Ink Links

-- The Art of Fountain Pens (PDF and Video) (Morse Museum)

-- Episode 66: People Still Use Paper with Dave Caolo (Mikes On Mics)

-- Organics Studio Foggy Bottom Yellow Sepia (inktronics)

-- @TWSBI Diamond 540 & 580: What I Like About You (Gourmet Pens)

-- Uniball Power Tank: A review (The Ruminator)

-- March & April - Inked in Spring (Ink of Me Fondly)

-- Noodler's Gruene Cactus Eel (Inkdependence!)

-- Sketchbook Pages by Designers and Illustrators (Notebook Stories)

-- Review of Palomino Blackwing 602 (Pencil Revolution)

-- Serendipity: Magnetic Pens by Bob & Virginia (From the Pen Cup)

-- Review: Pilot Iroshizuku Chiku-Rin (Bamboo Forest) Ink (The Well-Appointed Desk)

-- Ink Notes: Montblanc Burgundy Red (Fountain Pen Quest)

-- Sailor 1911 Medium Clear Demonstrator inked with Noodler’s Van Gogh Starry Night Blue (JustDaveyB)

-- Super 1970s (Crónicas Estilográficas)

-- The Sailor Nagahara Retirement commemorative takenuri pen (Leigh Reyes.)

-- Desk Essentials for an Office Supply Geek (OfficeSupplyGeek)

-- Pilot Hi-Tec-C, 0.4mm – Black (Ed Jelley)

-- Do you write with a heavy hand? (Rhodia Drive)

-- Taccia Savanna Fountain Pen Review (Write to Me Often)

-- Tweaks for Geeks a Big Success! Learn How to Tune your Nibs! (Edison Pen Company)

Platinum SBTB-1000H Roller Ball Review

The sleek and shiny barrel is what caught my eye on the recently added Platinum SBTB-1000H Roller Ball at JetPens. But as I have said many times before, don't let looks get in the way of performance. What good is an expensive pen if you don't like how it writes?

Fortunately, the SBTB-1000H writes almost as well as it looks. I say almost because I did notice if I hold the pen at too low of a writing angle I start to feel some scratchiness. This happens with many pens. If your writing angle is low you start catching more of the tip cone than the actual ball of the pen. Raise your writing angle a bit and you should notice a completely different feel.

With my normal writing angle the ink flowed smoothly and very cleanly for a rollerball, which is sometimes hard to pull off. There is little to no feathering or bleed, and the ink is pitch black.

The aluminum barrel feels great and the design is top notch. It reminds me of a cross between the Pilot Hi-Tec-C Cavalier and the P1 on Kickstarter, two outstanding pen designs. All in all I am happy with this pen.

My only hang up is the name. "Would you like to borrow my Platinum SBTB-1000H" doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. Oh well, it's not like us pen people talk to real human beings anyway. ;)

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)

BEGIN Japanology - Stationery

I normally save these types of posts for the weekend Ink Links blowout, but this one deserves to stand on its own. Pen Addict reader William sent me this link of recent show on Japan's NHK Network called BEGIN Japanology - Stationery. That link takes you to the description of the episode, and below are Part 1 and Part 2 of the show on YouTube.

Thank you William for sharing this fascinating show!

Uploaded by nakatugawa4448 on 2013-04-30.

Uploaded by nakatugawa4448 on 2013-04-30.