Offer from rOtring - Free Tikky Ballpoint with 30€ Purchase

After writing the recent review of the rOtring 600 rollerball, I received a nice note from Alice at the rOtring office letting me know of an offer they are doing right now on their site.   As I've recently become obsessed with rOtring products, I thought I'd pass the word along.

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Through September 15th, orders of 30€ or more placed through rOtring.com will receive a free Tikky Ballpoint pen.  If you were planning on trying out a current product from the rOtring catalog like a Rapid Pro ballpoint or the awesome 600 series mechanical pencil, this would put you over the mark and get you something a little extra for free.  

At checkout, use the code TKKPRM to get your free Tikky Ballpoint with purchase. 

I haven't used the Tikky, so I can't personally vouch for it as an everyday plastic pen, but if you were planning on making a purchase this is a way to get one for yourself to try.

The Main Attraction by poppin. - Pen Review

My first introduction to the poppin brand was from reading the post by Ana from The Well-Appointed Desk which I found intriguing.  In a nutshell, poppin sells office supplies, pens, and other desk accessories in a lot of really bright colors that coordinate extensively.  Extensively might be an understatement as it's actually kind of a trip.  Check out their site and have a look at how much color coordinating action is going on there (and could be at your desk!).  

I mostly jest about the bright colors as I think that they have branded themselves really well and that there is absolutely a market for this type of thing.  While visiting their site I decided to place an order for some pens to try: their retractable gel and ballpoint pens in white, and I "splurged" a little and decided to try their pen called The Main Attraction.

This pen is a very big pen at 13mm in diameter.  I have pretty big hands, so to say a pen is a bit bulky, I mean it.  It is a rather large pen and I wouldn't put it in the comfortable category as there aren't any ergonomic considerations to it.  Not that an all cylindrical barrel is necessarily bad, but with the diameter, it just makes it a bit awkward.  It has a chrome plated brass (pardon the fingerprints) barrel which, although metal, is not overly heavy in the hand but has a good weight to it.

Magnet drawing is with poppin gel refill...

The special feature to this pen is the cap that pops onto the top or bottom by the power of a magnet.  It is pretty strong while attached and takes a good tug to get it off.  Even with that said, I'm not really sure how comfortable I'd be clipping the pen to a jeans or shirt pocket.   I don't really know how I feel about magnets and pens; seems a little gimmicky to me.  Are there any magnetic capped pens that anyone likes?  I believe Monteverde makes one.   

Where you grip the pen is a bit funny.  There is a really distinct ledge at the end near the tip that is sharp and right in the middle of where a lot of people hold their pens (myself included) that started to dig into the side of my middle finger a bit.  Granted, with the design choice, the outer rim of the cap had to go somewhere, right?   

The pen comes standard with their Parker style ballpoint refill in black ink, which I can admit I'm not overly impressed with.  It is a pretty smooth refill, but doesn't really lay down a nice dark line like the Schmidt EasyFlow.  "Schmidt Style".  It could be the really bulky barrel is throwing off my writing too, but I didn't really enjoy it. 

As I had mentioned, I also ordered a pack of their gel pens that are a Parker style refill as well which are really quite good.  Review on those forthcoming sometime in the future. ..

One thing I think they designed aesthetically well is the clip.  The loop type design I feel may pay a little homage to the Lamy Safari a bit, even if only slightly?  Perhaps I'm crazy in that thought., but nevertheless it looks pretty cool.  It is thin and sleek and hugs the barrel of the pen so not to be overly obtrusive.

As I'm sure you've gathered, not my favorite pen purchase.  Although I haven't been thoroughly impressed by The Main Attraction pen, that doesn't mean others won't love it.  It has a nice weight, a cool magnetic cap feature, is shiny, and would only set you back about $16 if you wanted to give it a go.  

Seriously though, check out poppin.com to bask in the color coordinated glory (if that is your thing) you could be living in at your desk. 

 

Retro 51 Tornado "Jefferson" Vintage Metalsmith Series - Pen Review

The name of this pen is quite a mouthful, but boy is it worth it. 

The Jefferson edition of the Retro 51 Tornado is a pen that was on my wish list for a very long time, but for some reason I never picked up.  It was higher on my list than the Lincoln metalsmith edition, but I managed to pick one of those up first.  Weird. 

It was recently my birthday and when asked what people can get me (sounds so selfish, right?) I usually have about half a dozen pens that are in the "reasonably priced" range so no one has to break the bank to feed my addiction.  Most family members that end up getting me a pen have never spent more than $5 on a pen for themselves, so dropping $25 is a big step, you know what I'm saying?   The Jefferson was a gift from my in-laws which was really cool.

What is even more odd is that I didn't pick this pen up sooner due to the lower price point.  I've looked at this pen so many times, but never pulled the trigger on it.  Well, I'm glad I waited so it gave someone an opportunity for an easy gift idea!

This particular Retro 51 was bought from my friend Jay up at the Scottsdale Pen Store even though they can be found cheaper through Amazon, eBay, etc.   I don't always buy from Jay, but I really try to when he has in-stock what I want.  It's all about supporting the small business, and if you're local to the Phoenix area (or are in town), give Jay a visit and pick something up.  He is a really friendly guy, has a good selection, and is fun to chat pens with.  He even convinced Dan Bishop from Karas Kustoms to buy a Vintage Surf edition... he's good.

Along those lines (and I hope not to sound to soap box-ish), look up in your local area if there is a pen shop nearby.  If there is, try to visit them to see if they'd be a good fit for you and your pen/paper habits.  Buying from them helps support their family and livelihood. 

Enough chatting, let's talk pens.  Honestly, the Jefferson edition is awesome and I think Retro 51 and their designers did a fantastic job.  Other than the fact that it has a "vintage" pattern, I'm not really sure what it has to do with Jefferson... Nevertheless, they did great.  Can anyone explain the logic around the reference?

The barrel of the pen is finished in a really nice brushed nickel style and in between the various design lines there is a darkened, antique like finish.  This pen is pretty stunning.  Actually, three (yes three) different people at work wanted to buy a pen for their dad for Father's Day and asked my opinion.  Even though I didn't actually own this pen, this is the one that I referred them to and they couldn't be more happy with them.  All three of them want to buy one for themselves now because of how much their dads like them! 

The rollerball Tornados all take the phenomenal Schmidt cap-less roller that I talk about all the time.  Great lines, good ink flow (might be a little heavy for some), and never seems to have skipping issues.  If you are interested in a finer line with the refill, they make a 0.6mm instead of the 0.7mm (reviewed recently by Mr. Dowdy) which doesn't seem like much, but seems to make a big difference to users. 

I really can't get over the design of the pen.  It is really unique in the current pen market and is not over-the-top crazy to try and stand out.  It is subtle enough to draw your attention and bring you in for a closer look.  Once you're there you think, "I should buy one of these...".  At least that's what happened to me. 

Good work Retro 51.  Good work indeed.