BINGO

A slew of new pickups and stash stuff from always-on-the-lookout DIET HTK from July SF trip. 

BINGO MARKER 

I’m never really on the lookout for Bingo Markers. This is the first one i’m adding to the marker collection.  I see them more often than not at dollar shops, but I guess I never really considered them to be “true” black markers. In fitting with the criteria, this thing does make a black mark, and I guess it says it is a marker right there on the label.

So i guess from now on Bingo markers are getting accepted into the archives…but squeeze shoe polish bottles still are not. 

Bingo markers are good drippy fun. The nib on this thing is pretty much a cotton ball. Watery ink that makes good lines with character until the nib gets messed up. Good on paper, outdoors not so much.

ARTSKILLS PERMANENT

What a wacky marker silhouette. Artskills is predominantly a dollar store brand that makes these jumbo markers for kids. About a 3mm chisel tip on this marker. Most of this marker is hollow barrel for sure. Nice “comic” style PERMANENT label on the side, grey and black triangle motif resembles a backgammon board. Classy. Bit of kick in the smell of this thing. Nothing too fierce, just a bit of something for the kids to sit back and relax to.

BROAD TIP 9MM ( DAISO )

Daiso dissapointment this SF trip. The downtown one didn’t really have the goods. DIET HTK snagged this one from some other location. Medium weight plastic bends in a bit when barrel squeezed. Simple screened white-on-black labeling. 9MM broad tip. Makes good clean marks. Efficient, well designed product.

WINDOW MARKER

This little troublemaker, courtesy of DIET again. Cap flips open to reveal circular sponge tip about the size of a quarter. Ink comes out super fast of this thing, leaving a big drippy mess. These the sort of markers that tend to bust open in your bag and dirtying up all your stuff. Gonna sticker seal the lid shut on this thing and double bag it. Got my eye on you, Window Marker.

GARDENCRAFT TERRA COTTA MARKER JUMBO

Got this at the San Rafael Michael’s. From the folks at Marvy Uchida, this jumbo marker is labeled and branded to appeal to gardeners that like to paint things onto their terracotta pots. The label example shows a killer whale and a pair of cherries. Good product. Nice sturdy tip, good ink flow, solid construction. 

JUMBO MARKER

Dollar store find. I got one that is pretty much identical, except this one has the line 

UNSUITABLE FOR USE BY YOUNG CHILDREN 

omitted from the label.

Chisel tip, flimsyish tip. Works well but I can see the nib wearing out rather quickly with use. Which can be a nice quality. Good dark ink. Faint smell. Nice marker.

BLACK POWER MARK

Still more markers from SF. DIET - HTK coming up on all kinds of marker finds.

QUARTET DRY ERASE

Quartet is a dollar store brand that produces good quality product. Solid plastic construction. Chisel Tip. Makes nice dark ink lines. Really good ink quality for a dry erase, which usually contains lighter black or brownish tint inks. Made in China. Has bilingual french-english body text so I surmise that it was made for the Canadian market.

SANFORD EXPO 2 DRY ERASE

I have several versions of this marker, all with different body markings and designs. This one has dark grey color blocking, interspersed with the familiar EXPO wordmarks and labeling. Bullet tip. This thing is close to drying out. Makes fading inconsistent lines right now. Still has a medium-strength ink odor. 

EGAN MARKERS

This takes the familiar silhouette of the Sanford Dry Erase Expo, and slaps it’s own branding, copy and wordmarks on it. This Egan company is located north of here in Woodbridge. What was this marker doing all the way in San Francisco ? Nice thick chisel tip. Nib is a bit soft. Has that classic dry erase marker smell. Makes smooth black ink lines. 

SANFORD POWER MARK

I had the Wedge Tip version, now I have the Bullet Tip. Came from Pearl Paints, so I guess DIET had it in his own stash for a while. Solid plastic construction. Bullet tip. Makes REALLY dark black ink lines, runs smooth. No bleed. An excellent quality marker. Made in USA. Surprisingly, no odor on this one.

MESSAGESTOR MARKER

This is a mystery of a marker. I peeped the website info attached www.cri2000.com and it goes to a page called Combined Resources International. Seems like an import/export place that sells a bunch of brands, including MessageStor. Which I guess is a marker and writing instrument brand. Anyways, this marker is made out of solid plastic. Medium grey labeling on white background. Not the greatest branding/wordmark for MessageStor. Not a really good name for a company either. Bullet tip. Makes smooth, dark black ink lines. Faint alcohol odor. Pretty good, although awkwardly branded, product.

PRECIOUS METALS

The SF marker pick-ups keep coming. DIET - HTK really dug around to come up with these oldies.

CUDAHY PACKING CO

This marker was produced for the Cudahy Packing Co. by manufacturer unknown. Super solid metal construction. Screw cap. Triangle wedge felt nib. 

TEX RITE PRODUCTS - DETROIT

I’m not 100% sure, but I suspect this marker originated from this company. The clip alone on this marker is a streamlined work of art. Screw cap. Rounded felt nib. 

Both these markers are simple, well constructed items. I really appreciate this style of marker. Nice weight to them. Make a distinct sound when you unscrew the lid. Smells like old metal.  Not a lot of words to write about them. You kind of have to hold them in your hand and play with them a bit to get a feel for things yourself.

SUPER. SIMPLE.

More additions to the collection courtesy of DIET - HTK .

PAPERMATE - TORPEDO

It’s not properly called the torpedo, but it looks like one, and there is no other markings on this one other than a fading Papermate wordmark. I found what I thought was a marker with the same shape last year, but when I uncapped it, it was actually a hi-lighter. So I’m happy to have something with such a unique shape, replace that. Sleek black gloss marker, barrel slightly tapers with a smooth curve towards marker tip. Simple plastic cap, reminiscent of the metal caps found on old glass-bottle markers. Throwback. Nice chisel tip. This thing is DOA. Dried out, but still gave sharp, clean ghost lines. Light white vinegar odor. Peep PAPERMATE website.

PERMANENT MARKER

Gloss black. No frills. The only words on this thing are “Permanent Marker”. Looks like a Staples blank. Used to be a chisel tip. Now it’s mush. Good for cloud effects. These sort of markers perform well in the beginning, then break down rather quickly. I like them for their changing nib qualities and ink property, but I guess if you want a marker that retains quality and consistency, these aren’t it.

BEROL MARKER 8800

Berol often creates sleek, minimally designed markers. This is another great example. Seems like it is from the 70’s or 80’s. Simple metallic silver inlay barrel labeling. Engraved metal clip. Originally a chisel tip. Super busted up and frayed right now. Makes streaky medium-dark ink lines. Woulda been a nice marker back in the day when it was mint, now it only serves as a sloppy fill marker.

FAMILY MAID PERMANENT MARKER

A familiar silhouette for a dollar store marker. Sticker wrap label.  Pretty basic. Family Maid wordmark and “Permanent Marker” in slanted non serif font are the only markings on this piece. Bullet tip. Nicely broken in. Makes smooth,even, dark ink lines. Good quality dollar store marker.

ENTRE SUPER PERMANENT MARKER

This is a bootleg that I see from time to time. I’ll try to pull up other examples to see what brand might have been the first one to use this design. Made in Korea. Wrap around marker label. WHITE/SILVER/BLACK color markings with hints of RED and YELLOW. Nice chisel tip. Nib sits a bit high, which makes the nib bend a bit while making marks. Still makes really crisp, sharp, dark ink lines. Super strong odor. A good quality marker.

THREE THE HARD WAY

Another 3 markers from DIET HTK round-up. 

CRAYOLA TOTAL TOOLS JUMBO 

This thing is awkward. Total tools is right. The base cylinder has the same silvery plastic wrap label found in cheap bootleg markers. Not a fan of this rounded font Crayola wordmark. Huge awkward rubber grip bridges the barrel and tip. Makes nice dark, even lines on plain white paper, but trying to mark on different stock really affects the ink quality - the ink pools and bubbles. Crayola ink gives off a unique tint, and for that reason, I always keep a range of their product on hand for drawing work. Interesting nib shape on this thing. This is the second “new” crayola shape I have come across recently. They should’ve stuck to their classic design on this one; white barrel, black lid, just scaled JUMBO size, with a more subtle rubber grip. Overall, a fail of a marker from Crayola.

MARKS-A-LOT JUMBO

I have something similar in the collection. Exact same body shape and construction. This one differs, as the label is BLACK/WHITE, not BLACK/RED/BLUE. The plastic construction is rather flimsy on this one. Barrel bends in when pressed. Really simple labeling. Made in Mexico. Chisel tip nib, softens up a bit after repeated use. That’s not a great quality. Whoah. Inhaled a whiff of this thing and it’s a doozy ! Flawless broad line quality and dark ink output when new. When the tip is mush, this marker will give off some interesting effects. 

FENLOT 10 MM JUMBO MARKER

This is a great example of a better-than-average dollar store jumbo marker. Plastic construction, detailed cap shape - made to mimic a PILOT jumbo silhouette. Wrap-around silver hue plastic labeling. Some “funky” fonts all mashed together on the label, with some Chinglish for good measure. Solid chisel tip. Makes super smooth, dark, consistent ink lines. Cheap price, high performance = great marker !

BIG, BAD AND HEAVY - DIET HTK

HUGE thanks to the homey DIET - HTK for scouring the Bay Area streets hi-and-low for the past year and stashing away a grip of black markers, comics, and related oddities for me. A digger of the first quality, super generous and always down to help a brother out. 

The next whole slew of marker updates in the weeks ahead are mostly from SF trip,filled with all the dope marker stuffs DIET found for me.

Peep bits o’ DIET…

FREIGHT VID

HTK

PIECE BY PIECE movie

POWER. RESPECT. JUICE

Popped into Juice Design to catch up with Matt, drop off some things, and in return, received their 2011 Christmas deck. 

Artwork by the prolific Sean Cliver.

Thanks a bunch !

Power. Respect. Juice.

PATRICK HAT-TRICK

Crossed through a huge protest rally to cross the street into this store, Patrick and Company. 

CRAYOLA DRY ERASE MARKER

This seems kind of a new direction for Crayola. I don’t normally equate the brand with office supplies, but I expect them to make a good product. Nice solid construction. Ribbed plastic grip on barrel. Nice hard angled chisel tip. Wow. Makes really smooth dark black ink lines. Surprising for a Crayola whiteboard dry erase markers. Most ink from dry erase markers are grey or brown toned. And most Crayola inks I have tested are a bit on the blue/grey side. Not a fan of the overall design, but performance-wise, this thing is a winner.

PILOT BEGREEN VBOARDMASTER

I have a regular, non green version of this thing in the collection. This says it is made from 91% recycled material. Bullet tup. Wide plastic barrel. Makes medium wieght, thick dark black ink lines. Don’t have a lot to say about this marker. Pilot makes great markers, this one is another solid product.

PENTEL MARKATHON

This one was just sitting in a mug by the cash register. Glad I spotted it, since it wasn’t for sale on the floor. Gave the lady 50cents for a nice used marker for the collection. Nice silhouette I haven’t really seen before, although I guess it is similar to the Pilot from above. Medium line Chisel tip. Pump action end cap. When the ink applies light, you are supposed to depress the end to fill the nib with more ink supply. Really nice heavyweight plastic construction. Black and gold colorway, with sections of translucent windowing on the barrel, towards end-cap. Nice design details. Some arrows on a gold band towards the base. Thick-to-thin lines on the barrel. Really nice MARKATHON wordmark. The nib is all busted up, but still makes nice heavy black ink marks. This is a great marker. I thought I would have seen one of these sooner. Seems like a common brand. Happy to add this to the collection.

BAZIC INSTINCT

A bunch more marker pickups from the weekend Chinatown stroll. 

BAZIC PERMANENT MARKER

This is a long marker, similar to the long version Marks-A-Lot. Bazic seems to be the brand found in most of the Chinatown Dollar stores I visited. Heavyweight black plastic construction, with screened on white label details. Bleed on the label screen creates some nice shadow effects. Chisel tip. Heavy black ink. Bazic may be prevalent in many dollar stores, but they do make good quality product at a budget price, and are quick to appropriate different marker silhouettes and styles based on other popular marker brands. 

B10 TEXTA

Got this from one large. messy, Chinatown dollar store. The place had all sorts of plastic pails collecting roof leak drips. Stock was overflowing everywhere. So I was a bit disappointed that I only got 2 markers from the place. Bullet point. Plastic wrap label. Not going to pop it open. Have a strong feeling that even though it is wrapped in plastic, and was sealed in a plastic clamshell with cardboard backing, that this thing will not have any ink in it. 

LEARNING DAYS

This is the other marker I got from the messy Chinatown dollar store. Came in a box set of assorted colors. The label has a smiling dancing cartoon marker on a green background with a bunch of stars on it. It makes good, thin, heavy black ink marks. Good times.

BAZIC PERMANENT MARKER

Could this be a bootleg of a Bazic dollar store marker ? Most Bazic markers I have in my collection are actually well constructed. This marker is made from a lighter plastic, that bends in a bit when I squeeze the barrel. The label is plastic wrap around, on that silver toned background, that I often see on cheap dollar store markers. Bullet point marker. Makes thin lines. Nice medium black ink quality. Bazic makes SO many different versions of marker, that maybe they bootlegged a bootleg marker, down to these cheap design details and construction.

OSB WHITEBOARD MARKER

A familiar dollar-store marker silhouette. Some nice design details on this. Features screened-on gloss plastic label, color blocking, and geometric pattern on the barrel. Chisel tip. REALLY faint ink quality to this marker. Appears light grey. Lines run smooth.  Whenever markers have different tints or shades of ink, I try to stock up on them to create good tone variance in my black marker illustration work. I will try to remember where I got this one from and pick up a bunch.

HITS FROM THE YONG

Chinatown San Francisco marker stroll pickups. Chinatowns + black marker hunting = two of my favorite things.

YONGLI Y850

This is a bootleg of a Pentel model. A really good quality bootleg. Heavyweight black plastic construction, with screened on silver/black design detailing. Bullet point, makes somewhat thin, dark black lines. Smooth marking, rough alcohol smell. Good value pick. Shoulda got a couple more.

BEROL 

A no frills stubby marker. Heavyweight black plastic construction, with screened on label. This marker says it was assembled in Mexico. Chisel tip. Disappointed in the light ink quality of the marker. Minimal smell. A streamlined marker in design, also makes smooth lines.

UNIVERSAL PERMANENT INK MARKER

A no frills marker with a lot of bang for the buck…since it only cost 50 cents. Gloss black plastic construction, with screened white wordmark and label details. Chisel tip. Makes nice heavy black lines, runs smooth, low odor. This is a really good marker. Didn’t think it would be from the looks of it. Maybe I can go back and grab a box.

PROFFICE

Nice stubby no frills marker. Ergonomic plastic groove on the barrel. Simple black wordmark on white plastic body. Makes heavy black lines. Applies smooth. Another unassuming marker that performs better than it’s pricepoint. Will go back and clear the shop out of their stock.