It's The End Of The Blog As You Know It...And I Feel Fine

When I started The Pen Addict three and a half years ago, I never imagined it would be going as strong as ever after all this time. I have had a ton of fun reviewing as many pens and related products I could get my hands on. On top of that, the relationships I have made with so many readers, retailers, and vendors has been priceless. It is because of one of those relationships that I am able to write this post in the most positive manner possible.

As of Monday, May 2nd, I will be a full time employee of JetPens.com as a Marketing Associate, and I couldn't possibly be more excited. It is a rare occurance when you get to work for a company and with a product that you have a real passion for. I am certainly going to relish this opportunity.

There are so many people I want to thank for helping The Pen Addict become such a great resource for pen and paper fans all over the world, but I know once I start naming names I am sure to leave someone out. So, I just want to say thank you to all of the readers, commenters, bloggers, and anyone who ever visted the site even just once. I was blown away by your continued support, and I am eternally grateful.

So, what's next, and where does that leave The Pen Addict? There are a lot of details to hash out, but for right now, I am going to take a few days off from blogging here, and once I officially start with JetPens on Monday I hope to have more details. The Pen Addict will continue to be updated with news, happeings, and possibly some giveaways, at least until we get the in-house blogging solution fully set up at JetPens. After that, I will keep the blog and the domain up and running for the forseeable future.

Again, thank you so much for your support over the past three and a half years. I think the best is yet to come, so be sure to stay tuned!

Posted on April 26, 2011 by Brad Dowdy and filed under JetPens.

Ohto Capstick Cap-Knock Needle Point Ballpoint Pen Review

The new Ohto product has been rolling in hot and heavy at JetPens, and apprently I am on a quest to try them all. Two weeks ago, it was the Ohto Needle-Point Slim Line 0.3mm Ballpoint, and this time around, it is the Ohto Capstick Cap-Knock Needle Point 0.5 Ballpoint. Both of the are unique in their own ways, with the Needle-Point being an 0.3mm ballpoint - which I had never tried before - and the Capstick having a very unique knock feature.

The special knock feature is the main selling point of this pen, along with its compact size. The way the knock works is you remove the cap from the pen and then just post it. There is a small flange within the cap that pushes the tip of the pen out so you can write, and when you are done, you just pull the cap off and the tip retracts back into the barrel. I was a little unsure at first, but it is a very simple operation that works flawlessly.

From a writing perspective, I see a little line width variation on the page, almost like there is some extra ink flow from time to time, but overall it isn't bad. For an 0.5mm width, the black ink is pretty dark, which is something I like. Overall, I will say it writes cleanly.

If I were to carry this pen around and show it to friends in the non-pen circles I travel in, they would certainly wonder why I am carrying lipstick or mascara around. I admit, this pen is more of a feminine design, but at least I can say I am just holding it for my wife. Right?

Click here for the XL review.