The Pen Addict Podcast: Episode 180 - It Does Notebook Things

Myke and I were excited to be joined by Adam Kornfield and Joey Cofone, better known as the duo behind Baron Fig. We discuss the creation and launch of their first notebook, the expansion of their product line, their foray into the digital world, and their latest design, The Squire, a pen that will let your ideas flow onto the page.

Show Notes & Download Links

This episode of The Pen Addict is sponsored by:

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.

Harry's: An exceptional shave at a fraction of the price. Use code PENADDICT for $5 off your first purchase.

Squarespace: Build it Beautiful. Use code INK for 10% off.

BIGiDESIGN Titanium Mechanical Pencil + Stylus (Sponsor)

I've known Chadwick and Joe, the team behind BIGiDESIGN for going on four years now. Their designs are beautiful, durable, and functional - everything you can ask for in a great pen. And it's not just pens anymore.

The Titanium Mechanical Pencil features a machined raw titanium barrel, custom designed drafting grip, eraser, and swappable flat and stylus caps. All pencils come with an 0.5 mm Schmidt lead advancement mechanism, which is one of the best in the business.

The aforementioned pens? Well, they are pretty great too. The Ti-Click Classic fits dozens of popular gel and rollerball refills, and the Ti-Click RT fits all of your Parker-style refill needs, including the Fisher Space Pen ballpoint.

If you are an fan of BIGiDESIGN already, or a brand new customer that wants to know what all the fuss is about, do yourself a favor and click over to their shop, check out their wonderfully designed writing instruments, and add one to your collection today. You can even get $10 off your pencil purchase (USA or International) by using the code penaddict10 at checkout.

Cross Click Star Wars Stormtrooper Gel Pen

I was a huge Star Wars fan growing up. All the movies, all the toys, all the everything! I'm still a big fan of course, and now I get to share the awesomeness with my kids, as evidenced by the cool toys I get to use for these pictures. Or are those my Star Wars toys? I'll never tell!

Regardless of whose toys these really are, the pen is definitely mine. The Cross Click Star Wars Gel Pens were released a couple of months ago as all of the merchandising around the release of The Force Awakens ramps up. I assumed we would see some pens involved, although I was admittedly surprised to see Cross was the chosen brand.

Cross has a long and storied history, but they aren't exactly known for cutting edge amazing pens. The designs for their Star Wars lineup don't break any new ground either. In fact, the Gel is based off the Cross Click, which is based off the Classic Century, which is also known as the graduation gift pen. The fountain pen and rollerball are based off of the Townsend, which is know as the President's pen. So, the barrels are typical Cross fare. The paint jobs though? Cross really stepped their game up here.

The designs for the Star Wars pens are based off of three characters: C-3PO, Darth Vader, and the Stormtroopers. Each one of these designs on each one of these pens is really well done. Like big grin across my face as a Star Wars fan well done. Goldspot loaned me the Stormtrooper model for review, and the Imperial White lacquer barrel with black details and satin black clip are spot on. There is even a Stormtrooper emblem on the clip to boot.

The Darth Vader model looks equally impressive, if not more so with the hint of red in the click, and while the gold of C-3PO is not my personal style, it turned out wonderfully. As great as these designs are, the fountain pen and rollerball models are even nicer and more detailed.

But let's get to the Emperor in the room with the Star Wars pens. They are expensive! The fountain pen prices sent my head spinning, and even the click gel models are steep for what they are. The standard Cross Click, which is a good pen in its own right, is less than half of the price of the Star Wars model. Of course there is a premium to be added with limited edition pens, especially when the designs are as nice as these, but the Star Wars branding blew these up like the original Death Star.

Writing wise, the Cross Click Gel is very nice. This is an 0.7mm refill, so it is wide, but it is dark, smooth, and skip free. Readers have been wanting me to review the Click for a while now, and I can see why. The only slight hangup is there is a bit of clicking when writing from the tip, which happens when the metal refill hits against the metal barrel. It's a common thing, and not too bad in this pen. The Click is probably the best pen Cross has released in years.

So it boils down to how big of a Star Wars fan you are with this release. I've had several readers mention they have bought one of each character, even the fountain pen model, and price doesn't seem to be a real hangup. Star Wars branding trumps everything, even in pens. May the Force be with you, and your wallet!

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