[Writer Post] Changing the Narrative
During ConDFW I participated in several conversations on the same topic of fan-run conventions, and much of it came down to the same thing…what could be done to bring more people in. Though it was encouraging to see new faces at ConDFW, it’s true that the numbers of attendees have not been what they were. ApolloCon has also had dwindling numbers – and they’re taking a year off (we really hope to see them come back). And in several of the fan-run conventions we’re seeing an “aging up” of those fans who attend that make con runners wondering, “What can we do?” ONE of the answers comes down to a “buzz phrase”… Change the Narrative. We need to change the narrative.
ConJour 2011
Fan-run conventions are an “old school” construct from that crazy, crazy time BEFORE THE INTERNET. It was one of the only ways for fans to actually gather, get to know each other “in the analog” when they might’ve only known each other through fanzines or (GASP) LETTERS. It was one only ways for authors to meet and interact with fans and other professionals. But now, NOW, we have OPTIONS. We have social media. We have blogs and websites. There are videos and technology – oh my!
SoonerCon 2012
But there’s still a place for the fan-run conventions. And that’s the story we need to tell. We need to emphasis the GOOD reasons to go to these gatherings – especially in light of the issues that get aired in the digital realms, and in the face of the Media Conventions. THAT is the story we need to tell. It’s not going to be quick or easy, but over the next few weeks, I’m going to make a case and hopefully start some conversations.
ArmadilloCon 2009
Let’s start with an easy one… ECONOMICS. We’ve seen a plethora… PLETHORA, I tell you of Comic Cons/Fan Expos/Media Extravaganzas pop up. These are the shows that bring in all these amazing actors, artists, and fewer and fewer local creators. Though these are fun – you have Q & As, amazing cosplay, and an exhibit hall with everything a geek heart could desire… for a price. That’s the key. Not only do you have to pay to get in. Many times you’re also paying for food, parking, VIP upgrades, special events, and AUTOGRAPHS. Not to mention the stuff people are hoping you’ll buy. That would be great if it was ONE show like once a year. But no, these shows often seem to run (at least in Dallas) 2 – 4 times A YEAR. Once a season to part you with your money. And it’s not just the FANS’ money – it’s also from the local artists and vendors who are paying higher and higher table fees.
ApolloCon 2010
HOWEVER, fan-run conventions – though they rarely have the draw of a Stephen Amell – do have a variety of authors, artists, creators, costumers, etc. who are part of panel discussions to TEACH fans how to create their own books, art, costumes, and music. You pay, generally, ONE price to get in and get the whole experience (with some exceptions, sometimes but not often). If you CHOOSE to, you can buy books, art, shop in the dealers’ room, but it’s not required. Autographs are (99% of the time) FREE. Yes, there are travel expenses if you’re not local – hotel, food, gas or airfare – but there’s often a “Consuite” with snacks that can help defray the food cost (that doesn’t REQUIRE an upgrade or fee – though often tip jars are available). And during this time, those professionals you came to see? They’re hanging out in the bar or in the common areas talking to people WITHOUT handlers or security (unless there’s a specific reason) barring your access.
WorldCon 2013
There’s a lot more BANG for the buck in the fan run conventions. And they’re not just a bunch of lines, the people who put them on are fans themselves. They’re VOLUNTEERS trying to give other people like them a good event. Most raise money for charities on top of the event – the charities are the only “people” making money. Any money made by the convention goes into putting on future events.
ConDFW 2012 – with Jaye Wells
There’s a lot going for Comic Cons – I’m not trying to bash them – but as an author, I get so much more out of the fan-run conventions because of the connection I can make with readers and fan when they’re not having to worry about whether or not “Does it cost extra?”.
[Pen/Pencil Review] Pilot Vanishing Point Saga Part 2
And now to Part 2 of the Pilot Vanishing Point Saga. This is the technical review, now that I’ve had time to actually work with the pen. The big question is… Does it live up to the hype I’ve built in my mind? The answer to that is … it does.
I splurged for the 2015 Limited Edition Twilight Vanishing Point at the encouragement of my husband (enabler than he is) that has a shimmering lacquer barrel that shifts from sapphire blue (at the plunger) to deep blue (center) to violet (nib end). The hardware is shiny chrome plated with the number of the edition (1703/2015) etched into the rings at the center that open the barrel.
The clip in on the nib end of the pen instead of the plunger – which keeps the nib upright in a pocket or purse to prevent leaking or gravity. And the barrel point is tapered in such a way that you can only really comfortably hold the pen in one way to write properly and situate the clip so it’s out of the way. Though it takes a minute or two to get used to, it’s really easy to adjust to the feel – and it probably further protects the nib from any kind of damage. The pen runs about 5.5†long regardless of retraction with a 0.5†diameter which makes it very comfortable in the hand – not too big, not too small and VERY well balanced.
Top ink is NESSIE from Lucas Tuckers Scribal Workshop. Bottom ink – Namiki Purple.
The nib is part of an integrated interior mechanism that includes a metal sleeve that holds a converter but also takes the Namiki cartridges. I was perplexed at first because the converter fit so snuggly that I didn’t think it came out, but I was just being overly gently with it. Given the price of the pen, I think I can be forgiven the momentary caution. The pen comes with a Medium nib – but Pilot’s nibs run fine, so it feels like a fine point. And it’s one of the smoothest I’ve used in a long time with almost no skipping or glopping or scratching – even on handmade paper. And the nib assemblies CAN be replaced if they’re worn, damaged, or you just want another size.
The sticking point will always be price. I get this isn’t that much as “LUXURY†pens go, but it’s still enough that I didn’t plunk down the cash without a LOT of thought and planning.
The numbers:
1. How does it work? – 1 – It works really well – the nib is smooth with very little skipping or scratching. The plunger is strong and so is the clip.
2. Grip and feel – 1 – It’s a good length. There are a few bumps that might get in the way, but I’ve not had an issue. The way the tip is built, it’s hard to hold it wrong for the clip to get in the way. It’s well balanced and wide enough to be comfortable.
3. Material – 1 – It’s solid metal and lacquer with strong mechanisms.
4. Overall Design – 1 – It is and was a game changer with retractable fountain pens. It’s been a great piece. There is a proprietary ink refill, but with the converter it’s not as bad as it could be.
5. Price Point – 0.5 – It’s EXPENSIVE. I could’ve done some online shopping and MAYBE have gotten it cheaper, but Paradise Pen Company have been major supporters and friends for years and I wanted to give them the business. The REGULAR Vanishing Points are $175 retail…the Limited Editions are… $240. VERY MUCH refillable and durable, but still…now you know why it took me so long to figure out the financial INVESTMENT in this pen. It’s not something to be taken lightly – but it’s built in such a way that it can be used for years and years and years with a little care and caution.
That’s 4.5 of 5 bronze pencils.
[Writing Blog][Conventions] ConDFW XV Roundup
It’s a busy day. But it’s still Wednesday…and wow. Where do I begin with ConDFW? After a few years of relatively light programming, this year was Full Steam Ahead (especially Saturday). I LOVE being busy – make it worth the investment to attend, and books were sold. So yay!
All pictures from John Husisian.
The actual convention part of the weekend was great. After seeing some decline in numbers, the attendance seemed steady or even a bit higher than past years, and I saw new faces in the panel rooms. THAT was happy making. All but one of my panels had significantly more audience members than panelists (and there were 5-6 panelists per panel). There were interesting discussions, even if there were differences of opinions, everyone was respectful and polite.
I talked a lot of shop. You’ll be seeing the fruits of some of those discussions in future posts. Some will be about the writing side, and some will be on the fandom side. On the writing side, there were amazing conversations triggering all kinds of plot bunnies – which is one of the BEST parts of doing conventions like this. Did a little business – which I’ll talk more about when it’s all firmed up.
The weird thing? No art show. Art Shows have been challenging for ConDFW over the years. At least two hotels had to have the art show tucked away with visibility and accessibility issues. I get the thinking behind it, and there might’ve been staffing issues as well, but still not a great plan. If you have art panels, you need an ability to show and sell art. It’s like having writers come and not letting them sell books. It’s revenue generating for the convention, but it’s also part of the art world. I heard more than one person asking where the art show was.
Fortunately, this is the last year in the Lincoln Center Hilton. The hotel, while lovely, has some logistic issues that didn’t make it very conducive to this kind of event. Though I think the convention staff did the best they could with the hotel, they are moving forward with finding a new venue (YAY!). But for others who are thinking of running or are in the process of running – these are things to think about when searching out hotels.
1. The PRO – all the panel rooms were along one hall, but on two floors. CON – the escalator was super narrow. I THINK the main hotel elevators went to the bottom floor, but they were quite a ways from the rooms. I really don’t know how they were accessed. Accessibility is a HUGE issue right now.
2. CON – The Dealers’ Room and Gallery were rooms tucked around elevators and the bar. They had ramps, but that meant the Dealer’s Room had TWO doors (the ramp was on the far side of the room) and the Gallery you had to suss it out around the bar. With such odd bits and tucks, it makes it difficult for people to SEE and FEEL – which meant they were less likely to part with money.
3. CON – Zero tolerance anti-party hotel policy. This is a holdover from last year when, the hotel shut down every party by 9:30 – 10pm. This hurts the convention. Many local fans get hotel rooms when they anticipate an active night life. If there are no parties, there’s no reason for them or other groups to spend the money on rooms, supplies, etc. Don’t take verbal agreements on this, get it in writing!
4. PRO – The central seating area in the lobby. The furniture was comfortable and plentiful. It was easy to find people and converse. CON – that area flowed into the open bar area. And heaven help you if you took food over the line from one to the other. I watched the bar chase out several groups for having “outside” food.
5. CON – Which leads to FOOD. There was no good options here. There was an overpriced hotel Starbucks, the bar, and an EXTREMELY OVERPRICED hotel restaurant. PERIOD. I went to the consuite TWICE to find…nothing. Whatever food there might’ve been was Piranhaed within five minutes. And when you’re booked solid one whole day, that’s an issue.
6. CON – PARKING. I know in urban areas paying for parking is a given. The hotel offered some parking privileges last year – but not this year. Free parking was SPARSE – and the fees were not pleasant especially if you had to send someone out during the day to get food – or found someone with a hotel room key to go for you.
Overall, ConDFW was a success for me. Yay. Looking forward to seeing how things shake out. Hopefully changes in venue can keep the convention going. This is still a vital and important convention to the professionals and fandom.
[Pen/Pencil Review] Pilot Vanishing Point Saga – Part 1
Welcome to Monday – and Part 1 of 2 of the Pilot Vanishing Point Fountain pen Review Saga! This is the adventure leading UP to buying the Vanishing Point – next week will be the functional review. Pull up a chair and get the popcorn. Here we go…
For years I’ve known about the expensive pens – but there’s a frugality to my nature that comes from several sources that hasn’t provided the opportunity to indulge in the more “Luxury” pens. But one I’ve known about and set as a goal to finally get has been the Pilot Vanishing Point fountain pen. The Vanishing Point simply means… RETRACTABLE. Now other pen companies are making them – but Pilot has been the front runner. Part of the plan was to get one with my first (solo novel) book contract – back when that was a much more nebulous thing.
Fast forward to December 2015. My first solo novel (Tarbox Station – available through Yard Dog Press in print and ebook) came out in July 2015. My job ramped up – eventually to become full time – holidays, bills, etc. – the pen didn’t happen until a sudden epiphany hit. A plan came together (and you know I love it when a plan comes together.)
This past weekend was ConDFW. ConDFW usually anchors “Birthday Week” and is within (generally) striking distance of Paradise Pen Company in the Dallas Galleria. Paradise Pen Company is my favorite (because it’s local and they now know me) pen store where I can only afford a small percentage of their wares – but they let me press my nose to the glass and pet the displays. And for the last two years, the convention hotel has basically been across the street – so I’ve been able to wrangle friends to join me on the pilgrimage.
@reudaly A great choice! Did you already make the trip! We'd love to see a picture of the VP you chose! âœ🏻 @ConDFW @PilotPenUSA
— Paradise Pen (@paradisepenco) February 9, 2016
I took to Social Media to set up the Annual Birthday Pilgrimage with the end goal being to FINALLY, finally buy the Pilot Vanishing Point fountain pen. What ensued was a Twitter exchange between me, Paradise Pen Company, and Pilot Pen USA over timing, model, and a request to take pictures. Which I did – which you can see throughout the post. We went on Friday night, and actually found the store busy!
Paradise Pen had a handful of the usual models – which are nice – and one of the 2015 Limited Edition Twilight models. The Limited Editions are more expensive than the regular models, but the graduated coloring from blue to violet with the silver/chrome accents was really pretty. And Jimmy, my wonderful husband and pen enabler, basically said it wasn’t THAT much over what I’d budgeted for AND I’d just been made full time…GO AHEAD, YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO! (I mentioned enabler, right?). So, that’s the one I went with – and it’s worth it. Though I’ll get into the physical review next week after I’ve had more time to play with the pen, I used it to sign books throughout the rest of the weekend. It’s one of the smoothest fountain pens I’ve used in a long time – even with a non-Pilot/Namiki ink in it. The retractability (it’s a word NOW) is solid. It feels REALLY NICE in the hand.
And the best part? That frugal part of me? The one that always says, “Holy crap, what have I done?” whenever I buy something outside my comfort zone even when planned and budgeted for? Not one bit of that with this. This is a pen that will be well loved and used – even though most would take the Limited and Numbered edition pen, put it in a box and never use it. That’s not the pen person I am. I use my tools. Learn more about the Vanishing Point next week…
TO BE CONTINUED…
[Writer Post] ConDFW and Accountability
Ah, Wednesday, you almost got away from me. But I’m on to you! Hah. So… what’s going on here?
CONDFW starts in TWO DAYS! TWO DAYS, y’all. Please come out and see the authors, artists, and other creators. Come to the panels. Come to the SIGNINGS (Julia Mandala and I sign at 5 pm on Friday)! Come to the READINGS (J. Kathleen Cheney and I are doing Breakfast Reading on Saturday at 10 am)! See the rest of my schedule here…
I know there’s a for-profit comic con going on the same weekend, but please, for the love of fandom, don’t forget the fan-run conventions. And if you don’t come for ME, come for JOHN SCALZI!!!! Fan-run cons only survive when fans support them (and there’s much more to do for a more modest financial investment). END PITCH.
Still readjusting to the new schedule of being a “real employee” again – but I totally appreciate some of the inadvertent “accountability” I’ve gotten lately. Allan Cole just asked me on Twitter how my writing’s going. Which means it darn well better be going. Right? I also feel the slight prod the closer to ConDFW we get to ConDFW (about to be surrounded by creative colleagues, and don’t want to feel left behind – yes that’s my “problem” but it’s also MOTIVATING!). I want to say there was someone on Facebook who also asked. My production might not be STELLAR, but slow and steady also works (as long as it IS steady – that’s the key).
And I was actually doing fiction word counts when I remembered it was Wednesday. So, it might be a short post because I should get back to it before the CRAZY begins on Friday.
[Pen/Pencil Review] Copper TUL Retractable – 0.7mm Black ink
This has been a challenging week. Day Job has changed in a good way. Loki has been in and out of the vet’s office getting his Bark Fight Ear checked, bandaged and re-bandaged. So this is going to be (sort of) a rerun – but with a twist. Office Depot/Max’s TUL line came out with a SHINY version of their retractable pen – metallic!
The TUL retractable pens are about 5.75″ long with the tip retracted and extended. The barrel is plastic with a black dimpled rubber grip and graduated black and copper coloring the barrel. The clip is metal and sturdy with black accent. The plunger is a solid black plunger, but the tip cone is shiny copper plated for a stunning look. There’s not a ton of squish in the grip, but they’re pretty comfortable.
The black ink is decent. I’ve actually had these for a while, and they still work well, even on the rough handmade paper. The color is rich and smooth with a 0.7mm conical tip. I’ve enjoyed working with these pens off and on for a while now, for an everyday pen, they’re in the top five or ten for roller balls.
These are fun novelties – not only does it come in the copper, but also silver and maybe gold. They were for sale at the cash register when I went in for something else. I had to get it for the SHINY. These are good utility pens. Solid mechanisms with good ink for a decent price. These run about $2 individually.
The numbers:
1. How does it work? – 1 – These are solid pens. The ink doesn’t skip or blog. The ink is dark and rich. It has a good feel.
2. Grip and feel – 1 – It’s a utilitarian pen. Has a nod to ergonomics with the dimpled, rubber grip. It has a good length with decent balance.
3. Material – 1 It’s a solid plastic and metal retractable pen. The colors are awesome. Very shiny.
4. Overall Design – 1 – It’s solid. It’s utilitarian. It works. SHINY!
5. Price Point – 0.5 – These run between $1.50 – $2.00 a piece, which make them affordable, but I’m not sure how easy they are going to be to get any more other than online. Since TUL was an Office Max “house brand” I don’t know that Office Depot kept them on. Get them while you can, if you can. Or order them online.
4.5 out of 5 Bronze Pencils
[Writer Post] [Conventions] ConDFW Programming – February 12-14, 2016
Today is super busy, so the post for today/this week is my current programming for ConDFW next week. This year they are running me ragged on Saturday. If I’m inadvertently rude to anyone, you can see why. Apologies in advance.
Rhonda Eudaly
Friday
AUTOGRAPHS (THE GALLERY)
Friday, 5pm: Julia S. Mandala, Rhonda Eudaly
MAIN PROGRAMMING (JEFFERSON)
Friday, 6pm: Humor Recipes for the Soul
Panelists: Barbara Ann Wright (M), John Scalzi, Rhonda Eudaly, Kathy Turski, Bill Crider, K. B. Bogen
With all the talk of mashups and combining genres, we need to talk about humor in various genres. What is considered funny in Science Fiction? What is considered funny in Epic Fantasy, or even Urban Fantasy? We bring our distinguished panelists to the kitchen table and get them to spill their delicious secrets.
Saturday
READING (ADAMS)
Saturday, 10am: J. Kathleen Cheney, Rhonda Eudaly
PROGRAMMING 4 (JACKSON)
Saturday, 12pm: Crowdsourcing 101: Kickstarter and You!
Panelists: Aaron de Orive, Rhonda Eudaly, Melia Newman
If you were to talk to a random person online about Kickstarter, you would probably hear about this project that stole their money because it promised much then died. However, Kickstarter and other crowdfunding platforms (Indiegogo, Gofundme, etc.) have an impressive success rate – only 1 in 10 fully funded projects fail. How do you succeed in doing a Kickstarter? What do you look for in investing IN a Kickstarter? What rights do you have if your Kickstarter fails? Our panelists discuss these issues and more.
PROGRAMMING 3 (HAMILTON)
Saturday, 2pm: The Short Story: Advantages and Benefits.
Panelists: David Gray (M), Mary Gearhartâ€Gray, Rhonda Eudaly, Barbara Ann Wright, Larry Atchley Jr.,
Dantzel Cherry
The short story is often overlooked by the average reader unless they read certain literary magazines or short story collections. However, they are a gem that should not be discounted so readily. Our short story writers talk about the benefits of writing short stories as opposed to writing novels.
PROGRAMMING 3 (HAMILTON)
Saturday, 4pm: The Hard Work of Writing Humor
Panelists: Julia S. Mandala (M), Rhonda Eudaly, Kathy Turski, Sabine Starr, Bill Crider, K.B. Bogen
Writing something humorous is just as rough as writing something disastrous. You have to do research, you have to make sense, and you have to be funny at the same time. Our writers talk about what they do to work through the grind, and how to maintain your sanity.
PROGRAMMING 3 (HAMILTON)
Saturday, 6pm: Redheads of the Apocalypse
Panelists: Julia S. Mandala, Linda Donahue, Rhonda Eudaly
Yes, it’s that time again – and the craziness that is the Redheads of the Apocalypse are doing a press conference. Should be a lot of fun, and they’ll answer any questions you have…
Sunday
PROGRAMMING 2 (MADISON)
Sunday, 11am: The Art of the Contract
Panelists: Julia S. Mandala (M), Rhonda Eudaly, Lawrence M. Schoen, T.M. Hunter, David L. Gray
If you want to try more traditional ways of publishing, you’re going to need to learn how to read fine print. Our publishers talk about contracts, what to look for and what to hold out for.
[Pen/Pencil Review] Kokuyo Beetle Tip Dual Tip Highlighter in Pink & Yellow
It’s been a busy weekend, and today is also busy – so this is a pseudo-rerun. Part of my Christmas haul was the companion piece to a dual tip highlighter I ran in October. The Kokuyo Beetle Tip dual tip highlighter this time in Pink and Yellow.
…You can use one or the other sides – or you can play a double line. It’s kind of fun. But it’s a highlighter, there’s not a lot new you can say about highlighters…but the dual tip lets you do different things. And the pink and yellow inks are bold for the lighter colors. Because the ink is liquid, there’s some smearing if you highlight over pen ink.
This Kokuyo Beetle Tip dual highlighter is 5.2″ long with the highlighter capped and 6.2″ long with the cap posted. It’s a bit wide for the hand – because there are TWO inks in the barrels, and there are no ergonomics, but it’s a cool little tool and not too expensive.
The numbers:
1. How does it work? – 0.5 It’s decent. There are ways that can mess up. You can get green in your purple and purple in your green
2. Grip and feel – 0.5 – This is no frills plastic. It’s a bit wide to be completely comfortable and it’s a simple tube. There are no ergonomics.
3. Material – 1 It’s a no frills plastic with a purpose.
4. Overall Design – 1 – It’s a cool looking, fun tool. You have options for what you need to highlight.
5. Price Point – 1 – It’s pretty affordable. It’s $2.25 on JetPens. It’s fun, useful, and not an unreasonable investment.
4.0 out of 5 Bronze Pencils
[Writer Post] Half Price Books, ConDFW, and Contracts – OH MY
Wow, hey look, it’s another Wednesday. And I very nearly zoned out on the blog post. Things are clicking right along here – winds of change are blowing. Things seem…hopeful. All good things.
Thanks to those who came to Half Price Books on Sunday. I appreciate the support. It was a decent outing. When push came to shove, I did better in the two hours there than I have at some other, longer shows. So, keep supporting author events at bookstores. They matter. A lot. Now to start figuring out how to maybe do some more of that.
Now, I’m going to ask you to support fandom. ConDFW is coming up in a couple of weeks – Guests of Honor are John Scalzi and Seanan McGuire. I’ve seen my preliminary schedule, and it’s going to be fun. But Saturday is going to be SUPER DUPER busy – if I seem to blow you off in the hallway, please know it’s not on purpose! Currently I have something on nearly every EVEN NUMBERED HOUR on Saturday. So, it might just be that I have to use the restroom.
The reason for the plea is that ConDFW had a For-Profit comic con land on their date. I’m still trying to be charitable, but if we want the fan-run conventions (where you don’t have to pay for EVERY. LITTLE. THING) to survive, this is where it starts. I truly believe there’s a place for all kinds of fandom stuff, but I want there to be a way to make that happen without it being super expensive for fans. An actor appearing at Tyler Comic Con proposed a business model where actors are paid a flat fee and all autographs are free. He posited that by charging say $100 to get in, but then having the actor’s alley be free from there takes away the financial burden of … well, everyone. The actors get paid, the fans get contact, and the artists/vendors have less competition. Yeah, that’s not going to ever happen, but it’s an awesome idea – and one that a lot of fan-run conventions kinda do. Fans might buy art and books, but mostly we’re happy sign anything you put in front of us (except blank checks). Something to think about.
So come to ConDFW! Then SoonerCon, ArmadilloCon, and FenCon. We need you!
But what reminded me to do this blog today was a link that just popped up on my Facebook Feed. It’s a blog post by Kameron Hurley about publishing contracts. There’s some NSFW/Kids language in it, but it’s stuff that needs saying to all authors – new or established. I know I have struggled with it (and still do). The point is… you do not have to take a bad contract. No matter who the publisher is. Contracts are NOT set in stone. You can say NO to terms that make you uncomfortable (I have… it’s super hard, but it does NOT tank your career), and you SHOULD say no to terms that make you uncomfortable. This article points out what kinds of things might show up that you should say no to. Go read it right now (because I’m pretty much done here and need to get writing).
[Pen/Pencil Review] Pilot Acroball 4 Color Multi Pen – 0.7mm
When I put this week’s pen on my JetPens Wishlist, it was more from a curiosity factor than anything else. It ended up as part of my Christmas haul, so I have the prime opportunity to check it out – Yay, Wishlist! I’ve developed a taste for Pilot’s Acroball line I have to be in a “mood†for gel pens or fountain pen. BUT… there’s always a place for ballpoints and the Acroball line is rapidly becoming one of my absolute favorites.
The Acroball ink is an oil-based ink that I’ve talked about before. It provides a smooth line with rich, dark pigments – including the green ink, which is by far the most difficult to do well – with minimal glops or smears. The barrel is clear plastic for a demonstrator style that lets you see the levels of the ink. The grip is a tire-pattern rubberized grip that gives a decent feel. The barrel is a bit thick, but it’s normal for the type of the pen and still comfortable. The color retracts by pushing a second plunger. The clip is spring loaded, sturdy, and easy to use.
The barrel is 5.7†long and the ink points are a fantastic 0.7mm conical point with a color band around each refill to confirm color. The ink is refillable in both 0.7mm AND 0.5mm which makes this a useful, all around pen that will last quite a while. If you don’t like the clear barrel – they do come in six different colors.
The numbers:
1. How does it work? – 1 It works really well. The retraction mechanisms are solid. The ink is solid and rich.
2. Grip and feel – 1 – This has a good feel. There’s nothing “extra†to the pen. The barrel is only as wide as it needs to be to hold the inks. The rubberized grip makes it pretty comfortable.
3. Material – 1 It’s a decent quality plastic pen with refill options. The plungers and clips are sturdy and functional
4. Overall Design – 1 – For a pen that should be a lot bulkier, this pen is sleek, functional and designed to do what it needs to do.
5. Price Point – 0.5 – It’s kind of expensive – and probably only available online through JetPens or the like – I don’t remember seeing them in stores. The multipen runs $8.25 for the first one and between $1.50 and $1.75 for the refills. It’s not something to be bought and lost – but it’s a good all around bpen.
4.5 out of 5 Bronze Pencils