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.

RSS Feed - This is the biggest change. If you are still using the old Feedburner feed it is no longer redirecting and you are not seeing new content. Please update your feed to: http://penaddict.com/blog?format=rss

Also, I do not truncate the RSS feed or blog posts, and never will. Ease of use for the reader is way more important to me than another click.

Podcast - The move to 5by5 is complete. If you subscribe in a pod catcher your feed should have updated automatically but you may want to double-check. If you use iTunes please rate and review us!

Social - Find me on Twitter @dowdyism, App.net @dowdy, and Instagram @penaddict. That is where I am most active. Watch the buttons on the sidebar as I add new services (there is no ADN button currently).

Contact - There is a Contact link at the top of the page. Fill out the form and I get sent an email. I answer all of my emails, but it may take me up to a week. If you need a quicker response the best way is to reach me on one of the social networks listed above.

Commenting - Comments are always open on each post. I read them all and try to respond when I can. If there is a question that you absolutely must have answered your best bet is to try one of the methods above.

Search - Wondering if I have reviewed a pen already? Click on the Search box over there to your right and type away.

Advertising - I accept advertising on PenAddict.com but I try to keep it minimal and unobtrusive. I am prone to trying new things and if I do you can count on being notified publicly and transparently.

Thank you for your continued support! If there are any additional questions please let me know.

Ink Links

Don't forget to enter the big Pen Addict + Huckberry giveaway!

-- All 85 pens in my collection (JustDaveyB)

-- Lamy Turquoise Bottle Ink (Ink of Me Fondly)

-- CIA Agent's Notebook (Notebook Stories)

-- Pilot Custom 743 Fountain Pen Review (Write to Me Often)

-- The Raden Pelikans (these beautiful pens)

-- Palomino Blackwing Pearl Review (The Well-Appointed Desk)

-- De Atramentis Oriental Red (Inkdependence!)

-- Palomino Blackwing Pearl Woodcase Pencil (OfficeSupplyGeek)

-- The Great Pencil Debate (Julian Kay's Blog)

-- Review: BroLeatherWorks’ Midori-style Leather Notebook Cover (Four Words, Four Worlds)

-- Fabriano EcoQua Notebook Review (inktronics)

-- Living History: The Dignitary by allegory (From the Pen Cup)

-- New Carded Papermate Ops N Pops Pen (My Supply Room)

-- Review: Franklin-Christoph Black Magic Writing Fluid (Gourmet Pens)

-- Review: Edison Pearl 2012 LEE (Fountain Pen Quest)

-- Platinum Carbon Black and Sailor Nano Ultra Black (East...West...Everywhere)

-- Pilot Justus (Silent Seeing)

Join Me On App.net - 100 Free Invites

I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience on App.net since joining in November of last year. The conversations are great (256 characters!), the community is fun, and the developers are active in improving the site every day.

The team at App.net has provided 100 free invites for readers of The Pen Addict. Click here to sign up and join the conversation.

You will automatically follow me @dowdy upon creating your account. Hopefully you will feel compelled to continue to do so but no worries if you don't. I also started a blog post only feed @penaddict.

See you there!

Noodler's Bernanke Blue Ink Review

Being a left-handed fountain pen user is tough. I don't know this because I am one, I know this because of the amount of emails and comments I get searching for quick-drying inks that will work for lefties. Noodler's Bernanke Blue is one of those inks.

After receiving a sample vial from my friend @jjlsetter I loaded it up for testing in the TWSBI Mini 1.5 mm stub nib. While I usually prefer blue black inks over traditional blues, this may be one of the best shades I have used. My photography and editing make the blue look almost neon. It is not that bright, but it does pop off the page. The depth and saturation of the color is fantastic, and if you are not a fan of shading inks this has little to none.

The real selling point of the Bernanke series is the quick drying time (be sure to read the story behind the name in the link above.) In my less than scientific testing I find it completely legit. Rhodia paper is known for its long drying times and even with it in play the dry time was almost immediate. You can see the slightest smudge on the five-second mark but that's it. An impressive performance, and the quickest drying ink I have tested.

I have a sample of Bernanke Black that I have yet to test, but I expect the same quick drying performance. So let's hear it in the comments - what is the fastest drying fountain pen ink you use?

The Pen Addict Podcast: Episode 54 - The Chair of the Desk

In Episode 54 of The Pen Addict Podcast Myke and I welcomed Ana Reinert from The Well-Appointed Desk to the show. We discussed how she got her start in blogging, what some of her favorite pens and papers are, the writing challenges left-handers face, and why Post-It Notes suck so bad.

Thanks Ana - it was a blast!

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