[Pen/Pencil Review] Retro 51 Pen World Fountain Pen Update
A few weeks back a couple of weird things happened when I reviewed the Pen World Retro 51 fountain pen. I had a few issues with the nib at the time – the ink flow struggled. I posted by review, and was almost immediately contacted through Twitter by Retro 51 to have it sent back for repair, which I did. Like A DAY before they announced that the leadership of the company was retiring and the company would shut down in the next six months.
I had no idea how long it would take to get it back — given their circumstances. However, I heard back from them late last week and the pen came back today. Choice Templin managed to straighten the nib as much as possible and has the ink flowing smoothly and without skipping. I’ve tested it myself and it’s now the pen I thought it should be (which is why in the previous review I took that tack – that the nib was damaged somehow). Choice did offer to help me get another nib if this did not meet my expectations. (It does.) There was still some ink in the nib, so the Kaweco Royal Blue I put in it isn’t showing up yet.
I did a quick writing sample and liked what I felt, I’ve gone on to work on a chapter rewrite with it. It’s smoother than I would’ve thought it would be, given it’s a repair. With this kind of customer service, I’m even sadder to see this company go away. I understand why they are, but I’m sorry for it.
It’s a good pen. I look forward to working with it now that it works for me. I would get one of these while there’s still some out there to get. I know they’re doing their last runs, and I can’t wait to see the last few designs.
Retro 51 — GREAT PENS!
The Numbers.
1. How does it work? – 1 – This is a solid pen. Good length with a variety of nib sizes. However, my nib has some issues that I will either somehow figure out how to fix or replace. This one skips and scratches. EDITED: NOW WRITES SMOOTHLY!
2. Look and feel – 1 – It’s a classic Tornado design. It has good weight; the design is lovely. And did I mention IT GLOWS IN THE DARK!
3. Material – 1 – It’s a solid metal pen with secure clip. The design is like a resin wrap—maybe vinyl? But doesn’t feel like it’s going to chip or peel.
4. Overall Design – 0.5 – It’s a good length and diameter. The weight is solid. It’s a good-looking pen. The nib issue is one that I’ll have to correct, and I’m not sure how much that’s going to cost.
5. Price Point – 0.5 – For a collectible, it’s reasonable—and this a limited edition For an everyday pen? It’s not cheap. This is not limited edition and runs $95. It is refillable by either cartridge or the converter so you can put any good ink it.
4.0 out of 5 bronze pencils.
[Write the Story] A Mistake that Costs Someone’s Life
Prompt: A Mistake that Costs Someone’s Life
Words: Everglades, bulletin, fiend, crew, floss, humor, grease, kiss, link, notice
Story
“You fiend! I can’t believe I let you talk me into this!†Kayla went for humor.
“Oh, come on, Kayla, it’s not like I asked you to crew a boat in the Everglades during alligator mating season.â€
Kayla narrowed her eyes at Ted, hiding a glare in the guise of shading them from the sun. “Okay. So here we are, what now?â€
Before she got her answer, Ted’s foot slipped in a spot of grease on the floor of the boat. His head kissed the side rail and he went over the side.
Hours later, Kayla sipped coffee on the pier bought from a candy floss vendor. She knew the police and Coast Guard had put out the bulletin for Ted. She also took notice that they didn’t seem hopeful he’d turn up – at least not in one piece or anywhere near the marina.
“Are you okay, ma’am?†a young officer asked.
“I’m not sure.†Kayla sipped. “He was there one minute, then just—gone.â€
“I know it must be hard, but boating accidents happen all the time. Just one little mistake…one misstep is all it takes.â€
“Yes. Yes, of course. The grease. He really should’ve been more careful.â€
“Indeed. We see a lot of links between carelessness and accidents. Don’t blame yourself. There’s nothing you could do.â€
“I won’t, and I know.†Kayla kept her head down. She wouldn’t, couldn’t give anything away now.â€
Word Count: 235
Written: 2/19-20/2020
[Pen/Pencil Review] Zebra Sarasa Grand – 0.7mm
This week’s pen review is another Zebra Sarasa. This one is the Grand in what Zebra calls navy blue, but I would call a dark teal. This is one of Zebra’s “business†class pens. This one I picked up at Office Max/Depot in Tyler, Texas as part of the birthday acquisitions.
The Sarasa Grand has a great black gel ink. This one comes in the 0.7mm point with a metal, cone tip. The ink is the Zebra Rapid Dry Ink. The ink is smooth and doesn’t smear much. It writes quite well. It’s refillable with the Zebra JF-0.7 Sarasa Gel Refill. This is a water-based ink but is fade resistant and does dry really fast. I’m likely to change out the ink to do one of the JF in a smaller point – like maybe one of the 0.5 or 0.3 mm from one of my other pens, just to check it out. But the 0.7mm isn’t bad. It’s thick and dark and rich.
This pen has a solid brass barrel with a beautiful paint job. The barrel color is beautiful. The barrel threading is on the inside, making the barrel smooth and ridgeless. The clip is a solid metal spring clip that is strong. The only quibble to the clip is that it come up higher than the barrel – not quite as high as the plunger but high enough to maybe get in the way.
This pen is about 5.5″ long retracted and about 5.75″ long with the tip extended. This is a typical length for a retractable pen, and it’s well balanced and has a narrower diameter and the plastic Sarasa pens. The clip is sturdy and strong even though it’s plastic with metal mechanisms. There are some grooves in the grip area but the smooth barrel doesn’t have significant ergonomics.
This is not the cheapest of the Zebras, but it’s not an expensive pen – especially since it’s easily refillable. It runs $8 at the box office supply stores and outlets like JetPens (the finer points seem to run a bit more expensive for some reason) a little over that on Zebra’s website.
The Numbers.
1. How does it work? – 1 – This is a solid workhorse business pen. It’s more expensive than other Sarasas but not overly expensive. It comes in several colors, styles, and point sizes.
2. Look and feel – 1 – It’s average length with a good diameter. There’s not a huge amount of ergonomics.
3. Material – 1 – It’s a solid metal pen with some heft for the size because of the brass barrel.
4. Overall Design – 1 – It’s a lovely metal pen with good color and solid, quick drying ink.
5. Price Point – 0.5 – These things are relatively inexpensive for a business pen. It’s $8 – roughly – and refillable. So it’s that weird point between an investment pen and one that can be stolen off a desk. I won’t let mine go easily.
4.5 out of 5 bronze pencils.
[Write the Story] A Lifelong Bachelor Visiting Married Friends
Prompt: A Lifelong Bachelor Visiting Married Friends
Words:
Tick tock, factory, zoology, arrest, broadcast, comb, divorce, flap, harness, gaze
Story
Todd glanced at his watch. The mechanical tick tock of the second hand, usually soothing, seemed to broadcast his reluctance to leave his truck and go knock on the door. He delayed further by doing a quick comb of his hair, but then had to go. With a snap, he was free of the driving harness and heading to the porch.
He could hear the kids through the walls as he pushed the bell. He felt a little like he was about to walk into a zoology experiment as the door opened. He plastered on a smile and held the bottle of wind out like a shield.
“Hey! You’re here, come on in. Dinner’s about ready.†George wund the door wide.
“What’re we having? Smells great.â€
“Tamales! Got the kids going like a whole factory line. It was glorious.â€
Todd followed George into the kitchen, trying to ignore the chaos around him. Kids screamed and ran, a dog bolted through the door flap. Carmen, George’s wife, seemed on her last nerve.
“You’re here,†she said. “Already.â€
Todd was about to answer when she arrested him and George with her gaze. “Make any kind of comment and I will divorce and give you custody of the kids.â€
Glorious wasn’t Todd’s word for it. What had he gotten himself into?
Word Count: 218
Written: 2/12/2020
[Pen/Pencil Review] Zebra Sarasa Clip Black – 0.3mm
This week’s pen review is a basic, workhorse type pen with some fun little details. It’s the Zebra Sarasa Clip – in a 0.3mm point with black gel ink – because they’re good like that. This one came from the JetPens black gel pen sample pack Jimmy bought me for Christmas.
The Sarasa Clip has a great black gel ink. This one comes in the 0.3mm point with a metal, cone tip. This pen has a clear plastic, demonstrator-type barrel with a black plastic plunger and clip. The barrel threading is on the inside, making the barrel smooth and ridgeless. The black rubber grip gives the pen extra comfort in long use. The ink is smooth and doesn’t smear much. It writes quite well. It’s refillable with the Zebra JF-0.3 Sarasa Gel Refill. This is a water-based ink but is fade resistant.
This pen is about 5.5″ long retracted and about 5.75″ long with the tip extended. This is a typical length for a retractable pen, and it’s well balanced and has a decent diameter. This has a color-matched rubberized grip to give the pen some ergonomics as well as a “seemless” look and feel. The clip is sturdy and strong even though it’s plastic with metal mechanisms.
The clip is the other fun detail. They call it a “binder clip”. It’s a spring-loaded, hard plastic clip matching the ink color. It is break-resistant and strong. It does secure well to a wide range of materials. This pen is refillable and economical for a good quality workhorse pen.
The Numbers.
1. How does it work? – 1 – This is a solid, utility pen. It’s inexpensive. It comes in several colors, styles, and point sizes.
2. Look and feel – 1 – It’s average length with a good diameter. It’s a good solid pen
3. Material – 1 – It’s an inexpensive utility pen. It is what it is, and it’s solid for what it is. The clip is plastic and strong.
4. Overall Design – 1 – It’s okay. It’s functional. It’s an average length retractable pen with some fun details.
5. Price Point – 0.5 – These things are relatively inexpensive – though have to be ordered through JetPens. They’re about $1.75 for the pen. So you can pretty much use these for the long term. There are refills available.
4.5 out of 5 bronze pencils.
[Write the Story] A Nasty Rumor
Prompt: A Nasty Rumor
Words: Antarctica, candy bar, sympathetic, minister, patrol, commonality, auction, bandage, crush, dive
Story
“Diane! Diane! Hold up!â€
I took two more steps before stopping with a sigh. “Good morning, Kevin. What’s up? I’m headed out on patrol.â€
“Did you hear? They’re going to auction off a trip here in a candy bar wrapper like we’re Willy Wonka or something!â€
I gave him a sympathetic pat on his good arm. He still sported a cast and the random bandage from a crush injury from his last dive. “Never going to happen, my friend. The Minister won’t allow it. It’s…just no.â€
“I don’t know, Diane. I’ve heard this from more than one source. The stories don’t change.â€
“Commonality does not equal reality, Kevin.†Diane continued walking with Kevin hot on her heels. “I don’t see how it could be true.â€
“Why not? Marketing people have done dumber things. It could happen. They did it in Antarctica. They could do it here.â€
“Antarctica was on Earth. This is space. The expense and resources to get us here was ridiculous. No way a candy bar company will make it work.
Kevin followed her. “I hope you’re right. But just in case, can I hide with you when the tourists arrive?â€
Word Count: 193
Written: 2/6/2020
[Pen/Pencil Review] The Graphite Pencil + Paper Subscription Box
I attempted an unboxing video for this blog. I still stink at selfies – and stink worse at video selfies. I probably didn’t even do the unboxing part right.
This was a Christmas present from Jimmy – the Graphite Pencil + Paper January Subscription Box.
Be kind to me on this one, but here we go.
Maybe I’ll do some more or try some other video stuff just for something different.
[Write the Story] A Myth That Explains a Common Natural Occurrance
Prompt: A Myth That Explains a Common Natural Occurrence
Words: river mouth, punishment, warehouse, claim, coder, ache, bend, coop, dam, frown
Story
“You know why the river mouth is so small don’t you?†Rod took a pull of his beer. Direct from the Coder his ownself!â€
Rod rubbed his lower back as he straightened, wondering which would lay him out first, the ache in his back or the pounding in his head. “Okay, let me have it.â€
“The small mouth is punishment from the Great Spirits for trying to tame nature. So the High Spirit reached down and put a bend in the river way up high where it would dam up the flow just enough to strangle the downstream and keep the flow out of the ocean.â€
Bob tried not to frown. “But why? And for what?â€
“What?†Rod wiped his hands on his ratty Bacon Warehouse t-shirt.
“What did She – the High Spirit – do that for? Was it something we – people – did or was She mad at the Ocean Folk or some weird thing that lives in between?â€
“I don’t know. That’s the story the Coder told. Maybe they haven’t interpreted that part from the Binary yet.â€
“Then I may not hold to that story I kninda like the Science side. Erosion explains a bend in the river just as well.â€
Rod sniffed. “Suit yourself, but I’m not ticking off the High Spirit. She’s got Reach.
Word Count: 218
Written: 1/29/2020
[Pen/Pencil Review] Updatey, Rerunny Pen Blog – Pentel Again
This week is going to be a little bit of an update and a little bit of a rerun, because it’s just that kind of week. So, first, a quick follow up on the blog of two weeks ago – the PenWorld Retro 51 Fountain Pen. They saw the post and the nib is apparently bent, the pen is currently in their shop getting fixed. That’s the Good News. The Bad News is that on the day the pen should have arrived at their shop, they announced on their blog that they’re going on haitus. Read it here – https://retro51blog.com/2020/01/21/a-letter-from-the-retro51-team/ – this is very sad news. We all hope they come back, but still…it’s been a weird week or so. I will cherish my Pen World “set†and my Dallas Pen Show Tornado. Now, to this week…
For Christmas, my darling husband, Jimmy, got me a JetPens Black Gel Ink Sampler. Which I love, but in going through them, I have already bought most of them. Like this week’s “rerunâ€. It’s the EnerGel Euro Roller Gel Pen in 0.35mm black ink. I’ve been gravitating to Pentel a lot – and Jimmy now has a blog for his Pentel P200 mechanical pencil series. We’re turning into a Pentel “family”. I don’t know what the EURO means in the title – I got mine on JetPens.com.
This has ended up as a “go to†pen now that I’ve lost my aversion to needle-point pens. They’ve made them a lot more durably in the last years. I no longer feel like I’m going to bend/break needle-points. The pen has a great line and ink saturation for a 0.35mm. It’s dark like a 0.5mm but I’m able to get into smaller spaces like on my planner or for editing better. And the point is smooth, not scratchy like some conical points at this size can be. At least in black. I haven’t picked up blue or red – which are the only other two colors available in this size.
The EnerGel Euro is part of Pentel’s Recycology line – that means the barrel and mechanism is made of 84% recycled plastic. Yay. The pen runs about 5.4†capped and 5.9″ with the cap posted. The barrel is blue but with black accents for color identification. There’s enough of a grip to be fairly comfortable over long writing time. There are a few “pretty” accents on the cap, and the cap does post securely
This is a good “workhorse†pen. There are a few drawbacks: 1) it’s not refillable. This is a one and done pen. It’s still going to last a while, but you can’t make it last longer. 2) It only comes in 3 primary colors – red, blue, black. Meh. 3) For not being refillable, they’re not the least expensive thing out there.
The numbers:
1. How does it work? – 1 It’s decent, especially for the tip size. No frills. The ink is dark and the roller smooth. There can be some smearing, but it’s liquid ink. It happens.
2. Grip and feel – 1 – It’s an inexpensive, plastic, pen. It has a grip that’s pretty comfortable with a nod to ergonomics. The length and balance are good.
3. Material – 1 It’s recycled plastic, but it has a good mechanism and good ink. If you’re ecology conscious or just want to help keep plastic out of landfills, this is a good thing.
4. Overall Design – 1 -It’s a good, solid everyday stick pen with a very fine point (my favorite) with comfortable dimensions.
5. Price Point – 0.5 – It’s not the most economical Pentel Ener-Gel out there. It’s $2.50 – $2.75 for a single pen. No refills. Only three colors, no multipacks, and only available online.
4.5 out of 5 Bronze Pencils
[Write the Story] A Couple Who Married Young
Prompt: A Couple Who Married Young
Words: Monopoly, flashlight, aerospace, exchange, biology, lawyer, machinery, revenge, anthill, concealed
Story
“You know we’ll need a lawyer before we’re done, right?â€
Wesley played the flashlight over the machinery. “Only if we get caught, and we’ve never been caught, Maggie.â€
Maggie kept one hand on Wesley’s back as they picked their way through the aerospace facility. “Then why do I feel like we’re about to get a bad roll in Monopoly?â€
“Honey, we’ve been together for twenty-five years kicking over anthills and exposing the concealed secret underbellies.â€
“Yes, but we were eighteen when we exchanged wedding vows, and this feels more like revenge than expose.†Maggie took a deep breath. “Maybe after this we can take a second honeymoon somewhere with diversity and no extradition.â€
Wesley paused as they reached a locked doorway. “You’re serious.â€
“I am, honey. We’re not getting any younger and these security systems are integrating more and more biology. Let the younger hacktivists take over. We can retire. Teach. Mentor. Maybe have a do-gooder of our own before it’s too late.â€
“You’re bringing this up now?†Wesley popped the lock and eased the door open. “We’re almost there!â€
“Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.†A gravelly voice said as the room bathed in light. “You’re under arrest.â€
Word Count: 201
Written: 1/23/2020