Annemarie Conte is an editor who writes the Ask Wirecutter column and trending-product reviews. She’d love to make you a friendship bracelet. He’s

I’ve Become Absolutely Obsessed With Ralph Nader’s Pens. Join Me on My Continuing Investigation.

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2024-09-08 16:00:04

Annemarie Conte is an editor who writes the Ask Wirecutter column and trending-product reviews. She’d love to make you a friendship bracelet.

He’s been using Paper Mate Flair Felt Tip Pens for more than 30 years, and he’s noticed they’ve been drying out more quickly than they used to.

He reached out to Wirecutter for help. And we responded by sending Nader some of the pens we’ve tested and recommend he try instead.

But because we’re an obsessive bunch here at Wirecutter, the nagging feeling that Nader’s pens were drying out faster than they once did was hanging over our heads. We needed to know why.

Nader has been using Paper Mate Flair pens consistently since the late 1980s (and we even found a photo from the early ’70s in which he appears to be taking notes with one). He has repeatedly maintained that the pens are now drying out more quickly than before.

“He’s right! I’m a teacher, and if I grade all my student exams, the Flair is toast!” said Wirecutter reader Mike Alberti in an Instagram DM to me. “You know when you test out a pen and are happy with the ink flow, color, the feel of how it moves across the paper? It becomes the opposite of that.”