They just released a new product:
Just noting that you might want to decide on the brand of paper you prefer before you buy the notebook - especially in a non-standard size.
It sounds weird to talk about āplatform lock-inā with a notebook, butā¦ 
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I had to read this twice. How on earth can a pen be worth up to $900? It must be diamond encrusted, write text itself and come with ChatGPT built in! Imagine choosing between the latest MacBook Air and a pen with no accessories!!
Capitalism/consumerism is mental and people really do waste a lot of money that could be spent more prudently.
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To be fair, the hosts of the podcast in question also enthuse about $3.00 or less pens.
The higher-end fountain pens are custom made, often, they have 18K gold nibs, they write astonishingly easily, they are beautiful, they increase in value, will last a century, or more, and are environmentally friendly. But perfectly viable, attractive, well-writing pens are available for much less.
People buy expensive whiskey, cars, sports equipment, jewelry, because they enjoy them. Pens are the same.
I regularly write with a pen made in the 1950s. That pen helped me write enough to pay for several Macs, and my rent, etc. It was c. $2.50 when it was made. Itās now worth about $60.00. It will still write in the 2050s, though I may have to replace the ink bladder, at a cost of 10 minutes and less than $5.00.
Many fountain pens fill with ink from a bottle, rather than a plastic refill or cartridge. I like that I re-fill the pen, and donāt throw a refill or cartridge away.
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@Bmosbacker Completely agree with @webwalrus point. I know of a few folks who have used the Levenger letter size ā¦ and none of them ended up using the Levenger paper. Better a common size where you can find alternatives for paper.
ā¦ I know it can sound strange but the paper is very important. Not that expensive but crucial to the enjoyment and flow of the writing experience. Especially with a fountain or good rollerball.
OTOH, using an uncommon size is a great move by Levenger ā¦ allows them to lock-in users purchasing Levenger paper.
Like some other products ā¦ the money isnāt in the original āthingā (think razors) but in the accessory you need to constantly replace (think razor blades).
@Bmosbacker May be not relevant to you but the beauty of pen & paper: comes with its own very effective focus mode!
What else do you think you would spend your money on if you were rich? ā¦ More expensive stuff, thatās what! $900 for a pen that is the functional equivalent, to me anyway, of my current favorite pen, the $2.95 UNI BALL 207 Plus gel pen in blue ink!
You can buy good, cheap fountain pens between 20 and 30 dollars. Theyāll cost you less in the long run that your UNI-BALLs and are more eco-friendly.
Fooled around with cheap fountain pens as a youngster, soaking my hands and pockets in ink, and have not been much attracted since. 
I agree, in fact, Iād expand it beyond mere focus. Beauty enhances and elevates the soul. 
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And the colors of ink available are myriad.
Yes, absolutely.
I tend to use pen & paper for idea generation, draft out ideas, and the such. My computer canāt do as good a job ā¦ and I think itās a lot related to what you wrote.
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I would imagine much the same way wheels for a Mac Pro can cost $700. 
I wouldnāt own a $900 fountain pen, but I currently own a $50 ballpoint - which Iām sure some people would see as equally ridiculous. The difference in experience between that and the cheap plastic pens is worth it to me.
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I often suggest people new to fountain pens try a Platinum Preppy at c. $5.00 US. It uses cartridges made by Platinum, and is surprisingly easy and pleasant to use.
If you like it, you can make simple inexpensive modifications to use bottled ink, or you can try one of several 20.00 to thirty dollar options.
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Personally I find that āfocus modeā unhelpful and combined with the friction of pen/pencil on paper cause me to make too many mistakes. I cannot write at the speed I think which inevitably results in missing and mispelt words; typically the word not which changes the meaning of what I intended to say.
Also there is no beauty in my handwriting. And no, going to calligraphy classes does not help ā frustratingly as one of my favourite books is Edward Johnstonās Writing & Illuminating & Lettering ā because of my fine motor control issues.
I understand thatās your experience.
ā¦ but I find the smooth glide of the right combo of paper & pen soothing and inspiring. (I donāt use a fountain pen, but am a big sucker for great rollerballs and good paper to match.)
ā¦ also Iām not trying to write sentences. Itās getting out ideas. So my writing is partly sketches (flow diagrams, mind maps), partly outline, partly short sentence writing.
So the total combo: great tools and working with āideasā rather than paragraphs ā¦ makes the experience enjoyable and relaxing to me. Or put differently: easy to be focused!
I realize itās not the same for everyone.
Iām looking forward to rejoining you all in the ranks of expensive pen users (who actually know where the pens are.)
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What rollerball refill did you land on? I currently really like the Sarasa 0.5 ballpoint refill, as itās very similar to G2 and it cuts down nicely to go in my Kaweco Brass Sport, along with fitting some other pens with no mods.
Good idea, and If they want to upgrade, Iād suggest a TWSBI eco or a Lamy Safari.
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Iāve always liked the look of the Kaweco brass, but looking at it inside a case it always seemed like it would be too short for me. The shortness is not an issue? Or perhaps itās a benefit in some ways? It is a beautiful pen.
Iām currently rotating 3 rollerballs: the Tombow line, Pilot V7 (or Techpoint 7), and now the Uniball Vision Elite 0.8. I love the Tombows ā¦ both the pen and their refills.
Something that was posted in this thread led me down a few webpages and I read great things about the Uni Elite. Just testing it out, but I like it a lot. Obviously not as solid or as good looking as the Tombows, but very functional. And, apparently very good in terms of being āairflight resiliantā. (Since I take long flights about 5 times a year this was a selling point.)
I like the wider 0.7 width for ink. Not sure if I can describe why, but I never really ālovedā the 0.5. And the Uniball is even a tad wider at 0.8. I think for what I do: short notes, doodling, and the such a wider width works well. But I can easily see how 0.5 would be a better choice for other types of writing work, or just other tastes.