48 hours to go! Here's what inspired it all
over 4 years ago
– Wed, Aug 14, 2019 at 02:09:23 AM
Thanks so much all for a great project, excited to get started making these for you.
For a limited edition series like this one, with a strong historical tie, we do quite a bit of research on the front end to authenticate the wood and develop the story around the piece. Here are a few of our inspirations for this project:
This great public-domain train documentary called Great Railroad at Work about a Southern New England railroad in early 1940s. You'll see some of our favorite footage from the film at the beginning of the video for this project. We'll be honest though, watching this film made us wonder if it was filmed in slow-motion. Wow, was life a lot slower back then!
Then there's this guy with more info about boxcars than we knew existed! We'll never sit bored at a train crossing again after reading about the myriad types of boxcars and how/why they were developed.
Stretch goals unlocked! New Rewards!
over 4 years ago
– Wed, Aug 07, 2019 at 02:26:05 PM
We're gonna be honest. You guys surprised us here. This project exceeded our expectations so much that by the time we had some stretch goals ready (now), we were already over 300% funded. So rather than pick a $$$ goal, we're just going to make some awesome new stuff available to you and say a heartfelt thank you.
Based on the most popular requests posted in comments and messages over the last few days, and what we felt we could reasonably execute given the time available - we're launching two new items and a bunch of different reward packages. Head over to the project to get the details.
Deep Dive: Parker Type Refills
over 4 years ago
– Tue, Aug 06, 2019 at 09:58:40 PM
We've noticed quite a split in our customers:
1. Those of you who love our gear mainly because of the stories they tell.
2. And those of you who were already inspired by pen & paper as a hobby and like our take on it.
For those of you in the first camp, here's a deep dive into the refill options for this pen
So, the Wanderer Click Pen uses a Parker type/G2 refill. According to one of our favorite refill re-sellers:
The 'Parker-style' ballpoint refill is actually a standard pattern refill known as the G2, and is used by many manufacturers for their ballpoint pens. It was originally created by Parker, and is best known as their refill, but it is now an ISO standard, and is used by many different pen brands.
You can check out Cult Pens site for some more details and a great overview of all the different refill options available.
The Wanderer Click Pen comes with a generic Parker type refill. I say generic because it is not brand-name, not because of the writing experience is crappy. It has a nice medium-weight line and a smooth, consistent flow. But for those of you pen-hobbyists (and those of you that want to experiment), we will be offering additional refill options in the post project BackerKit survey. Here's a few we're considering offering:
- For the super fine line - a OHTO needlepoint refill
- For a broad line - a Schneider Extra Bold refill
- And for the astronaut experience - a Fisher Space Pen refill
If you have other favorite, please chime in in the comments and we'll check 'em out. :)
Stretch goal? Whaddaya think?
over 4 years ago
– Sat, Aug 03, 2019 at 12:56:35 AM
Hey all - this project has taken off!
Wondering what you guys would like to see in terms of stretch goals.
- We could expand the number of pen styles in the series to include a fountain pen or mechanical pencil?
- We could add a larger journal option, something like a soft-cover padfolio comes to mind.
- We could do a travelers belt pouch, something to hold the notebook and a few essentials for the road.
Comment and brainstorm away, and we'll see what we can pull together. This may end up being an add-on that we publish to the survey after the campaign, but we'll do our best to get something live next week.
Chad
More about Greenheart...
almost 5 years ago
– Thu, Aug 01, 2019 at 12:21:10 PM
From railway boxcars, to some of the world's best known docks, to explorer's ships, Greenheart has no doubt played an important role in our country's and the world's history. Here's a bit more about Greenheart's role in history from the folks that reclaimed the Greenheart we use in our Wanderer Click Pens:
On Saturday, August 8, 1914, Ernest Shackleton departed in his Greenheart wood sheathed ship, the ENDURANCE, intent on sailing to Antarctica and planting the British flag on the South Pole. This ill-fated voyage did not achieve its original aim, as even the tough Greenheart construction could not prevent the ENDURANCE from sinking in the heavy ice floes. The resulting dramatic events, however, are a testament to the even greater strength of the human spirit.
Used in other maritime applications such as the Panama Canal and the Liverpool Docks, Greenheart is one of the strongest and highest density hardwoods available. Its use in marine works and shipbuilding was enhanced by its great resistance to fungi and wood borers. The English novelist and journalist George Orwell was impressed enough with Greenheart wood that he devoted a significant portion of a personal diary entry to its properties and characteristics.
And just in case the historical significance of Greenheart isn't enough info for you, here's some more:
The obligatory Wikipedia article.
The Wood Database article for all us die-hard wood nerds.
And then I'll leave you with this one titled, "Duck! Here Comes Greenheart!" all about how Greenheart is milled and has high potentiality to explode!! Yikes! Thank you "internets" the danger has been noted. ;)
Cheers!
Chad & Jess
