The Pen Addict Podcast: Episode 525 - Don’t Leave Me

Washington D.C. Pen Show recap coverage has begun to trickle in, and Myke and I dig into the goings on at one of the biggest pen shows in the US. We also discuss my radio appearance this week, plus I drop a new collaboration announcement.

Show Notes & Download Links

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Gravitas Pens Polycarbonate Big Dropper 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!)

I call this meeting of the Gravitas Pens Fan Club to order. We're here to discuss the Polycarbonate Big Dropper, a pen so cool it might require its own fan club within the larger Gravitas fan club.

The pen's most obvious features are evident in its name--this is a big pen made of polycarbonate that is perfect for eyedropper use (though it also takes a cartridge or converter). The polycarbonate is very lightweight and nearly indestructible. The model sent to me has a beautiful strawberry-coral ombre tint at each end--a feature I don't currently see listed in the shop, but hopefully it will be, as it is stunning.

The lightly grooved grip section is made of coated stainless steel. It's comfortable to hold, and the weight of the steel compared to the lighter body of the pen makes it feel settled in your hand as you write. It has great balance in the hand and works very well for long writing sessions. Which is good, because when eyedroppered it holds a LOT of ink.

The ridges in the grip are not rough, with just enough texture to make it non-slip, and the threads behind the grip are very smooth and unobtrusive. The threads have o-rings both on the section and on the cap threads, so when it's eyedroppered there's little chance of leaking, though it is encouraged to put a bit of silicone grease on the sections threads as well.

Gravitas produces their own nibs which will fit any pen with Jowo #6 threads. I have three Gravitas pens and all the nibs I have run broad and wet compared to typical western nibs, but I've heard others say theirs run dry, so it may be that there's some variation there. Every one I've tried writes well, though. They're all very smooth, which I like in a nib. The feedback is minimal and depends on the paper.

I've really enjoyed writing with this pen over the past month. I reach for it often. I'm finding that I want to keep all my Gravitas pens perpetually inked, which could be a problem if I keep acquiring them, which I certainly hope I do. The brand is taking over my pen case. That is not a complaint.

The Gravitas Polycarbonate Big Dropper sells for 95 Euros, which is pretty much equivalent to the U.S. dollar at the time of writing. That price is ridiculously good. It's too low, frankly. There's a pocket-size version for the same price, which I'll need, especially if the color tinting becomes available. Just be cautious browsing the Gravitas site, because everything is as awesome as it looks and you might be overcome with temptation. Meeting adjourned.

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

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Anderillium Shoebill Stork Grey Ink Review

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

Just a few weeks ago, I looked at an Anderillium ink that was quite interesting, but only had limited use cases for me. Today, I'm excited to be talking about another Anderillium ink -- and this one is great for all writing purposes.

Anderillium Shoebill Stork Grey is a beautiful gray ink with a lot of great shading behavior. In most cases, ink descriptions in the marketing materials are brief, but I recommend reading about the bird that serves as a namesake for this broody ink.

A tall and terrifying bird. (Image via Audubon.org)

Naming and birds aside, this is a solid ink. It comes in the same jam jar as other inks in the same Avian series, which makes it incredibly easy to fill pens due to the large mouth. The small glass jar and flat lid also make it easy to store. At 1.5 oz or 42 ml, it holds a good amount of ink as well. You likely won't run run out quickly.

Looking at the color of this ink, it's really similar to Diamine's Earl Grey or Robert Oster's Chicago. It's in the same family of hue, and looks fantastic on paper. The shading is the real star of this ink, though. The main color is a medium-dark gray, but the thinner areas have a delightful light gray that adds a lot of visual interest to your writing.

Another surprise that definitely goes on the "pro" list for this ink the amount of time it takes to dry. In my tests with a fairly broad nib, the dry time hovers around the 10-second mark. Not bad at all. You can find other inks that dry faster if that's what you need, but this performance is nothing to criticize.

The other characteristics of how this ink performs are excellent as well. There's no feathering or bleeding, and there's only minimal show-through on the back of the page. It's well-behaved and easy to clean out of your pen when it's time for something new.

What I especially about this gray ink (or any gray ink, for that matter) is that it's decidedly gray. Even in the wettest areas, you can tell it's a gray ink. This isn't a gray-black or a gray-brown. It's simply gray, and it provides several different shades of beautiful gray that remind me of a bird's plumage.

This is a fantastic gray that goes well in any collection. If you'd like to try some out, head over to Anderillium's site to pick up a bottle. At $14.50 for a 42ml bottle, it's a pretty good value. The shading and excellent performance make this an easy choice if you like the color.

(Brad purchased this ink at regular price from Anderillium Ink at the 2022 Atlanta Pen Show.)

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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!