I don’t know what’s in the water in Baltimore all of a sudden, but whatever it is has caused Write Notepads to step their game up in a big way, especially with large format notebooks. The Landscape Notebook is the latest addition to the lineup, which I have been testing and loving. I have two to give away to Pen Addict readers, so check out the details below and enter away!
Pentel B100 45th Anniversary Pen Set Review
When the Pentel B100 45th Anniversary Pen Set first crossed my eyeballs sometime last year I knew I would have to get a set, but that wouldn’t be the easiest task. They were made in France for the Japanese market and ended up being bought at a shop in England. How’s that for worldwide!
My good buddy Myke stopped by Present & Correct in London last year before I arrived for his wedding to buy me a set. I’m not sure what I was more excited about - these pens, his wedding, or exploring London for a few days with my wife. Oh, who am I kidding. It was the pens!
These pens bring back memories of a young Brad rummaging through unused desks in my dad’s workplace in search of stationery gold. Often times, I left empty handed, but on a good day I’d score a few pens and mechanical pencils. The Pentel Sharp Mechanical Pencil was always a big score, followed closely by the Pentel B100. Why the B100? It was like a marker in rollerball from.
It still is, which is both its good side, and its bad side. It is designed to be a writing, editing, and sign pen for those times when big, bold lettering is required. It is more consistent and durable than most markers, and stands out on the page more than a ballpoint.
For this set, Pentel produced 7 colors in retro-styled barrels. Black, red, and blue are the standards, with orange, green, purple, and brown added to the mix. And they are all fantastically saturated without running or bleeding all over the page - similar to what I would expect from a marker.
The rollerball tip is marked as 0.8 mm on the barrel, but the actual line on the page is in more of the 1.0 mm to 1.2 mm width. If you are looking to write in small places, this is not the pen for you. But everyone - even me - needs a good marking pen from time to time.
As I alluded to up top, the only real kicker is availability. Present & Correct still has them in stock for £22, but a quick Google search shows them available at the London Graphic Centre for a MUCH cheaper £9. If you don’t need all of the colors and want only black, Amazon has a 10-pack for under $10. With a bit more digging you may be able to do even better.
The Pentel B100 is a trip down memory lane for me. It’s not the best pen, and it’s not the best price, and it’s not easy to acquire, but it makes me smile. I have fun when I break this set out to draw, doodle, and highlight, and they are something I always want to keep handy on my desk. Now, if I could only get my hands on a half dozen of the orange ones I would be thrilled.
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Misfill, Wolves Edition
Each week in Refill, the Pen Addict Members newsletter, I publish Ink Links as part of the additional content you receive for being a member. And each week, after 10 to 15 links, plus my added commentary on each, I'm left with many great items I want to share. Enter Misfill. Here are this weeks links:
— Is it time to ditch the office and go remote? Here's how to successfully work from anywhere (Creative Boom)
— Paper for Fountain Pens Notebook Review (Writing at Large)
— Travels with pens: Stuttgart and Barcelona (UK fountain pens)
— Ink Review #567: Diamine Maureen (Mountain of Ink)
— Diplomat Aero Mechanical Pencil Review (Dave's Mechanical Pencils)
— review: robert oster signature australian opal mauve (ink between the teeth)
— Coca Cola teams up with the Premier League to remind us that people really, really, love football (It's Nice That)
— Josh Ginter's iOS Setup for 2019 (The Sweet Setup)
— Exploring Stock Stub Nibs, Part II: Higher-end Options (The Gentleman Stationer)
— Download Free Coloring Books from 113 Museums (Open Culture)
— Marie Curie’s Notebook (The Cramped)
— Pelikan Edelstein Olivine (2018 LE) (by STALÓWKA)
— Write Notepads ZHŪ Winter Edition. (Pencil Revolution)
— Lamy Balloon Lime Rollerball Pen (Gourmet Pens)
— Review: Taotree Dot Grid Notebook (Comfortable Shoes Studio)
— Ohashido (II) (Crónicas Estilográficas)
— Notebooks from My Cross-Country Road Trip (Notebook Stories)
— Mini Review: Nakaya Decapod Twist vs PenBBS 380 (Hand Over That Pen)
— Warhol Ate Burger King in a Super Bowl Commercial, But He Was a McDonald’s Fan (Hyperallergic)
— Disney Heroes and Villains Drawn Together As One Person (Doodlers Anonymous)
— 4. Yamabukiiro – Kyo no oto (Inksnibs)
Want to catch the rest, plus extra articles, reviews, commentary, discounts, and more? Try out a Pen Addict Membership for only $5 per month!