B.I.BLOG

I first came across this brand at Acklands Grainger about a year or two ago. The marker pickup at the time was an instant favorite, due to its appealing design and metal barrel construction.

These markers are a true Marker Lovers marker, and it’s no surprise since they come from Laco-Markal, who have been producing high end industrial for a minute now out of Elk Grove Village Illinois. Just an all around classic look to their entire range.

They have the best website design I have come across from a marker company; the photographs and specs and clarity make for an efficient experience.

Before I start reviewing, I give a big shout out to the peeps at Markal for sending me free samples a week after I sent them an email. I know maybe they just think they are doing their job, but the fact that they even have a separate section/email address specifically to take sample requests is a really nice feature.

MARKAL DURA-INK 200 - I’m sure the earlier version was a metal barrel. This is plastic. The entire DURA-INK range has a consistent and appealing graphic design and layout. It seems to have been designed in the 50’s, and i’m glad that they haven’t changed the wordmark and branding all too much. A really nice black/blue/red color scheme in white. The MARKAL wordmark is anice chisel-tip script. The DURA-INK wordmark is also chisel-tip script, verging on bubble letter territory. Both wordmarks are very sign-painterly. Nice blue band on top of label. Clear labelling. MARKS ON ANYTHING - DRIES IMMEDIATELY - LONG-LASTING - WATER RESISTANT. Really nice thick chisel nib. Soft but firm density. The actual ink is a nice borderline indigo black and applies super smooth. This marker is a winner.

MARKAL DURA-INK 80 - This is a valve actuated bullet tip marker. Super nice shiny chrome finish with sticker labelling. I usually don’t like sticker labelling but they did a good job with the finish of the sticker. It looks like it could be screened right on the metal. Heavy duty industrial construction. Marks well.

MARKAL DURA-INK 60 - This is a medium bullet tip, similar in style to the Super Sharpie, so I am interested to see how it compares.  Nice heavy-duty plastic construction with screened on labelling. Thicker than a Super Sharpie, so a bit nicer to hold. Little to no bleed, even on watercolor paper. Makes nice consistent lines. A great addition to the collection.

There are still a couple more Markal products I need to cop. Big fan of the brand.

Another bunch of markers found in a random pile in one of my day bags.

SHARPIE LIQUID TIP - I picked this up at Staples I think. They don’t have a huge selection so I always think I have every marker in there. I saw this one, and did a double take. It’s a new design of a classic Sanford product, and a nice addition to the collection. At some point, Sanford started labelling the Liquid Tip as a Sharpie product. The other Sharpie branded Liquid tip I have is a lighter shade, with silver bands at the top and bottom. This is a darker gray with no rings.  Classic ribbed cap and metal holder clip, as well as metal barrel construction. Maybe it’s my imagination, but I think they increased the width of the chisel tip slightly in this new model, and use a different density material. Or not. Great product.

GARDEN CRAFT - I think this is a Home Hardware find. Maybe Dollarama. Anyways, it’s a rebrand of a Marvy Uchida product, who make excellent writing instruments.I don’t even need to open the cello to know how this thing works.  They make versions for crafting, and I guess switch up labels to appeal to gardeners. According to the label, this marker is great for decorating on terra cotta pots, plaster statues, amongst other things. 

LE GRIP - This may be a repost. But the thing about Le Grip…it always comes back. Sleek Twin-Tip, minimal branding, average all around marker.

MAGIC MARKER PEN - This is a stubby and it just barely makes the criteria for my marker collection due to it’s size. This seems to be a common marker shape and construction for marker sets included with childrens marker-and-poster sets. This particular marker came in a box set and are supposed to be used to decorate perma-coat ceramic. I just tried to draw on a plate, and it was really faint. I just read the box and it says it can only be used on ceramic products coated with “Webster Group Perma-Coat”. That doesn’t help me out.

Dunno if this is a repost. Found these in a duffel couple weeks back. Whenever I find a grouping of different markers, I always assume that I was saving them to do a blog post. So here we go.

EDDING 4090 - Edding makes a great product. The European equivalent if Sharpie in name recognition and market saturation. The 4090 is a 15 mm chisel tip and it is a nice addition to the collection. It’s a window marker with opaque water-based liquid chalk, so it’s wet-wipeable.  Really good ink flow and coverage, no streaks within linemarks. IMO, its on par or even slightly better than ZIG/POSCA. And that is saying a lot.  I wish it was metal barrel contruction, as most markers this size tend to be. That’s my only knock.

EDDING 21 - Nice bullet tip. According to labelling, its “enviro-friendly”. At least 90% of the construction is recycled material. Good quality, rather ugly design. I’m not a big fan of plastic barrel/sticker label markers, and this is one of those. 

EDDING 2000 - I like it. Word to Grand Puba. Nice metal barrel fine point bullet. One-color screened label, big and bold runs across the side. A marker box staple.

Check out the entire Edding range of products over HERE.

They got a lot of things on there that I gotta grab for the collection. Prolly should pond hop the year ahead.

Little did I know that when I got this hat, that the side embroidery listing

GUAM / PHILLIPINES / TAHITI / TONGA / SAMOA

wasn’t only a nod to Gregory Boyingtons’ USMC WWII squadron, but perhaps a foreshadowing of Stussy Chapter stores that will open in the years ahead.

As a collector of black markers, I either have it or I don’t, so it has become reflex for me to acquire new specimens without thought. 

In addition to black markers, I also collect select artifacts relating to the Dark Arts, which is really anything ranging from Black Cat firecrackers, to Black Black Chewing Gum, to vintage black paint chip samples.

There is an infinite amount of things that appear in my field of vision and conscious that fall within the umbrella of Dark Arts, but only a few things stand out to the degree that I make the effort to somehow get them from Point A to Point B.I.B.

This collaboration tee from Stussy and Domino Records is one such item.

Thank you BW for getting back with the black and white…

Dollarama pick-up. 

STUDIO JUMBO MARKER - I don’t expect much from Dollar Store markers, unless they are from Daiso. This one is no different. Thin plastic barrel construction, but nice stylized plastic black cap. 10 mm chisel tip, thinner than most. Hey, this is a nice surprise. It actually works quite well. Good coverage, good ink, runs smooth on application. 

Nice package of things received from Montreal based Desfois/Sometimes. 

They have been putting out a good selection of printed things for a long minute now - from books to zines to tees - that promote interesting content from interesting people that would sway even the most disinterested discerners.

DIY don’t die ; it multiply.

Picked up a box of these at Liquidation World. It’s this spot within this strip mall that is pretty much all dollar shops and second hand shops, and is always a good afternoon wander. I thought I would find more markers in there than I did. A good offshoot find were these Weird-Ohs toys, model kits and trading cards, featuring the art of Bill Campbell. 

SUPREME LEARNING - Had to dig to find these. They were undershelf. Something about their name strikes me as new religion cultish. Slim plastic contstruction, with chisel tip construction more akin to what you would find in a Cadomark, or other metal barrel marker. It’s not the best marker. It bleeds a bit too much for my liking, and doesn’t mark smooth lines. Also, the tips are prone to uneven ink distribution, resulting in streaks and uneven lines. You can check out their website here.

I was introduced to the music of Nina Simone in the right way; by a woman, in the dark, in my younger days.

Throughout the years her music has been the best of companions.

She’s my absolute favorite and I wish I had followed through with impulsiveness, jumped on a plane, and seen her do her thing before she had left.

Happy 78th Birthday.