The Pen Addict Podcast: Episode 148 - Like An Internet Radio Show

Myke and I were joined this week by Ana Reinert, who will also be joining us for the Atlanta Pen Show in just a couple of weeks! That was the topic of conversation in this show, as we discuss what to expect and the good times we have in store.

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.

Posted on March 31, 2015 and filed under Podcast.

Diamine 150th Anniversary 1864 Blue Black Ink Review

Image via JetPens.com

Image via JetPens.com

I was excited when Diamine announced their 150th Anniversary inks, especially because I would be able to add a new blue black ink to my ever growing ink inventory. Blue black inks are my favorite of course, and I couldn't wait to see how it stacks up with the rest of my stash.

Diamine inks are some of the most user friendly inks on the market. They flow well in a wide range of nibs and maintenance is a breeze. They offer up a massive range of colors, and are very well respected in a sometimes crowded market. The 150th Anniversary lineup fits in well with their other offerings, albeit a touch more expensive due to the "Limited" tag.

When I first inked it up I was concerned with how dark the ink was, and that feeling did not pass the more I used it. It is very pretty, but very dark with minimal shading. I prefer lighter, or at least more shaded blue blacks. If you like darker blue black you should give this a shot because, as expected, it performs wonderfully.

Like Montblanc Midnight Blue, I inked it up expecting to love it, but it is just average for my tastes. My current Top 5 Blue Black inks would look something like this:

  1. Montblanc JFK
  2. Akkerman #10 Diep-Duinwaterblauw
  3. Pilot Iroshizuku Shin-kai
  4. Sailor Blue Black
  5. Sailor Bung Box Blue Black

I could run another five to seven honorable mentions too, as there are a bunch of great blue black inks on the market. What are your favorites?

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

Posted on March 30, 2015 and filed under Diamine, Ink Reviews.

Cleaning House Giveaway: Pelikan Classic P205

My pen and ink stash is bursting at the seams, so what better time than now to offer up some of these great products to readers of the blog?

First up is the Pelikan Classic Series P205 from Goldspot Pens I reviewed back in January. It is a reboot of a classic Pelikan design, swapping out the piston filling mechanism for a cartridge/converter fill. This pen come with a steel Broad nib and I will include a handful of Pelikan Edelstein Ink Cartridges in various colors to give you a head start.

Here is how to enter:

  1. Leave one comment on this post anytime between now, and Wednesday night at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. You are limited to one entry. This contest is open to US and International readers.

  2. For this contest, I will pick one winner at random from the comments section of this post. The comments will be numbered in the order they are received, i.e. the first comment is #1, the second #2, and so on. The Random Integer Generator at random.org will be used to pick the number of the winner.

  3. The contest winner will be posted on Thursday, April 2nd. The winner will have one week to email me via the Contact link at the top of the page.

Thanks and good luck!

Posted on March 29, 2015 and filed under Giveaways.