It was that kind of show, and this is that kind of recap. Myke and I relive the fun that was the Atlanta Pen Show, including our purchases, and drool over the latest offering from Kanilea Pen Co.
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(Original Mai-bun.com article, 3/5/2018. Written by Takuya Takahashi. Translated by Bruce Eimon.)
UNUS PRODUCTS SERVICE. has released a version of their SMART-GRIP line for the Pilot FriXion Ball Clicker. SMART-GRIP is a series of aluminum replacement grip sections for common-place Japanese pens.
Previous versions of the SMART-GRIP have supported the FriXion Ball 3, the FriXion Ball 4, and the Uni-ball Jetstream 4+1. The new release is for the FriXion Ball Clicker.
The FriXion Ball Clicker is one of Pilot’s most popular pens, and I am sure it is part of the daily carry for many of our readers.
Five color variations have been released, and I went ahead and tried two of them.
It gives the pens a slick look, and I feel like it makes the pens easier to write with by giving them a lower center of gravity. Compared to the rubber grip that originally came with the pen, this offers a cooler touch without any stickiness. I imagine it will maintain a nice feel even for long writing sessions.
The tip of the grip is also replaceable, so you can customize the look even further by buying two different colors and swapping their tips.
The SMART-GRIP allows you to upgrade your pen just by swapping the grip. I would highly recommend it to people who love using the FriXion.
Note: This product was developed independently by UNUS PRODUCT SERVICE. and is not a collaboration with the original manufacturer of the pen. Please use this product at your own risk.
Recommended for:
Infomation: SMART-GRIP for frixionball knock｜UNUS PRODUCT SERVICE.
(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter.)
When the Field Notes Dime Novel edition released last year, I went a little cuckoo-bananas. It's the first edition that I'd say I stockpiled. I happened to be at the HQ in Chicago just after the release, and I purchased enough of them that I made a bit of a spectacle. Now, I didn't hoard them all--I gave them away as gifts to writer's workshop partners and writing students and co-workers. I gave away so many that I recently noticed I only have one pack left for myself. And I was a little sad. Because I LOVE that edition.
Well, I'm happy now--because Field Notes has released very similar books in their always-available Signature line. Both lined notebooks and blank sketchbooks are available in unlimited quantities, which is my favorite quantity of notebooks.
The new Signature line sketch books are 6.5" by 4.25", just like the Dime Novel edition. Slightly larger than a standard pocket notebook, but still well within the bounds of a comfortably portable book. It's bound with Smyth-sewn binding in three signatures, ideally so that it will lay flat. The book didn't ever lay flat for me, even after some training, but it does at least open fully so that the whole page is useful.
The cover is a blue-grey French cardstock debossed with the logo and branding. The color is very pretty--in some lights it looks like a soft ash grey, and at other times it looks blue. It's the perfect slate sky or winter concrete color. The corners are rounded to prevent wear. Inside, there are 36 sheets of 70 lb bright white, premium woven Strathmore paper. The pages are completely blank--no page numbers, and a much brighter white than the creamy Dime Novel edition paper.
The paper itself feels heavy-duty, and it does stand up to a lot of different media. It's fairly fibrous and toothy. Fine-pointed pens tended to catch in the paper fibers or feel scratchy. Fine-point markers and felt-tip fineliners may get chewed up a little faster on this paper than they would on smoother paper. Very wet inks did feather a bit, also. The only thing that bled through the paper, however, was Sharpie marker. Everything else was nearly invisible on the back side of the sheet.
The paper did stand up well to a light wash. There was some rippling, but less than I expected. It is downright dreamy paper for pencils and colored pencils. The paper has just the right tooth for shading and layering. Ultimately, it serves its purpose as a sketch book very well, while also being useful as a notebook itself. It would be well suited to combination journaling and sketch + text projects, like travel journals or daily reflections.
These are a wonderful and practical addition to the Field Notes Signature line. As much as I love the rare beauty of the limited editions, it's a comfort to know that a good product will always be close at hand--and it's rare for a brand to stay both exciting and reliable at the same time.
(Vanness Pens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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