One Year Anniversary of The Clicky Post - Giveaway!

What I would consider to be the one year anniversary of The Clicky Post is approaching this coming Monday, May 12th, and I thought it was definitely a great time for some celebration by hosting a giveaway!

But first, I want to take a moment to say thank you to all of my fantastic readers, customers of my Dudek Modern Goods brand, my fellow pen bloggers, and generous sponsors who have often donated products for me to review.  It has been an exciting year getting to write about something I enjoy, make products for others to enjoy, and to have the astonishing support I've been given.  I am humbled to say the least, so thank you all and I hope the upcoming year brings only more fun!

Now for the giveaway...

I thought it only fitting to do a giveaway of one of my handmade products, The Display, along with a three pack of one of my favorite pocket products, the Doane Paper Goods Utility Notebooks.  My fellow pen bloggers can attest, we have the best readers and community anyone would want!

Thank you again.

- Mike Dudek

To Enter The Giveaway - 

This giveaway is open to US and International readers and will run through next Friday, May 16th until 11:59pm Arizona, USA.

To enter, complete the form below by providing your name and email address.  Email addresses will be used for the sole purpose of contacting the winner!  One entry per person.

I will arrange the names in order as received and use a random number generator to pick the winner.  Upon selecting a winner I will announce it on the blog, email the winner directly, and they will have one week to reply with their shipping information.  If after a week all I hear is crickets, someone else gets to win!


Optikal Rollerball by Karim Rashid - New Release from ACME Studios Inc

ACME Studios Inc is a company that seems to look at things a bit differently, but in a good way.  Their line of pens and accessories are made up of partnerships and collaborations with various artists.  The pen bodies are relatively the same for the "art" series, but creates a nice canvas for these artists to paint on so to speak.

Newly released is an offering from their etched line of pens called "Optikal", designed by Karim Rashid.  He has worked with ACME for several years and has done quite a few collaborations with them.  Pronounced just as boldly as the logo on the pen is the name or signature of the artist responsible for the design.  Karim's signature is found on the center ring between the cap and barrel which is a nice tribute to his work.  

There is also a YouTube video of Karim discussing some of his history with ACME which is quite interesting.  I had the pleasure of having Optikal sent to me for review by ACME for which I offer thanks.  I've enjoyed the pen very much and am excited to share my thoughts.

I really respect the artistic aspect of the company as there is deeper meaning and motivation to their work and they also provide exposure for people trying to make their way in the world of art.  Some of the designs may not be everyone's bag, but I can't argue with their philosophy.  I find it fascinating the unique and sometimes zany things that ACME Studios Inc creates and releases.

The etched series of pens are made from all brass and have an engraved design in the barrel.  Optikal has what would look like a series of parallel lines running up and down the pen, but upon spinning you find that an area of the lines bow, creating a unique pattern.  The engravings themselves are filled in with a black enamel so to stand out with more contrast against the shiny barrel.

I really enjoy the weight of this pen.  Being made of all brass it caries a nice heft, but not overly heavy.  It is also a fairly broad pen tapering out towards the middle which gives it a lot to grip and hold onto.  The pen feels solid and substantial.  

The entire barrel is a shiny chrome, mirror-like finish which will attract fingerprints, but will definitely receive the notice of those around you.  The pen, not the fingerprints...  The design of the overall barrel shape is quite conservative and I would consider it to be classy.  Let's just say the pen could easily fit into a business coat type setting, but still make a heck of a statement.

Optikal comes presented in an appealing matte black box that contains an "ACME" branded tin.  Nestled inside a formed, high-density foam is the pen safe and sound from bouncing about.  I would consider the packaging to be a keeper.

Optikal next to Hatch

On the thread of being conservative, my previously reviewed ACME pen the "Hatch" rollerball by designer Karl Zahn was left in the brass finish which is functional for its antimicrobial properties, but from a mere aesthetic wouldn't be quite as low-key as Optikal. 

The included rollerball refill is the Schmidt Safety Ceramic "888" which is a smooth and wet writer.  For kicks, I swapped in a Pilot Juice refill as they are roughly the same size, but found the tip to wiggle a bit too much for my liking.  Doable if you want more options, but might drive some people crazy.

I think Optikal is a fantastic edition to ACME's etched series and that Karim did excellent work in it's design.  Visit ACME's newly released website to view their wares, and to keep up to date on what ACME Studios Inc is up to (which is always new and interesting), make sure to follow them on Twitter or Facebook.

TWSBI 540 Amber Fountain Pen - F Nib

TWSBI is a brand that has a fantastic reputation in the pen community, and with good reason.  For starters, most of their pens are priced in what I would consider the "midrange" at around $50-70, but what sets them apart is the quality you get from such an economical pen.

I've been sitting on this 540 for quite awhile waiting to review it, but that isn't because I haven't enjoyed it.  I knew specifically that I wanted to buy one in the discontinued Amber finish (which is more of an orange?...) and happened upon this one through Amazon for $39.  Steal.

It originally came with a Broad nib which didn't really suit me that well, but Tim from The Writing Arsenal and I were conversing and he happened to have an extra F nib (that he wasn't terribly fond of) so we made a swap.

Of course, the writing quality of the TWSBI nib is superb.  I've had nothing but positive experiences with the brand and I feel like I can trust buying new products of theirs when they come out because of it.  

The 540 is the predecessor to the current 580 line.  Some slight changes made to the 580 include a metal ring that goes between the grip section and the barrel.  This was added due to instances of the grip section cracking because people were screwing them on (maybe a bit too tightly?) so TWSBI made the metal ring as a safeguard.

The 540 is a full size pen coming in close to 6 inches in length.  Not overly weighty at all due to the all plastic barrel, but with the reservoir fully inked up it feels well balanced.  There are quite a few moving parts to the 540 as it is a piston filler which could be a little unnerving for a fountain pen newbie.  The build quality of the TWSBIs are good, but I wouldn't say the material is something you're going to rave about like a silky smooth acrylic. 

The cap is weighty as it does contain some metal parts and does post, but just slightly.  If you are familiar with how the TWSBI Mini cap posts and threads on to the back of the pen, this is not the case with the 540.  The barrel is long enough in my opinion to warrant not needing to post it at all.

What is it that makes TWSBI superior to other brands considering the seemingly low pricepoint?  I compare it to my recent review of the Pelikan M205... The Pelikan, although a beautiful pen with a decent retail price tag of $195 is in no way superior to this TWSBI 540 in writing experience.  Build quality?  Definitely as the Pelikan feels very well put together and solid while the TWSBI has a few creaks here and there, but none that inhibit a lovely experience while using it.  

I would wager it has something to do with the ideology of the brand and those that run it.  TWSBI is a group of innovators and creators.  This is evident in the sheer number of prototypes they post about.  Not just "look at the fancy new pen we're going to sell" but, "we think this is really cool; what do you think about it?".  They want a good writing experience for the end user because that is their purpose, not just to sell pens.  Now, this is all speculation on my part, but it makes sense.

If you are looking for a midrange priced fountain pen I'd highly recommend the TWSBI lineup.