Three Questions With Junee Lim

One of the coolest things about writing The Pen Addict is talking to people from all over the world. Junee Lim from Alt. Haven hails from Singapore and writes some of the best stationery reviews on the internet. She is also as nice and as helpful as they come. My thanks to Junee for answering Three Questions.

What role do analog tools such as pens, pencils, and paper play in your day to day life?

I very much enjoy using my tech products. I love buying apps and playing with my iPhone and MacBook Pro. However, I’ve made a conscious choice to use my pens and paper every day. It’s not something I have to use but it’s what I enjoy using. I use them as a respite in our increasingly digital lifestyle.

I use my pens and paper for work notes, daily bullet journal and letters to pen pals. This doesn’t include the notes I take for my reviews. My pens and paper go where I go, the same way my iPhone does. Just because the mobile phone is something I am dependent on doesn’t mean I have to give up my analog tools. I believe my pens and paper will always be the bridge that connects me to the physical world.

What are your favorite products you are currently using?

My Lamy 2000 has recently returned from a 4 month round trip to Germany to get its piston knob tighten. It’s a long time to be away from a favourite pen but now that its back in my procession all is well with the world again.

My favourite ink of the year so far has got to the Sailor Bung Box L’Amant. The pink - purple colour is really eye catching and the shading is really one of a kind. I got my feet wet in the world of inks being a die hard fan of Pilot Iroshizuku inks but Sailor inks are fast taking over their position.

What post are you the most proud of on your blog?

I am particularly proud of my recent review of the Visconti Van Gogh Starry Night. I love the photos that I took of the Visconti. It’s the first time I ever put a disclaimer on the photographs of a pen. The research also took me to places that I didn’t expect. I found out more than I thought there was to know about that particular pen.

Three Questions With Dries From The Pencilcase Blog

The love for stationery is worldwide, and it’s wonderful seeing fans and bloggers pop up anywhere and everywhere. Dries has the Belgian scene covered on The Pencilcase Blog, and I appreciate him taking the time to answer Three Questions.

1. What role do analog tools such as pens, pencils, and paper play in your day to day life?

As a student, I rely heavily on analog tools. During lectures, I always take notes with pen and paper, even though laptops have become the 2015 standard. Taking notes by hand helps to keep me focused (Not that lectures can be boring or anything… [COUGH]).

I have to admit that I couldn’t live without my smartphone either. My Samsung Note 4 is my music library, it helps me keep my social media up to date and check my mails. I also use it to take quick notes on the go, the stylus and large screen make it super easy and fast to jot down important stuff (admittedly, easier than pen and paper).

In my spare time, I’m a pen collector, and I try out pens for my blog. I guess about 90 percent of my daily activities involve pens, pencils, paper,… but I keep it balanced with just a bit of tech.

2. What are your favorite products you are currently using?

I love my Ray Ban Wayfarers! I’m quite sensitive to harsh sunlight, so I decided to invest in a decent pair of shades. It makes going out on a beautiful, sunny day so much more enjoyable!

To keep things pen-related: I’m in love with my new Omas Paragon fountain pen! It’s a beautiful pen and a great writer! For EDC, I tend to lean more and more towards pencils. You can see a few of them in the picture. I love leadholders (pictured above are my two favourites: the David Hayward Hexagonal, and Parafernalia Linea), just because they look cool, and they are great to doodle with. Last but not least, I couldn’t live without Rhodia paper pads. The quality is unmatched, and they are affordable.

3. What post are you the most proud of on your blog?

I recently did a re-review of my Pilot Vanishing Point fountain pen, and I really like how it turned out. I was pretty impressed with how much my opinion changed in just two years! I also hope/think that it shows how my blogging style changed and improved over time.

Three Questions With David Sparks

There are Mac users, and there are Mac Power Users. David Sparks is certainly the latter, but he also finds the time to integrate analog tools into his daily routine. My thanks to David for answering Three Questions.

1. What role do analog tools such as pens, pencils, and paper play in your day to day life?

I have to admit it's funny, given the fact that I am the guy that wrote a book on going paperless, but I still find plenty of uses for pen and paper. Digital storage is great but there are moments when a pen (or pencil) and paper are simply the right tools for the job.

On my desk I keep a stack of Aaron Mahnke's Frictionless Index cards. I know I could buy index cards cheaper but I like the thickness of the paper and I like the small grids. They help me release my inner doodler and sketchnote artist.

As for pens, I've been using the Pilot Vanishing Point pens for several years. I accidentally destroyed the first one and bought a second one about a year ago. That one is doing swimmingly. I've been using the extra fine nib but a friend sent me a a wider nib and I really like that for writing note cards. As for ink, I go the lazy route and use cartridge refills. One of these days I'll get into ink. I'm actually looking forward to that as a future obsession.

For disposable pens, I like the blue-black Zebra Sarasa .4 gel ink pens. I've got a drawer full of them along with a few red ones I use when proofreading hard copies.

I also have a few Kuro Toga .5mm mechanical pencils for noodling. I like the way the lead rotates so it stays sharp in the center.

2. What are your favorite products you are currently using?

I'm still in the honeymoon phase with my Apple Watch. Is it a "must have"? No. Is it a lot of fun? Absolutely. I can also make a case for its productivity use but in truth, I just love fiddling with new technology.

3. What post are you the most proud of on your blog?

Occasionally, I get a bit hippy-dippy. I don't know what my readers think of those posts but I am proud of them. Here's one about spending 20 years practicing law and a related post about me quitting my day job. Finally, here's one about my dad.