Now a blog about pens, why? you ask. Isn't there already a blog about pens? Why yes, there are a few in fact, and good ones at that, but like anything else, isn't there room for several directions in style and content when it comes to a subject matter? What would the wine world be without Robert Parker and Steven Tanzer? And even then Wine Spectator and Wine & Spirits. Each is different and delightful on their own, and when combined with the others offer the inquisitive even broader a base of knowledge from which to make informed decisions and discussions. And so, Inks Blot. Welcome.
And there was a moment of inspiration. I've used the Pilot Precise Rolling Ball V5 extra-fine for years. Perhaps since it was released. Its my go to. I have no doubt that well over 50% of all my writing, well over a dozen journals and perhaps several dozen spiral notebooks with academic notes, were all scribed with the Rolling Ball V5.
And then sometime recently I found a new pen. The Zebra G-301. Very nice ink tip, very nice ink flow, nice to hold, simple design, clean lines, almost Danish in its square efficiency, and retractable. Its a delight. "gel."
I used it for several months, but all the while missed, and sometimes went back to my Rolling Ball V5, wishing only one thing... that it would be retractable. This feature, ignored for so many years, has finally become a draw for me. So a few months ago, when I came across my first Rolling Ball V5 RT, eureka! At Long Last!
It was love at first sight. It was passion at first touch. It is a wonderful little pen, and I stuck it in my pocket with pride, but when I went to pull it out...
Suddenly a glitch. The little bastard is engineered to hold on to your shirt. What the devil?! No, seriously. It holds on for dear life, and digs in. It has little claws. Its like a badger. Badgers aren't that big, but they mean business with their claws. You do not want to be on the receiving end of a badger hold. I live in the mountains outside Lanton, and have encountered many a badger, and this I can guarantee.
The little bugger poked a hole in my work shirt.
The next day, without thinking about it, I did the same thing again! Shirt number two! Oh, I should try to get more mileage out of my shirts between washing, but you see, I sweat like a pig, so a shirt really can't go more than a day.
So I did what any civic minded writer would. I wrote to the company, promptly. Now, I'm not an asshole, and its not like I am going to try to pinch them for anything, I just wanted to let them know my concern. I only wanted to see improvement, and honestly, never expected so much as a response, knowing that Pilot is an international company with far larger issues than satisfying an unpublished author in Lanton, Pennsylvania, but you might as well try, right?
And I'll be damned if Melissa Hugger, from Pilot Pen company didn't respond personally to my letter. She appreciated my input and passed along the information to R/D. And sent me a rather large handful of pens in addition to some refills.
Now, this day in age, that is a rare thing. It makes perfect sense, but it is still rare. Especially for those who have dealth with telecom companies or the many companies that sell worthless pieces of crap at the many box stores that surround us, you could throw a rock and probably never hit a product that is actually backed properly by its manufacturer. But here, Pilot Pen Co. went out of the way to have an employee address my concerns directly and offer a gift in exchange for my input and as reparation to any damage inadvertently caused by their product.
And so, I am officially, their most loyal customer.
But it doesn't mean I'll only buy their pens. I couldn't. There are too many good ones out there to try. To many needs on paper. One pen would never be enough variety. Variety is the spice of life. And so it goes for pens. Writing, drawing, scribbling, dabbling. Each and every purpose on paper has its own desired tool of choice. And this is where this comes into play. We'll check out as many as we can.
