Ti2 Pen Hands-On

I mentioned in last week’s Kickstarter post that I had a Ti2 sample on the way, and now that it has arrived I wanted to share my first impressions. I do apologize for the poor lighting in the photos. Time constraints!

The very first thing that stood out when I unpackaged the Ti2 is how perfect the weight and balance felt. You feel like you are holding a strong and durable pen but it is not as heavy as you think it might be. With the cap posted it is a touch long and has a different balance point but is still very comfortable to write with. I have found myself using it mostly unposted so far.

I was curious to see how the o-rings would work on the barrel and they do surprisingly well. The ones in the grip area provide that little extra without getting in the way and both ends do a great job of holding the cap firmly in place. There is no play on the cap at all when it is on either end. We will see how they handle wear and tear over time but at least they are easily replaceable.

Kickstarter Family Photo: Render-K, P1, Ti2, Pen Type-A, PHX-1

Overall, I think the Ti2 is a great barrel option for the Pilot Hi-Tec-C refill. At $50 it is not cheap, but it is in line with other Kickstarter options. If you really want to step your game up take a look at the recently added Ti2 Black Edition. It is out of my budget at $125 but wow is it good looking.

Big thanks to the Ti2 team for sending me this sample!

Be a King for Father's Day - Retro 51 Giveaway

I found a big surprise in my mailbox last week from my good friends at JetPens: the Retro 51 Tornado Fit For A King Roller Ball Pen. Everyone knows I am a big fan of my orange Tornado and my podcast partner Myke is one step away from love letters to the manufacturer, so this is a great chance to try one for yourself, or to give as an awesome Father’s Day gift. How great looking is this pen?

Here is how to enter:

1. Leave one comment on this post anytime between now, and Wednesday night at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. You are limited to one entry. This contest is limited to US residents only.

2. For this contest, I will pick one winner 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 Integer Generator at random.org will be used to pick the number of the winner.

3. The contest winner will be posted on Thursday, June 7th. The winner will have one week to email me via the Contact button at the top of the page.

Bonus: JetPens is giving away another Fit for a King roller ball on the JetPens Blog. Head on over for a second chance to win!

Thanks and good luck!

Lamy Joy Calligraphy Fountain Pen 1.1mm Nib Review

(This is a guest review by Bryan Gushikawa)

Ah, Lamy. The German company that stands for rugged, tank-like pens with fat nibs! They really know what their customers want and the Lamy Joy Calligraphy Fountain Pen is proof. The angled, super-wide nib makes for fun writing and can really make calligraphy pop on the page. Unlike the louder colors of the Safari and Al-Star lines, though, this one comes in a classy black with red accent plastic body, but has the same tough metal clip and triangle grip of those lines.

The body is long, almost 3/4ths of a cap length longer than the Safaris. The heavy plastic body feels rugged and is big enough to be comfortable to hold for long periods of time. The triangle grip is smooth plastic and it seems to be a love or hate thing among fountain pen users. The trademark ink window is present and this pen IS compatible with all Lamy cartridges and the converter, too. I like the black color a lot because it’s not a super fingerprint magnet, but it looks pretty stylish, especially with the red accents.

The nib is classic Lamy: built like a tank, but smooth with good flow. The angle imparts a nice flavor to the nib, even though the line is really wide, and calligraphy with this pen will be wonderful. The nibs are most likely interchangeable between other Lamy pens (not verified), so if you have another Lamy pen, this one is still a good one to get. I couldn’t find any flaws with this pen and the quality is very high for such a low price point!

It’s well known that Lamy=quality and this pen is NO exception. Classic German sensibility, design and performance. You can’t go wrong with a Lamy!!!