Designer Toolkit: Pilot Metropolitan

in ,

A seriously fun fountain pen

Designer Toolkit is a new weekly series on Sketchbook B that will highlight an analog tool that designers should be using.

 

Why designers will love the Pilot Metropolitan:

Perfect for beginners. A Pilot Metropolitan is an easy fountain pen to start with and at an affordable price point. The Pilot nibs are first rate and easy to write with. Personally, I recommend the Medium nib, but you can compare nibs at Goulet Pens.

Choose your ink. The Metropolitan works with cartridges or a converter so you can use bottled ink. You can choose from an insanely wide range of colored inks and find the perfect signature color.

Colorful and fun. The Pilot Metropolitan comes in a range of colors and patterns that are fun and anything but a traditional fountain pen look. 

 

ThinGs to know:

Converter. The Pilot Metropolitan comes with a “squeeze” converter in the box. For most pens, this is sold separately so it’s great that Pilot includes it. But if you are going to use bottled ink, I recommend purchasing the Pilot CON-50 converter. To me, it’s easier to use and I prefer the twist mechanism over the squeeze version.

Not a lot of ink. Compared to other fountain pens that I own, the Metropolitan doesn’t hold a ton of ink. So if you write a  lot, you’ll need to refill more frequently. Not necessarily a problem... just something to be aware of.

Three styles. Like the look of a Metropolitan, but not ready for a fountain pen? The Metropolitan comes in two additional styles: rollerball and ballpoint. The rollerball has a cap and the ballpoint has a twist action. (In the US, the pens are sometimes marketed under the Pilot MR name.)

 

How much?

A Pilot Metropolitan fountain pen will run you about $15 at Jet Pens, Goulet Pens or Pen Chalet.

Bob Wertz writes about design, technology and pop culture at Sketchbook B. Bob is a Columbia, South Carolina-based designer, creative director, college instructor, husband and dad. He’s particularly obsessed with typography, the creative process and the tools we use to create. In his spare time, he tries (in vain) to improve his handwriting. Follow Bob on Twitter and Instagram.

Designer Toolkit: Iroshizuku bottled ink

in

Vibrant colors. Gorgeous bottle.

Designer Toolkit is a new weekly series on Sketchbook B that will highlight an analog tool that designers should be using.

 

Why designers will love Iroshizuku inks:

Pick your color. The benefit of using a fountain pen is that you can use any color ink you want to, but there are thousands of inks on the market. Where do you start? Iroshizuku inks are distributed by Pilot and have an outstanding range of vibrant and trendy colors to chose from. I've tried five colors and love them all.

Work of art. The ink bottle is a work of art. It’s the type of object that you want to display.

Well behaved. Iroshizuku inks work well in a wide variety of pens, don’t seem to clog the feed on your pen or dry out easily. I’ve had minor issues with some other inks, but not Iroshizuku.

 

Things to know:

Japanese names. All of the Iroshizuku inks color names are in Japanese. So my favorite ink, chiku-rin allegedly translates* to “bamboo forest.” My wife’s pen has a purple name murasaki-shikibu, apparently meaning* “Japanese Beautyberry.”

That’s a lot of ink. When you buy a 50 ml bottle, that enough ink to last you for a very, very, very long time. 

I recommend the sampler. Some retailers sell a sampler set that includes three 15 ml bottles in a cool case. You can pick three inks to try. If you are just getting started, this is the way to go. I’ve got small bottles of green, blue and light brown ink.

 

How much?

At Goulet Pens, a 50 ml bottle of ink costs $28. A three pack of 15 ml bottles costs $32.

*I am very suspicious of these translations.

Bob Wertz writes about design, technology and pop culture at Sketchbook B. Bob is a Columbia, South Carolina-based designer, creative director, college instructor, husband and dad. He’s particularly obsessed with typography, the creative process and the tools we use to create. In his spare time, he wonders how long it will take him to use an entire bottle of ink. Follow Bob on Twitter and Instagram.

Designer Toolkit: Palamino KUM Blackwing Sharpener

in

Two steps. One sharp point.

Designer Toolkit is a new weekly series on Sketchbook B that will highlight an analog tool that designers should be using.

 

Why designers will love the Blackwing Sharpener:

Compact and convenient. If you decide to start using wooden pencils, you'll also need a sharpener. I assumed all handheld sharpeners were garbage because I've never had a good one. The Palamino KUM Blackwing pencil sharpener is a convenient little sharpener that does a great job.

Two holes. The Blackwing Sharpener features two holes — not for two different sized pencils — but instead because sharpening is a two step process. Step one sharpens only the wood. Step two sharpens the lead. The result is a clean, sharp and long point.

Auto stop. You know how electric pencil sharpeners have "auto stop" to keep you from grinding up your pencil. The Blackwing Sharpener has auto stop, too, making it impossible to over sharpen your pencil.

 

Things to know:

Spare blades. The Blackwing Sharpener ships with an extra set of blades. So if you ever feel like your blades are getting dull, you can easily replace them.

Different colors. The Blackwing Sharpeners are available in black and orange. They are also essentially the same as another sharpener by KUM that comes in blue and red, but without the Blackwing branding.

Obviously. The Blackwing Sharpener will work on any pencil, not just Blackwing pencils.

 

How much?

The Palamino KUM Blackwing pencil sharpener is available from Jet Pens for $7.40.

Bob Wertz writes about design, technology and pop culture at Sketchbook B. Bob is a Columbia, South Carolina-based designer, creative director, college instructor, husband and dad. He’s particularly obsessed with typography, the creative process and the tools we use to create. In his spare time, he wonders why it took him so long to rediscover wooden pencils. Follow Bob on Twitter and Instagram.

Designer Toolkit: Hi-Tec-C Coleto N 4 multi pen

in

Make your own multi pen.

Designer Toolkit is a new weekly series on Sketchbook B that will highlight an analog tool that designers should be using.

 

Why designers will lOVE the Coleto N 4 multi pen:

It’s a multi pen! Remember when you were a kid, a multi pen was the most awesome thing ever? Red, Black, Blue and Green ink in one pen? Pretty awesome. Like those pens, the Hi-Tec-C Coleto N 4 is a Japanese multi pen with four different color inks.

It’s a customizable multi pen! Unlike the multi pens you can buy in the United States, the Coleto N 4 is completely customizable. You choose which colors and line thicknesses you want to use. And the Coleto refills have color-coded buttons so you can easily tell what’s loaded. I've got black, red, brown and blue-black ink in my pen right now.

It’s also a really good pen. The Coleto uses Hi-Tec-C refills that come in 0.3 mm, 0.4 mm and 0.5 mm thicknesses. If you haven’t used a Hi-Tec-C before, they provide a sharp, precise line. Great for taking notes or quick sketches.

 

Things to know:

Sold Separately. When you buy a Coleto, you purchase an empty pen body and then refills. You can buy individual colors or buy a pack of 10 refills. 

0.3 mm is really thin. Unless you know that you love 0.3 mm refills, I’d recommend that you start with 0.4 mm or 0.5 mm. The 0.3 mm is fine with dark colors, but is hard to see in some of the brighter colors.

Pencil and eraser. You can even add a mechanical pencil and an eraser to your multi pen. While it’s a cool option, I never quite fell in love with the pencil feature. I'd rather use a dedicated mechanical pencil.

 

HOW MUCH?

The Coleto pen body costs about $3 at Jet Pens. The refills are a couple of dollars a piece, or you can by a pack of 10 for $16.50.

Bob Wertz writes about design, technology and pop culture at Sketchbook B. Bob is a Columbia, South Carolina-based designer, creative director, college instructor, husband and dad. He’s particularly obsessed with typography, the creative process and the tools we use to create. In his spare time, he ponders his favorite color. Follow Bob on Twitter and Instagram.

Designer Toolkit: Blackwing 602 wooden pencil

in

A unique looking pencil

Designer Toolkit is a new weekly series on Sketchbook B that will highlight an analog tool that designers should be using.

 

Why designers will love the Blackwing 602:

A bold, dark line. The Palomino Blackwing 602 is a wooden pencil that provides a bold, dark line. The lead is relatively firm and the point lasts longer than with other pencils. It’s a great all purpose pencil for taking notes or sketching.

Replaceable erasers. Blackwings have replaceable erasers. So you don’t have to worry about using the entire eraser and making the pencil practically unusable. Bonus, you can “hack” your pencils and replace the erasers with colored ones. I’ve got some green erasers that I love.

There’s just something special. If the last pencil you used was a yellow #2, you’ll fall in love with the process of using a wooden pencil. With the 602, there is something special about the smell of the wood, the process of sharpening and smooth grey lacquer finish. It’s a really enjoyable experience that you don’t get from mechanical pencils.

 

Things to know:

Range of pencils. The 602 is part of a range of pencils offered by Blackwing. The original Blackwing is soft. The Blackwing 602 is more firm. And the Blackwing Pearl is somewhere in between. Blackwing also has a subscription service with limited edition versions, some of which are very cool.

You’ll get your hands dirty. I forgot how dirty wooden pencils could be. Graphite all over my hands and in my pencil case. I finally put all my pencil stuff in a separate bag to keep my pens clean.

Get to the point. You’ll need a pencil sharpener. And while any sharpener will work, I recommend the Blackwing long point sharpener, a two-step manual sharpener that delivers an awesome point. Fits great in a pencil bag and costs $7-8.

 

How much?

Blackwings are around $22 for a box of 12. You can get them at a variety of outlets online, but I recommend JetPens or buying from Blackwing direct. JetPens also has colored erasers if you want to customize your look and sharpeners if you need one.

Bob Wertz writes about design, technology and pop culture at Sketchbook B. Bob is a Columbia, South Carolina-based designer, creative director, college instructor, husband and dad. He’s particularly obsessed with typography, the creative process and the tools we use to create. In his spare time, he writes things... in pencil... in a notebook. Follow Bob on Twitter and Instagram.

Designer toolkit: The Lamy Safari fountain pen

in ,

A perfect modern, beginner fountain pen

Designer Toolkit is a new weekly series on Sketchbook B that will highlight an analog tool that designers should be using.

 

Why designers will love the Safari:

Colorful inks. The Lamy Safari is a fountain pen that uses ink cartridges or bottled ink. This means that you can write in an absurdly wide range of ink colors. Find a color that’s close to your favorite Pantone color.

Choose your thickness. The nibs on a Lamy Safari are interchangeable. This means that you can select a thickness that works for you. Like really thin pen strokes? Get an extra fine nib. Want to have some variation in stroke thickness? Buy a 1.1 mm caligraphy nib. Customize the writing experience to be exactly what you want.

Modern look. It’s not a “traditional” looking fountain pen. Most people think of fountain pens as archaic devices with a century old design aestitic. A Lamy Safari has a clean, modern look and comes in a range of colors. It’s definitely not an antique.

 

Things to know:

Converter. If you want to use bottled inks — and trust me, you do — you’ll need to by a converter. It’s a little plastic cartridge that lets you draw the ink from the bottle and costs about $5.

Taking care of your Lamy. You’ll need to spend some time cleaning your pen when you change the ink. Thankfully, there are many online resources that talk you through the process.

Cartridges and bottles. The pen comes with a blue ink cartridge, but if you want to start with a different color, you’ll need to buy some other ink cartridges or bottles of ink. If the idea of buying bottles of ink is intimidating, I recommend starting with some of the Lamy ink cartridges. 

 

How much?

A Lamy Safari costs about $30, depending on where you buy it. I recommend Pen Chalet or Goulet Pens. 

Bob Wertz writes about design, technology and pop culture at Sketchbook B. Bob is a Columbia, South Carolina-based designer, creative director, college instructor, husband and dad. He’s particularly obsessed with typography, the creative process and the tools we use to create. In his spare time, he endlessly searches for a perfect "Sketchbook B" green ink. Follow Bob on Twitter and Instagram.

Designer Toolkit: The Kuru Toga mechanical pencil

in ,

A mechanical pencil with a twist

Red Kuru Toga with red lead

Designer Toolkit is a new weekly series on Sketchbook B that will highlight an analog tool that designers should be using.

 

Why designers will love THE KURU TOGA:

Precise, consistent lines. The Kuru Toga is a Japanese mechanical pencil with a cool trick... the lead rotates every time you pick up the tip of the pencil, keeping the point even and consistent. Great for sketching or taking notes.

Range of thicknesses. Kuru Togas are available in .03, .05 and .07 mm. Pick the line thickness that's perfect for your sketching style. 

Colored lead. Some Kuru Togas come with colored lead to match their body color. I've got a red Kuru Toga with red lead (pictured above) that's great for marking up proofs. 

 

Things to know:

U.S. vs Japanese models. In U.S. retail channels, you can find a limited selection of Kuru Togas, so you can pick up a basic model at your local Staples. But if you want more options — and trust me, you do — order from a company like Jet Pens and select from a wider variety. 

Disney edition. Love Mickey? You can get Japanese Disney-themed Kuru Togas through Jet Pens. 

 

How much?

The Uni Kuru Toga starts at about $5. You can find the entire range at Jet Pens.

Bob Wertz writes about design, technology and pop culture at Sketchbook B. Bob is a Columbia, South Carolina-based designer, creative director, college instructor, husband and dad. He’s particularly obsessed with typography, the creative process and the tools we use to create. In his spare time, he apparently talks too much about pens and pencils. Follow Bob on Twitter and Instagram.

Beyond Moleskines, Field Notes and Sharpies

in ,

Finding the best tools for designers

Designers love their Moleskines, Field Notes and Sharpies. And all of these are great tools. Go to any meeting of designers, look around and that’s pretty much all you see.

But about a year ago, I discovered the Pen Addict podcast and an entirely new world of pens, pencils and paper. A range of outstanding tools for writing and sketching that I never knew existed. Modern fountain pens. Japanese pens you can’t get in the standard US retail channels. Nice mechanical pencils. Wooden pencils. Sharpeners. New notebook brands.

Very few designers seem to know about the range of options that are out there and I really think designers would enjoy these writing instruments.

So I’m starting a new weekly series: Designer Toolkit.

Each Friday, I’ll profile a pen, pencil or paper product and tell you why designers should try it out. (The first post — about the Kuru Toga mechanical pencil — is already up.) And since many of these materials aren’t available in your local office supply store, I’ll let you know where you can get them.

These new tools may or may not replace your Moleskines, Field Notes and Sharpies. But they will open up a whole world of tools that you didn’t even know existed.

Bob Wertz writes about design, technology and pop culture at Sketchbook B. Bob is a Columbia, South Carolina-based designer, creative director, college instructor, husband and dad. He’s particularly obsessed with typography, the creative process and the tools we use to create. In his spare time, he talks too much about pens and pencils. Follow Bob on Twitter and Instagram.