrel so I generally soak it in water overnight since I cannot flush it with an aspirator like I would for more standard nibs. There is definitely some time and elbow grease involved to get it just right.

Sounds like a lot, doesn’t it? It is, but don’t let that sway you from considering a Menlo. It holds so much ink I actually end up cleaning it less than I do some of my other pens.

All in all, I am a big fan of the Menlo, and this one in particular. The style fits me perfectly both in form and function, and I love that there is a story to tell along with it. Yes, it was a gift, so I didn’t come out of my own pocket for it, but I can see another Menlo added to the collection in my future.