In Episode 37 of The Pen Addict Podcast Myke and I cover several follow-up items from the past couple of episodes, including notes on Platignum fountain pens and Myke's take on the Field Notes Expedition Edition which finally finished its expedition across the Atlantic.
We go a bit off the tracks at that point, but purposely so. I discuss some of the strange and funny pens I have come across, including one in particular that boggles the mind.
It has been nearly a year since I wrote the review for the Zebra 301A above - things sometimes have a way of getting overlooked in my Flickr stream. Re-reading what I wrote last January though, my first thoughts still hold true today.
When I see someone using the traditional Zebra F-301 Ballpoint I know they at least care a little about the pen they are writing with. It is a good pen, even a little bit above average, and many people swear by it. I won't go that far but I do understand its appeal. With the 301A, Zebra has gone after those same customers by applying a fresh coat of paint to an already good pen, but did nothing to take it further than that.
The 301A comes in four barrel colors - blue, gray, maroon, and gold - with the same grip and knock as the F-301. The font on the barrel has been "upgraded" too, but I liken it more to a logo you would find at the $2.99 t-shirt shop down at the boardwalk. It is not as classy as the old logo, and combined with some of the new colors it is downright disappointing.
Unlike the original, I have never seen one of these in use by anyone other than myself. I missed the mark in not reviewing this pen when it first came out, but Zebra missed the mark by not making a real upgrade to one of the anchors of their product line. Bring me an F-301 with an emulsion ink refill and then we can talk.
-- Pen & Paper (The Camels Are Coming)
-- Writing Down the Ink #12: Revisiting Namiki Blue (Peacable Writer)
-- Year in Review - The Top Posts from 2012 (Office Supply Geek)
-- TWSBI Diamond Mini Black (EF Nib) (Informal Scribble)
-- A Corroded, Nail-Polished, Leaky Pelikan: A True Story (Pen and Design)
-- Rotring Isograph (Stano Bagin on Dribble)
-- Lead Content of Brass Sharpeners (Pencil Revolution)
-- Ink Notes: Private Reserve Ebony Brown (Fountain Pen Quest)
-- Review: Canson 180 Sketchbook (Writing By Hand)
-- Pilot Petit1 Fountain Pen in Apple Green (Ink of Me Fondly)
-- Kudos: Handcrafted Pen Made From Exotic Wood by David Allred (From the Pen Cup)
-- Paperblanks Weekly Planner 2013 Review (The Well-Appointed Desk)
-- Review: Clairefontaine Basics Wirebound Notebook + Pockets - Medium, Black (Gourmet Pens)
-- Update on Some Product Issues (Rhodia Drive)
-- Noodler's 54th Massachussetts ink (LostInBrittany Pens)
-- Pen Case (Andrew Sleigh)
-- Pilot Easy Touch Pro (Medium) Black, Blue, and Red (Economy Pens)
-- The Berol Handwriting Cartridge Pen (Bleistift)
-- De Atrementins Magenta Purple (East...West...Everywhere)
-- Montblanc Albert Einstein Ink (kmpn)
-- dip pens: an over-review (the captain)
-- Noodler's Bad Blue Heron (Ed Jelley)
-- Uni-ball Signo DX 0.38 (PenParadise)
-- Double Flow (Cronicas Estilograficas)
