Cyber Monday Is Here At Pen Chalet!

Did you miss out on all of the hot deals on Black Friday? Don't worry, Pen Chalet has you covered with even more great deals for Cyber Monday!

Pens from Aurora, Omas, Monteverde, Pilot and nearly every other top brand are on sale, and to top it off, use the code BLACK15 at checkout to get another 15% off. Yes, even on already discounted items for some really huge savings.

Pen Chalet is an authorized dealer of all of the brands they carry, meaning you can shop with confidence knowing they stand behind their wide selection of goods. That includes ink, too, where you can pick up some of my favorites from J. Herbin, Noodler's, and Sailor.

Click the Cyber Monday link for some great discounts, take an extra 15% off any and all items, and get free shipping in the US on orders over $50. That's hard to beat!

My thanks to Pen Chalet for sponsoring The Pen Addict this week.

Retro 51 Tornado Limited Edition Popper Flipper Roller Ball Pen Review

There is a short list of pens that I recommend more frequently than others and the Retro 51 Tornado is a mainstay on that list. It fits the traditional writing experience that many people are looking for, while being well-styled, durable, refillable, high quality, and a great value.

The Tornado Classic Laquers model is the stock line where new users should start. At $21.00 it provides an experience found in much more expensive pens. I call it the Montblanc of the people. Once you decide this is a pen that suits your needs, you can head down the rabbit hole into some of Retro 51's limited edition releases like the new Limited Edition Popper Flipper Roller Ball.

If there is a hangup with any Tornado model it's that the stock refill is wider than some people like. It uses the Schmidt P8127 refill which has an 0.7 mm tip, but you can easily replace it with the Schmidt P8126, which says it is 0.6 mm but I fell that it writes more like an 0.5 mm. You can see a sample of each below, and if you want to use your Google-fu you can find hacks for other refills. Regardless, this is one of the best refills going, especially for liquid ink pens.

With only 750 made, this retro pinball design is sure to be gone soon. I have #552 sitting on my desk and since my Retro 51 Vintage Surf is my go-to roller I want to give this one a good home. Just leave a comment below by Wednesday night at midnight EST and I will announce the winner on Thursday.

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

Three Questions With Mike Dudek

My name is Mike Dudek and I write The Clicky Post blog and am also the creator of Dudek Modern Goods. I live in San Tan Valley, AZ, a rural suburb of the Phoenix area with a few big neighborhoods. I'm convinced we have some of the prettier views of both the Superstition and San Tan Mountains...

1. What role do analog tools such as pens, pencils, and paper play in your day to day life?

Even before blogging on The Clicky Post, pens in particular have been a big part of my day-to-day work. Whether it was in college during classes, working face-to-face with clients, or taking notes during a consultation call, I always had paper and pens handy. I enjoy writing (physically) and seeing the words hit the page regardless of how mundane the task may be. Rather than making a shopping list on my iPhone, I choose to write it out. It lets me use the pens I have even in the most simple ways. We can be honest; I TRY to find reasons to write things down everyday simply for the sake of writing as I get a lot of satisfaction from it.

When shipping out one of my Dudek products, one thing I enjoy doing is taking a moment to hand write a quick thank you note. A small gesture, but is meaningful.

Also, lest we forget the occasional note to our sweetheart?... My wife doesn't seem to appreciate Tomoe River as much as I do though. 

2. What are your favorite products you are currently using?

On the writing front, I am currently using the Rhodia Dot Pads as my go-to. For almost all writing scenarios (except for pencils), the Rhodia can stand up to the task with great results. I've only stumbled upon a few more finicky inks that misbehave on the Dot Pad like the Noodler's Bernanke Blue, but they are few and far between.

With ink, I can't seem to get enough of the Pelikan Edelstein Topaz.  That coupled with my Lamy cp1 1.1 stub has been my favorite pen over the past month now.

My current product obsession is with vintage stainless steel barreled Pilot pens/pencils from the 1970s like the Myu, Murex, Custom, or Elite.

3. What creation or design of yours are you most proud of?

This is a tough one as I've done a lot of things in the past from wheel thrown pottery, ring making, and my current line of handmade wood products. Although, one of my favorite (and largest) creations is my portable workbench I built. It materialized as I was trying to organize my work space to be more efficient and evolved into the center of my world in the workshop. Nearly all things I create are started or finished on it.

It is a large piece measuring in at around 4 feet tall, 8 feel long, and 4 feet deep. It has a tiered bench top which creates a level surface for me to use my chop saw and table saw seamlessly as well as has a good sized "table" space. Underneath there are a series of shelves, cubbies, and tubs to hold tools, chords, and materials.  I finished it off by attaching locking casters to the bottom to make it movable for cleaning or whether I have a larger project that requires more floor space in the shop. It is one of those things that I just enjoy using and I am proud of how it came together.