LAMY Copperorange AL-star Fountain Pen Giveaway!

A pen that has been met with much enthusiasm lately is the new LAMY Copperorange Limited Edition AL-star...and with good reason!

I picked one of these up for myself and absolutely love the color.  Fiery and vibrant and a pen to definitely make a statement.

My Copperorange and cp1 pens in action on Instagram - stubbed...

My Copperorange and cp1 pens in action on Instagram - stubbed...

Ron from Pen Chalet (please check them out) was kind enough to offer one of these beauties up for giveaway to a reader of The Clicky Post.  Thanks, Ron!

The giveaway winner will receive one LAMY AL-star Copperorange fountain pen with a fine nib, one blue LAMY ink cartridge and I'm including one of my favorites, a Rhodia dotPad courtesy of my friends at rhodiapads.com

Image courtesy of LAMY (doesn't do it justice in my opinion)

Image courtesy of LAMY (doesn't do it justice in my opinion)

How do you enter the giveaway to possibly win?  See below:

CONTEST RULES (the "fine print"):

- Contest will run through Friday, April 10th, 2015 and will end at 11:59pm Arizona Time, USA.  I will be announcing the winner the next day so stay tuned...

- To enter, leave a comment about your favorite LAMY pen (or which one you've had your eye on if you don't own one already...)  One entry per person!

- I will arrange the entries in numerical order and randomly select a winner.  The winner will be announced on the blog on Saturday, April 11th and will need to connect with me within a week to claim their prize. 

- This giveaway is open to both US and International readers.

Thanks again to Pen Chalet and good luck everyone!

Titanium Pocket Pen by Schon DSGN Review

If you recall a few years ago on Kickstarter a campaign called The Pen Project, this pen will seem familiar to you (as you may actually own one).  If not, this should be fun. 

If you hadn't seen my previous reviews, for introductions to the pen, it is the brainchild of an engineer out of Massachusetts named Ian Schon.  Ian set out to make a pen that was compact, reliable in all conditions, and durable.  If you have a minute, take some time to review his original Kickstarter.  

The original version of the pen was machined from aluminum, but when I found out that Ian had made a limited run of them in titanium, I was intrigued.  Did I buy right away?  No I did not, but I took the leap just a few months ago and am excited to give my thoughts on it. 

From a feature standpoint, when closed the pen is small when compared to other "normal" sized pens.  At about the size of a roll of dimes it is probably one of the best perfectly portable writing instruments I own.  It fits in my pocket alongside my phone or keys without me even noticing it most of the time.

With the pen being so small, for writing the cap comes off and threads onto the tail end of the pen extending its length considerably.  This makes it long enough to fit into even large hands. 

The refill that Ian chose for the pen is the Fisher Space Pen which, for many people, is the pinnacle of an all purpose pen.  Rain, snow, heat...the Fisher can handle it.  The refill is not the most amazing writer when compared to gels or fountain pens, but fits the purpose perfectly.  Personally, I find the refill to be great for jotting down lists and taking notes while on the go and I love it coupled with the size of the pen.

The refill is exchanged by removing a set screw from the end of the pen.  (tools not included) 

The first noticeable thing that compares the titanium to the aluminum is the weight.  There is an added heft that is awesome as the pen comes in at almost 2 oz.  I feel the aluminum version will be durable enough over time, but my main draw to the Ti was that I literally want this pen to last forever.

The aluminum version is slightly shiny as it has received a clear anodized finish, but the Ti is raw giving it a bit more of a fresh machined tactile feel which I really enjoy.  The Ti is a darker silver color closer to stainless steel.

Now, no bones about it, the "gulp" factor of the titanium version is the price.  The aluminum pen runs around $50, but the Ti has a retail of $180.  Yes, gulp.  That being said, these pens are machined locally for Ian by a small machine shop and was a very small batch.  And, grade 5 titanium is expensive and difficult to machine, so I can understand the cost factor.  

Is it worth it?  To me it is.  I think I love everything about this pen.  The practicality, the story (small business) and how I know I'll have this pen to use forever.  When I need a pen to toss in my jeans pocket, the Schon pen is usually the first to be grabbed.  

Is the Ti version right for you this minute?  Maybe.  Or, your journey may be like mine:  buy the Al version, love it, upgrade to Ti.  Either way, check out Ian's work as his pen is one of my favorites.  It hasn't gotten a lot of press lately, but I've been excited to share this post to try and give it some exposure.  Perfectly portable and pocketable.

Interview with Matthew Morse (@heymatthew) - Penman Extraordinaire

Someone who's work and outlook (so it seems) on life that I respect is a gentleman named Matthew Morse.  I've been following Matthew on Instagram for awhile and thought it would be fun to get him on The Clicky Post as a guest and he graciously obliged.

I'll let Matthew take it away from here:

1. Tell me a bit about yourself.

I’m a graphic designer specializing in book cover design. I’m originally from Charleston, SC where I got a degree in Graphic Design and a few years experience with one of the largest ad agencies in the Southeast. I now spend my time in the tiny southern town of Sumter, SC. We have an Air Force base and a Starbucks and that’s about it. I love what I do and I love it even more when others see my work and love it as much as I do.

2. What prompted you to learn the skills you have?  Did you receive any formal training?

Funny thing about “formal training”… I originally went to school for civil engineering. I got about halfway through and into my 300-level math courses and realized that I absolutely hated math. I had a knack for photography and a student version of Photoshop and kind of got my start designing album art for local bands. Looking back now, it’s amazing anyone ever gave me a dime for that crap, but it was a start and I realized that while I hated math, I absolutely loved design and the process of creating. I switched my program and the rest is history…  

Book covers

3. How do you use your skills in your work and daily life?

As a graphic designer, I really try to go to analog tools before touching a computer. In my line of work with tight deadlines, I’m not always afforded that luxury. Especially when it comes to book covers. Regardless of how I start designs, I try to spend a little time each day putting something down on paper. Whether that be doodling or lettering or writing… It’s a way for me to disconnect from the electronic world I find myself living in 10 hours a day and clear my head through something more organic. 

Matthew's cool workspace

4. Analog tools are an obvious part of your work; what are some tools you use most? (pens, ink, paper, etc)

Right now, I’m absolutely in love with the Horizon Folded Nibs from PaperInkArts.com. At $7 each, I tend to buy them a handful at a time and just go to town. I’ve always got a couple handy and ready to scribble out an awesome quote or some such thing. They fit my style really well and give me a chance to break away from the monotony of on-screen typography.

And I have to have awesome paper to put that nib to so I typically use Rhoda No. 18 Blank Pads. They give me lots of real estate to work with and they’re relatively cheap. And the paper holds ink really well with little to no bleed through or feathering.

I’m a big fan of Iroshizuku inks. They have incredible shading and when mixed and forced to dry under high heat, you really get some special sheen from most of them. Momiji is a favorite of mine as it lays down this brilliant reddish pink but when dried, you get this amazing gold-green sheen reminiscent of Rohrer & Klingner’s Alt-Goldgrün.

I carry an Apica A6 notebook with me daily in a One Star Leather Hobonichi Cover (it’s not made for the Apica, but it works perfectly) and I always have my Nock Co. Fodderstack XL on me with a couple of pens, a notebook and some Nock Co. Dot-Dash Cards.

5. If someone wanted to work with you, how could they find you?

I can be found online at HeyMatthew.com and on Twitter and Instagram @HeyMatthew.

6. What is your favorite work you've done thus far?

It’s hard to pick a favorite, but right now I’d have to say it’s my personal website. I went for a long, long time without a proper website. I never really had an organized portfolio and I seemed to focus so heavily on my clients that my own presentation got lost in the shuffle.

Last fall, I decided to really get going on new branding and a portfolio for myself to showcase my work. So sometime early this year I officially launched HeyMatthew.com. I’m really proud of where it’s at and I think after probably 8 logos in the last 10 years, I’ve found an identity that showcases what I do best.

 

Special thanks to Matthew for taking the time to share his story a bit with us!  Please take some time to review his social media accounts and website.