Author: Andrew

Looking Ahead to 2020

by Andrew

I think it’s fair to say that 2019, for me, was crazy busy. Here are a few of my yearly highlights: I ran the Chicago Marathon, traveled to Thailand, built a computer, got obsessed with Apex Legends, and, last but not least, I got married! I had an amazing year, but it unfortunately didn’t leave me with a lot of time to dedicate to this blog.

Still, I managed to pump out 19 posts. which included a book review, a couple of off-topic blogs, and even a pencil review. My most popular post of the year was a review of the IKEA Fullfölja from back in January 2018. That’s a good pen, but as for my 2019 Pen of the Year, I have to go with a recent purchase, the Lamy Safari Ballpoint, which just has a great design.

For 2020, as usual, I have a few goals:

  1. Publish at least 20 posts. Among them, I’d like to do another off-topic blog because I have a lot of fun writing those, and I’d like to complete another book review or two as well.
  2. Post an increase in page views. I was down again this year by 15%, and I think I can do better.
  3. Do something for charity with this blog. This is something I’ve been meaning to do every year, but it always manages to get away from me.

Fortunately, life will continue to be busy for me. I’ll be traveling a lot this year (for my honeymoon, for a destination wedding, and I’ll also be headed to Berlin to run the marathon). And we can’t forget that there will be another U.S. Presidential Election in 2020, which I’m sure will be exciting (in ways good and bad).

I’m also looking forward to the Tokyo Summer Olympics, as well as the new James Bond movie set to be released in April, and I’m cautiously optimistic about the new Bill & Ted movie. Oh, and I’m totally going to get one of those Playstation 5s when they come out.

This upcoming year has the potential to be a great one, and I wish the best to you all for 2020!

Review: Lamy Safari, Ballpoint, Medium Point

by Andrew

After my recent disappointment with the Lamy Tipo, I was a little reluctant to purchase another Lamy product so quickly. However, I’ve had good experiences with Lamy in the past, and I generally like the creativity in the company’s designs. So, after reading good things about the Lamy Safari Ballpoint, I decided to give it a shot – and I’m glad I did.

In all honesty, the Safari ballpoint seems like an odd choice for anyone who already owns the Safari in the much more popular fountain pen format, but it’s surprising how different the two designs actually are from each other when you have them side-by-side. Of course, both versions have the iconic U-shaped clip, and the indented grip sections are very similar. But everything else is quite different.

The ballpoint version has a rounded barrel, as opposed to the flattened-sides of the fountain pen version, and it’s also retractable. So the ballpoint version completely lacks a cap, which has been replaced by a knock that resembles an accordion. And, since the ballpoint refill is an enclosed metal tube, the ballpoint Safari has no need for an ink window.

It’s a unique design that, like it’s fountain pen counterpart, is produced in a bunch of colors. Mine is a mint green that was part of a limited edition run, but in person it is very reminiscent of Tiffany blue (it will be confiscated by my wife shortly after I finish this review). But red, black, and blue versions seem to be widely available, and new colors are frequently released.

I do have a couple of minor complaints that are still worth mentioning. First, the knock has a somewhat squeaky/rusty sound to it. I’d almost like to open it up to add some WD-40. And the (Lamy M16) refill, though it is relatively smooth and dark for a ballpoint, seems to skip in and out on occasion. So you might need a piece of scratch paper handy to get the ink flow started now and then.

Otherwise, this is a really nice pen, and Lamy did a lot of work to make it feel different from its fountain pen counterpart. It’s light weight, comfortable to hold, and it feels like a high quality product. So if you’re a in the market for a nice, colorful ballpoint, you won’t go wrong with the Safari.

Review: Lamy Tipo, Rollerball, Medium Point

by Andrew

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Lamy is a company known for their innovative pen designs, and you can tell by the look of it that this streak has continued with the Lamy Tipo. Like Lamy’s Dailog 2, the Tipo has a unique retracting mechanism, but unlike the Dialog 2, the Tipo is relatively inexpensive, usually selling between $10-$15. This is possibly the least expensive pen that Lamy sells, and so I was obviously interested in trying it out. But, unfortunately, that low price turned out to be a bad omen.

But first, the good: the Tipo has a rather slick design. It has a smooth plastic barrel and a ribbed plastic grip section that slowly tapers toward the tip. It comes in all sorts of colors, and it manages to feel high quality, even with its all-plastic construction. Lamy’s (proprietary) M66 rollerball refill is also very nice if you like thick, dark lines.

The clip and the retracting mechanism, however, drove me a little crazy. To eject the pen, the clip has to be slid down to catch a little hole on the side of the barrel. It’s simple and works fine most of the time, but you have to be very deliberate about it or it won’t catch, which can be mildly annoying.

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But the big flaw, in my opinion, is that the plastic clip is thin and flimsy. If it gets bent or if it breaks (which is what happened to me), then the pen is simply no longer functional. Without the clip, you cannot eject the tip of the refill.

In my opinion, Lamy should have made the clip out of a more durable material, even if it meant charging an extra dollar or two. This would have made the Tipo easier to retract/eject while also making it more durable. But designed as is, I cannot recommend this pen to anyone.

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Extra Links

  • There is an aluminum version, which might be more durable, but I cannot vouch for it.
  • A review over at Inkdependence has a good photo of Lamy’s clam shell packaging, which may honestly be the best part of the Tipo. I also like the look of that orange version. But, alas, this reviewer shares the same frustrations with the clip.
  • According to The Pen Addict, if you don’t like Lamy’s proprietary refill, you can substitute the Pilot G-2 refill. Worth considering if you end up purchasing this pen, as the G-2 has many more color and size options.

Review: Faber-Castell 1423, Ballpoint, 0.5mm

by Andrew

While visiting the Somjai stationery store in Thailand earlier this year, I only purchased two pens. The first was the uni-ball Laknock (you can read that review here), and the second was this, the Faber-Castell 1423 Ball Pen. At 10 Thai Baht (about $1 USD), it’s not an expensive or fancy pen, but what drew me to it was the Faber-Castell name, which is primarily known to me as a high quality pencil manufacturer. As it turns out, they do manufacture plenty of pens as well, and so I was looking forward to trying one out.

Well, the 1423 doesn’t scream “premium quality” with its looks. The design is simple, and its body is entirely plastic. Probably the first thing I noticed was that the cap secures and posts very tightly. But when I got to writing with it, the overall experience was pretty good. The ink goes down dark and smooth, and it produces a clean line. However, the ink is also quite wet and will smear if you don’t give it a few extra seconds to dry.

Oddly, the 1423 feels more like a liquid ink (rollerball) pen than a ballpoint, which traditionally use oil-based inks that don’t tend to smear very much. Regardless, I like this pen, and I’ll find some use for it. But I wouldn’t suggest going all the way to a Thai stationery store to get one. A pen like the Pilot Acroball will provide a similar writing experience.

Retro Talk: Stealthy Terabyte 2.0

by Andrew

Back in 2015, Retro 51 and Anderson Pens released the original Terabyte Tornado as a limited edition of 500. I loved the design, and, having assumed it would be a hot item, I pre-ordered one immediately. It turns out that it actually took a couple of years to move all those pens, but it was apparently still successful enough to launch a follow up: The Terabyte 2.0

I like the barrel design of the Terabyte 2.0. However, as far as I can tell, it’s identical to the original – hidden Anderson Pen’s logo and all – except that the green motherboard color has been replaced with black. Beyond that, there isn’t much to say about this pen that I didn’t already mention in my write-up for the 1.0.

This disc at the top of the 2.0’s twist even popped off, just like it did for the original. Luckily, that’s an easy fix with some super glue.

I like the stealthy style of the 2.0, but Retro 51 and Anderson Pens probably could have done a little more to make it stand apart – acid etching or a new circuit pattern, for example. That disc at the top has a new bull’s-eye pattern, I guess, but that is hardly significant. It’s really more of a version 1.1.

So, if you feel that you missed out on the Terabyte 1.0, then you’ll be pleased with the Terabyte 2.0. But unlike the original Terabyte, the 2.0 isn’t a limited or numbered edition, so there’s probably no need to rush your order.

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