Taking A Step Back
I'm in a weird place with The Pen Addict blog right now so I thought I would take a minute to give a state of the union address on what I am thinking and what the future might hold.
When I started this blog almost five years ago I never imagined it would still be going this strong, and in fact, still growing. I love working on it, love the people that read it, and love the opportunities it has provided. That said, some changes need to be made to protect my sanity.
Here are some of the changes you will see on The Pen Addict, effective immediately:
Blog posting frequency - I have kept a pretty consistent routine of 3-4 posts per week since the beginning. The new consistency will be no consistency. Whether it is going to be one post a week, two reviews a month, or something completely random I'm not sure yet. My preference would be to do fewer but longer and more in depth reviews. I'll have to see how this plays out.
No sponsors or ads - My relationship with JetPens is well known and well documented. They have been a great friend of the blog for years. If my plan is to scale back though, I don't feel like I can do them, or any sponsor, justice. I am also removing Google Ads from the site as well. The Pen Addict was never set up to be a money making venture so I see no need to continue to clutter up the site. I'm undecided on receiving and reviewing promotional goods, and of course this is always subject to change.
What else? The Pen Addict Podcast will continue for the time being. It is a fun diversion each week, and has a chance to become even better with added focus. I'm not sure what to do about Ink Links yet. I get tons of positive feedback about that weekly post, but I think it has grown stale.
As I write this, the one thought in the back of my head is "Is this the slow death-spiral towards the end of The Pen Addict"? It could be, but I hope not. I don't have all the answers myself right now. What I do know is something has to change. Here's to figuring it out.
Rotring 600 Series Black Rollerball Review
It wasn’t until I was deep into my pen addiction that I discover the wonders of NOS, or “New Old Stock”. I had seen the term before on places like eBay but never realized what great products could lie behind the designation.
In a nutshell, NOS designates products that are no longer being manufactured but are still in new and unused condition. The product could have been discontinued, or had a design tweak that was cause for a new version. Whatever the case, many NOS pens are highly sought after by collectors.
Rotring seems to be one of the most popular NOS brand names. Their industrial designs are timeless, and with all of the changes in the company over the years, many models are no longer being produced. While I haven’t gone on the hunt yet for some of the rarer pens like the Lava Series I was able to pick up the Rotring 600 Series Black Rollerball for a very reasonable $60 from a dealer at the Atlanta Pen Show back in April. It wasn’t on the shopping list that day, but how could I pass it up?
I was smitten with it immediately upon first use. The barrel is substantial in both size and weight but remains comfortable to write with as long as I leave the cap unposted. It is too long and the balance is off otherwise. The refill I believe is a Rotring branded Schmidt rollerball and is a standard size so many other refills should fit as well. This one works wonderfully.
It is rare that a pen makes you feel like a superhero. The Rotring 600 Rollerball has that special quality where when you use it you know it is different from most other pens. The only downside is it is going to cost me money as I search out more NOS goods.
