My Favorite Products Of 2015

I thought I would do something fun to wrap up what has been an amazing 2015. These are the products I got the most enjoyment out of this year. They didn't have to be new this year, just goods that I used and loved and stood out in a very crowded desk. Some of the products are mainstream, some are one of a kind, and all are loved. By me!

Blackwing 602

The pencil revolution has always been televised, I just wasn’t tuned into the right channel. That changed in the past year or two as I dug deeper into woodcase pencil scene and listened and learned to my friends at the Erasable Podcast. The Blackwing 602 was one of the first that I tried years ago, then fell by the wayside when I discovered the Tombow Mono 100. Something changed this year (was it the orange erasers?) and I couldn’t put the 602 down.

Rhodia Ice Pads

Paper draws the short end of the stick around here for some reason, and I need to try and review more in 2016. A handful of brands live on my desk at any time, and all are in use in some way, shape, or form. Rhodia dominates though, and the design of the Ice Pads are my favorite. Hopefully these become a mainstay of the product line.

Montblanc JFK Ink

It’s not a shock that a blue black ink is one of my favorite products of the year, but it is a surprise - even to me - that it is from Montblanc. JFK is a fantastic navy blue that looks great and performs exceptionally. I never have an issue with it in any pen, and I’ve used it in many. The only kicker is it is a limited edition, so these two bottles are going to have to last me for a while.

Edison Pearl G10 Orange

The first completely unfair item on this list is the Edison Pearl G10 in orange that I purchased at the DC Pen Show in August. It is a one of a kind prototype, made by Brian Gray to see how the G10 material performed as a pen barrel. One orange and one black were for sale, and it was all I could do to not buy both. It was expensive, but this is the best pen I bought in 2015.

Pen Type-B

This one may be a bit unfair as well, as I received a pre-release prototype of the Pen Type-B from CW&T during their Kickstarter launch. They were available to everyone though, but haven’t arrived in mailboxes yet. I’m in love with this pen and it rarely leaves my pen case. It reminded me how much I love the 0.3 mm Pilot Hi-Tec-C too.

Karas Kustoms Ink v2

I was all about the original Karas Kustoms Ink when it launched, even option for a second one in the famed Iron Man colorway. Karas upped their game with version 2 of the Ink, giving it a hooded nib design and switching over to Bock nibs. I’ve only had this pen for a month or so but it is already a mainstay.

I used a ton of products in 2015, and many more desrved to make this list. These rose to the top of the unofficial usage charts. For 2016, how about official usage charts! I’ll plan on doing that and see how it goes.

What were your favorite produts you used in 2015?

Edison Pearlette Fountain Pen Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

When I purchased my first Edison pen at the 2014 Atlanta Pen Show, I told myself that it wouldn't be my last. In that review, I spoke highly of the Beaumont that I had, and my feelings for that pen haven't changed a bit. So, it was no surprise to me that I was heavily drawn toward another Edison at the 2015 San Francisco Pen Show earlier this year in August.

This year, I walked away with a brand new Edison Pearlette in Deep Indigo Flake with a fine steel nib. I've always been drawn to the shape of the Pearlette in general, and this year I decided to go for it. I have to admit, I was on the hunt for a more custom Pearlette, but I'm also a big fan of this blue flake material. And, like the last Edison review, I don't think this will be my last Edison...again.

Aesthetics

The Pearlette is part of the Edison's Production Line, which means they make the pen in three standard color options, along with the standard nib line-up. You have options of fantastic steel nibs, or gold nibs if that's more your thing. Since these pens are part of the production line, they're a bit more economical than the custom and limited pens from Edison. The regular steel nibbed Pearlette comes in at $149, with a $125 additional charge for a gold nib. Not bad at all for a high-quality, beautiful pen.

The Pearlette features a streamlined design that is equally minimal and mesmerizing. It reminds me of certain Nakaya models, and I think that's on purpose. In my opinion, you can't go wrong with the shape of this pen. It's elegant, clean, and balanced.

The size of the Pearlette is something between small and standard. It's right at 5.25 inches closed, and just under 4.75 when uncapped. This is a very comfortable size for me, but it's important to note that it is a smaller pen. This can be surprising when you only see pictures online of certain pens.

The "furniture" on the Deep Indigo Flake model is silver. The nib is the perfect size in relation to the body of the pen, which can sometimes be off in some pens. Apart from the clip and the nib, this pen is entirely resin. This makes the pen incredibly light and strong.

The cap screws on, and has very tight tolerances. When capping or uncapping the pen, it feels entirely sure and closes nicely without any gaps between the cap and the body. The pen will accept both a standard cartridge or a cartridge-converter, which Anderson pens included with my purchase. I've been using the converter exclusively since I can fill it with a matching Akkerman color.

The clip on the pen is fairly strong, but has a good bit of side to side give. Nothing alarming, but something to consider if you rely heavily on the clip. Personally, I'd love this pen in a clipless version to maintain the sleek aesthetic.

Overall, when you look at this pen, the shape draws you in, but the writing experience hooks you.

Writing

Picking this pen up and holding it in the writing position is what sold me. Before picking it up for a serious look, my thoughts were somewhere in the "I don't need another pen just because it's pretty" range, but that changed immediately after a quick test drive.

The grip is a fantastic shape for me. For reference, I hold pens using a fairly "standard" grip (standard as in how they try to teach it in grade school, but standard is really whatever works best for you). The grip is a tad small, which lends itself to smaller writing. I paired this pen with a fine nib, and I think that was an excellent choice.

The cap posts easily, but I typically use it unposted. Come to think of it, I very rarely post my pens unless they are a compact, short size (like Kawecos or the TWSBI mini).

The nib wrote flawlessly from the beginning, and I've never had anything but good experiences since then. It's smooth, flows well, and starts quickly. This particular nib can get a bit dry after 3-5 days of being idle, but it's easy to get started again if you just lay the pen flat for a couple minutes. Also, the nib is minimally decorated with the Edison logo.

Another point about the nib is the amount of shading I can get out of it. This isn't a flexible nib by any stretch, but I'm impressed by the amount of variation I can get out of it without any modifications. All in all, it's a delightful pen that produces a very pleasant writing experience.

Conclusion

Now that I have two Edison pens in my collection, my hearty recommendation for someone new to the brand is still enthusiastic. I enjoy both of my Edison pens, both for their aesthetic qualities and the fantastic writing experiences they both offer. The only problem I'm noticing at this point is that I have a very narrow color scheme in my current collection, which is something I need to correct in the future.

Anderson Pens have all the Edison Production Line pens for sale, and if you're lucky enough to attend a show, you can pick one of these beauties up in person.

Edison Menlo Pump Filler Fountain Pen Review

No sense in beating around the bush on this one. I love this pen.

The Edison Menlo Pump Filler is one of the unique filling systems that Brian Gray of Edison Pen Co. has created or re-introduced over the years. Brian can explain it much better than me in his videos and diagrams (see the Menlo home page), but in a nutshell, you dip the nib into your ink bottle, depress the pump to expel air, then release the pump to bring in ink. It’s a fascinating process to see, especially in a demonstrator like mine. In about four pumps the entire 1.7 ml reservoir is full and ready to write.

As great as this filling system is, there is more to this particular Menlo than that. First of all, this is a fully custom job done by Brian specifically for me. If you listen to the podcast or follow me on Instagram you have heard or seen me discuss how my Nock Co. partner Jeff got in touch with Brian to build this pen to give me as a gift. I had some general email conversations with Brian on a different pen that the two pulled from for the barrel colors, and then they conspired behind the scenes to nail down the final product. And nail it they did.

I love demonstrators, and I love red and blue, so why not combine the two? The result is what I refer to as my Menlo 3-D. It looks cool and is a joy to use. The aforementioned filling system works like a champ, and the steel fine cursive italic nib ground by Brian before leaving the shop is crisp and clean.

The barrel shape is almost an afterthought with everything else going on with this pen, but it may be the feature that suits me the most. It’s just the right length and just the right diameter to fit my hand and give me the best writing experience possible.

If there are any negatives to be mentioned about the Menlo, they would be the price and the difficulty in cleaning. The model I have cost $350 with the steel nib and will run you $450 with an 18k gold nib. With all of the additional design work and mechanics involved in making this pen you can be sure it will cost a pretty penny.

Cleaning the Menlo has proven to be a challenge, at least compared to cleaning a simple cartridge/converter fill pen. As easy as the pump is to fill the pen with, it takes several orders of magnitude more pumping to flush it clean. The pen can be unassembled for easier cleaning, which is the route I usually take. The nib unit is sealed on the back end to allow for the ink tube to function within the closed barrel so I generally soak it in water overnight since I cannot flush it with an aspirator like I would for more standard nibs. There is definitely some time and elbow grease involved to get it just right.

Sounds like a lot, doesn’t it? It is, but don’t let that sway you from considering a Menlo. It holds so much ink I actually end up cleaning it less than I do some of my other pens.

All in all, I am a big fan of the Menlo, and this one in particular. The style fits me perfectly both in form and function, and I love that there is a story to tell along with it. Yes, it was a gift, so I didn’t come out of my own pocket for it, but I can see another Menlo added to the collection in my future.