I finally opened the December 2015 Limited Edition Blackwing 1138.
I had a lot of fun with my last unboxing video, so I had to do another one. 🙂
Check out what’s in the box.
National Coffee Day Giveaway Winner
It’s a week past National Coffee Day and time to pick the giveaway winner.
I hope you’ve had a good week. It’s been a great one at Pens ‘n’ Coffee. Besides celebrating National Coffee Day, we launched the first Pens ‘n’ Coffee T-shirt, and Blackwing sent some love by emailing my Blackwing 211 unboxing video to their entire email list – twice.
Now, for the giveaway winner. I’m drinking some fabulous Fair Trade Organic Sumatra Mandheling from Brown Sugar Coffee Roastery. And the winner of the Brown Sugar Coffee Roastery giveaway is…
Josh E, randomly chosen by Raffelcopter, with a winning tweet.
Check your email Josh so I can get your coffee on its way!
Thanks to our at home audience for playing along. We only had one winner here, but we all win every day there is coffee in our cup.
How about a Pens ‘n’ Coffee T-shirt?
National Coffee Day seems like a great day to launch our first Pens ‘n’ Coffee T-shirt.
Show you love for Pens, Coffee, & Other Awesome Things. Grab your own T-shirt here: teechip.com/pens-n-coffee.
Available in several colors through October 15, 2015.
National Coffee Day 2015 Giveaway
Pencil: Palomino Blackwing 211
Paper: Muji Notebook
Coffee: Americano from Floyd and Blackies (a local independent coffee shop)
HAPPY NATIONAL COFFEE DAY!
Every year on September 29 we pause as a nation to celebrate the joy in a cup that is coffee. Enjoy your day off work – your business did close in honor of National Coffee Day, right? – and support your local independent coffee shop.
Last year Pens ‘n’ Coffee held a pencil giveaway to celebrate National Coffee Day. That’s weird.
This year we’re celebrating by giving away a 12 oz bag of coffee beans from Brown Sugar Coffee Roastery. The owners of this independent coffee shop understand the importance of working for the common good, both locally and globally. Coffee can be a part of this work!
The contest begins on National Coffee Day and ends on Midnight (Eastern Time), October 6 2015.
Enter the contest on the Rafflecopter Giveaway below.
Which of the great coffee selections at Brown Sugar Coffee Roastery would you choose?
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Palomino Blackwing 211 Unboxing Video
Received my Blackwing Volumes Subscription #2 today. Here’s an unboxing video.
Note: WOOHOO! I Love it!
Update: Thanks Blackwing for posting my video on your website and emailing it to the entire world. #ShareTheLove #FriendsAreFriendsForever
Life Moves Faster
Life moves faster
than the speed
of blog
The desire to write
is often stronger
than than the writing
The use of pen and ink
continues
-Dr. Pat Hannon
8.3.15
TWSBI Eco 1.1
Sailor Yama-dori
Atlanta Pen Show Ink Tease
I picked up four bottles of ink at the Atlanta Pen Show bash.
From Anderson Pens I bought Lamy Copper Orange with a Copper Orange Lamy Al Star.
I also bought three ink bottles from Vanness Pen Shop: Monteverde Blue-Black, Monteverde Brown, and Conway Stewart Tavy. I was browsing the specialty inks Vanness carries (Akkerman, Bung Box) when I discovered these at a can’t pass up discount, even though I wasn’t sure what I was getting.
Perhaps I’ll do a full review of these inks, eventually. In the mean time, here’s an ink teaser on the fabulous Nock Co Black DotDash Pocket Notebook.
I really like Conway Stewart Tavy. Too bad it’s a discontinued ink. I hear it is quite similar to Diamine Denim. Can anyone confirm?
Holy Pen Show, Batman! (Atlanta 2015)
It’s been 10 days since the 2015 Atlanta Pen Show. Finally, here’s the official Pens ‘n’ Coffee report.
The Lead-Up
I’ve had the Atlanta Pen Show on my calendar for a year. Last year Brad hosted a small soiree at the show. Upon hearing him share about this experience I did two things. I checked for a pen show in Charlotte. Not finding one, I placed the Atlanta show on my calendar. Who knew that things would heat up as they did. Brad’s soiree turned into a full blown bash (a #sassafling even). I backed the Pen Addict Kickstarter and knew I had to attend.
However, driving three hours to look at pens sounds fabulous when it’s months away. The week of the show gives a different view. It was a very busy week. Could I squeeze in the trip? I tried to convince my daughters to skip school on Friday to go to the show. They choose school. (Is this a parenting win or a parenting fail?) I nearly attended on my own on Friday, which would allow me some time at the Big Party before I made the drive home. The final decision? Get up early on Saturday, throw the Hannon 5 in a minivan, make the 3 hour trip to Atlanta, look at pens for a while, and make the 3 hour trip home. Crazy? Possibly.
The Show
Finally, we arrived at the show, the first pen show for our family. Holy pen show, Batman! Sensory overload! Pens! Ink! Paper! People! Yes, it was crazy. Crazy awesome!
Someone recommended making a lap around the show and viewing everything before settling in and making purchases. I tried to do that, but it was hard. We couldn’t even get past the hallway. Lovely pens everywhere. The kids were almost as excited as I was. And of course, there was two rooms full of venders as well, selling most anything pen related you could imagine. Vintage pens, modern pens. Ballpoint pens, fountain pens. Pen parts. Cheap pens ($3), expensive pens ($1,000+). Ink and paper, oh my.
We loved seeing and touching all the different options. I handled many pens that I had only seen online before. Pilot Vanishing Points and Lamy 2000s are on my wishlist now, when before I considered them just too darn expensive. (This is certainly a danger of going to a show.)
The People
As wonderful as all the products were, the people were even better. Vendors were eager to chat, sharing about their pens, eager to teach onlookers whether or not a sale seemed promising. Meeting people I only knew from the interwebs was worth the drive.
Brad Dowdy and Myke Hulry from the Pen Addict Podcast were the rockstars of the show. Still they took time to engage with everyone. It was great to talk with them. Brad chatted like we were old friends, even though I doubt he even knew me from online.
Mr. Pen Addict with Dr. Pens ‘n’ Coffee
It was also a treat to meet Brian and Lisa Anderson from Anderson Pens. Great people with a great shop! And Lisa Vanness from Vanness Pen Shop. And Jeff “The Beard” Bruckwicki from NockCo. And Dan Bishop from Karas Kustoms. And…
People didn’t only shop, we shared – pens, ink, and life. I’m pretty sure I sold some Field Notes to a sweet lady who had never heard of the brand and a TWSBI USA to someone else. Two of us randomly shared our Muji Aluminum Fountain Pens with Myke Hurly and discussed converters that fit (Retro 51 does).
The Haul
So, what did I buy among all this awesomeness?
- The new FodderstackXL and Dot Dash Notebooks with improved fountian pen friendly paper from Nock Co. Also see my Nock Co sticker, soon to go on my MacBook.
- The Limited Edition 2015 Lamy Al-Star in Copper Orange with a bottle of Lamy Copper Orange ink and a Pilot Plumix from Anderson Pens.
- 3 half price bottles of ink from Vanness Pens Shop: Monteverde Blue-Black, Monteverde Brown, and Conway Stewart Tavy.
- And, somewhere along the way, a Pilot Varsity.
The Kids
Among all this, the highlight of the day was experiencing the kids excitement. They looked and looked. Several vendors gave each of them a free pen. They also each picked out their own Pilot Varsity. Lisa Anderson made their day truly special. She sent the kids on a scavenger hunt, looking for things you can only find at a pen show. When the kids had their scavenger hunt cards filled up by other vendors, Lisa gave each one a free pen and a bag crazy full of cartridges. Such joy!
The Kids with Lisa Anderson
The Kids with Brad and Myke
When it fas finally time to go find some pizza and make the 3 hour trek home, the kids were begging to come back next year. You can count on it! And I may have let it slip that there is a Pen Show in Raleigh in May…
Don’t forget the pizza!
By the way, my wife isn’t in any pictures because she spent most of the day in the corner reading. She loved it!
Abraham Lincoln’s EDC Pocket Carry: Why I Declare April 15 to be National Pocket Pencil Day
Today is the 150th Anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s Death.
Lincoln was a great president – a great man – who lead our country through it’s most difficult days.
Last week my family spent several Spring Break days in Washington D.C. We visited the Petersen House, where Lincoln died on April 15, 1865. It was a sacred place for us, honoring the life and work of Abraham Lincoln and remembering our own call to work for justice.
In honor of the 150th Anniversary, the Petersen House displayed a special exhibit of artifacts from the Lincoln assassination. The display included the coat and hat Lincoln wore to Ford’s Theatre that night, the dress Mary Todd Lincoln was wearing, the gun Booth used to assassinate Lincoln, and an American Flag from the President’s Box at the theater, stained with Lincoln’s blood.
Of special interest to the readers of Pens ‘n’ Coffee, the exhibit contained the contents of Lincoln’s pockets when he was shot. These contents were displayed much like a modern EDC pocket dump, showcasing his tools for the day.
The contents of Abraham Lincoln’s pockets on the night he was assassinated. File photo from Library of Congress.
What did Abraham Lincoln have in his pockets on the night he was assassinated?
- Two pairs of glasses, one held together with string and one that folded.
- A glasses case.
- A pocket knife.
- A watch.
- A handkerchief.
- A watch fob.
- A sleeve button.
- A leather wallet, containing a Confederate five-dollar bill, newspaper clippings from his reelection campaign, and a small pencil.
Did you catch the last item? What writing utensil did Lincoln carry in his pocket that night? A small pencil.
In honor of the 150th Anniversary of the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, I declare that April 15 henceforth shall be National Pocket Pencil Day. I encourage you to carry a pencil in your pocket today, perhaps a small one, to honor the life and work of Abraham Lincoln and as a reminder to carry on his legacy in our own work.
Spread the Word – Click A Photo To Tweet It
St. Patrick’s Day Tools
St. Patrick’s Day is kind of a big deal around my place. So, here are my tools for the day. Since there’s way more here than I can use today, I’ll be pulling from these all week.
Pens
- Parker 21 clone with De Atramentis Pine Green ink
- Retro 1951 Tornado Umbra Orange hacked with green G2 refill
- Vintage Esterbrook SJ 1551 Nib with Organic Studios Walt Whitman Leaves of Grass ink
- Jinhao 599 Orange Demonstrator with Noodler’s Green ink
Pencils
- Staedtler Wopex HB 2
- Tombow 8900- HB with orange cap eraser
- Orange Ticonderoga HB 2
- Green Ticonderoga HB 2
- Vintage green Sunday School pencil
- Green Musgrave Cub 3030T
- Orange Home Depot Pencil
- Green Dixon No 2 HB
- Orange Palomino Golden Bear #2
Notebooks
- Rhodia A7 Pocket Notebook
- Field Notes green Unexposed
- Orange Scout Books Composition Pocket
- Field Notes Expedition
- Field Notes Ambition Ledger
Other
- Orange Nock Co Hightower
- Orange Contigo Coffee Tumbler
In My Pocket and Therefore Not In The Picture
- Green and brass Twist Bullet Pencil
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