I want to apologize right up front for the text size in my written review above. It is hard to read but if you click on the image it will take you to Flickr where you can view it in larger sizes like this one.

With that out of the way, the small text size is exactly why I love the Uni-ball RT1 0.28 mm more than any previous version before it, even the 0.38 RT1. The original Uni-ball RT has been around for years and has had a place in my arsenal as long as I have known of its existence. The RT is a quality pen, despite the fact it is a little on the scratchy side.

The scratchiness of the original is the reason I always said the RT was not the retractable version of the Uni-ball Signo DX. The DX has always been the superior writer, but the RT1 has closed that gap, if not eliminated it completely. The 0.28 mm RT1 might be the smoothest, cleanest, finest gel ink pen on the market. Expect to hear me talking about this pen a lot.

And if we are lucky, Uni-ball will see fit to start populating the store shelves with the RT1 now that back to school season is upon us. Let me know if you see them in the wild.

Highlighter reviews are difficult to do individually so I thought what better pairing for the Uni Promark View Highlighter than with the RT1. Uni-ball already had a window tip highlighter in the Propus but made it bigger and better with the Promark. It works wonderfully, although I found myself tilting my head a lot when first using it so I could really see the words well. I self-corrected after a few lines to prevent a stationery inflicted neck injury.

The Uni-ball RT1 and Promark both improve on their original designs in every way. What more can you ask for? Nice job Uni-ball!

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)

The Lamy Safari is always a popular giveaway pen for pros and novices alike. There is something about the design and feel of the Safari that works for many people, and it doesn't hurt that Lamy puts out a limited edition each year. The winner of the 2013 Neon Yellow Limited Edition is:

Congrats Karen! Please reach out to me via the Contact Page and I will coordinate delivery. And be sure not to hurt yourself when it arrives....

-- Organics Studio Edgar Allen Poe (Inkdependence!)

-- Pelikan Edelstein Amber (East...West...Everywhere)

-- Waterman's Washable Blue (Palimpsest: Ink Resurrection)

-- Lamy Blue Ink Cartridge Review (Ink of Me Fondly)

-- Simbalion Supreme Quality Pencil 88 (Bleistift)

-- Belage (Crónicas Estilográficas)

-- Review: Kapdaa Offcuts Notebook (Notebook Stories)

-- Orange Kaweco in the Mail Today (Fountain of Pens)

-- Resistance Is Futile: Monteverde Invincia Deluxe Nighthawk (F nib) (From the Pen Cup)

-- Art Snacks June (Nattosoup)

-- Review: Quo Vadis Habana Bright White Notebook (The Well-Appointed Desk)

-- Tomoe River Paper Review (26 Symbols)

-- Sakura Pigma Micron 005 (Informal Scribble)

-- Doane Paper Goods Review (and thoughts) (The Clicky Post)

-- The Grand TWSBI Review - Part 3. A Review of the TWSBI Diamond 540 Fountain Pen (Built from Ink and Tea)

-- Review: Platinum #3776 Century Bourgogne (Fountain Pen Quest)

-- ryandonahue: Nice pen(cil) haul on this trip (doane paper feed)

-- Pilot Iroshizuku Ku-Jaku (Ed Jelley)

-- No Number Swan (Goodwriterspens's Blog)

-- Pelikan M620 Piccadilly Circus inked with Noodler’s American Eel Blue (JustDaveyB)

-- TuffWriter Ultimate Clicky Titanium Review (Everyday Commentary)

-- Pros and Cons of using a large day per page planner as daily planner + journal (Plannerisms)

-- Seven Seas Tomoe River Paper Pad – Handwritten Stationery Review (Ed Jelley)

-- My Supply Room (Scan Card System Is Back!!!)

-- Render K, I think I love you. (The Well-Appointed Desk)

-- Switching the clips of Lamy Safari (kmpn)

-- Scout Books Brand Notebooks - Part 2 (Design Concussion)

-- Paper Mate Earth Write Retractable Medium Point Ballpoint Pen (No Pen Intended)

-- Staples: Doomed By Amazon Or By Young People? (Seeking Alpha)

A dark blue ink made in a limited quantity by a respected manufacturer for a pen retailer - why don't you go ahead and take my first born child while you are at it? All of my buttons were pushed with Cult Pens Deep Dark Blue, a limited run ink made by Diamine. For something this cool I was more than happy to get it shipped across the pond to my doorstep.

In my quest to try every blue ink on the planet (not really - it just seems that way looking at my ink shelf), I have discovered that I enjoy darker blues and blue blacks more than the lighter shades. I also don't like blues that are too black or show too much green. And you guys thought I was picky about my pens!

Deep Dark Blue nails everything I am looking for in a blue ink. Deep and dark truly describes the color but when looking at it on the page you can clearly tell it is blue, and that is key. When it dries you can even see hints of grey and purple. There is minimal shading with my TWSBI 1.5 mm stub but otherwise the ink performed well with no feathering or bleed on my Rhodia DotPad. The dry time was right in the middle of the range of inks I've tested, maybe even on the quicker side.

(Note: It was hard to accurately depict this color in the picture above. The top half of the page most accurately shows the color, while the bottom half is more blown out.)

Overall, I am very happy with this ink and can see having it in my daily rotation. It reminds me a lot of De Atrementis Benjamin Franklin, which I used in my Tomoe River Paper review. I'm glad I picked up two bottles up front, along with two bottles of another ink not available in the US which I will be reviewing soon. I'm such a tease.

In Episode 59 of The Pen Addict Podcast Myke and I discuss the new Field Notes "Night Sky" edition and have some pretty strong opinions about it. Speaking of strong opinions, I discuss my recent Pilot Metropolitan review and the response to it. I also finally got the Fountain Pen Ink 101 series underway.

Be sure the check the show notes for links to the references I used in the ink discussion. I plan on continuing this series in future episodes so please let me know if you have any specific fountain pen ink questions.

Show Notes & Download Links

Image via fieldnotesbrand.com

I have long been a fan of the Copic Multiliner SP and while the color ink models have been around for a while, it was only when JetPens started stocking them that I got around to picking up more.

I didn't exactly get crazy with my first one, opting for the subdued Cobalt Blue as opposed to Orange (which I got years ago from Copic directly), Sky Blue, or Purple. I'm certain more colors will make it into my arsenal before too long because this pen is that good.

One of the things I like the most is the aluminum barrel design. It is one of the few (only?) drawing pens that has a metal barrel, and this one is beautifully done. It is very lightweight and has a smooth brushed finish that is cool to the touch. I feel like I am going to design the next Porsche every time I pick it up.

The performance of the tip is excellent as well. It is solid, durable, and lays down a great line as you would expect. The ink is archival and compatible for use with Copic's huge line of markers, meaning your inks won't smudge when colored over. The tip is also replaceable and the ink cartridge refillable.

For all the praise I heap on the Copic Multiliner there is one drawback: These suckers are expensive! At $9.20 they are not a thoughtless purchase like a new Uni-ball Jetstream might be. Artists and designers swear by them though, and I appreciate the great writing experience they provide so I am happy to have a couple of them in my rotation. Give one a shot if you are looking for a great drawing pen.

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)

From time to time on The Pen Addict I like to open up the floor for requests. I want to review the products you want me to review and discuss the topics you want me to discuss. Making this blog as user friendly as possible is always at the top of my priority list, so don't hesitate to let me know your thoughts. Here are some examples of what I would love to know:

1. What products would you like me to review? Leave a link in the comments section and I will see what I can do. And remember, the search box is your friend. Check first to see if I have reviewed it already.

2. What topics would you like to hear us discuss on the podcast? Myke and I are always looking for suggestions.

3. How is the usability of the blog? Is there a change that would improve your experience?

Those are just some ideas. Anything is fair game. Please leave a comment on this post, or get in touch via the contact page, Twitter, or ADN if you prefer.

Ponder these questions to the criminally underrated band Ride...

-- Pilot Vanishing Point Review (Everyday Commentary)

-- LAMY accent multipen review (ThePencilCaseBlog)

-- Fountain Pen Review: Sheaffer Taranis (Rants of The Archer)

-- Rhodia Academic-year week+notes planner (Plannerisms)

-- Review: Franklin-Christoph Dark Denim Writing Fluid (Gourmet Pens)

-- Visconti's Sepia (Inkdependence!)

-- Noodler's Bad Belted Kingfisher (East...West...Everywhere)

-- Keskin Color Myra 360 Notebook Review (Write to Me Often)

-- Paper Republic Notebook (Notebook Stories)

-- Franklin-Christoph Model 33 Abditus (Clipless) (Silent Seeing)

-- Rhodia Pencil (A Penchant for Paper)

-- Pentel Tradio Energel (The Clicky Post)

-- Caran d’Ache 849 Classic (Informal Scribble)

-- Diamine Denim – Handwritten Ink Review | (Ed Jelley)

-- Capless 1973 (Crónicas Estilográficas)

-- Pilot Justus (KMPN)

-- Worth the Wait: Bamboo Style Pen by Ken Cavers (From the Pen Cup)

-- pilot hi-tec-c coleto multi-pen (even artichokes have hearts)

-- Revisiting Notes (512 Pixels)

-- Review: Pilot Cocoon Fountain Pen (The Well-Appointed Desk)

-- Pilot 78G Fountain Pen (The Daily Acquisition)

-- Grails and celebrations (And All Other Tasks)

-- How A Sheaffer Jr. Warms My Heart (Design Concussion)

-- Noodler’s Demo Rollerball Piston Fill (No Pen Intended)

As my knowledge and experience with fountain pens has grown I am finding that my tastes have grown broader. Where before I would only consider a handful of the newest, modern pens I am now looking more and more at vintage models to add to my growing arsenal. Enter Esterbrook.

According to the article on Wikipedia (because everything you read on the internet is true), Esterbrook was once the largest pen manufacturer in the US, producing up to 600,000 pens a day at its peak. How that is even possible in the mid 1900's I have no idea, but we are all benefitting from that prodigious production now. Esterbrook pens provide one of the best values in vintage fountain pens today.

Entry price is one of the main reasons I wanted an Esterbrook. There are many, many options available in the $20-$30 range, and fully restored models go for as little as $40. But honestly, the design of Esterbrook pens is what got me, regardless of price. From bright colors and swirls, to solid black, to Cracked Ice, their range of designs has nearly everyone covered.

I wanted to start with one of the basics, so my friend Thomas sent me one of his to whet my appetite: The Esterbrook LJ Double Jewel in blue. The pattern and color are classic Esterbrook - you will see these pretty regularly in fact. But it was so good looking I went for a similar style when I made my first Esterbrook purchase at the Atlanta Pen Show.

While the vintage look and style would be enough to sell most people I left the best part for last. The amount of nibs available to customize an Esterbrook with is AMAZING! I asked Thomas to try out a stub nib, so he sent along a #9284 to try out. When I bought my own, Brian Anderson swapped in a #9550, an extra fine nib that I have enjoyed. My friend Ana, an Esterbrook junkie herself, sent me the chart in her post "Buying a Vintage Esterbrook", and I also used Brian's reference chart at Esterbrook.net to narrow down my choices. That was much harder than it seems.

Manufacturers today aren't going to go to the lengths that Esterbrook did to make "The World's Most Personal Fountain Pen". Sure, some customization options are available but barely a fraction of what Esterbrook was able to accomplish. If you are looking for a vintage fountain pen to fit you perfectly you need look no further than Esterbrook.

In Episode 60 of The Pen Addict Podcast Myke and I are joined by special guest Dan Benjamin, founder of the 5by5 podcast network. We dig into Dan's pen and paper background and the tools he uses on a daily basis. We also all work on our pronunciation and have an interesting discussion on grilled cheese.

This episode is a must-listen!

Show Notes & Download Links

The Dan Benjamin Starter Kit. 

Stepping out of my comfort zone is part of the deal when reviewing products here at The Pen Addict. There are so many products on the market and only a subset of them make my regular rotation. That doesn't mean the rest of the goods don't warrant any attention though. Products like the Kokuyo Enpitsu are exactly why I write this blog.

By all appearances the Enpitsu is a simple pencil but it has a couple of added features that set it apart. First of all, the lead pipe retracts for protection when not in use. This is always a welcome feature in mechanical pencils to help prevent damage if dropped, or to prevent stabbing yourself if you get a little clumsy.

Secondly - and I'm not sure how I feel about this - the cap is fixed with a hole on top to insert lead through (I discount the fact there is no eraser. I assume most serious pencil users have seperate erasers anyway.). This sounds like a good idea in priciple and assumedly in practice too. It saves you from removing the cap and losing it while allowing you to drop the lead straight in (Forgive my ignorance in the image above. It was late.). I'm not sure of any other pencils designed this way.

Design wise, the rubber coated barrel provides an excellent grip surface, and the overall look of the pencil is great. The 1.3 mm lead was a pleasant surprise too. It was soft, dark, and smooth.

While I'm not a prime candidate to put this pencil through the rigors of everyday use, I see artists, sketchers, and even students as a good fit for the Kokuyo Enpitsu. It is comfortable, built well, and appears ready to handle anything you can throw at it.

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)

I had only heard about Scribal Workshop inks in passing before running into several bottles for sale by Anderson Pens at the Atlanta Pen Show. My blue ink radar went off, and I came home with a bottle of Cryptid Siren Blue.

Scribal is a family run business with ink being made by "Scribe and Chemist" Lucas Tucker. Along with the Cryptid line of inks, Scribal produces Bunny Washable Inks and Historic Inks, which is their iron gall line. Cryptid is essentially the standard fountain pen ink line, so that seemed like a good starting point.

The Siren Blue is a fantastic shade of blue - one of my favorites in fact. It leans on the darkish side of the spectrum with hints of black, grey, and even a touch of green. There is a moderate amount of shading and the dry time would fall into the "fast" category. And that may be an issue.

My nib would dry out almost as fast as the ink did on the paper. If I paused for a few seconds I would have a hard start, even with the 1.5 mm TWSBI stub used in the review. I loaded it up in my EF nib Vanishing Point and had the same issue. It frustrated me enough to where I had to clean it out. I could see this being a feature for artists and sketchers who like a dry, controllable line, but I need a little more smoothness for writing.

I'm going to keep trying it in different pens until I find a good match because the color is excellent. I can even get past the oregano-ish scent from the bottle if it were just a bit more lubricated.

Brian Goulet reviews the entire line of Cryptid Inks at Ink Nouveau. Has anyone else tested out ink from Scribal Workshop?

-- Zen in red (And All Other Tasks)

-- De Atramentis Jeanne d'Arc (East...West...Everywhere)

-- A Nice Write Up in Design World Magazine! (Edison Pen Company)

-- Franklin-Christoph Dark Denim (Inkdependence!)

-- Three Stephens' Inks or Concentrate wins the day (Palimpsest)

-- Stipula Twister Ti Demonstrator (Silent Seeing)

-- TWSBI Micarta V2 review (Fountain Pen Day)

-- Exacompta FAF Pad – Retro Desk Pad (OfficeSupplyGeek)

-- Review: Onion Skin Paper (Gourmet Pens)

-- Moleskine Better Have Some Thick Skin (Brand New)

-- Graffiti diary in Hobonichi Planner (Notebookers.jp)

-- Montblanc Noblesse Slimline (Goodwriterspens's Blog)

-- Crónicas Estilográficas (Pilot Inks at Flea Markets)

-- Diamine Music Inks (Pens Paper Inks...Whatever!)

-- Pilot Iroshizuku Yama-Budo (Ed Jelley)

-- Pilot Down Force (The Clicky Post)

-- At Work With Aaron Draplin (A Continuous Lean.)

-- Luke Shuman (What Do You Carry)

-- Pelikan – Brilliant Black (Informal Scribble)

-- Just a Bad Batch (Notebook Stories)

-- A pen with a sea of clouds (Leigh Reyes)

-- Pilot Custom 823 Fountain Pen Review (Write to Me Often)

-- Pilot Elite95S (2013) (kmpn)

-- Tale of a Vandal Notebook User: Going Indie, Part 2 (Peaceable Writer)

-- Invincia Stylus (Ionsomnia)

-- Chronodex July - December 2013 Weekly Diary Free Download Released (Scription)

I love pocket sized notebooks. I love making lists. Word. Notebooks combines both of those things into a simple system to keep you organized.

I am not a fan of overly complex GTD-like systems. I like my lists, I like boxes and checks, and I like to scratch things off. My system mostly resembles the Getting Sh-t Done system I came across several years ago, and Word. follows along a similar path.

What you will find on the pages of the Word. Notebook is lined paper with a bullet point surrounded by a circle in the margin of each line. This is where the Word. System takes place. It is simple in its execution: bullet point for a new task, circle for important, slash for in progress, and X for complete. It doesn't get more straightforward than that.

Aside from the task list system, how does the paper handle inks? From the About page, the paper is Lynx Opaque Ultra smooth white 60# text (for comparison, standard Field Notes is 50# and the America Is Beautiful edition is 70#). It does a good job with the pens you would expect it to, like gels and ballpoints of all sizes, is average with rollerballs, and fountain pen inks are a mixed bag. In other words, standard performance for almost any pocket sized notebook.

I am a fan of the overall design of the notebooks, and the people I shared them with were thrilled with them. They won't make my regular rotation because I can't handle lined paper on a daily basis but I can see Word. Notebooks meeting a lot of peoples needs. Even I may not be able to pass up the blue and red floral designs from their new Fresh Series.

Thank you to Word. Notebooks for sending me these samples to review. Much appreciated!

In Episode 61 of The Pen Addict Podcast Myke and I are joined by Dan Bishop from Karas Kustoms. Dan discusses their latest Kickstarter project - the RETRAKT - which is off to a hot start. We dig into how the design came to be, the challenges of pen design, and what Dan and Karas may be up to in the future.

Show Notes & Download Links

Don't miss the fantastic product video below...

There hasn't been a more popular Field Notes release in recent memory so the least I could do is give away a couple of sets, right? The Night Sky Edition sold out extremely quickly from Field Notes but retailers like JetPens have started to get them in stock in case you missed the first go-round. Don't sleep on these either - they aren't going to last forever!

I have two 3-packs of the Night Sky Edition to give away, and for a change, I am going to open this giveaway up internationally as well. Here is how to enter:

1. Leave one comment on this post anytime between now, and Saturday night at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. You are limited to one entry. This contest is open to US and International readers.

2. For this contest, I will pick two winners at random from the comments section of this post. The comments will be numbered in the order they are received, i.e. the first comment is #1, the second #2, and so on. The Random Integer Generator at random.org will be used to pick the numbers of the winner.

3. The contest winners will be posted on Sunday, July 7th. The winners will have one week to email me via the Contact link at the top of the page to claim their prize.

Thanks and good luck!

-- Ink Journal (East...West...Everywhere)

-- Fossil Black Leather Refillable Notebook/Journal (inktronics)

-- Platinum #3776 Ginkgo Higo Zo-gan (Silent Seeing)

-- Pilot Iroshizuku Ina-ho Ink Review (Write to Me Often)

-- Cross Click Gel Matte Black (The Clicky Post)

-- Review: Pilot Hi-Tec-C 0.5mm Gel Ink Pens (Gourmet Pens)

-- Online Rubin Red (Inkdependence!)

-- A Red Parker Slimfold (Goodwriterspens's Blog)

-- Pilot Dr. Grip (Penfan.ru)

-- David Wojnarowicz’s Journals (Notebook Stories)

-- Writing Down the Ink #13: More Blues and Beyond (Peaceable Writer)

-- Premier Pen – P1 (Informal Scribble)

-- Zebra Sarasa, 0.7mm (Ed Jelley)

-- Uni Hello Kitty Style Fit Multi Pen (Ink of Me Fondly)

-- Most Improved: Lamy 2000 Ballpoint (Makrolon) (From the Pen Cup)

-- Midori Traveler's Notebook (Notes to a Mouse)

-- Handwriting: yours, but better (Leigh Reyes)

-- Zebra Minna Mini Ballpoint Pen with Japanese Print – 0.7 mm – Wine Red Cap (No Pen Intended)

Did you sleep on this one? I told you not to, didn't I? Well, they are gone from JetPens now too, but my two 3-packs are ready to head to their new homes. The winners are:

Congrats Jayne and Jae! I need each of you to get in touch via the Contact Page and I will arrange shipment ASAP.

Thank you to all who entered and stay tuned for more great giveaways!

My fountain pen education, with the assistance of my friend Thomas, hasn't just revolved around pens, but the inks that go in them as well. Iron gall ink has always fascinated me - and confused me - and with his help I have been able to try out some of the most popular and unique iron gall inks around.

Pharmacist's Urkundentinte (aka "Document Ink") is not an ink you can order from any store but rather from a member of the Fountain Pen Network named Pharmacist. He makes his own iron gall inks based around traditional recipes, and according to Thomas, they contain twice the amount of iron gall content than other iron gall inks.

What does a statement like that mean? It means you need to practice good fountain pen hygiene. There is no need to be afraid of inks like this, as I was initially. Most off the shelf iron gall inks these days are reasonably tame, and even stronger inks like this Urkundentinte take only a little additional care. With a steel nib pen, cleaning every week or two would be more than sufficient, while non-corrosive nibs like gold you could go even longer. Some people keep their iron gall inks segregated in specific pens, but as Thomas told me "Don't be overly freaked out -- it's not going to melt your pens."

As I learned quickly, a single written review is not going to do an ink like Pharmacist's Urkundentinte justice. The inks goes on the page in a deep blue black shade and dries to black in a short amount of time. As the hours and days go by, the ink oxidizes into a deeper black and becomes permanent on the page. That permanence is why these inks were so popular historically. You couldn't sign important documents using anything else. I'll work on a video or a follow-up post to see if I can capture the ink transformation better.

Could an ink like Urkundentinte be an every day writer? I think so, especially for those looking for permanence in their ink. It dries quickly, despite the smear in my 10 second sample - I pulled the trigger a little quickly. I'd say it is dry in the 12-15 second range on this Rhodia DotPad, which is better than many inks. On standard copy paper the dry time would be much less.

For me, I don't think this will make my every day rotation due to the darkness. I prefer a bit more blue to come through, starting light then turning a darker shade but still noticeably blue. I'm testing out other iron gall inks like Rohrer & Klingner Salix that fit the bill better for me.

Still, Pharmacist's Urkundentinte is a spectacular ink if nothing else for the history behind it and the commitment by its creator to be as authentic as possible. There is much more to learn about iron gall ink and these links and reviews below helped me get started. I'd love to hear your experiences with iron gall inks so please let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

FPN Pharmacist: Some Exciting News About My Iron Gall Ink Experiments

Pharmacist's Urkundentinte Iron Gall

Writing Down the Ink #13: More Blues and Beyond

Ink Review: Pharmacist’s Urkundentinte

Pharmacist’s Urkundentinte Video Review

The source of the lyrics above...it had to be done:

In Episode 62 of The Pen Addict Podcast Myke and I are joined by one of my best pen friends, Ana Reinert from The Well-Appointed Desk. Myke and Ana team up on me in our Lefties vs. Righties conversation and I learn a lot in the process. I hope you do too!

Show Notes & Download Links

I've known this all along but Myke is a Show Note master. If you don't listen to the episode at least go check out all of the links he put together from our discussion. Awesome stuff.

 The Obama Overwrite