The Pen Addict Podcast: Episode 346 - The Platinum Platinum

I’m fascinated by double-named products, and learned of a new (old) one this week when discussing Platinum’s history and their upcoming 100th Anniversary releases. I guess we have to make a Nock Nock now, right? Myke and I also give our initial thoughts on the wide release of the Retro 51 Fountain Pen update and talk about the LA Pen Show.

Show Notes & Download Links

This episode of The Pen Addict is sponsored by:

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Kyo-no-oto No. 6 Adzuki-iro Ink: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

Several weeks ago, Vanness sent the Pen Addict ink samples for review. One of the inks I received was Kyo-no-oto No. 6 Adzuki-iro, a burgundy ink that I loaded into my TWSBI Eco T to test the pen. I loved the ink so much that I purchased a bottle.

Adzuki-iro means “red beans.” It is a limited edition ink from the TAG Stationery Store in Kyoto, Japan. “Adzuki-iro” sounds more beautiful to my ear than “red beans,” and this color certainly lacks any brown tones that I would associate with red beans. The color is a gorgeous cabernet that reminds me of the deeper hues of cherry blossoms.

In my ink test, you can see how Adzuki-iro performs on Maruman Septcouleur paper. It has lots of saturation, especially when you layer it, and it dries fairly quickly. It is not water resistant.

I was fascinated by the chromatography test. The ink contains a wide array of colors: light blue, lavender, pink, red, and orange.

This complexity gives the ink much more depth and character than two similar inks, Kyo-Iro No. 5 Keage-Sakura and Robert Oster Cherry Blossom.

Although Adzuki-iro isn’t a super sheeny ink, it does exhibit a bit of green sheen when it pools.

The ink performs quite well in my TWSBI stub (I’ve been using it for several weeks), though the shading characteristics are much more noticeable in wider nibs.

I really love this ink. It is not as flashy as Iroshizuku Yama-Budo, which makes it much more versatile--it is dark enough in finer nibs that you could definitely use it at work and for correspondence. In wider nibs, its lovely burgundy-pink tones and shading make it a great choice for cards, art, and calligraphy.

You can purchase a 40ml bottle of Adzuki-iro from Vanness Pens for $28.00. You might want to hurry, though. Since this is a limited edition color that I am crazy about, I may wind up purchasing whatever Vanness has left in stock!

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

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Kamio Japan Paco-Tray Pen Case Review

(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. And check out her first novel, The Bone Weaver’s Orchard, now available where books are sold!)

I'm eternally delighted by the many ways a simple concept like a pen case can be made new and exciting and clever. The Kamio Japan Paco-Tray Pen Case is all of those things. It appears as a simple rectangular cuboid--not very big, not ornate or fancy--but put into practice, it's a wee genius of a thing.

It's a clamshell-style, nylon canvas case, with the zip opening lengthwise across the front and side edges. It has a double zipper, which is always a plus. When opened, the inside lining blooms like an accordion into three separate trays. Magnets in the spine snap together to hold the case open. When you close it, the dividers hold the contents nested in those trays, so everything stays neat and orderly and is easy to find when you need it. If you overstuff the pockets (lol if), there may be a few things that smoosh out into other compartments, but otherwise it does a great job of keeping things separated. When the case is closed, the magnet in the spine can be used to attach the case to a metal surface, like the front of a desk drawer.

Despite its small size, the case can hold a surprisingly large number of pens. A few dozen easily, plus accessories. It is, alas, too short to hold some wood case pencils at their full length, but once they've been sharpened down a bit, they'd fit, too. The rectangle shape makes it easy to fit in bags alongside books and other pen cases.

One downside is that you can't just open one end of the case and dig out a random pen. Because of that tray lining, the case has to be opened the whole way to get to anything. So, it's great for sitting down to a work station, but not great for quick access.

It is, overall, one of my favorite pen cases that I've reviewed. I love compartments, and I love the way the magnet keeps the case open. It doesn't so much hold your pens as present them to you, like the small treasures they are. At $16 on JetPens, it's also a really good price. If you need more ways to carry your pens (lol if), this is a great tool for the job.

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

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Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!