We’re at the end of the year, and I’ve been contemplating doing some year end "top" posts. One that seemed pretty easy to write was one about the pens that I have used and loved this year. Once I started writing the below, though, it ended up not being nearly as simple as I expected. I decided that I would limit myself to five pens, or at least models of pen.
I say “used and loved” because, for me, pens are used in a variety of contexts, and my most used pens, while I should and do love using them, aren’t the only pens that I have loved using this year. Also, this is all about me, and how I use pens, pens are a personal taste, and what works for me may or may not work for you, I'm a weirdo. So take this with a grain of salt before you run out and buy any of the below.
To start with the easiest to identify. In my work bag, I carry a simple zip up pen/pencil case from United Bees that I picked up at Maido in San Francisco a couple of years ago. This case is filled with two varieties of the Uni-ball Signo pen in a variety of colors. I use these pens in my daily work life more than any other pen I own. The Uni-ball Signo UM-151 Gel Pen in the 0.38 mm has been the mainstay of my work writing for several years, and last year, they introduced the Uni-ball Signo Needle UM-151ND Gel Pen, which is a 0.38 needlepoint version of the same pen. As you can see from the picture, the colors are all over the map, but I do tend to always use one of the darker colors and one of the lighter colors together, for instance Blue Black and Mandarin Orange go together very nicely, giving me a highlight color in my bullet journal, and visually keeping things interesting. I have to say that the Blue Black and Green Black are my favorites. To be honest, I was a little surprised when I dumped the bag and there was only one Blue Black pen in there, I guess it's time to buy more! I typically order these from Jet Pens, and there's a large vessel in my home office that is also full of these pens.
The next most obvious pen that I have used and loved this year is the one that's in my pocket every day. It's paired with my Stuff Sheath, and hasn't been dethroned from my daily carry in about three years, although I have tried several other options. This pen is the Sunderland Mk1 from Sunderland Machine Works. In the age of Kickstarter pens, I have yet to find a better designed and engineered pen in this class. Especially notable are the lack of exposed threads on the grip inside the pen, and the high quality clip that they provide. I use the refill out of a Pilot Juice Gel Pen - 0.38 mm - Blue Black in this pen. It's been my refill of choice in Pilot G2 compatible pens for as long as I've known about it, and I think I have the Pen Addict himself to thank for turning me on to it. While I have this pen body in both nickel and black, I tend to use the black one a lot more. One other pen that I did use as my daily pocket pen was the Schon DSGN pen in Punk Rock pink and black. This pen is a stunner, and really well made too. Unfortunately it fell out of my pocket on a business trip, I think in a Lyft, and it's gone. I did really enjoy using it. In the end the sweet gel refill that fits in the Sunderland would have won out over the ballpoint in any case. Sorry that the Sunderland pen is currently sold out, but maybe they will make more soon. I wouldn’t mind picking up another color too.
The next pen is one that I just love to use on a regular basis, the ystudio Brassing Portable Fountain Pen. Mine is a Fine nib. After lusting after this pen for a while, I finally rewarded myself with it on a trip to Toronto for work two years ago.
This pen is both aesthetically nice to look at and a joy to use. It has a really nice solid feel in my hand, and putting it’s cap back in place has this satisfying click to it that makes me want to play with the pen at my desk all day. I really like the hexagonal body style, and that wasn't something I had in my pen arsenal prior to this pen.
The last pen on my list is my beloved Sailor Pro Gear Blue Lagoon. I own a few Sailor pens, and a couple of other Pro Gear pens, but this one is just the best looking pen I own, period, in my opinion. I'm borrowing someone else's image of it, because I haven't been able to take a picture of this pen that truly does it justice.
It's one of those things where I missed the release of this pen, which is a part of Sailor's Cocktail Series, in 2016, and then realized that I really wanted one, but months went by, and I couldn't find anyone who had any intention of selling one. I had pretty much given up on ever getting one. Then, by complete coincidence through a friend in Seattle (thank you again!) I found out one was available and bought it immediately. Since then, it's remained in my pen setup, and I don't think that will change anytime soon. Sailor just make great product, and this one is my favorite that they've made in recent memory. I have no idea what it would take to knock it out of it's spot, but it's my top pen.
Well, here we are, at the end of the list and at the end of the year. Looking forward to trying new things in 2019 to see if anything can dethrone the items on this list for 2018.
Not so weekly these days. This episode is very focused on paper goods.
I've really been digging the slim and tall format of these Ro-Biki Notebooks from Yamamoto Paper. I've adopted them for my Bullet Journal, and the format seems to be perfect for my simple adaptation of the system. The paper in these notebooks is fantastic, and works well with both my beloved Signo gel ink pens and the fountain pens I am using from time to time. I am currently using the "Star Map" edition pictured above which is a lovely dark green color. The covers of these notebooks are a waxed stock that develops cool character as you beat it up. These aren't cheap, but are a high quality product. They ship from Japan, so you need to be a little patient with arrival timing.
As it's December, it's time for a new "planner plan" for 2019. This year, I am straying from the Hobonichi Techo and Hobonichi Weeks that I have been using for the last few years and giving the Jibun Techo system a try. I bought a fairly expensive setup from one of my favorite online stationary retailers, Baum-Kuchen, that is centered on the B6 Slim format and includes a BK x The Superior Labor leather case. If you want to get an idea on how one might use this planner, here's a great article detailing some of the features of this cool planner setup with good shots of the folios and some ink tests, if that's of interest. There are more similar stories of how people are using this planner here. I'm hopeful that I will stick with daily use of this system better this year than the last couple of years with the Hobonichis. I purposely went for something smaller to ensure that I will carry it around. The Ro-Biki notebook that I am using for the Bullet Journal fits in the case with only a small amount sticking out.
I've also become interested in the idea of keeping a five year journal, and since I've just hit a big birthday, this year seems as good a time to really start and lean into this idea. It pairs well with my current interest in Stoicism and reflection. For this purpose, I have chosen the Hobonichi 5-Year Techo A6. This size is currently available from Jet Pens if you don't want to order it all the way from Japan.
Lastly, for now, I have been a fan of The James Brand for a while. I carry their Elko knife in my pocket all the time, use one of their key hooks for the daily carry of my keys, and own a couple of their other knives. So I was really interested, and immediately ordered the LTD Benton pen when it was released. A sweetener is that it comes with a limited run of 600 set of Field Notes books that match the pen. If you know me at all, you know that I had to have this pen, and those sweet sweet notebooks. I really like the super clean lines of the pen, which is a ballpoint out of the box. My only reservation on recommending this is that the click mechanism for the pen is plastic, which is not something I really expect in a pen that costs this much. Having said that, I am happily using mine.
It’s been a few weeks since I’ve done one of these. No excuses, but I’m also not putting too much pressure on myself. We went to the beach for a week, and I was at E3, which I should probably write something about.
Since it’s Summer and we went to the beach, one thing that’s been top of mind for me has been sunglasses. I’ve typically worn Ray Bans, which are $100+ a pair. Not all sunglasses look good on me, but the Wayfarer models usually look okay. Unfortunately, I have a horrible track record of scratching or losing them. At $100+ a pop, that’s shitty. Additionally, I have an iPhone X, and actual Ray Ban Wayfarers don’t typically work with FaceID.
Enter Goodr, I discovered this brand via a professional runner who I follow on Instagram. (I follow a bunch of fitness athletes on Instagram. It’s one of my strategies for keeping myself motivated and inspired to work out myself.)
Goodr glasses are roughly Wayfarer shaped, but they only cost $25 a pair. They also, although you mileage may vary by color, work with FaceID. So I can lose or damage a pair of these, and not feel like I wasted a C Note. They also make pretty rad holiday color ways. The most recent is the “Betsy Ross” pictured above, which I purchased for my 4th of July fun. (I’m not getting any referral credit or anything, I am just recommending these glasses because I think they are great.)
One other item I wanted to call attention to this week is the limited availability of new Hypercritical shirts from John Siracusa. As a long time fan of his reviews, blog, podcasts new and old, and social media, I own one of the original shirts, but was delighted that these were available, and in new colors. I went for the color pictured, but there are others. I have found that I have too many black t-shirts, and I am feeling the need to mix it up a bit more. These shirts are only available until June 29th, so better get hopping and get one if you’re going to want one.
Last but not least, the Andys are at it again. They will be conducting an XOXO Festival in Portland this year, and the registration application is currently available, through June 29th. I have attended three of the previous XOXO Festivals. All of them were great experiences, I met great people, was exposed to interesting ideas, and left inspired and refreshed. I could not recommend it more. Unfortunately, it doesn’t fit into my September calendar. We’re taking the kids to Walt Disney World for a week the following week. Hopefully I can still get some of those sweet sweet XOXO Field Notes if they make them.
Hope everyone’s had a great week. It feels like Spring has officially sprung here in the Atlanta area. Last weekend was crazy busy, with a really enjoyable Foo Fighters show, which was the first ever concert at the newly renamed Georgia State Stadium, which used to be Turner Field.
It’s been kind of a mundane week, with the exception of moving my office at work, which always is a distraction. I had been in my existing office for almost exactly a year, and while I will miss it’s quiet corner of the world charm, the new one is more centrally located for what I’m working on. It probably took me about three days total to get comfortable with the new setup.
Each week, this post has gone a couple of days later…Now on to things I’m enjoying.
At the beginning of the year, I got a chance to try some peated bourbon for the first time, and I have to say that it’s really grown on me. It’s definitely not the first thing I reach for every time, but it’s a unique taste that I have come to enjoy. Specifically, the peated bourbon from Kings County Distillery. There’s definitely a debate about whether it still should be considered bourbon, but I honestly don’t care, it’s really good. Two warnings, it’s not cheap, and not super easy to find.
In keyboard addiction news, these Zambumon GMK Serika Custom key caps are currently available to back on Massdrop. (That’s an affiliate link.) These look really high quality, and really nice. I already have a keyboard in mind for them. I’ve had really good luck backing key caps on Massdrop. Again, not cheap, but so nice.
Finally, I read the first two issues of Weapon H, a sort of mashup between the Hulk and the Weapon X series. I have found these really enjoyable reads, and it’s a cool idea. Can’t wait for the rest of them to come out.
What a great weekend, we didn’t do much out of the ordinary, but it was a really relaxing and constructive couple of days, with some high quality NBA Playoff games, and an Atlanta United victory mixed in. I’m continuing to take it easy, and my energy has returned, albeit slowly. I mostly played Hearthstone and Vainglory over the weekend, I want to play more PC games, but didn’t feel like shutting myself off from the family to play this weekend.
We finished our Lego Ship in a Bottle this weekend. Lots of little pieces.
I did also take my sons to the Pop’s Pancakes pop up at the Spindle on Sunday. If you have the chance to try these pancakes from my buddy Jeff, you definitely should check them out. I had the breakfast sandwich with Delia’s Chicken Sausage, and I am hooked.
A couple of Kickstarters of note that I wanted to mention. Both are fully funded.
Time is starting to wind down on the Mark One Pen from the Studio Neat guys. This pen checks all the boxes, and my friends over at the Pen Addict podcast had nothing but nice things to say about it, which is good enough for me.
The second one is the Kira Mechanical Keyboard from the Input Club. These guys really know how to put together a nice board, and I currently have and use a White Fox at home. This board is unique in that it’s the smallest footprint you can squeeze a full sized keyboard into. It’s a bit pricey, but compared to similar keyboards, it’s a good price for the high quality they produce.
Some things I am enjoying.
Picked up a Schon DSGN Limited Edition “Punk Rock Pink” pen a couple of weeks ago, and it’s become my EDC pocket pen. I’ve always like the Fischer Space Pen refill, and this colorway is striking. This color is sold out, but they have a lot of other combinations that are equally as nice.
Upgraded my computer audio monitors to these Mackie Monitors. (Amazon affiliate link) I had been using the same Bose setup for maybe ten years before this. These speakers also support Bluetooth, so I can pipe other audio to them when I am not using my gaming PC. They sound great, and are small enough that I didn’t really have to make any huge changes. I am running out of plugs to power things in my home office.
You are authority-challenging: you prefer to challenge authority and traditional values to help bring about positive changes. You are dutiful: you take rules and obligations seriously, even when they're inconvenient. And you are hedonistic: you feel your desires strongly and are easily tempted by them.
You are motivated to seek out experiences that provide a strong feeling of organization.
You don't find either tradition or taking pleasure in life to be particularly motivating for you. You care more about making your own path than following what others have done. And you prefer activities with a purpose greater than just personal enjoyment.
I’d aimed to have this done on Monday, but my energy levels have been all over the place the last few days, and I just never got to it. Small subtext is that I had a medical situation a couple of weeks ago, and am recovering from it, but slowly. The energy levels are really the last thing to get back to normal when you don’t eat for a few days. I won’t get more specific than that, I’m reluctant to post medical related information on the internet or social media.
Like most of the gaming world, I’ve really been enjoying Fortnite this week and for the last month or so. For those who aren’t gaming adjacent, it’s a “Battle Royale” style game that has skyrocketed in popularity. The game is available across a wide variety of platforms, but I play on PC. I am “bumpish” should you want to friend and play with me, but don’t set your expectations too high on what my level of skill might be. I’d love to play with you in any case. I’m only on a few times a week, and for a brief time, I don’t get much dedicated PC gaming in these days with family duties.
I’m also enjoying the rollover to the Year of the Raven in Hearthstone, which happened this week with the release of the Witchwood expansion. I exalt in the end of the mill deck era. There is one card, Shudderwock, which is totally broken and makes things less fun than they could be. Here’s a great video from Disguised Toast that elaborates on how broken, at least the animations, if not the whole mechanic are.
I did go to the Atlanta Pen Show for a couple of hours until I ran out of gas. My new purchases were an “Aiken” pen from Carolina Pen Company, which is colored to look like the Northern Lights using the same material as this pen, and a Seed A5 case from my friends at Nock.
I did also buy some Gigante Note Cards from Nock while I had the chance in person. These folded over notecards are a favorite of mine, and I keep a couple in my pocket sheath with me all the time. They are essentially the smallest available notebook, with only 4 pages.
Top of mind for me on the music side is Black Moon Rising from the Black Pumas. There are listen links for a variety of music services on that page. At first I thought it was Cee-Lo Green, but it’s not. I haven’t been able to find anything else by them, they are from Austin, TX.
Last night we watched the first episode of the Pastry Chef season of Chef’s Table about Christina Tosi from Milk Bar. If you have Netflix, I highly recommend this episode, I found it really inspiring. Be careful though, you can order just about anything in the episode from their web site. My cookies are on the way.
I’m thinking about getting a ReMarkable Tablet based on the recommendation of some folks online who swear by it. Seems like it might either completely replace my work notebook, or it won’t work for me at all though, making the price tag a little tough to swallow. The iPad hasn’t really worked for me for this particular use case, and I love my e-ink Kindles, so the idea of the product might be in my sweet spot.
After struggling for a few months with wanting to update this site more, I think I’ve come up with a strategy, at least to start. I am going to try and do one of these “Weekly Bump” posts every Monday morning. Hopefully that will lead to more posts, but we’ll see.
Looking ahead to this week, I’m pretty excited for the Atlanta Pen Show, which starts Friday, April 13th and runs through the weekend. It’s always nice to see everyone in the pen community, although I never get to spend as much time up there as I’d like. I’m not heading up there this week with any specific pen in mind.
Looking even further ahead, I’m super excited about this new restaurant opening in Midtown Atlanta soon from the team that runs Brush Sushi Izakaya in Decatur. Brush is one of my favorite Atlanta spots, and is walking distance from our home.
I really enjoyed listening to The Talk Show ✪: Ep. 217, With Special Guest Jason Kottke As a longtime super fan of both guys, this was one of my favorite podcast episodes so far this year. Even more so given that I feel like I have lived a lot of the subject matter in real time over the last 20 years. (This blog is 22 years old this year.)
I really enjoyed Bladerunner 2049, and I am a huge Run the Jewels fan. I was astonished when El-P shared his rejected Blade Runner 2049 Trailer Score. While I like the Hans Zimmer score, what could have been is apparent. Looking forward to the movie that EL-P is going to score this year, which hasn’t been announced yet.
