The Pen Addict Podcast: Episode 138 - We All Want A Lightsaber

My friend Tony Sculimbrene from Everyday Commentary joins Myke and I to school us on all things EDC. You thought pen addicts have it bad? Wait until you hear Tony get rolling! You are going to want the show notes handy for this one.

Show Notes & Download Links

This episode of The Pen Addict is sponsored by:

lynda.com: An easy and affordable way to help individuals and organizations learn. Free 10-day trial.

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.

Platinum Preppy Fountain Pen 02 EF Nib Review

I'm making no bones about how much I like this refresh of the Platinum Preppy. From the moment I snapped in the ink cartridge and put nib to page I was impressed. More than impressed, I was wowed. I could not believe how nice the nib is on a $4 pen.

And this is no normal nib. Platinum calls it the 02, which is a standard Japanese EF nib. In the US, Japanese EF nibs aren't the easiest things to come by either. They are there if you dig a little, but most product lines start with fine, not extra fine. There is a reason for this: Japanese extra fine nibs are too fine for most people. I'd rather find that out for $4 not $100, wouldn't you?

Here is your chance to try one out on the cheap that will give you a comparable experience to much, much more expensive pens. I wouldn't buy a Pilot Vanishing Point with an EF nib if you are unsure you will like it. Same goes for a Sailor, Platinum, or any other Japanese pen. The nib in the Platinum Preppy compares to those in size and feel. Seriously. This is a spot-on, accurate match.

Maybe you'll discover that this pen will do just fine for you and don't need on of those more expensive models. If you like the Pilot Hi-Tec-C 0.4 or the Uni-ball Signo DX 0.38 you will like this pen. If you want to try fountain pens and have a nice clean writer that won't make a mess, you will like this pen. If you want a beater you can toss in the car or a bag, you will like this pen. If you don't like Japanese fine lines, you will not like this pen.

That's the only hangup. It's so sharp and fine it is not going to fit every writing style. It fits me, and it can answer questions many of you have about Japanese EF nibs. I'm enamored by this pen.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

Three Questions With Harry Marks

Harry Marks takes the written word seriously, as you can tell by his writing at Curious Rat, and with Covered, his podcast described as a “conversation about books with the people who write them.” My thanks to Harry for answering Three Questions.

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

I view analog tools as life preservers on a digital current. There are new social networks and services popping up every day and whenever one starts to gain traction, I think, Is this necessary? Is it useful to me? More and more, I find myself immediately answering, “No.” My notebook will never be bought by Google. My pen doesn’t need VC funding to keep running. My typewriter doesn’t have to worry about being “the Uber of words.” I’m simplifying my life with analog tools. Simple is good. I hope to increase my use of analog tools this year by hand-writing more letters to friends and keeping correspondence via post instead of email or Twitter.

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

Right now, I use a Midori Traveler’s Notebook as my reading journal and general keeper of random notes (which are kept nice and even thanks to line guides from The Well-Appointed Desk). I like to transcribe passages from books I’m currently reading that I find particularly beautiful or resonate with me. My pen of choice is the 0.3mm Pilot Hi-Tec-C, which I used to write the entire first draft of my last novel. I wrote the book in a large Moleskine notebook, but I’ve got a brand new Baron Fig Confidant on my desk just waiting for my next one. I’m hoping to get into Tomoe River Paper soon - there’s a small online shop that makes Traveler’s Notebook-compatible Tomoe notebooks. When I’m not writing my fiction by hand, I’m drafting it on my trusty Smith-Corona typewriter from the 1950s. I love that beast of a machine.

3. What post are you the most proud of on your blog?

My essay on the 2014 BookCon is the post of which I’m proudest. The cohost of one of my favorite podcasts, Books on the Nightstand, read it and tweeted back to me, "LOVE your post; full of awesomeness. If that's any indication of your novel in progress, close your twitter and get to work!” which is exactly what I did. The kicker? She’s a sales person for Random House, so she reads A LOT of books and her compliment carries a lot of weight for me. Ever since I moved away from reporting on tech and focusing more on books and writing, I’ve become happier with the quality of the content I share, as well as the writing I post to the site.