The Pen Addict

Brad’s wrist is improving, but is his left-handed handwriting? We discuss other lefty-centric topics, perforated pages, abs on a pen and making better pencil recommendations.

Brad is back … or is he? With a broken wrist in tow, he and Myke try to sort out what is going on with Sailor’s many new releases. Is it all a fever dream?

Brad did some shopping for Fountain Pen Day. Did you? We talk about a couple of new acquisitions, and then listen live as Myke stumbles upon a secret.

The results of the Great Pen Addict Slack Survey are in! Brad and Myke break it all down, plus discuss new, and strange, pens from TWSBI, making Zines, and what uni-ball is up to in the US.

It’s a business-heavy podcast this week, as we talk about bits of news across the stationery industry. We also discuss the upcoming virtual Detroit Pen Show, and a couple of new products on Brad’s desk.

Sailor pens or Benu pens? Why not both! We dig into the latest Sailor business news this week, and Brad expresses his love for a brand he was indifferent on for years. We also reminisce about our friend Bob Johnson, owner of the DC Supershow, who passed away last month.

What do you think of the Sailor Pen rebrand? How do you review the King of Pen? Is King of Pen even spelled correctly? These are the hard hitting questions Brad and Myke tackle today. Plus, Brad asks if he can buy a pen.

The Pilot G2 is a good gel ink pen. There are better gel ink pens right next to it on the store shelf, and Brad digs into the ones you should consider the next time you are stocking up.

Myke is back after a week on the lam and we have a lot to catch up on! Kickstarter campaigns, pen releases, charity drives - all of the things on this jam-packed episode.

Interview time! Brad is joined by Gena Salorino from Custom Nib Studio to discuss all things nib grinding. What has life during lockdown been like for a pen show regular? What type of grind should you get, and on what pen? And what magic does Gena have up her sleeves for the future?

Is it Hobonichi season already? 2020 was not the best year for planners, but it’s time to get right back in there for 2021! Brad and Myke also discuss other active projects, with updates on the Retro 51 Celebration, Nock Co. news, and a big raffle for St. Jude.

Will Brad ever ship Myke his Retro51 Celebration? Will Myke become a pirate? Will Brad re-up his pencil subscription? All of these questions - and more - answered in this week’s episode.

Packing. Pens. Podcastathon. We talk about all of those things, although not in that order. Plus, what pens would you pair with your other preferences?

What has happened to this show? Are we no longer discussing pens? Of course we are! But Myke has a wonderful digression on how similar the mechanical keyboard community is to the pen community. Join us!

It’s not Halloween just yet, but that doesn’t stop us from liking cute, fun, and spooky pens when they launch! We discuss all kinds of new products in this episode, how to sell your expensive pens, and why the classic Parker 51 doesn’t need to be remade.

Or is it? Brad and Myke dig deep into the stationery world for answers in this episode. The real question is did they find any.

Mega Studio pen situation, explained! We also discussed a new series on The Pen Addict blog, wax poetic on the future of Kickstarter pens, and dig into a large batch of #ASKTPA.

To celebrate this illustrious 420th episode of The Pen Addict podcast, we talked about the only thing that did this number justice: Pizza pens! We also discuss our beloved Scribble pen in unflattering terms, and dig into what makes a pen a collectors edition.

Brad gets all zen about pen cleaning - again. We also discuss a special Retro 51 anniversary, a virtual pen fair, and dig into recent pen reviews from Kaweco and Esterbrook.

Changes, they are coming - at least for our beloved Tomoe River paper. We discuss that, new Sailor releases, and try to decide how much Primary Manipulation we need in our lives.

Is our beloved Sailor Pen Co. about to have a new owner? Brad and Myke discuss all of the rumblings and try to sort out what it means. But first, we set the mood by lighting up the new Jacques Herbin scented candles.

Want to write your government official? Our listeners came through with all of the tips you need to make sure your voice is heard. We also talk about new products from some of our favorite brands, including Studio Neat, Ugmonk, and Field Notes.

Congratulations, you played yourself.

How do file-based digital planners work? Brad wants to know, and Myke tries to help. The conversation goes about as well as you would expect. Brad also shares a Kickstarter update, and digs into a slew of new stationery releases.

Myke and I are joined by Ana Reinert of The Well-Appointed Desk to discuss 10 years of blogging adventures.

Brad opened the box! We talk about the amazing urushi work found inside the box, plus new event cancellations, Myke’s ink swabbing experiment, and a six-pen challenge in this jam-packed episode.

So much Platinum talk, so little time! Brad and Myke break into cracked feeds and broken pricing, plus talk about some new pens that are intriguing. There is also an unopened box.

This episode is one big tease of new products from some of our favorite brands like Leonardo, Platinum, and Sailor. Also, if you had to rename the international paper standard naming convention, what names would you choose?

We have wonderful follow-up this week, including an updated translation and a searing look into neon inks. Brad and Myke then discuss tracking their collections, and Brad’s first foray into the Fountain Pen Companion.

Brad received the Platinum Curidas and gives his initial impressions. Then, a shopping spree happened,

We have new pens! The Retro 51 Celebration prototype is here, as is the brand new Kanilea Pen Co. Kona Cherry. Brad and Myke discuss them both, and later in the episode take a trip down memory lane.

What would it be like to go on your lunch break and walk into one of the best stationary shops in the world? Brad and Myke ponder this question, along with “Who is Kumamon?” in this wide-ranging, pasta-ordering podcast.

Brad and Myke discuss some of the newest products to cross their desks, while trying to sort out why certain pens in a certain price range are all the rage these days. Plus, we share our continued love and support for the Visconti Iopenna.

Brad went on a shopping spree for National Pencil Day - did you? He also went down a rabbit hole of discovery with fountain pen inks, and tried to sort out why this, and why now. It’s a question for the ages.

Brad makes his feelings for all things stationery known, and makes Myke uncomfortable at the same time. So, basically the perfect episode.

It’s a great time to catch up on all things Pen Addict, including an update to our Kickstarter campaign, new product releases, old product repairs, and one very interesting fish.

Following up on a wonderful episode 400, Brad and Myke have even more topics to discuss that get you up to speed on the history of the podcast.

Did you look at the 399 previous episodes of The Pen Addict Podcast and wonder “Where should I start?” Right here. This is where you should start.

Are you Frankenpen friendly? We are at The Pen Addict Podcast. We are also stationery friendly, digging into what - and how - we use some of our favorite goods.

The Bungubox 4B fountain pen has arrived via ParcelForce! We discuss that - and the customs charges contained within - along with plaster art, Platinum notebooks, Emulsion ink, and Brad’s latest Top 5 Pen list updates.

We talk a lot about unique pen designs in this episode, and are curious about some of the decisions made. And don’t worry, we talk about Retro 51 and Sailor as well.

There is so much good stuff in this episode that Brad is going to have to have another pen sale. Also, the fastest pens in the world.

The Retro 51 announcement last week was a shocker, but we now have some clarity, and a plan to move forward. We also can’t get enough of the Platinum Curidas, and use our friend Google Translate to help us decipher some interesting charts.

One of our favorite brands, Retro 51, is closing up shop. What does that mean to us, and to the pen industry?

Brad and Myke are joined once again by Adina Hurley to discuss her further journey into the rabbit hole that is the stationery world. What has she been up to since the San Francisco Pen Show? What new products have found their way home? How does she set up her one (or many?) journals? It’s always a good time when Adina joins the show.

How much knock could a twist knock knock if a twist knock could twist knock? Find out the answer in this episode of The Pen Addict podcast!

Brad and Myke ring in the new year with a discussion around what they are using for planning and journaling. What products are working for them, and, will they make it through an entire year with those products? Only time will tell!

It’s the last episode of 2019, so what better time to clear the #ASKTPA queue of all the questions!

All the great lists were discussed on this episode. Myke listed all of the items currently sitting on his desk, and Brad gave us his top 10 stationary products of the decade. It’s a list-fest!

Sometimes our show titles make complete sense. Sometimes they don’t. Which one is it this week? Also, are you ready to break the bank on your next Retro 51?