The Pen Addict Podcast: Episode 424 - Keyboard Addict

Italian pens … and keyboards? (Amalfi Keycap set, via The Key Company)

The content creep is real when it comes to mechanical keyboards. Myke looks at why there is huge crossover potential between them and fountain pens, but don’t worry, we won’t live up to the show title this week. Maybe. I also talk about what I have been using recently, which includes a lot of good, but some not so much.

Show Notes & Download Links

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Traveler's Company Brass Fountain Pen 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 latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)

Traveler's Company is already well known for their fantastic notebook systems and line of stationery products with a classic, vintage aesthetic. I've enjoyed their notebooks, accessories, pencils, and writing utensils before, but this is the first fountain pen of theirs that I've used. I'm really quite happy with it. It isn't perfect, but it does its job well.

The Traveler’s Company Brass Fountain Pen pen is made from - you guessed it - brass, so it has a hefty weight to it, despite its small size. They've kept it quite thin, though, so it's not as heavy as many other brass pens I've used. When capped, it's very small and resembles a brass bullet casing, but when pulled out of its lid and posted, it's the size of a normal fountain pen. It has a flexible steel clip that is removable, and a lanyard loop on the top of the cap. The top unscrews to allow you to remove the clip, if you like. There are some decorative grooves hammered into the top, and the words "Traveler's Company Made in Japan" are engraved on the barrel. Otherwise there are no decorations to distract from its minimal design.

The pen is uncapped by pulling on the bottom of the pen. The cap is friction fit with some ridges that grip the pen body. The bottom part that you pull is a bit small and has no texture, so it is sometimes hard to uncap. If you've just put lotion on, it's probably not going to work. The pen body is short and narrow, similar to a Kaweco Liliput. Large hands may struggle with the narrow grip, but I found it comfortable to hold, even without posting. Keep in mind that if you use it on a lanyard, you won't be able to post it very easily, which might be a problem if you have larger hands. Or even regular sized hands.

The section unscrews from the body for inserting a standard international short cartridge. I'm not aware of any converters that will fit this wee pen. It does come with some cartridges, though, that can be refilled with bottled ink if you have a blunt syringe.

The nib is a fine #5 nib with "Traveler's Company" engraved in it. Mine writes very well. It's firm but not too scratchy and has excellent flow. It's not too wet, and the line is fine enough that it works well on scrap paper or in pocket notebooks that don't typically handle fountain pens well. Which is perfect, as that is what I typically use my pocket pens for.

The best part about this pen, besides its excellent portability, is that it ages with character, much like the Traveler's Company notebooks do. The brass begins to patina almost immediately, and even after just a few weeks of use, it's starting to look more like a family heirloom instead of something I just got in the mail. If you like to keep your pens shiny, that might be a downside, but I love it.

At $57, it's a reasonable price. It feels a bit steep for something so small, but the brass is very nice and it functions well. I love that it's small enough that I really can fit it in my pockets--which I can't actually do with a lot of pocket pens, because I have girl pockets. It's been great to have with me at work, and its ruggedness means I'm not worried about damaging it. I think it could use some texture to make it easier to pull open, but otherwise I think this is a fantastic little pen.

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

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Cult Pens x Caran d'Ache 849 Ballpoint Pen Review

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

The Caran d'Ache 849 ballpoint pen is a classic design that catches nearly everyone's eye. It's prevalent enough to be seen on Amazon, but still difficult to discover unless you happen to be in the right circles with the right browsing and shopping habits for a recommendation to pop up. Once you see one, it's easy to see why they're popular due to the unique barrel shape and vibrant color options. Plus, they're not terribly expensive in terms of premium ballpoint pens.

The 849 I have the pleasure of using today is a custom color provided by Cult Pens. The dark blue on the pen matches their online branding, but it also happens to look particularly handsome on this hexagonal body. Aside from the color, you won't find any other differences on the pen itself to distinguish itself from the regular lineup of color options. But, it does come in a nice case that features a hinge and small magnets that keep it shut. It's satisfying to open and close, and I just couldn't bring myself to throw it out even though I have a pretty ruthless rule of always throwing out or recycling packaging. The case is the only object that has any branding on it, with a prominent "Cult Pens" logo on the top side of the tin.

For the uninitiated, the 849 is a fantastic ballpoint pen, and it also comes in a variety of other formats as well, including mechanical pencil and fountain pen. Across the lineup, the design language is identical. They all feature the sleek hexagonal body with a smooth tapered cone. The body is uniform in color and is one solid piece, so the only accents come from the recognizable clip and the nock on top. In most models, these are a shiny chrome color, but you'll see some slight variance (like a completely black version) in some models. There is some small branding on the body of the pen: a small "SWISS MADE" stamp between the top of the clip and the nock, and a small "849 Caran D'Ache" logo underneath the clip arm. It's easy to miss if you aren't paying attention, and I've always enjoyed the minimal branding on this lineup of writing instruments.

So, if the body is one piece, how does one access the refill? Great question! To swap out the refill, you unscrew the nock. The entire retractable mechanism/assembly comes out and then you can just tilt the pen forward to drop out the refill. Thankfully, the spring inside the body stays in place when gravity would otherwise pull it out of the pen, undoubtedly getting lost on the floor. To reinstall the refill, just drop it into the body, put the retractable assembly back in place, push the nock down and twist slightly to let the threads gain a hold, and then screw it back down until it's tight. It's definitely a unique method for switching refills, but I love it if it means the pen body is one piece!

Speaking of the refill, Caran d'Ache uses their own proprietary refill for these pens — the Caran d'Ache Goliath. It's roughly the same size as a standard Parker-style refill, but it uses a proprietary ink formula. The ink is actually really good, and it's come to be one of my favorites. It always has a little trouble with cold starts after being stored for more than a day, but once it starts writing after a couple of squiggle lines, it's smooth, dark, and consistent. It's one of those dependable refills that never lets you down, and I love it for that. You can swap in a standard Parker-style refill in this pen even though the refills aren't the same length. The Parker ballpoint tip protrudes an extra millimeter or two in this pen, but you could either ignore it, or trim it down fairly easily. This is an easy way to use different types and colors of inks in this pen since Caran d'Ache only offers Fine, Medium, and Bold styles of Black, Blue, Red, and Green ink in their Goliath line.

The Caran d'Ache 849 by Cult Pens is a fantastic ballpoint pen for any occasion. It's a super dependable pen at a great price, and you really can't beat the unique aesthetic the 849 offers.

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

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