The Pen Addict Podcast: Episode 124 - I Do Speak Fluent German

It was an honor to have Bullet Journal creator Ryder Carroll back on the podcast! We discusses his highly successful Kickstarter project to create a community-driven website for the Bullet Journal, as well as an awesome notebook product whose name you HAVE to hear him pronounce. This is some Marvin Gaye level goodness right here!

Show Notes & Download Links

Rate & Review us on iTunes

This episode of The Pen Addict is sponsored by:

-- Dash: Create beautiful dashboards with a few clicks. Sign up now to get one free private dashboard.

-- Pen Chalet: Use the code PENADDICT to save 10% on your order or click the ‘podcast’ link at the top of the website and enter the password 'penaddict' for even more savings, as well as your 10% off.

-- Squarespace: A better web starts with your website. Use code INK for 10% off

Cult Pens (Sponsor)

If it is pen, pencil, and paper you are looking for - ANY pen, pencil, or paper - Cult Pens has you covered. I've long been a fan of the wide range of products they carry, but my favorites are some of the unique goods made just for them. Collaborations with big-time brands like Kaweco and Diamine highlight their offerings which give you an experience you can only get at Cult Pens. The special edition Kaweco Classic Sport in Dark Brown is a prime example. This barrel color is a US and UK exclusive to Cult Pens, and if you are a fan of Kaweco like I am, it is a must get. Ink it up with with one of Cult Pens' beautiful Diamine "Deep Dark" ink collaborations, which are available in short international cartridges and both 30ml and 80ml bottles. I'm partial to the Deep Dark Blue, and the full lineup contains red, green, brown, purple, and the recently added orange to fit any writing situation. Cult Pens has the widest range of pens on the planet, and is really worth checking out. As a special offer for Pen Addict readers, Cult Pens is offering a 10% discount off of your order through October 27th with the code "penaddict2014". Visit this dedicated landing page for all of the details. My thanks to Cult Pens for sponsoring The Pen Addict this week.

Parker IM Premium Fountain Pen Review

In its heyday, Parker was on top of the pen and pencil world. Anyone who was anyone owned a Parker, with many of their classic designs still highly sought after to this day. The last couple of decades haven't been so nice to this once elite brand though. Their offerings have been mostly mediocre in my view, and are getting lapped by competitors who offer more for less.

I was honestly not excited when I heard about the latest Parker fountain pen releases, but one thing caught my eye: They used the word Vacumatic in the product description. Along with the Duofold and the 51, the Vacumatic is classic Parker design at its best. I own a Vacumatic and it remains one of the most intriguing and beautiful pens I own. Just that one little mention had me anxious to see what Parker had up its sleeve.

The Parker IM Premium pays homage to the original Vacumatic's horizontal stripe design, and they pulled it off well. The Emerald Pearl model I received from JetPens shares a bit of the color scheme with my classic Vac, but the materials and functionality are completely different.

First off, this is an aluminum barrel pen, unlike the resin barrels of yesteryear. So, no translucency through the barrel, but rather a solid, lightweight metal replacement. Secondly, this is a cartridge/coverter filler, meaning no fancy vacumatic filling action, which is likely a cost issue. This is not your grandfathers Vacumatic, and based on the naming, it isn't supposed to be.

The IM Premium is a good quality entry level fountain pen - that's what it is designed to be. I think Parker pulled it off well here, too. It has a classic look while retaining a modern style. The traditional Parker arrow clip is there, but they mix in a brushed metal section to give it an up to date feel.

One thing that caught my eye when first unboxing it was the scale of the nib compared to the pen body. It is small - smaller visually than I am used to. Once I inked it up with the provided blue ink cartridge it wrote so well I no longer noticed the size. The medium stainless steel nib is smooth and the line width is controlled and just the proper width. The ink flow was spot on. And the blue ink color itself? Really, really nice, which was another surprise.

I didn't think it would happen, but I am enjoying this pen. Either Parker has been doing a better job of late (I dig their Jotter 60th Anniversary Edition), or I am turning into my grandfather. Neither of those would be a bad thing.

(JetPens is a sponsor of The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)