When someone says Pentel Tradio this is the pen I think of. Black barrel, windowed cap, and most importantly, angled felt tip. It has been around for years and seems to be the traditional model. Pentel has found a way to dilute the Tradio line with several unrelated models, such as the Tradio Energel, Tradio Fountain Pen (some people refer to the original as a fountain pen too), and the disposable Pentel Pulaman, which uses the original Tradio tip. Is the Tradio name more about the barrel design than the tip design?

I'm confused, but we are not done yet. Say hello to the Pentel TRFS Tradio Mini Fountain Pen.

The Mini takes the traditional barrel design, shrinks it, makes it translucent, and adds a medium steel fountain pen nib. The size of the pen is nice, but I'm not a fan of the grip area. It almost has a convex feel to it. The nib is decent, although not as glassy smooth as the full size model, but it does take short international cartridges, which is a bonus.

All that said, I don't see a need for this pen. Mini fountain pens are a tough nut to crack and no one does it better than Kaweco. They are well made, come in many price points, and have wonderful (and swappable) nibs.

I'm interested to hear from you on this: Do you have a go to mini fountain pen?

I wasn't sure if the resurrection of my Instagram account was going to stick or not, but I am having more fun than I imagined. If you need your Pen Addict fix between blog posts and podcasts be sure to check me out @penaddict.

-- Diamine Graphite (Inkdependence!)

-- Hey Nineteen (Field Notes)

-- What To Do With A Retro1951 Tornado Tube? (Gourmet Pens)

-- Alter Manufacturing – Mod.02 Pen(cil) Case (Informal Scribble)

-- Nakayas, under the hood (Leigh Reyes)

-- Lamy 2000 m pencil (2013) (kmpn)

-- Vintage Notes: 1945 Parker Striped Duofold Senior (Fountain Pen Quest)

-- Lamy Noto Ballpoint Black (The Clicky Post)

-- Dragon's Napalm - Noodler's Ink Review (Ink of Me Fondly)

-- The Solution: “The Block” by Mike Dudek (From the Pen Cup)

-- Rotring 600 2mm leadholder (ThePencilCaseBlog)

-- Pelikan Edelstein Amber (Ink of the Year 2013) (Write to Me Often)

-- Pelikan Souverän M1005 Demonstrator (Silent Seeing)

-- Elite (Crónicas Estilográficas)

-- Pelikan Erasers (Palimpsest)

-- New Neon Lamy (My Supply Room)

-- Nomadic PE-09 Pencil Case (The Daily Acquisition)

-- Waterman Hemisphere Stainless Steel inked with Noodler’s Kiowa Pecan (JustDaveyB)

-- Trying various G nibs from Zebra, Tachikawa and Nikko (Drawing with a Squirrel)

Well, it looks like I am officially a stub man.

When I first started using fountain pens I was content with European EF nibs like those found in the Lamy Safari. Then I discovered what the Japanese had to offer nib-wise, setting the hook deeper. While those Japanese ultra fine nibs are my daily writers the lure of the stub nib has reeled me in. And, like my standard nibs, the finer the better.

The Pilot Prera is a pen that has been around for years. It is known for its quality build, great feel, and excellent value. I have three solid color barrels that make it into the rotation from time to time, but only when the calligraphy medium (CM) nib came out did I pick up a Clear Body model from JetPens.

Compared to many other fountain pens the Prera is lighter and smaller. It still fits the bill as a full sized fountain pen, albeit near the small end of that chart. This makes it extremely portable, which is one of the main reasons I enjoy it so much.

This review is all about the stub nib though (calligraphy, italic, and stub are not necessarily interchangeable - I use "stub" in the general sense). Checking in at approximately 1.1 mm, the nib is as firm as a nail and writes a wonderfully sharp, yet smooth, line. I talk all the time about finding the proper tools to suit your handwriting style and I have found that stubs fit me perfectly.

My collection of stub nibs is growing fast, and I am searching for more in the 0.9 mm and smaller range. Do any manufacturers have stock nibs in that range, or am I looking at custom only?

Pro Tip: If you like the idea of the Prera CM but not the price tag you can get the same nib in the Pilot Plumix for under $8.

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

In Episode 63 of The Pen Addict Podcast Myke and I discuss a recent TechCrunch article on the Kickstarter pen phenomenon and also look at a current Kickstarter project that may be a little bit ambitious. I also talk about my first 14k nib Sailor Fountain Pen and Myke and I make suggestions on how to fix the pen aisle at big box retailers.

Show Notes & Download Links

Would individual pen packaging work for big box retailers?

The Lamy Al-Star Black Limited Edition fountain pen is now available at JetPens, and to mark the occasion, I am giving one away to a lucky reader.

I try to make it as simple as possible for you to enter my giveaways. Here is all you need to do:

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 limited to US residents only.

2. For this contest, I will pick one winner 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 number of the winner.

3. The contest winner will be posted on Sunday, July 21st. The winner will have one week to email me via the Contact link at the top of the page.

Thanks and good luck!

Red fountain pen inks are tough for me. Red gel, red ballpoint, red roller ball inks - no problem. But red fountain pen inks can't seem to crack the rotation. Why is that?

I think the obvious answer is maintenance. I try to keep as few fountain pens inked as possible, ranging from five to a somewhat overwhelming ten. My preference lies with blues, predominantly blue black, with possibly one turquoise, one black, and one orange ink filled somewhere within the group. Anytime I have inked up red I end up not using it (maybe orange is my red?), and down the sink it goes.

Friends and readers of this blog seem to love red inks though, at least judging by the amount of questions I get about them. Luckily my friend Thomas sent a couple of samples my way, like this Diamine Red Dragon, so I am able to test without comittment. That is always a bonus in my book.

In my admittedly limited experience I categorize red inks two ways: bright or dark. Bright includes pure reds that really pop off the page, or reds that show strong hints of pink and/or orange. Dark includes inks that are on the blood or brick end of the spectrum, possibly with some brown showing through. Red Dragon is an ink you should consider if you are looking for a dark, blood red.

Like most Diamine inks - which are becoming some of my favorites - it is well behaved from my TWSBI 1.5 mm stub nib. The feedback is smooth and consistent with minimal shading, and an average to below average dry time. I'm impressed by it, but it isn't the red ink that is going to make me reconsider adding one to my rotation.

What other red inks should be on my radar?

In honor of this review, I present the song that got me hooked on Okkervil River:

-- On Fountain Pens (Pipe Redirect)

-- Bobino Slim Pen – Black (No Pen Intended)

-- Review: Omas Hong Kong Red (1997) Fountain Pen Ink (Gourmet Pens)

-- Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pen - Twin Tip - Black + Grey Ink (A Penchant for Paper)

-- Vintage Notes: Sheaffer Snorkel Saratoga (Fountain Pen Quest)

-- Conid FPR Demonstrator Streamline Bulkfiller 2013 (kmpn)

-- Lamy Logo (Informal Scribble)

-- Pilot Petit1 Fountain Pen Review (Ed Jelley)

-- Kelly Green - Diamine Ink Review (Ink of Me Fondly)

-- review: three-barrelled pilot coleto (Paper Lovestory)

-- Tombow Reporter 4 (penfan.ru)

-- TWSBI 803 Micarta, Version 2: The Saga (From the Pen Cup)

-- Where nibmeisters differ (And All Other Tasks)

-- Tutorial: Filling a TWSBI with a syringe (The Well-Appointed Desk)

-- My journey to Journal 21 (Plannerisms)

-- Highlighter Alternative (East...West...Everywhere)

-- Pilot Hi-Tec-C Maica Gel Ink Pen – 0.3 mm (OfficeSupplyGeek)

-- Retro 51 Hex-o-matic Black Ballpoint (The Clicky Post)

-- New BIC 4 Way Pens (My Supply Room)

-- A Review of the Lamy Al-Star 2013 Matte Black Special Edition Fountain Pen (Built from Ink and Tea)

I love giving away cool pens like the new Limited Edition Black Lamy Al-Star and want to say thank you to JetPens for allowing me to do so. And the winner is ...

Congrats jakepolo! Please get in touch with me via the Contact page and let me low which nib size you prefer (EF, F, or M). You have one week to claim your prize.

Thanks to everyone who entered!

One of the fun things about writing this blog is getting emails from readers talking about their favorite pens. As if you didn't know this already, people are passionate about their pens, and love to share the ones that make them happy. Many times I have heard of and likely used the pens in question, but an email from Joe a few months back introduced me to something brand new.

How the Maxmadco Retractable Pen was not on my radar is a shocker to me because it pushes all of my buttons. Aluminum body, anodized black finish, tight clip, a very responsive spring loaded bolt style mechanism, and made in the USA - what's not to love? Joe let me borrow his and from the moment I took it out of the box I was impressed.

As I wrote in the sample above, this is what a 10 out of 10 build quality looks like. The Maxmadco Retractable is flawlessly designed and manufactured. It is so clean and sleek I just kept looking at it instead of writing with it. Before getting it in my hands I was worried the bolt would protrude too much from the side but my concerns were unfounded. It is subtle enough to stay out of the way but substantial enough to allow for quick engagement. Very well done.

The supplied refill is the medium Parker Gel which was ok for the review, but if it were my own pen I would swap it out for another Parker compatible refill like my favorite 0.5 mm Moleskine Gel. The Fisher Space Pen refill would be another consideration.

The only hangup with this pen is the price. At $85 dollars it is fairly priced but that is outside of the no-brainer purchase zone for me. I will own one someday soon (it comes in stainless steel also) but I need to save up my pennies before jumping in. If you want that one pen you can take anywhere and will last a long time the Maxmadco Retractable should be on your radar.

Thanks again to Joe for letting me borrow this outstanding pen!

Visionnaire, Visionnaire, Visionnaire. That's all anyone has wanted to talk about for the past week in my social media feeds. What do Myke and I think about this white-hot Kickstarter project? Listen to Episode 64 of The Pen Addict Podcast to find out!

Show Notes & Download Links

For posterities sake, here is the list of questions I posed to Visionnaire creator Morgan Combes. I will post again if and when he gets back to me.

1. You have talked about designing the Visionnaire but you also talk about not having much fountain pen experience. How much of the actual design is yours, and how much is pre-made parts?

2. Did you fit your specs into an existing design, or is this 100% original design?

3. Are any new tools or dies being made to produce these pens, or will existing tooling be used for the manufacturing?

4. The full manufacture of your pen is Chinese. Why should someone buy the Visionnaire instead of a Hero Pen form the most well-known Chinese pen manufacturer that looks similar and only costs $4?

5. You mentioned several times that your margins are low for this project, yet you increased the the number of Early Bird backers exponentially, allowing more backers to get the pen at a cheaper rate. What was behind the decision to allow this if the margins are so low?

There are many pens with long and respected histories but not too many can compete with the history of the Pentel Sign Pen. What pen can claim they were left for dead shortly after introduction only to be resurrected by a US President and go on to live a long and healthy life? (More on this later)

Surprisingly enough, I have never reviewed the traditional Pentel Sign Pen before. Despite their history, they aren't the easiest pens to find on a store shelf, and I never bothered with buying a dozen from Amazon or ordering directly from Pentel. Luckily my dealer - street name "JetPens" - came through recently with flying colors. And by colors, I mean 11 of them.

Instead of going with the standard blue or black that would have made me feel more Presidential, I went with Sky Blue, which made me feel more, I don't know, fun? It is a fantastic color.

The Pentel Sign pen is more of a marker than a pen but I can see why it was so popular for signatures back in the day. This pen is designed for big, loose, sweeping strokes, allowing the user to tear through hundreds of signatures with consistency and ease. The fiber tip pen leaves a bold line that is unmistakable.

Is there much use for this style of pen today? Outside of artists and designers, maybe not, but it is worth owning at least one so you can say you own a piece of writing history.

Want more on the history of the Pentel Sign Pen? Don't miss this amazing manga .pdf about its creation.

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

-- First Impression of the Stillman & Birn papers (Lung Sketching Scrolls)

-- A Palomino Blackwing Pearl review (Woodclinched)

-- Franklin-Christoph Inks (The Well-Appointed Desk)

-- Lamy Safari Pink (2013) (kmpn)

-- Fountain Pen for Beginners 2 (Write to Me Often)

-- Cross Edge Gel Roller (The Clicky Post)

-- Kaweco Sport Italic, 2013 (Too many pens)

-- Aniki Yuki's Garden (East...West...Everywhere)

-- From the Archives, Early Sharpener Reviews (Pencil Revolution)

-- Behind the Scenes at The Edison Pen Company (Edison Pen Company)

-- Diamine – OxBlood (Informal Scribble)

-- New Release - Hero Summer Safari Fountain Pens (Ink of Me Fondly)

-- Lighten Up: Three Lamys (From the Pen Cup)

-- The Capless (1924) (Crónicas Estilográficas)

-- A benchwarmer finally scores (And All Other Tasks)

-- Palomino Blackwing Pearl (Design Concussion)

-- Kaweco AL sport ballpoint pen review (ThePencilCaseBlog)

-- Pilot Juice Metallic Gel Ink Pens (Office Supply Geek)

-- Last Week’s Ink: The Nibs (Fountain Pen Quest)

-- Franklin-Christoph Olde Emerald (Inkdependence!)

I think I am a Pilot man. For some reason, their pen designs resonate with me, and I have never been disappointed with the quality. Their standard fountain pen inks are excellent, and their high-end Iroshizuku line are some of the best inks on the planet. In the non-fountain pen category they are strong too. Can you say Hi-Tec-C?

One of the things that has fascinated me about Pilot is how well their older designs hold up decades later. I have already reviewed the Pilot Murex - a candidate for the best pen ever designed - as well as a remake of the Pilot Myu in the limited edition M90. While it is nowhere near as old as the previous two pens, the Pilot Tow shares similar design elements and is much more accessible to the average fountain pen buyer.

I am not sure why, but there is shockingly little information available about the Tow online. From what little I can gather, the pen was manufactured in the early-to-mid 2000's ... aaand we're done. Seriously, I cannot dig up much more information on it that that. But having used one I can tell you it is fantastic.

There is nothing about the Pilot Tow that I don't like. The stainless steel barrel is solid and has some weight to it, the cap fits tightly, the clip is firm, and the section is smooth and comfortable. The steel FM nib in this model is great as well. Aesthetically, I like the slightly downward angle of the nib and the slight amount of flex it has when writing.

The Pilot Tow is only moderately difficult to find, but when you do you will discover the best part about this pen: You can have your own for around $30. Speerbob is a well-respected seller and often has them available in his ebay store for that price. Writing this review reminded me I needed to order one of my own. An F nib is on the way!

In Episode 65 of The Pen Addict Podcast Myke and I are joined by my blogging compatriot Ed Jelley. Ed joins our follow up discussion on two Kickstarter projects - the Visionnaire and Ajoto - as well as a few other popular subjects. I then proceed to fawn over Ed's fantastic blog, some of his favorite pens, and the great resources he provides. And don't miss Ed's tattoo story!

Show Notes & Download Links

I mentioned my disdain for red fountain pen inks recently, but orange and I have a great relationship. I may not use it as frequently as my beloved blue black inks, but orange will always have a place in my rotation when warranted.

Sailor Jentle Apricot Orange is a true, bright orange. On the white Rhodia DotPad page it really pops. While it may not have the variance in shading of Noodler's Apache Sunset, it has moderate shading in its own right, showing a range of orange with hints of yellow. It goes down light and a bit dry from the nib and dries into what is shown in the photos.

In the realm of alternate fountain pen inks Sailor Jentle Apricot ranks right near the top for me. What non-standard colors are your favorites? I'd love to check them out!

-- Conway Stewart 388 Oblique (Goodwriterspens's Blog)

-- Restocking art supplies quick notes: Faber Castell Pitt Metallic pens, Tombow Mono Professional Drawing Pencils, Picadilly Sketchbook, and Bone Folder (Lung Sketching Scrolls)

-- Lamy Vista Fountain Pen (Informal Scribble)

-- Sailor Gentle Grenade (Inkdependence!)

-- Fabriano Art Journal with Ecoqua Paper (Ink of Me Fondly)

-- Kickstarter Baux (Box) Pen Aluminum Barrel for BIC Stics (The Clicky Post)

-- July Art Snacks Unboxing (Nattosoup)

-- The Parker 51, the Hero 616, and IP Grey Areas (Dannyboy Writes)

-- The Shelf Life Of Notes (Patrick Rhone)

-- Baoer 388 Fountain Pen (The Daily Acquisition)

-- Vintage Feature: The 1950s Sheaffer Snorkel Fountain Pen (Ed Jelley)

-- Montblanc Honoré de Balzac Ink (2013) (kmpn)

-- Tale of a Vandal Pen Collector: Edison Custom (Peaceable Writer)

-- Maki-e: A Story Waiting to be Written Review (Pen and Design)

-- Vintage Notes: Sheaffer Balance Junior (c. 1931) (Fountain Pen Quest)

-- Review: Stillman & Birn Zeta Series (and Winsor & Newton Watercolors) (Notebook Stories)

-- Midori MD Cotton, the 5th anniversary notebook (Leigh Reyes)

-- Conklin Endura (penfan.ru)

-- The Best Kickstarter Pens (Cool Material)

-- Namiki Falcon SF and SEF Flex Fountain Pen (Write to Me Often)

-- ...having a Vision (or not) (Ionsomnia)

-- A Trio Of Chinese Fountain Pens (An Inkophile's Blog)

-- A word or two on penmanship (East...West...Everywhere)

-- A Better Sticky Note (The Well-Appointed Desk)

-- Review of Staedtler Norica HB (Pencil Revolution)

-- Midori Traveler’s Notebook (Living with Liisa)

-- A glimpse at Paper Republic (these beautiful pens)

-- Platinum Izumo Tamenuri – Akatame (Silent Seeing)

-- German Platinum (Crónicas Estilográficas)

(This is a guest post by Brian Draghi. You can follow Brian on Twitter @Sketchscape)

I’m a big fan of everyday carry, or EDC for short. I find it interesting to see what people carry with them on a daily basis such as wallets, keys, notebooks and the all important types of pens that they write with. While there are many options - including the extremely popular Fisher Space Pen - one of my favorite everyday carry pens falls into the gel ink category.

The Pilot Hi-Tec-C pen has been a fan favorite for a long time and is even more popular especially due to the explosion of machined pen projects using these refills on Kickstarter. The dark line quality of the refill is superb and performs flawlessly time after time. The problem is that most Hi-Tec-C’s are not necessary portable to carry in your pocket. The Hi-Tec-C Slim Knock 04 solves this problem with a shorter and slimmer version that makes it ideal for anyone’s EDC.

The Hi-Tec-C Slim Knock has a total length of 4.75 inches and the width of the barrel is narrower than a regular Hi-Tec-C. It has a comfortable rubber grip that covers nearly half of the pen. The pen also contains a sturdy metal clip that secures very well to shirts and pants pockets. This compact design is also retractable unlike the regular versions of the Hi-Tec-C.

This is the one pen that’s always with me while out running errands, at work, or traveling. It’s perfect as an EDC pen because it’s quick to use to jot down notes on the go and is very portable. It writes a clean fine line that is great for small notebooks and journals. The Slim Knock’s size and lack of weight makes it ideal to carry because you don’t even feel it in your pocket. Just make sure you remember to take it out before it goes in the washer!

One of the main drawbacks of the regular Hi-Tec-C is the constant need to prime the pen to get the ink moving through the tip. The Hi-Tec-C Slim Knock doesn’t have that problem at all. Once you extend the refill, you get the same quality dark line every time you move the tip across the page. There is no need to scribble several times on the page to wait for the ink to hit the paper.

While the Slim Knock is a great pen, it isn’t without a few drawbacks. The short length of the pen may not appeal to some people who have larger hands. Second, the refill size of the Slim Knock is on the smaller side due to the length. This wouldn’t be the type of pen you would hand to a college student to use to take lengthy notes in class. It's not built for endurance writing - it’s made for taking short, quick notes.

Another minor downside is that the Slim Knock pen and its larger counterpart are the same exact price on Jetpens at $3.30 each. The Slim Knock refills make up for it by only costing $1.35 compared to $2.20 for the regular. That is, unless you like blue black. Unfortunately, in both versions, the blue black refills are not available to purchase separately. I’m not sure why, but it would be great if you didn’t have to buy an entire new pen just to get this color.

Minor issues aside, the Slim Knock is my ideal EDC pen that meets all my requirements and more. It’s always at my side ready to write the quick notes I need at a moments notice. If anyone is looking for an EDC pen that is retractable and writes a fine quality gel ink line then I would definitely recommend the Pilot Hi-Tec-C Slim Knock.

Fall is my busy season at home, and in an effort to curtail any prolonged abscense like last year I am looking for some help with The Pen Addict. I have used, and will continue to use, guest posters, but I am looking for something more permanent this time. Here are the details for interested parties:

-- Be able to complete one full product review per week.

-- Have excellent writing/grammatical skills and legible handwriting.

-- Have access to a quality camera.

-- Love pens and paper!

This is a year-round position. I am able to pay a small amount, which will be discussed via email with the candidates.

Still interested? Great! Here is what I need from you:

1. Send me a message via the Contact Page. The Subject should read "Help Wanted".

2. Tell me a little about yourself and why you would be a good fit. Include any links to your online presence if pertinent.

3. In 200 words or less, tell me about your favorite pen.

I'm not setting a deadline on this but I am looking to make a decision sooner rather than later. If I am interested in talking further I will email you back within a week.

Thank you!

In Episode 66 of The Pen Addict Podcast Myke and I update the Visionnaire Kickstarter project yet again and I begin to wonder: Are we being trolled here? I also talk about my off the cuff Field Notes rankings and then get into the issues I am having trying to limit my fountain pen load out.

Show Notes & Download Links