[Pen/Pencil Review] Pilot Birdy Switch Pen/Pencil Combo
Today’s blog is a new thing for me. The phrase, “Good things come in small packages” definitely applies to this mini pen and pencil combo from Pilot. This is the Pilot Birdy Switch Pen and Pencil combo. This is a super thin, mini that you almost need to see to believe.
This combo pen is double-ended. The black ballpoint end fits into the metal barrel – and is refillable. The refill is tiny but has to be in order to accommodate the .05mm leads for the pencil end. The ball point is a 0.7mm (I was wrong in the writing sample), but feels finer. The cap fits both the pen end and the pencil end to protect your hand when switching. The pen end also serves as the clicker for the lead. The compact size does not leave room for an eraser, though.
This pen/pencil combo is only 4.7″ long and about 5.5mm in diameter. That’s a delicate pen, but the metal body makes it feel solid. This combo has a long, open metal clip that holds the pen firmly, but it’s the one thing that gets in the way. There’s no way to avoid the clip in the grip, but for a small pen for a tablet or notebook it’s an amazing piece of pen/pencil engineering.
The Pilot Acroball is a standard retractable ball point – for comparison
It’s a mid-range price point. JetPens sells this combo for $8.25 – but the pen refills are less than $2 which makes it an inexpensive long-term investment pen and pencil that doesn’t take up any space at all.
The Numbers.
1. How does it work? – 1 – This is a solid mechanical pencil and ball point pen combo instrument. The ink is dark. The pencil is solid. The lines are good.
2. Look and feel – 0.5 – The pen is hot – it’s metal and solid for a delicate instrument. There is no eraser and only one cap for one end, make sure you have it on the pen end.
3. Material – 1 – It’s metal. It’s solid. The pen reservoir is small but easily refillable. The pencil is well-made.
4. Overall Design – 0.5 – It’s a beautiful and solid pen and pencil combo. Even without an eraser. But the long clip can’t be avoided – so there’s some discomfort even with the narrow barrel.
5. Price Point – 1 – This combo piece runs $8.25 from JetPens. It’s not a bad price for a good double-ended pen and pencil. Being refillable makes it a long-term investment and even more economical. It’s a good thing.
4.0 out of 5 bronze pencils.
[Writing Post] In Which I Totally Forgot Yesterday was Wednesday….
Yeah, that’s right. I totally forgot yesterday was Wednesday. I totally forgot to do a post.
I’ve been reading my novel out loud for the last edit round. I’m doing my darnedest to get this done by next week and back to Yard Dog.
However… I did get a Guest Post done for Cat Rambo. You can read that here…
[Pen/Pencil Review] The Platinum OLEeNU Mechanical Pencil – 0.5mm
Today’s blog is a mechanical pencil from Platinum. The last thing I reviewed from Platinum was the Preppy Fountain Pen, so I thought it was time to try something else. This is the Platinum OLEeNU Mechanical Pencil.
At first blush, this is a typical mechanical pencil. It has a clear barrel with a frosted rubber grip and accents. It’s 11mm diameter is a comfortable size for long-term writing. The grip gives it a slight squish for added comfort. It’s about 5.75″ long, which makes it long enough to be comfortable. The metal tip retracts into the barrel completely to protect the lead in a pocket or purse. The eraser is the typical white rubber eraser under a clear plastic cap.
It comes with a good 0.5mm lead. It’s a standard lead point, but where this differs is the in the clutch mechanism. With most mechanical pencils, when the lead gets down to a certain length, the clutch stops working and you end up wasting part of the lead. This one claims to let you clutch all the way down to the last millimeter, which lets you get more use out of the lead. I haven’t used it down that far, but I like that idea. The literature says in order to use that much of each lead, there has to be one extra piece of lead, I would take that to mean this comes with four leads instead of the standard three.
The literature also says the metal tip has a dual structure that protects the lead from breakage. This I can attest. I thought the pencil felt more secure, that it was harder to break the lead. I had a friend borrow the pencil, and she said how much she liked it because the lead didn’t break as much. It’s also got a spring to absorb shock – for those like me who tend to put a lot of pressure on a tip. The lead advances through the typical pusher through the eraser, as well as with an automatic advance mechanism.
This is a “go to” mechanical pencil. I like it a lot. I picked it up from JetPens. It’s not overly expensive, but it’s not dirt cheap either, but if the mechanisms work the way advertised, then this will pay for itself in longevity.
The Numbers.
1. How does it work? – 1 – This is a solid mechanical pencil. It has two ways to advance lead. It does protect from breakage as much as possible. It seems to let you use much more lead than typical mechanical pencils.
2. Look and feel – 1 – I like that it’s transparent plastic. But it’s also long enough and wide enough to be comfortable without being blocky.
3. Material – 1 – It’s plastic. The innovative stuff is in the mechanics where you can’t see.
4. Overall Design – 0.5 – The only knock? When I was erasing some samples, I ended up advancing the lead quite a bit and had to put that back before I snapped off a significant length of lead. But other than that, it’s awesome.
5. Price Point – 1 – This pencil runs $3.30 on JetPens.com. That’s more than some everyday mechanical pencils, but with the mechanics totally makes it worth it.
4.5 out of 5 bronze pencils.
[Spotlight Post] Leonard Nimoy – The Final Farewell
I always have been, and always shall be, your friend.
Today has been a challenge. Dallas/Fort Worth has endured Winter Weather conditions all week, making commutes a…challenge. Today we ended up with several inches of snow (which is a lot for us) during the work day. While watching the beauty (and danger) of the deteriorating weather, the news hit of the passing of Leonard Nimoy.
From Gawker Newsfeed
Leonard Nimoy is, was, and always will be a Science Fiction Icon. He embodied one of the most recognizable characters ever created. I challenge you to find someone who doesn’t know where “Live Long and Prosper” came from. He brought Spock to life – an alien who co-existed with Humans, worked with them, and didn’t (necessarily) want to kill all the Humans he came into contact with. He brought us the idea of a race of beings who embrace logic, try to subsume emotion – which provided hours of entertainment by creating the Ultimate Comedic Straight Man.
I’ve always loved the love/hate bickering relationship between Spock and McCoy. It’s a type of chemistry-laden, dynamic character relationship that I’ve always wanted to create. I know part of that was the chemistry between Nimoy and DeForest Kelly (which I hope Dee met Nimoy at the gates with some witty line like: “It’s about time you got here, you green-blooded hobgoblin”). I get why he rebelled against the part for awhile – Nimoy really was so much more than Spock – but Spock is why so many of us are who we are now. The kids that went into science that are now changing the world because a weird dude with pointy ears did science, so they could to. The writers who, like me, wanted to be worthy of creating stories and characters that resonated like these did.
Found on the Internet.
These passings are always inevitable. But Star Trek and Spock were so part of not only my life – but also the lives of everyone I consider part of my “tribe”, my Community – that Nimoy’s passing hit hard. My Social Media feeds today – with INCHES OF SNOW IN OUR AREA – was 90% Nimoy’s passing. I lost count of how many times the Wrath of Kahn funeral scene was linked on my Facebook Feed. I can’t watch that. Not today. Because today, it’s not the farewell to a character that can find a way back – it’s the FINAL Farewell to the man who brought life to the character.
Mr. Nimoy, I never got to meet you, but you were so important to me, to people I know and care about. We will miss you. We will toast your parting at our conventions. You will go to the stars with every astronaut, every daydream, and every future discovery. We want your family and close friends to know that we mourn with them – to paraphrase the Mind Meld – their grief is our grief, their mourning is our mourning. And though it’s not an exact paraphrase… The Grief of the Many Joins the Grief of the One or the Few.
Boldly Go, Mr. Nimoy, your Final Frontier awaits.
[Pen/Pencil Review] Zebra Surari Emulsion Ink Retractable Pen
So I have several brands of pens that I like – it’s no secret. I tend toward the “Two Ps” from Japan, Pentel and Pilot. But lately, Zebra has been rising on my list. They used to be a lower end pen (like Huyndai and Kai to Honda and Toyota) but have been getting better and better (like those same car companies).
Today’s pen is the Zebra Surari retractable Emulsion Ink Pen with a 0.7mm point in black ink with a black body. The pen is a typical length, about 5.5″ long with a tapered body with a nod to ergonomics. The clip is thick plastic, so it’s sturdy enough. It’s not going to breaks easily. It’s harder to see the ink levels with the black barrel, but the dark barrel gives the pen a sleek look.
The 0.7mm point is solid metal with an emulsion ink. The black ink is a cross between gel and ballpoint ink. It’s a smooth flowing ink that dries quickly with some smearing with a deep, rich hue and solid line. The ink did skip and smear a little on less porous paper. It’s thick enough to give a good line but fluid enough to not glob up and it does dry pretty quickly.
The Surari is refillable with the EQ-0.7 which makes it an even more affordable pen over the long haul – which is amazing since it’s already an affordable work horse of a pen.
The Numbers.
1. How does it work? – 0.5 – This is a solid working pen. The ink is rich and quick drying but still has some smearing and a touch of skipping. The point is solid. The retractor mechanism is pretty standard.
2. Look and feel – 1 – It’s a solid pen with good lines and a solid clip.
3. Material – 0.5 – It’s plastic. There’s a nod to ergonomics but it’s still all plastic
4. Overall Design – 1 – It’s functional. It’s an average length retractable pen with some artistic details. It’s got a good color ink and fine point. It’s a good point.
5. Price Point – 1 – This pen is affordable and refillable. The pen is $1.65 on JetPens.com with available refills. The refills run about $1.35.
4.5 out of 5 bronze pencils.
[Spotlight][Writing] ConDFW and Editing
Okay, so I totally forgot to do posts this week. It’s been a busy week getting back in gear after ConDFW – and I had both a Federal Holiday (which I actually had off) and my birthday which threw a modicum of chaos into my week.
Julia Mandala and me at the Makeshift Roadshow.
ConDFW went well. They’re in a new hotel which is a bit sprawling for its current size, but has nice social space. We just need to find a way to let more people know about it. The numbers have been dwindling – Dallas Comic Con’s Fan Expo the week before doesn’t help. But not all fans are just, about the actors and buying the STUFF, there are still readers out there. I know there are – because I sell books at comic book shows. We just have to find out how to get them back to have the interaction with him that makes fan-run literary conventions so much fun.
And ConDFW was fun. Lots of cool stuff happened – even with limited paneling because even though this is my JOB (it is a job, a business, don’t ever think it’s not), it’s when I have some of the most fun doing my job. I talk to people. I network. I catch up. And even though I come out of if it wrung out and exhausted, I’m also creatively recharged, encouraged, and generally have at least a small pile of Plot Bunnies. Then, if things go really well (which they somehow tend to do at ConDFW) I also find the experience to be some combination of surreal, humbling, and ego-boosting all in one fell swoop.
So, please, please, please come to ConDFW next year. We need you. Bill Ledbetter and I had EIGHT people at our 11 am Sunday morning reading… that’s a GOOD THING. That’s prime check out time and after folks either had good times at the parties or in the bar – that those souls came is awesome. They got to listen to the first couple of chapters of my novel (which I’m HIP DEEP in edits for) and a couple of people said very nice, very encouraging things afterwards. And yes, all those people I didn’t quite listen to, that “read it out loud” thing really does work.
Speaking of which – I need to knuckle down and get the edits done. I have lots to do and need to get it done. I have plans for time management. I’m probably going to bail on a social engagement tomorrow or just go really late because I need to get this thing DONE. The edits are at times painful – but it will be a better book when it’s done. It’s not quite as awful as I thought it was going to be after talking to my editor, but it’s not easy. And now, I have to get back to it.
Hopefully soon I’ll have more news for you!
[Pen/Pencil Review] Paradise Pen Company Pilgrimage
There’s not going to be a pen review today. I’m too wiped from ConDFW – and since I’m actually off the Day Job today for President’s Day (yay!) – my brain is taking the day off.
But I will mention that Saturday night, Jimmy and I took six of our friends from ConDFW over to the Dallas Galleria to visit Paradise Pen Company for my annual birthday visit.
It was so much fun to take people I care about to one of my favorite stores to drool over the pretty, pretty pens and such. I did get a couple of things for my birthday (thank you, John and Jimmy) which will show up here eventually.
Mike Braun tried out a couple of lead holders by doing a couple of sketches – that are now in the shop cases – or were Saturday night. Go by and check them out. The Paradise Pen Company guys are GREAT. This is why I buy from them when I can.
We will return to our normally scheduled pen blog next week.
[Writer Post] [Rant] People Matter – All People All the Time
I am beyond words today. I should be working on my novel edits – which I have been, but now I have to get this off my chest.
I’m not a gamer. I don’t play one on TV. Today I stand with gamers – and game developers – in my support of Zoe Quinn, Anita Sarkeesian, and Brianna Wu. I don’t know these women -though I’ve been acquainted with Frank Wu for years now. What these women are dealing with is…so unbelievable that “insane” is just too mild a word.
I can’t begin to imagine having very public rape and death threats coming at me over months. I can’t being to imagine what it’s like to have a Law & Order episode written about what’s happened to me, my colleagues, and my family. I don’t ever want to know – that wasn’t an invitation. I’m a woman in SF…we have these issues – and others.
Last month the US celebrated MLK Day. Dr. King’s famous “I have a dream” speech. Well, maybe it’s time we revisit that, because as much as I want to hide under the bed and hope things like this aren’t happening – they are. And it’s making me angry.
I pray for the day Gene Roddenberry’s vision of the future comes to pass. Where humanity (and alien life) has moved beyond the petty crap we’re all still dealing with. Unfortunately, that day is not today.
Occasionally I say stupid things. We all do. I don’t care about skin color or gender or who wants to be in a relationship with whom. I may not understand or agree with you, or be PC, or a whole number of things. But what I cannot stand, cannot tolerate are the Extremist Nut Jobs or Jerks.
I look forward to the day people are judged based on ability, on their character, and for no other reason. I look forward when children are told they can “Be anything they want to be” and have it actually mean something without worrying about whether or not they’re “plain of feature” or “good at X for a Y.” People are important. People matter.