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2025-07-02

Tribulations of the Jackal

I’ve begun watching the new The Day of the Jackal TV show. I read the book years ago, and remember enjoying it – though I think Forsyth (like Trevanian) is one of those novelists for whom one’s memory of the books is usually better than the reality of them. I never saw the 70’s film. The only thing I remember from the 90’s film was how satisfying it was to watch Jack Black’s arm get blown off. (The Internet assures me that there was another 121 minutes of this movie, but those 3 minutes are all I remember.) All of which is to say, I went in with middling expectations. But the first episode was better than I expected. I’ve watched the second episode now, and it is as good as the first. Unfortunately, there are plot issues holding the show back.

I have notes.

The show opens with the titular Jackal assassinating some political candidate. The Jackal is shown to be meticulous, competent, and highly skilled. (This excites me because competency porn is my favorite porn genre.) In the aftermath of the assassination everybody else in the show’s world comments on how the shot should have been impossible. This communicates to the audience that the Jackal probably isn’t desperate for work, nor is he a replaceable cog like his fellow gig-workers at Uber and Doordash.

Then we see the Jackal go home to some fancy villa in Spain. Everything about his house, his clothes, his cars communicates to the audience that he is rich.

As he communicates with his existing client and a new speculative client via his not-Tails live distro we see that he has strict rules about how he works and how he interacts with clients.

Yet this new speculative client immediately asks him to break his rules and his response is basically “lol ok let’s go”. Why? It is never explained. He’s rich, successful, and has a well-respected brand. Usually the setup for this sort of plot is “He wants out but the big bad boss is going to kill him unless he does this one last job”. Or, “He wants out but he’s broke and this one last job will earn him enough to retire to a Spanish villa.” But the writers of the show don’t attempt any of that. This guy already has the Spanish villa. They could solve this problem with just a few lines of dialogue and about 30 seconds of screen-time, but instead they just traipse right past this gaping void in the very beginning of their plot.

In the second episode the speculative client requests a meatspace meeting. The Jackal says “That’s not going to happen.” (It’s one of his rules, you know.) To which the client retorts with something like “Then we’ll have to go elsewhere. I expected the Jackal to say “Have a nice day” and hang up. This guy should hold all the cards in the negotiation – he’s supposed to be the best, the client approached him, he’s not struggling to feed himself, he just completed a job that nobody else could do. Instead he agrees to the meeting. It makes no sense. In every interaction he rolls over for the client, giving up all leverage. This is not how successful freelance employment works. How has he lasted this long?

The client wants him to murder some tech-bro CEO because said tech-bro CEO is going to release a piece of software called “River” that promises to make all financial transactions publicly viewable. How? Magic. It is never explained. Somehow this software will just be released, and in the next second all transactions everywhere in the world are going to be in some central, public database, I guess? (I keep expecting some character to say the word “blockchain”, but am pleased to report that this has yet to happen.) This is not how fintech works. River is just the show’s MacGuffin, so it doesn’t really matter, but the writers make the deadly mistake of telling us just enough about it to shatter the fantasy of the story. I find this sort of thing super frustrating. The right way to setup a world-ending MacGuffin is to copy The Rabbit’s Foot from Mission Impossible 3: the only thing we are told is its codename and that it is bad. Nothing else to distract from the plot. (They later fucked this up by trying to explain it in the recent sequels, but, well, you either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.) The writers should have told us that tech-bro CEO is going to release a piece a software that will change the world, and left it at that. Don’t extrapolate when it isn’t necessary.

The client tells the Jackal that the murder has to happen by such-and-such a date, because that is the date the tech-bro has said he is going to release the software. So… killing this CEO guy is going to destroy the software? This is not how software development or deployment works. The date is coming up soon (soon enough that the Jackal scoffs at the deadline but then immediately agrees, because he doesn’t care about his rules and always does whatever the client wants). The tech-bro is shown making the television rounds on some sort of press tour, promoting the imminent release. So we have to assume that the software is already pretty much ready for release. The client is not trying to kill the tech-bro because they want to prevent him from writing the software. They just want to prevent the release. They have yet to explain how killing the CEO will accomplish this. Why not figure out what data center the guy stores his git repos in and destroy that? Nobody knows.

Prior to the meeting in episode 2 that should never have happened, the Jackal quoted the client a fee of $100 million (or maybe Euros or Pounds or Woolongs, I don’t remember). At the beginning of this meeting the client says “We’re still pretty far away on the price.” The Jackal ignores her and requests half now, half on completion. She says no, but she’ll give him $20 million now. To which the Jackal responds, great, he’ll get started as soon as he gets the $20 million. Dude. She has explicitly told you that she is not going to pay your requested fee. She has offered to put down 20% of what you’re asking. You have completed no negotiations about what the remainder of the fee is going to be. And your response is to start on the project anyway? This guy is a terrible business person. The client must be overjoyed at how much of a pushover the Jackal is.

When he first uses his not-Tails live USB flash drive, he does so on a public computer at an internet cafe in Paris. This threw me. I thought the show was supposed to be set in the modern day, not 2003. Are internet cafes really still a thing in Paris? I paused the show to look it up on Google Maps, and apparently they do still exist. Weird, but I can move on. The Jackal then moves on by navigating to his darknet web chat thing and logging in with his username and password. On a public computer. So, not worried about key loggers, I guess? Surveillance cameras in the cafe that capture the keyboard? Why even go through this whole thing with the internet cafe? Just use your laptop from a public wifi network. Later, he does insert the same USB drive into his personal laptop and log into the same chat service. So it isn’t like he is trying to keep all his work stuff off of his personal machine. The whole thing just seems odd, and it’s not like his being at the internet cafe drives the plot in any way. Maybe later in the series they’ll reveal that security cameras in the cafe captured him and this will become relevant to the plot. But even then, they could accomplish the same thing by having him login from his personal machine while sitting at McDonald’s after ordering his Royale with Cheese.

When he finishes with the public computer, he stands up and picks up the snacks that he was munching on and the cups he was drinking out of. I think to myself “Oh, neat, this guy’s tradecraft is so good that he’s going to take this trash with him and dispose of it elsewhere so that he doesn’t leave any DNA at the cafe!” But then he just tosses it in the trash can inside the cafe before leaving. I cried a little inside. What was the point of even writing the trash into the show if not to communicate something about the character with it? I really hope this whole cafe scene comes back later in the series and becomes some sort of linchpin in the good guy’s investigation.

The MI6 lady who is trying to identify the Jackal gets a lead when she figures out that the backpack he is seen carrying is from some sort of small-batch Kickstarter thing that was only sold at two shops in jolly-old-England. So our (anti-)hero, who is shown to be so meticulous in his planning and a master of disguise, is dumb enough to walk around with some couture backpack of which only a couple hundred were ever sold? It strains credulity. I checked, and the first episode aired on 2024-11-07, while Brian Thompson was killed on 2024-12-04 so it wasn’t like this plot point was sloppily shoe-horned in at the last minute to make fun of Peak Design – which was my first thought.

Anyway, I’m enjoying the show. I just need to pause it three or four times an episode to rant about how stupid some minor plot point is. It’s frustrating because all these little unimportant things hold it back from being a good show. I hope they improve the writer’s room for the second season.

2025-04-08

gear, review, stationery, edc

Pilot Elite

I’ve been attracted to the form factor of the Kaweco Sport for a while, though the low capacity of the piston converter is a bit of a turn off. Last year when they released the aluminum body piston filler my attraction increased, but those pens cost more than I want to spend. Then at the end of the year they released a resin version of the piston filler for a lower price, and I found a sale with a good discount during the holidays. I bought one.

I like the pen. I especially like to carry it in the sleeve pocket of my MA-1, because I like the idea of living in a world where people walk around with fountain pens in MA-1s. Be the change you want to see in the world. Unfortunately, I scored that Pilot Vanishing Point on eBay at the end of 2023. That has been my daily writer ever since, and purchasing the Kaweco Classic Sport Piston Filler made clear that the Vanishing Point has ruined me for other pens. Specifically, on two points.

First, the Vanishing Point has an 18k gold nib. The Kaweco Sport does not. Kaweco’s steel nib isn’t bad, but it isn’t gold, and when I write with it I often find myself thinking “I could be writing with the VP instead.” It isn’t scratchy, but it isn’t not scratchy.

Second, the cap of the Kaweco Sport screws on. I journal daily, but that’s the only point at which I am sitting down with the intention to write. Any other time I grab a pen during the day it is to jot down some quick note. The clicky clicker of the Vanishing Point is extremely convenient for that. Needing to take the time (and two hands) to unscrew the Kaweco’s cap is comparatively annoying.

But I do really like the form factor of the Kaweco Sport. I wished for a pocket pen with a gold nib and a non-threaded cap. And then the universe opened my eyes to the Pilot E95S. At 4.7” when capped, it is a little longer than the Kaweco’s 4.1”, but it is still pocket sized. And it has a gold nib. And the cap is not threaded. And it is expensive.

So I went searching on eBay for a used one. I looked periodically for a few weeks and nothing turned up for an acceptable price. But the E95S is a modern re-issue of a classic pen called the Elite. Once I figured out that I should search for “Pilot Elite”, a plethora of reasonably priced options appeared. This is how I came to purchase my first vintage fountain pen.

The pen is everything I wanted it to be. The Pilot Vanishing Point is still my favorite, but the Elite is a close second.

Removing and posting the cap does take longer than clicking the Vanishing Point, but is still quicker than unscrewing anything, and it is immensely satisfying. All the reviews I read of both the Elite and the E95S mentioned how nice the action of uncapping, capping and posting the pen feels. They weren’t wrong. The taper of the body and the steel structure within the cap – a sort of leaf spring – provides the feeling of a smooth, perfect press fit. It is mildly addicting.

The nib is great, as expected. The Elite was available with both 18k and 14k gold nibs. I bought a 14k in fine, and it feels just as smooth and pleasant as the 18k fine nib in the Vanishing Point. Maybe a hair thinner, which makes me want to use a slightly wetter ink. But my two favorite inks are still Noodler’s Heart of Darkness and Noodler’s Army Air Corp, and I enjoy both inks interchangeably in both pens.

The code at the base of my nib is H977. This means the pen was manufactured in Hiratsuka in September 1977.

There are a few Elites on eBay for $30-40. If the pen is that cheap, it is probably one of the steel nib versions that was made in Korea. The Japanese gold nib versions are more expensive, but I found that if you do not care about a few scratches – which, for a pocket pen, I do not – there are plenty of attractive options in the $50-75 range. I think that’s a great deal for this level of quality. I already want to buy a second.

It fits in the MA-1, too.

2024-12-21

gear, review, edc, audio

Loop Switch

I’ve been carrying the Loop Switch earplugs everyday for the past 13 months now. A couple months ago, Loop replaced this model with the Switch 2. This v2 Switch looks to be a minor incremental upgrade, but overall the same product. I think my impressions of the v1 Switch are still relevant.

The Switch is an earplug with a rotary mechanism that allows the attenuation to be adjusted between three different modes:

Quiet (v1: 25 dB SNR, v2: 26 dB SNR)
Experience (v1: 21 dB SNR, v2: 23 dB SNR)
Engage (v1: 17 dB SNR, v2: 20 dB SNR)

My most frequent application for earplugs is nightclubbing. Having three modes on a single pair of plugs, which can be adjusted in-ear, is a really great capability in this application. If I happen to find myself near a speaker, I can crank them up to Quiet. Then when I join the cool kids in the back, I dial them down to Engage and can carry on a conversation with someone while still being protected. At shows with multiple artists I often find myself setting them to Experience for an opener, going down to Engage between sets, and then up to Quiet for the headliner.

I have not found any other earplug that offers anything quite like this. There are others that have multiple filters that you can swap between, but the earplugs need to be removed from your ear to do that. And even then, trying to mess around with taking out one small part and install another, in the dark, in the middle of Club Hel, is not a winning strategy.

Previously, my preferred plugs were the SureFire EP3 Sonic Defenders. These are in a somewhat similar vein as the Loop Switch, in that they have filter caps that can be opened or closed to adjust the attenuation. I find the Switch to be superior. The Sonic Defenders offer 24 dB SNR when the caps are closed, which is good, but only 11 dB SNR when the caps are open. This isn’t much, so I find that my for use cases the Sonic Defenders only really get used in cap-closed mode. The range of attenuation offered by the Switch (both v1 and v2) is a more useful neighborhood for the environments I operate in.

The mechanical nature of the Switch means that the body itself is a rigid plastic. This makes them inappropriate for sleeping. At least, if you spend any time on your side. They don’t stick out much, but they do so enough that sleeping on them is uncomfortable. I bought a pair of Loop Quiet 2 earplugs this summer for sleeping. These are entirely made of a soft silicone, and I find them comfortable to wear all night. I do not sleep with earplugs regularly, but anytime I’m on the road I throw the Quiets in my bag (along with the Switch – they’re small enough that I’m fine with carrying both sets) in case the hotel or campsite or redoubt or whatever is loud.

I’ve worn the Switch for multiple consecutive hours, and find them to be perfectly comfortable (as long as you are not laying on them). With other plugs it’s often a relief to finally remove them, not because they cause any discomfort when installed, but just because they feel like they’ve been cutting me off from the world for a few hours. Removing them is like coming up for a breath of air – a breathe the free air again my friend sort of moment. Not so with the Switch, I think because I am periodically dropping them down to Engage mode when appropriate. Sometimes I forget to take them out for a while after leaving.

The Switch comes with four different sizes of silicone tips to adjust the fit. Replacement tips are available to extend the life of the tool.

The dial of the Switch has a small tab protruding. This provides a haptic reference point for what mode is selected, and gives you something to grab on to when moving the dial. It works well enough for switching the dial between Quiet and Experience modes. But Engage mode is the most anterior position on the dial, and when in that mode I find the tab slips underneath my tragus. It is small enough that this causes no discomfort, but the smallness also means it can be difficult to get purchase on the tab to pull the dial back to either of the other two modes. I have to slip a fingernail under there to grab it, which sometimes takes a couple seconds to get right. This is the only negative thing I have to say about the Switch, and I am told this was fixed on the Switch 2. It is not enough of an annoyance to make me want to move to new model while my current ones are still working fine, but I look forward to someday upgrading.

All of the earplugs offered by Loop feel a little overpriced, but the two models I have are good products, and I think it’s great that they are trying to normalize PPE into a fashion accessory. I want more of that in the world.

2024-12-04

edc, gear, defense, review

Clipped, Hot, and Metro

ASP recently redesigned their Metro Defender OC sprays to include a clip. This is an excellent addition. Some years ago I had tried to find add-on pen clips that may work on my old Defenders, but had no success. Previously I used a Blue Force Gear mag pouch to keep the OC in place on my Raven Pocket Shield. Now I can clip it to the shield directly, for less bulk in the pocket. Much speed, little drag.

ASP is also now including UV dye in their cartridges. This is a good thing. The cartridge itself is identical to the old ones. The new ones with the UV dye will work in the old clipless Defenders. The old cartridges without the UV will work in the newly clipped Defenders.

The way the head and body thread together on the new clipped models is different. A head from an old Defender cannot be attached to the new body, nor can the new head attach to the old body. I have made my peace with this.

The new head does have a logo on it, which is disappointing. Previously the head and body were both sterile. The pocket clip is attached to the body, which means it is below the logo on the head. The clip can be spun around freely, but given the way the safety works, if you were carrying this clipped into a shirt pocket you want the clip positioned such that the logo was facing outward. Anybody looking at you could see the thing in your shirt pocket, which otherwise looks vaguely pen-like, says ASP on it. This is a problem that I will probably eventually solve with tape or nail polish or sandpaper.

The clip (and UV dye) make a good tool better. I have been carrying the new one in my pocket for the past couple months, and have my older clipless models relegated to applications where a clip does not matter.

I still find it useful to apply skateboard grip tape to the safety. One time I tried hockey stick grip tape, but it did not really contribute anything useful. Something with more chutzpa is wanted.

Prior to these design updates, ASP also renamed the product line. The model previously called the “Key” is now the “D2”. This is the one that I like. (I ultimately decided that the smaller one – “D1”, nee “Palm” – didn’t float my boat.)

When I bought my two units in September, I could find no dealers who had updated their product photography to show the clip, nor was it clear what version they were selling. I ordered from ASP directly (and paid their ridiculous shipping fee) to ensure that I got the clip.

2024-09-21

gear, bicycle, review

Ghostrider Equipment Kermode

I wanted to carry bear spray on my recent tour through grizz country. A stem bag, such as the imitable Revelate Mountain Feedbag works well for this, but the two stem bags that are always part of my touring luggage system are already used for other purposes. There’s a number of people out there selling solutions to the problem of how to carry bear spray on a bicycle. I looked at all the ones I could find online, and chose the Ghostrider Equipment Kermode.

Ghostrider offers their holster in a direct mount option, where it attaches to standard bottle cage bosses. This would require giving up a bottle cage, which is unappealing to me. They also offer a universal mount option, which just includes two Voile Nano straps. I bought the universal option so that I could mount the holster any place I could dream up. I ended up strapping it down near the top of the down tube, canted to the right-hand side. This did not interfere with any of the other equipment that gets attached to my bike in touring mode, and allowed for a quick and easy draw. The position also did not interfere with drawing my bottle to the right-hand side from its down tube cage.

The holster worked out great. It carried an 8.1 oz can of Counter Assault bear seasoning perfectly. No rattling or moving around, yet easy to pop out with minimal effort.

Ghostrider includes an extra retention strap that can wrap around the can. Its use is optional, and mostly for peace of mind when flying down rocky trail. I kept it on while I was riding. For me, carrying the bear spray was mostly about having it in camp. I wanted the can to be accessible all the time, but I didn’t think it likely that I would have an argument with a bear while riding down the highway. I decided that the extra motion required to unhook the retention strap was acceptable. But an important factor in this decision was that I knew that if I did not keep that strap secured, I would never see it again.

This is my one complaint about the holster. Neither end of the retention strap is well secured to the holster itself. Both are just pulled over open hooks that are molded into the holster. When using the strap to wrap around a can, the tension keeps it in place. But when you flick off one end to release the can, the other end of the strap can easily fall off. Losing it eventually is pretty much guaranteed if you don’t keep both ends hooked. And it is some sort of proprietary doohickey, not something you can easily replace. I like that the strap can be completely removed, but I’d also like to be able to attach just one end and trust that it’ll still be there when next I look down. I also think it could work just as well if it was simply a piece of shock cord, which could be easily replaced if the user does misplace (or break) it.

This complaint is minor, as the holster does hold the can securely enough for my riding even without the extra strap. It is an excellent solution to the problem of carrying bear spray on a bike.

2024-07-24

gear, eyewear, review

Celyfos Spectacle Protection

Back in 2022 I purchased a Celyfos case for my Rudy Rydons. The case is one my favorite things. The leather is beautiful. The front of the case is made of a stiff double layer of veg-tan, with a nubuck lining to protect the lenses. The shape and rigidity of this piece protects the eyewear from downward pressure applied along the top of the case. The internal nose bridge is leather on top of a plastic liner. This protects the eyewear from pressure applied along the front face of the case, toward the lenses. You could still damage the temple arms of your optics by placing a well aimed butt-cheek on the rear of the case, but the case will not be deformed by typical negligent abuse. I have no concern about blindly throwing the case into a pack where it may be tossed around or buried under heavy things. The sports model, sold for Oakley glasses, fits the Rudy Rydons perfectly.

When I refreshed my Julbo Micropores I decided that they deserved a Celyfos case of their own. I went with the medium-sized Atlas model. This one has the same thick leather and overbuilt nose bridge as the sports-wrap case, but also includes a plastic liner between the leather layers of the front face. The liner offers even greater crush resistance. Now that I can compare both side-by-side, I think that the sports model, without the liner, is stiff enough just by the nature of the leather and well thought out design that the addition of the plastic liner probably does not offer much practical advantage.

Unfortunately the new case is not a perfect fit for the Micropores. The Micropores have ear hooks that extend down below the bottom of the lens. This raises the spectacles in the case, preventing the nose bridge of the case from fully supporting the eyewear. They still fit in the case, but the peak of the Micropore’s nose bridge is slightly proud of the front of the case. Top-down pressure will be applied directly to the glasses, rather than being intercepted by the case’s rigid front piece. The case still succeeds in protecting against pressure applied along the front face of the case, towards the lenses.

I am still pleased with the new case. I am confident it will protect the Micropores adequately for my use. I think it would only be improved upon by designing a case specific to the typical shape of classic glacier glasses, similar to how the Rydon case is designed specifically to the unique contours of typical sports-wrap eyewear.

Celyfos cases are made-to-order in an Athens atelier, so some customization is possible. For both of mine, I specified black thread, brass hardware, and had my surname embossed.

2023-12-05

gear, review

Tools for Floor Sitting

I get my zafus from Carolina Morning Designs. Originally I bought one of their crescent models. This is what I took on the 10-day meditation retreat I went on in 2006. Some years after that I bought one of their standard models, and gave away the crescent zafu. I regret this slightly. Between the two, I think the standard round shape is the one to have. But I have been thinking about buying a crescent model again so that I can have one of each.

As with head pillows, buckwheat hulls are my preferred filling for a zafu.

There are a few ways to sit on a zafu, but all of them involve floor contact with the knees, lower legs, and feet. On some floors this can be less than comfortable. The solution here is a zabuton, which is a larger rectangular pillow that goes underneath the zafu. I have a 25” x 31” zabuton from Carolina Morning Designs and a 23” x 25” linen zabuton from Etsy.

The Carolina Morning Designs zabuton is filled with kapok fibre. This is a soft and fluffy material, sort of like a blend between cotton and down. The linen zabuton is filled with buckwheat hulls. While I like buckwheat hulls for structural pillows, the zabuton is used purely for padding. Buckwheat has less of an advantage here. I like both, but I use my kapok zabuton more often.

For all my Carolina Morning Designs pillows, I purchase their removable covers. Cleaning furniture is much easier when you don’t have to go through the hassle of dumping the stuffing. I do not have a removable cover for the linen zabuton, and filling all its individual baffles with buckwheat hulls was an annoying process that I do not want to go through again, so it only gets spot-cleaned.

Sitting on a zafu utilizes core and back muscles. For times when you want to be especially lazy, a chair with a back is preferred. The best option I have found is the HIHIP Floor Chair. This is extremely comfortable. Unlike many floor chairs, it folds, and thus stores (somewhat) compactly. This is actually the only chair I use at home. All other sitting tools or either pillows or stools.

After trying a number of floor tables over the years, I’ve whittled my collection down to two. The Nnewvante Floor Table and the Cooper Desk Pro.

The Cooper Desk Pro is what I use most often. It provides a 23.5” x 17.7” surface, covered with a faux leather that feels pleasant and is easy to wipe clean. It is height adjustable, from 10” to 15”. When deployed, the legs angle out slightly, which allows my own legs to fit under the desk if I am sitting in the chair with my legs straight out. The table also tilts at a few preset angles, but I almost never use this feature.

The Nnewvante Floor Table is only slightly larger at 29.5” x 17.7”, but in use it feels much larger than the Cooper Desk. I rarely need the extra surface area, so I don’t pull this table out as often. It also is height adjustable, from 10” to 15”. Where the Cooper Desk has five preset height positions, this one allows you to stop the legs anywhere within the adjustable range. That sounds nice, but in practice means that you sometimes have to do a little back-and-forth to get both legs at the same height. Because of this I just leave the adjustment at whatever height I have found most useful and then never touch it again.

The Nnewvante Floor Table has their brand name engraved in the surface. I find this to be distasteful. Noticeable advertising does not belong on furniture. The Cooper Desk Pro does have their logo on the surface, but it is subtle enough that I rarely notice it.

2023-11-26

gear, review, stationery, edc

FMP Load-Out

My Field Message Pad is currently loaded with:

Pilot Vanishing Point, Fine Nib with a Pilot CON-40 piston converter loaded with Noodler’s Blue-Black. This is my new favorite human input device, but I got mine on eBay for a little less than half list price. I’ve been trying the blue-black ink for a few weeks now, but will probably go back to Noodler’s Black.
rOtring 800 loaded with Pentel Ain Stein 0.5 mm HB lead. This is another thing I only own because I found one for less than half the list price. I carried a rOtring 600 in the FMP for years, but I always get stressed about the thin metal tip. The 800 could conceivably be temporarily moved to a pocket if the situation warrants, unlike the pokey 600. And the twist mechanism is fun to play with. Both rOtring pencils are pieces of industrial art, in the same category as Curta calculators, but realistically they are no more functional than the much cheaper Staedtler 925. Quality lead made me reevaluate my previous dislike of mechanical pencils.
Fisher Space Pen M4. Sometimes you need to write off-planet. In pen.
Zebra Onamae Mackee. I used to carry a Sharpie. Then I decided to check if the Japanese had invented a better Sharpie. It turns out the answer is yes, they have.
CountyComm Titanium 15CM Ruler. For many years I carried the General Tools 300/1, but mine became bowed. This is a titanium knock-off of the same. The matte finish makes it harder to read, but I use this more as a straight edge than a measuring device. The bowed-ness of the General Tools stainless version is annoying in that application. The titanium version has been in my kit for 3 years and so far it is still straight and flat.

A 14mm binder clip secures used pages, allowing the pad to quickly be flipped to a blank (or currently in progress) page.

I still primarily use the Rhodia A6 pads. I install them backwards, so that the cardboard backing is on top. This provides a writing surface to more easily utilize the back of the pages. Otherwise I’m writing on top of the FMP’s tool slots, which is annoying. (The thing the Canadians got right is to put heavy cardboard on both sides.)

When expecting inclement conditions, I drop the fountain pen and the Rhodia, and install a Rite in the Rain *46. But given my druthers, it’s all fountain pen all the time.

This article was modified 2024-12-13.