Very mundane question for the left handed among us

[DummyGladHands]

What kind of ink pen do you prefer, in a ballpoint or gel? Does the I-don't-know-what-the-hell-it's-called, thing that clips your pen to your pocket or tablet, ever get in your way??

[Chef Troy]

Ballpoint, because it's less likely to smear as my hand drags across what I've written.

The clip does not get in the way for the simple reason that ballpoint pens can be rotated in the hand, you know.

[Inner Stickler]

Yes, I prefer ballpoint as well, because of the aforementioned smearing issue.

[olivesmarch4th]

I like gel pens, though sometimes I do have the smearing issue. They just write more smoothly IMHO. And the clip doesn't get in the way because you can turn it. The coils of a wire bound notebook, however, do.

[Bootis]

Rotating the pen so the clip is on the other side is a genius idea that I will have to try. I wonder if this will work with spoons as well? I've always wanted to try soup.

[ITR champion]

Ballpoint.

No.

[kferr]

I can't remember the last time I wrote something long enough that I'd run into the smearing problem. The longest thing I write by hand these days is a shopping list. I've got both a ballpoint pen and mechanical pencil on my desk, today the pencil is getting doodle duty. The clippy thing doesn't get in the way.

[postcards]

Originally Posted by kferr

I can't remember the last time I wrote something long enough that I'd run into the smearing problem. The longest thing I write by hand these days is a shopping list. I've got both a ballpoint pen and mechanical pencil on my desk, today the pencil is getting doodle duty. The clippy thing doesn't get in the way.

Me, too. Although about twenty-five years ago, when I did, I discovered my boss (also lefthanded) had a great rollerball pen whose ink dried instantly, eliminating the problem for him.

Unfortunately for me, it was made by Montblanc.

[Sister Vigilante]

I prefer gel. These days the gel rollerball ones are the smoothest and don't smear much, if at all. What I do hate is signing stupid UPS tablets or writing on godforsaken clipboards.

[kunilou]

Originally Posted by Sister Vigilante

What I do hate is signing stupid UPS tablets or writing on godforsaken clipboards.

Ooh. How about those POS displays where you sign the screen with a little electronic pen thingy that's attached by a 6" cord. That's so absolutely ergonomically hostile I'm pretty sure it's a plot!

[Andy L]

Originally Posted by DummyGladHands

What kind of ink pen do you prefer, in a ballpoint or gel? Does the I-don't-know-what-the-hell-it's-called, thing that clips your pen to your pocket or tablet, ever get in your way??

Ballpoint and no.

[swampbear]

Ballpoint and no. kunilou preach it! I hate those things. Hate, I say!

[Rhiannon8404]

Ballpoint and no.

And yes, anytime you have to sign electronically, the POS or UPS sign thingies, it's a pita for us lefties.

[PandaBear77]

MrPanda prefers ballpoint.

PandaKid prefers gel.

Neither of them have had trouble with the clippy thing on the pen.

[congodwarf]

My sister prefers gel and doesn't have a problem with the clippy thing or smearing (because of how she holds her hand while writing. She wasn't taught that strange upside down thing you guys do so she writes just like me, just with the other hand).

[Rhiannon8404]

Originally Posted by congodwarf

My sister prefers gel and doesn't have a problem with the clippy thing or smearing (because of how she holds her hand while writing. She wasn't taught that strange upside down thing you guys do so she writes just like me, just with the other hand).

That's how I was taught as well. I write just like a right handed person, but with my left.

[Infovore]

I like gel pens. I don't smear, because I just naturally taught myself when I was a little kid to write in such a way that the pen sticks up far enough that my hand is below the line of writing. I never even think about the clip, except when I'm fidgeting with it and it breaks off (which it invariably does).