Five Pens to Try – May 2016 Update

by AndrewMay 27, 2016May 28, 2016

This week, Pens and Junk reaches two milestones: 100 posts and 25,000 page views. To many it may be a relatively minor accomplishment, but I thought it worth commemorating with a quick look back. After all, I wrote my original Top Five list after reviewing my first 25 pens back in October of last year, and things have changed a lot since then – keen observers will notice that only one pen has retained its spot on this list.

So, to cut the waffling short, here are the five pens that you should be checking out:

1. For Your Pen Cup: Pentel Energel Deluxe RTX

Pentel Energel Deluxe RTX

The Pentel Energel is relatively inexpensive, durable, comfortable, and it has an ink that’s both smooth and dark. This is really a great pen to have laying about in your work area, and it comes in a variety of colors and tip sizes. And if you really like this pen, you can get a stainless steel version for under $10.

2. Your “Nice” Pen: Retro 51 Tornado

Retro 1951 Tornado

It’s safe to assume that the Retro 51 Tornado is a mainstay in my collection. Since buying my first one in August of last year, I’ve gotten three more for myself and given a few more as gifts. Tons of different designs are available, and it’s a great option if you’re thinking about upgrading your writing experience. And while many nicer pens go for $100 or more, you can get a Tornado for as little as $20.

3. Your On-The-Move Pen: Fisher Cap-O-Matic Space Pen

Fisher Cap-O-Matic Space Pen

If you need a compact pen that can write in variety of situations, the Fisher Cap-O-Matic is the way to go. The pressurized Space Pen ink cartridge will write upside-down on wet paper, if you need it to. Though, I still really like my Tombow Airpress, the slim, metal body of the Cap-O-Matic makes it a bit more pocket friendly.

4. Your Everyday Writer: BIC Intensity

Bic Intensity

With its porous-point tip, the BIC Intensity produces crisp lines that will make anybody’s handwriting look better. I almost always have one of these pens at hand. If you can’t find the Intensity, the Sharpie Pen is a great alternative, though it’s slightly less durable.

5. A Pen to Fix Your Mistakes: Pilot Frixion

Pilot Frixion

Let’s face it, most erasable pens on the market are pure garbage. Pilot, on the other hand, has really broken the mould with the heat-activated ink inside the Frixion. The ink comes smooth and dark, and it erases like a dream. If you always wanted to do your math homework in pen, this is for you.

So that’s it. I hope you were able to find something interesting and something new. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to email me at atb@pensandjunk.com or leave a comment below.

Review: BIC Orange, Ballpoint, 0.8mm

by AndrewMay 18, 2016May 18, 2016

If you pick up a BIC Orange today, it will probably feel very familiar. Introduced in 1961, it isn’t a major departure from its 1950s ballpoint predecessor, the BIC Cristal (the most ubiquitous pen in the world). In comparison, the Orange’s cap is slightly longer, the hexagonal barrel is rounded-off a bit near one end, and, of course, the pen’s barrel is orange instead of clear. The only major difference is that the Orange has a finer point – 0.8mm, as opposed to the 1.0mm of the Cristal.

It’s a reliable and capable pen, and it’s exactly what you’d expect an economy-priced ballpoint to be. Really, there’s nothing notable about the writing experience. Search around the internet, however, and you’ll find that the Orange has its fair share devotees. For example, Lou Antonelli writes fondly of the pen on his blog, This Way to Texas, reminiscing of the time he spent using it as a child, learning to read and write. And if Amazon product reviews are anything to go by, a lot of people seem to share this nostalgia.

Unfortunately, the Orange was discontinued in the U.S. in 2000 due to “changes in market conditions,” according to an e-mail from BIC. However, it is still available pretty much everywhere else in the world. So if you’re an American who finds that the Orange stirs up the old emotions, you can pick up a pack on your next trip to Canada. Otherwise, if you’re just looking for a cheap ballpoint with a finer tip, it’s a lot easier to get your hands on a 0.8mm BIC Round Stic.

Nib Novice, Part 4: Counterfeit Lamy Safari

by AndrewMay 9, 2016May 9, 2016

Note: this post is the fourth part of a series in which I’m learning about fountain pens. For Part 1, click here. For part 2, click here. For Part 3, click here.

When I first began looking into fountain pens, my eye immediately turned to the Lamy Safari. I love the colorful options and the slick, modern design. So, for a little more than $20, I snagged one from Amazon and looked forward to inking it up. But when I finally broke it out of its packaging, it quickly turned into a frustrating and disappointing experience.

Instead of an ink cartridge like the Zebra V-301 and Sheaffer Calligrapher, the Lamy Safari came with a cartridge converter, which is basically just the refillable version of a standard ink cartridge. It’s really pretty easy to use: (1.) pop the converter into the pen like you would with a normal cartridge, (2.) dip the pen’s nib into a bottle of ink, then (3.) use use the converter’s plunger to suck the ink up and into the pen. Pen Chalet has a 2-minute video explaining the process.

Unfortunately, when I attempted this simple procedure myself, the ink I used immediately clogged up the pen. I could get no ink to flow at all. So I cleaned the pen and the converter – a tedious process that involves a lot of water rinses – and refilled it with a different ink. This time, instead of clogging up the pen, the new ink began to leak all over the place. Did I do something wrong? Did I choose the wrong ink? Did I break the pen somehow? I couldn’t understand why I was having so much trouble.

Before I let my irritation compel me to throw the Safari out the window, I decided to consult with the fountain pen fans at Reddit, who suggested replacing the converter – perhaps the one that came with the pen was faulty. Luckily, I had ordered an extra one, so I tried it. And for a little while the pen seemed to work, but I soon realized that the leaking didn’t actually stop, it just slowed. Whenever I removed the cap, ink still smeared all over the pen and all over my hands. After a couple days of this, I was done with this pen.

So I sat down to write this post, unhappy and exasperated, when I stumbled onto a blog by Goldspot Pens. I was looking to see if others had similarly poor experiences with the Lamy Safari, and it turned out that many indeed had. Only these problems weren’t with real Lamy Safari fountain pens, they were with Safari counterfeits.

Reading further, my experiences matched closely with a blog by The Desk of Lori and a post on the FPGeeks Forum. Counterfeit Lamy Safari fountain pens seem to be sold through third party sellers on Amazon and eBay, and there are a fair few differences when comparing one to a real Lamy Safari. Small differences are easy to spot with both in hand, but the major difference is that these counterfeits are known to be barely functional. Fortunately and to Amazon’s credit, I was issued a full refund without being asked to return the counterfeit.

When I finally ordered a real Lamy Safari – this time from Goldspot, since their PSA alerted me to the counterfeit issue in the first place – my experience was much better. I chose a limited edition Neon Yellow color with an extra fine nib, and I inked it up with a bottle of Levenger’s Raven Black ink. And though the ink was more gray than I expected and the extra-fine a little too fine for my taste, I’m a lot happier.

I still have some issues with fountain pens, but they mostly come from still being a newbie. I press down a little too hard on the paper, and I fumble to get the nib turned the correct way. But, hopefully, this will all improve with time.

Review: InkWorks Captain America Pens, Gel Ink, 0.7mm

by AndrewMay 4, 2016May 4, 2016

My excitement about the upcoming Captain America movie was obvious when I ordered this set of Captain America gel pens by InkWorks. In fact, I didn’t even care that they were technically made for the last Captain America movie, The Winter Soldier; I just wanted to inject a little Marvel into my day-to-day. Unfortunately, InkWorks puts its focus on style and forgets about usability, so my initial excitement waned as I attempted use these pens to write.

While I do appreciate the red, white, and blue color-scheme of the dual-designs, it was definitely not worth the $8 I paid for this 2-pack. That said, the pens are moderately functional, as long as you’re okay with ink that tends to blob and skip. The grip is somewhat comfortable, and the clip has a neat wave-y design, though it feels brittle and cheap.

Regardless, these pens would perhaps go over well with kids in grade-school who love superhero movies. And if superheroes aren’t their thing, InkWorks also makes these same pens for The Beatles, My Little Pony, and the NHL’s Ottawa Senators (among others). But if you’re buying these pens for yourself to use, don’t expect to be marveled by them (ha ha!).

Notes on Chicago Edition Field Notes

by AndrewApril 29, 2016April 29, 2016

Field Notes is constantly creating new editions. Sometimes it’s done for their subscription service, sometimes it’s done for a conference, and sometimes it’s done just for fun. That’s basically the explanation given when they put out the Chicago Edition notebook this winter. According to their website, “it’s just a little something we whipped up to keep ourselves busy and warm as our temperature drops below zero.”

But the Chicago edition is essentially a clone of the standard Kraft Field Notes, and, really, there’s nothing negative I can say about that. It’s a pocket-sized notebook that uses the “packing brown” cover stock with 50# graph paper innards. There is, however, one main difference; the Chicago flag, in all its municipal glory, is printed on the cover.

FieldNotes-chicagoandflag

Unlike most of the other special edition Field Notes, this one hasn’t been called “limited,” so it’s currently still available on the Field Notes website. It’s a neat edition for anyone who has a personal connection to Chicago, especially if you’re already a Field Notes fan. It would probably make a pretty good gift too, just remember that bringing a pack of these notebooks north of the Wisconsin-Illinois border is probably not a good idea.

Additional Notes:

The Field Notes Headquarters also resides in Chicago, hence this edition.
… But even the Field Notes website admits, the Washington D.C. flag is better.
Of the 30 “Practical Applications” listed in the notebooks’ inside-back cover, my favorites are the following: #03. “CAH Card Ideas”; #17. “Threadless Tee Ideas”; and #27. “Rat Proliferation Documentation.”