The Pen Addict returns to the Atlanta Pen Show

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Catch the Pen Addict Live!

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I’ve been talking about Kickstarter projects lately and here’s another one: The Pen Addict is doing a live show at the Atlanta Pen Show again this year.*

My wife and I went last spring and I posted a recap of the experience. I instantly backed this year’s project and can’t wait to go again. Backing the project includes an opportunity to see the show recorded live. It's fun to see a live recording of one of my favorite podcasts. I’m also excited to get a special Nock Co. Sapelo that holds a couple of pens and small notebooks. Looks sharp, even if the inside color is orange.**

It’s already funded, but if you are near Atlanta, want to see a Relay FM live recording and meet a bunch of podcasters that you routinely listen to, back the project today. I’ll see you there.

* This year's Kickstarter includes sending Myke to the Washington D.C. Pen Show, too. No live recording, though.

** As a Gamecock fan, I try to avoid all things orange.

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 everyone in the pen world is obsessed with the color orange. Follow Bob on Twitter and Instagram.

Designer Toolkit: Pilot Metropolitan

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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.

First impressions: Lamy Charged Green

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I'm a big fan of both Lamy fountain pens and the color green. So when Lamy announced a limited edition "Charged Green" AL-Star and a matching ink, it jumped to the top of my wish list. My pen and ink arrived last week so here are my quick first impressions.

It's a Lamy. If you've used a Lamy Safari or another AL-Star, it's exactly what you expect. Clean lines. Functional. Polarizing grip. (Personally, I love the grip.)

Charged Green. The finish is a nice shade of green, but a tad lighter than I was expecting. Very pretty and sophisticated shade. Much classier than my other green pen, a Neon Lime Lamy Safari.

Extra fine. I ordered an extra fine nib, but pretty much planned to replace it with a 1.1 mm calligraphy nib. I gave the Lamy extra fine nib a chance though and I love it. The 1.1 is still my favorite, but the extra fine is a very close second. (One of the awesome things about Lamy pens is the interchangeable nibs. I love being able to switch out nibs and try out new widths. Now that I've got an extra fine nib, I've got all the Lamy nib sizes except for the 1.7 mm calligraphy.)

Too light. While the pen is wonderful, the Charged Green ink is disappointing. I inked up my Neon Lime Lamy Safari with the Charged Green ink and a wide, 1.5 mm calligraphy nib. Even with the wide nib, the ink almost disappears into the page. It's far too light to use regularly. Like last year's neon lime ink, it's almost a highlighter ink.

Classic bottle. While I may be disappointed in the color of the ink, I love the Lamy ink bottle. It's a sharp, functional design and even sports an integrated roll of blotting paper. Too bad I have a massive amount of ink that I will rarely use...

I've got my new Charged Green Lamy AL-Star inked up with Noodler's General of the Armies. I'm going to leave on the extra fine nib and use it as my everyday pen. I'm really happy with the pen so far, but still looking for that perfect green ink.

Linked: Goulet Pens matches Pantone's Colors of the Year →

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Last month, I posted a note about Pantone and fountain pen inks. Specifically, one of my thoughts was that someone could market special edition "Color of the Year" inks and pens.

Well, Goulet Pens has a blog post that lists inks and pens that match up nicely with Pantone's Colors of the Year: Rose Quartz and Serenity. A nice post, beautifully photographed. 

Request: Pantone inks for Fountain Pens

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Last week, Pantone released their Colors of the Year for 2016: Rose Quartz and Serenity. Pantone’s product line and army of licensing parters has expanded over the last decade. They’ve never been scared to extend their brand to another product line. And so it’s surprising to me that Pantone has never offered ink for fountain pens. 

There are all sorts of products that have licensed the Pantone brand including hotels and restaurants. They’ve expanded their brand from providing a common color reference for printers and designers to becoming a worldwide authority on color.

Considering their expertise with press inks, it would seem like a natural fit. Partner with a company like Lamy, Pilot or J. Herbin to offer a range of fountain pen inks that match the most popular Pantone colors. I personally would purchase several bottles of Pantone 202* ink to use at work. 

They could leverage the color of the year by releasing an annual limited edition ink color based on the Pantone Color of the Year. Maybe even some special limited edition pens. I would buy a Lamy Safari Limited Edition Pantone Color of the Year pen.

As a designer, the Pantone brand is well connected to my professional life. I really do think that partnering with Pantone to offer products for fountain pens would seriously increase interest in fountain pens and inks from designers. 

I don’t know enough about the economics of fountain pens and inks to know if there is enough profit margin in the industry to make it feasible. But personally, I’d love to see Pantone fountain pen ink on the market.

* Pantone 202 is the official color of the University of South Carolina – my alma mater and my employer.

A designer's guide to fountain pens

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Designers tend to be selective about what pens they use. I've recently fallen in love with fountain pens, but I rarely see other designers using them. A fountain pen is a great addition to a designer's arsenal of writing implements. 

Fountain pens allow you to select a design and color that fits you, a nib that works for your writing style and an unique ink color.

If you are a designer thinking about buying a fountain pen, here's a quick guide to getting started.

Where do I buy a fountain pen

You typically won't find fountain pens at the local Staples or Target. Online retailers like Goldspot Pens, Goulet Pens or Pen Chalet offer a wide range of brands and styles. 

Depending on where you live, a local specialty store may be an option. There isn't a store here in Columbia, but there's a great store up the road in Asheville, NC. The obvious benefit of buying from a store is being able to see and try things out and talk to a knowledgable staff.

Fountain pens range in price from a few bucks to hundreds of dollars. You'll find pens made from just about every material -- from plastic to gold.

The least expensive pens are disposable, but the real fun comes with reusable pens.

At first the number of choices can be overwhelming, but there are lots of resources online where you can research your options. I'd start with a blog like the Pen Addict, where they review pens and inks. The online retailers like Goulet Pens have blog posts detailing options for beginners. Goldspot has a blog that includes a comparison between popular pens for beginners.

There are pens for every design aesthetic. Clean and machined. Ornate and classic. Simple and practical. And everything in between. Some pens are skinny and light and others are more substantial.

Lamy safari in Lime Green with a Fine Nib. My first fountain Pen.

Lamy safari in Lime Green with a Fine Nib. My first fountain Pen.

Pick something that matches your personal style. I decided to start with a Lamy Safari. It's on all the beginner pen lists and comes highly recommended. A Safari costs about $30 -- not the cheapest entry level pen, but still affordable. Easy to use, writes wonderfully and comes in a number of colors and nib styles. I also own a Lamy AL-Star, which is similar in design to the Safari, but aluminum.

FYI: Podcasts and blogs sometimes offer discount codes that will save you 10% to 15% off your purchase.

Nib styles?

The writing point of a fountain pen is called a nib. While each manufacturer classifies their nibs a little differently, they typically start at Extra Fine and go through Broad. You can also get a calligraphy nib. 

Fine Nibs on a Lamy Safari and a Lamy AL-Star.

Fine Nibs on a Lamy Safari and a Lamy AL-Star.

Many pens have interchangeable nibs, which is great if you aren't sure what kind of nib you'll like.

I started with a fine nib and I'm now looking forward to trying out some different options. Lamy offers a bunch of nib options for my Safari and AL- Star. Personally, I'd like to pick up a broad nib and a calligraphy nib to play around with lettering styles.

Ink colors?

One of the best things about fountain pens is the wide variety of inks available. All sorts of colors are offered, from traditional colors like black and blue through less traditional options like purple and green. You can get permanent, waterproof inks, fast drying inks and even specially inks with odd color properties or embedded gold flakes.

Some pens companies use cartridges, like Lamy or Pilot. They offer a limited number of colors in easy to replace cartridges. If you buy a cartridge pen, you can often buy a converter (only about $5) that allows you to use any fountain pen ink you like.

Many beginner pens use Ink cartridges, like the green one above. A bottle of ink can be used with a converter, far right, to use bottled inks with cartridge pens.

Many beginner pens use Ink cartridges, like the green one above. A bottle of ink can be used with a converter, far right, to use bottled inks with cartridge pens.

When you buy online, it's sometimes tough to tell what an ink is going to look like. There is no Pantone guide for ink colors, so it's a little bit of trial and error. One of the first inks I purchased was a neon green, which is actually more of a highlighter ink. Oops. I've got another ink that is grey and looks like pencil when it dries.

Changing ink colors requires you to clean out the previous ink. It's an easy process, but you need to let the pen dry before you add the new ink. 

What kind of paper should you use?

If designers are particular about their paper, then fountain pen fans are fanatical. Writing with a fountain pen is a different experience than writing with a quality gel ink pen. Ink dries a little more slowly and can bleed through the page.

You will find no shortage of opinions on the best papers for use with fountain pens. I still use a Moleskine for note taking, although many folks feel there are better options. Some folks love designer-favorite Field Notes while others feel the paper is too thin. I have a new Rhodia pad that works great with a fountain pen.

In general, thick paper with a smooth surface seems to work better. My recommendation is to try paper, notebooks and pads that you like and see what you think. It all comes down to personal preference.

Remember: Be open to new options. As you wade into the fountain pen world, you'll likely hear of brands you've never heard of before. Don't be afraid to try them out. (I'd never heard of Rhodia before I got into fountain pens. Now it's one of my favorite paper options.)

But I hate my handwriting...

I know many designers that hate their handwriting. I think we hold ourselves up to a standard of artistic perfection.

I'm one of those people that can't stand my handwriting. (That's why I design typefaces.) But I can honestly say that after writing for a few months with a fountain pen, I'm starting to like my handwriting again.

I don't know if I'm just paying more attention to my handwriting or if the better pen really makes a difference. I seriously have no idea. But I enjoy writing on paper now, and that's something that hasn't been true for a long time.

But I like my current pen.

Most designers have a vast assortment of pens. I love a good pen and I'm a fan of gel ink pens like Uniball Signo 207's and Pilot G2's. (I like mechanical pencils, too, but that's another blog post.) 

It's not an "either or" decision. A fountain pen is great for writing. I prefer the gel pens for sketching out concepts. And you'll still need a Sharpie because everyone needs a Sharpie or two in their bag.

Bonus: Using a reusable fountain pen means you aren't throwing away as many disposable pens, which is obviously a good thing.

That's a cool pen...

Be prepared to talk about your choice of pen when you head to meetings. A fountain pen rarely goes unnoticed.

I'm hooked. What next?

Once you start with a nice fountain pen, you won't want to go back. Obviously, you'll probably want to experiment with different pen types and inks. Companies offer whole ranges of cases and accessories for fountain pen users. And if you get really serious, there are services and vendors that let you customize pens and nibs. 

Blogs like the Pen Addict and edjelley.com are a great place to start. Retailers like Goldspot Pens, Goulet Pens and Jet Pens all have blogs that detail new products and review pens, inks and accessories. Many pen and ink manufacturers also have blogs. 

I love the Pen Addict podcast. It's one of my favorites. So if you listen to podcasts and are interested in pens, it's one you should check out.

Let me know how it's going...

I'm still pretty new to the fountain pen addiction, so if you have questions or discover something cool, please mention it in the comments below or shoot me a note on Twitter at @sketchbookb.