The Pen Addict Podcast: Episode 186 - Happy Penmas Everyone!

Myke checked in on me to see how my first week of funemployment went. I survived is the best way I can put it. So much to do, so much to learn. After that, we got the rumor mill turning for 2016 with news of a Lamy 2000 50th Anniversary edition plus several new releases from Pelikan.

To get into the holiday spirit, Myke and I read a stationery-filled version of The Night Before Christmas sent in by one of our listeners. Thank you David! Here is the link for those who wish to re-read it.

Happy Penmas Everyone!

Show Notes & Download Links

This episode of The Pen Addict is sponsored by:

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Edison Pearlette Fountain Pen Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

When I purchased my first Edison pen at the 2014 Atlanta Pen Show, I told myself that it wouldn't be my last. In that review, I spoke highly of the Beaumont that I had, and my feelings for that pen haven't changed a bit. So, it was no surprise to me that I was heavily drawn toward another Edison at the 2015 San Francisco Pen Show earlier this year in August.

This year, I walked away with a brand new Edison Pearlette in Deep Indigo Flake with a fine steel nib. I've always been drawn to the shape of the Pearlette in general, and this year I decided to go for it. I have to admit, I was on the hunt for a more custom Pearlette, but I'm also a big fan of this blue flake material. And, like the last Edison review, I don't think this will be my last Edison...again.

Aesthetics

The Pearlette is part of the Edison's Production Line, which means they make the pen in three standard color options, along with the standard nib line-up. You have options of fantastic steel nibs, or gold nibs if that's more your thing. Since these pens are part of the production line, they're a bit more economical than the custom and limited pens from Edison. The regular steel nibbed Pearlette comes in at $149, with a $125 additional charge for a gold nib. Not bad at all for a high-quality, beautiful pen.

The Pearlette features a streamlined design that is equally minimal and mesmerizing. It reminds me of certain Nakaya models, and I think that's on purpose. In my opinion, you can't go wrong with the shape of this pen. It's elegant, clean, and balanced.

The size of the Pearlette is something between small and standard. It's right at 5.25 inches closed, and just under 4.75 when uncapped. This is a very comfortable size for me, but it's important to note that it is a smaller pen. This can be surprising when you only see pictures online of certain pens.

The "furniture" on the Deep Indigo Flake model is silver. The nib is the perfect size in relation to the body of the pen, which can sometimes be off in some pens. Apart from the clip and the nib, this pen is entirely resin. This makes the pen incredibly light and strong.

The cap screws on, and has very tight tolerances. When capping or uncapping the pen, it feels entirely sure and closes nicely without any gaps between the cap and the body. The pen will accept both a standard cartridge or a cartridge-converter, which Anderson pens included with my purchase. I've been using the converter exclusively since I can fill it with a matching Akkerman color.

The clip on the pen is fairly strong, but has a good bit of side to side give. Nothing alarming, but something to consider if you rely heavily on the clip. Personally, I'd love this pen in a clipless version to maintain the sleek aesthetic.

Overall, when you look at this pen, the shape draws you in, but the writing experience hooks you.

Writing

Picking this pen up and holding it in the writing position is what sold me. Before picking it up for a serious look, my thoughts were somewhere in the "I don't need another pen just because it's pretty" range, but that changed immediately after a quick test drive.

The grip is a fantastic shape for me. For reference, I hold pens using a fairly "standard" grip (standard as in how they try to teach it in grade school, but standard is really whatever works best for you). The grip is a tad small, which lends itself to smaller writing. I paired this pen with a fine nib, and I think that was an excellent choice.

The cap posts easily, but I typically use it unposted. Come to think of it, I very rarely post my pens unless they are a compact, short size (like Kawecos or the TWSBI mini).

The nib wrote flawlessly from the beginning, and I've never had anything but good experiences since then. It's smooth, flows well, and starts quickly. This particular nib can get a bit dry after 3-5 days of being idle, but it's easy to get started again if you just lay the pen flat for a couple minutes. Also, the nib is minimally decorated with the Edison logo.

Another point about the nib is the amount of shading I can get out of it. This isn't a flexible nib by any stretch, but I'm impressed by the amount of variation I can get out of it without any modifications. All in all, it's a delightful pen that produces a very pleasant writing experience.

Conclusion

Now that I have two Edison pens in my collection, my hearty recommendation for someone new to the brand is still enthusiastic. I enjoy both of my Edison pens, both for their aesthetic qualities and the fantastic writing experiences they both offer. The only problem I'm noticing at this point is that I have a very narrow color scheme in my current collection, which is something I need to correct in the future.

Anderson Pens have all the Edison Production Line pens for sale, and if you're lucky enough to attend a show, you can pick one of these beauties up in person.

First Look: Titanium Mechanical Pencil

I have had the Titanium Mechanical Pencil in my hands for a few weeks now thanks to the team at Cogent Industries, and have found this pencil to be extremely hard to review. It’s not because it isn’t a good pencil, it’s engineered to very high standards, but there are a few things that are keeping me from backing this pencil myself.

There is no doubt this is a high quality titanium pencil. The manufacturing quality is as nice as I have seen on any Kickstarter project, and Magnus Macdonald, the project creator, clearly knows what he is doing. The design is clean, the tolerances are tight, and the finishing is perfect. It’s extremely well done.

That said, I can’t use it regularly. The primary issue is with the clip. First off, there is a sizeable gap between the clip end and the barrel. That may allow it to clip well on thick fabric like jeans, but shirts and thinner materials are a no go. It slides all over. You are going to have a hard time bending the thick titanium too. The Titanium Pen Magnus offers uses the same design, so this is a design choice.

Secondly, and the more serious issue, is that the clip bulge hits your hand in an uncomfortable way. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t twist the pencil in their hand when writing (aside from the Kuru Toga of course), and when you rotate the Titanium Menchanical Pencil you are going to run into the protruding clip frequently. It’s a completely different pencil when the clip is in the top position as opposed to the bottom position digging into your hand. You can get away with this on a pen, but not on a mechanical pencil.

I’m not a huge fan of the short end cap in use on this design either. Aesthtically it is fine, but functionally, like when removing it to add lead, it is hard to grip and pull off. Luckily, you don’t have to change lead that often.

If you can overlook these issues, the is one final hurdle to clear: The price. $129 is too much for me to pay for a pencil that isn’t a game changer. The Titanium Mechanical Pencil is not for me, but 433 backers at the time of this writing are all aboard. Give me the Rotring 600 for 1/4th the price every time.

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