Palomino Blackwing Pearl Review

Mechanical pencils? Yes.

Drafting pencils? Absolutely.

Wooden pencils? Almost never.

Why is that? These are obviously beloved writing instruments with traditions carried through the centuries. I like writing and tradition, so why no love for wooden pencils?

I think for me it boiled down to portability and convenience, plus the inability to write the super-fine lines that I love. But change, it is a comin'. I think my relatively new love for fountain pens has changed my perspective a bit. What started as a strict adherence to extra-fine nibs has branched out as far as 1.5 mm stub nibs. I had no idea what I was missing!

That may be the case too with pencils. There are some great products on the market that I am missing out on. I reviewed the Blackwing 602 in late 2011 and enjoyed it. So much so, I vowed to continue using it regularly. I didn't. Now that I have the new Blackwing Pearl in hand I'm starting to realize how much I am missing out.

The Pearl is a fun pencil to use. It is beautifully designed with a pearlescent sheen and gold accoutrements. I would have preferred a pink eraser over the black, and luckily you can make that happen if you so desire (there are even orange erasers!)

Comparing the Pearl and the 602 directly, the Pearl is softer and slightly darker. I actually prefer the firmness of the 602 over the Pearl, especially since it is close in darkness. Both are super smooth with points holding longer that you would expect.

I hope I find a way to work these Blackwings into my regular rotation. I also want to try out other wooden pencils. What do you recommend?

The Pen Addict Podcast: Episode 55 - I'm So Jealous

In Episode 55 of The Pen Addict Podcast Myke and I have fun catching up on new releases and purchases, including a killer new Retro 51 limited edition model, two new fountain pens I have on the way, and a possible new addiction entering my life in woodcase pencils.

Myke also drops the hammer on me concerning two new pens that recently landed in his mailbox.

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#Boom

Pen Addict + Huckberry Giveaway Winner

This has been one of the coolest giveaways I have done on The Pen Addict and it was all made possible by my friends at Huckberry.com. Huckberry sources some of the finest goods on the planet and keeps their inventory fresh by making those products available only for a limited time. And, if you shop at Huckberry using the link above, I get a small percentage back which helps support this site.

Without further adieu, the winner of the giveaway is:

Congratulations Julia! Please reach out via the Contact Page and I will coordinate getting you these awesome prizes.

Thank you to everyone who entered, and thanks to Huckberry for their support of The Pen Addict!

Stabilo Sensor Fineliner Review

Not all drawing pens are created the same. In fact, there are more differences in these types of pens than you can imagine. Archival, water-proof, fade-proof, lightfast, pigmented, cushioned, metal encased, light, heavy, refillable - I think you get the picture. No one pen can cover all of those bases, but most of them can handle a few very well.

From a feature standpoint, the Stabilo Sensor Fineliner brings cushioned writing and a metal encased tip to the table. The latter is a very import thing for those that use drawing pens alongside rulers or stencils. It gives the tip added durability that other similar pens can't handle. The cushioning works in conjunction to make this a very comfortable pen to write with.

I noticed when using it that this is a very inky pen, something it shares with another metal encased tip pen in the Rotring Tikky Graphic Drawing Pen. I didn't care for it in the Tikky but now I am wondering - is this a feature? Does it need to be this wet to keep up with the speed the pen travels while using it against a ruler? I'm not sure, but it's a thought.

Outside of the writing aspects, the barrel is very comfortable and lightweight. It is also priced right at $1.60. If you don't require archival ink properties in your drawing pens this is one to check out.

How To Use PenAddict.com

There have been a lot of moving parts on the blog over the past few months so I thought a quick post was in order to catch you up on all of the details.

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