Pen Freaks, Check in

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
21

I love pens. Not to the point that I’d call them almost orgasmic…but close. Maybe almost semi-orgasmic.

Like the OP, my biggest complaint is the speed at which they run out. I like a thick stream of ink, and I’m partial to ball-points. I’m not into extreme colours of ink, but I do like Mudshark said, I often prefer blue to black and occasionally use red or a more eccentric color. I only use pencils for drawing. I hate writing with pencils, unless it’s math. At the moment, I’ve been writing with a lot of art pens, mainly because they’re designed to not splatter, have an even flow of ink, and they last a long time.

The ones I’ve got on my desk now are a Sanford Uni-Ball Onyx pen and a Sanford Uni-Ball Fine. I also have a calligraphy pen that I love to write with, though it’s too elaborate to use in writing notes and so forth. The only time I really get to use it is when I write letters.

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Sensa, because it has that soft grip.

Colibri, because I like its weight, and my name is engraved on it!

Fine point in black is my first choice for ink.

23

Papermate blue pens (the ones that are usually 10 for a dollar, and in a plastic bag) are my favorite pens, they are easy to hold, and the shade of blue is just a bit more “electric” than the average blue ink. They just run out too damn quickly. I can’t get them to last more than a month or so.

I also like the “liquid gel” pens, green is my favorite, then blue and red.

Another thing that I think is very important in pens, is capped pens vs. click pens. I think click pens are better, but they are easily broken.

24

[hijack] So! That’s how you can afford to stay at the Edgewater Inn, in Seattle, I presume! :dubious:

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I just looked up a single bed room, at The Edgewater Inn, and it’s $350.00 a night! :eek:

Actually, I got my name from an occurrence at the Edgewater in the late 60’s with Vanilla Fudge and Led Zeppelin. I’m really in Ohio.

26

I use mainly Cross pens. The Fine Point and Roller systems have very large ink cartridges, so they last forever. Unfortunately the Roller cartridge I have now sucks…I must have gotten a bad one, it scratches.

Freiheit, they have those fountain pen erasers here too, it looks like a clear highlighter, and works all too well, you just cross over the fountain ink writing and it disappears. You can still see the impression left of the writing in the paper, but the ink is gone.

-Tcat

27

On Normal Pens: My favorite is the Jimnie Gel by Zebra. Smooth write, bold line, good rich black ink. Nominally refillable, though I have a) never seen any refills in any store and b) never run one out of ink.

On Fountain Pens: I started using fountain pens because I was a tree-hugger in high school and college, and I liked the idea of refilling them. In practice, since I was buying cheap pens with no adapters, I went through so many cartridges that I was not doing Mother Earth any Favors–should have just used refillable ballpoints.

Nonetheless, there is a mystique associated with fountain pens. I spent many hours nursing cheap, balky pens, getting inky fingers, rewriting smeared pages, and loving every minute of it. There are a small number of rational reasons to like them. They feel different from normal pens–whether they feel better is an individual preference, but I prefer the feel of a fountain pen. Even cheap ones are more expressive than just about any other pen. (Expressiveness means that the width of the line varies with the pressure you apply.) You can get all sorts of nifty keen colors of ink. (These days, with gel pens in any ridiculous color you can imagine, this isn’t such a big deal, but when I was in college, if you wanted cool colors, the best you could hope for was to find a green ballpoint.) And there’s a certain air of sophistication. Many people admire fountain pens and will be impressed to see you using one. Some people don’t even know how to write with a fountain pen. A few times I’ve loaned one out only to watch in horror as the writer attempted to write with the top of the nib.

But really, I like them 'cause I like them. That’s all there is to it.

Eventually, I was given a good Shaeffer as a gift, and then I learned the joy of heft. The feel of a good, solid pen in your hand is not to be underestimated. For some reason, a big o’ heavy rollerball just feels . . . clunky. A nice, hefty fountain pen with good balance delivers the weight on the nib and drives your writing forward. (If you’re not sure whether your pen was designed with balance in mind, try writing without putting the cap on the end. On a good pen, it will feel totally wrong.)

I have long since lost that Shaeffer. sob I can only hope that it was found by someone who appreciates fountain pens.

Freiheit, try out a cheap fountain pen and see if you like it. Do not get a cheap Shaeffer. If you want to spring for a good Shaeffer, be my guest! But in my experience, the cheap ones are leaky, globby, and altogether a pain in the ass. Some good cheap brands that are widely available are Parker, Diplomat, or A&W. Levenger (www.levenger.com) is also now carrying lots of pens in the <$20 range.

28

I have a nice Waterman fountain pen at home - sort of a metallic gray-blue finish to the metal barrel, silvertone detailing. I’d gotten a cheaper one in a set with extra cartridges (including colored ones) and an ink bottle with a dip-pen adapter. I’m used to using dip-style nibbed pens with doing calligraphy, but cartridges are so much more convenient. It pretty much stays on my desk at home, though, as I’m worried about losing it or the ink leaking all over.

29

I just searched around, and I couldn’t find it, but there is a great thread from a while ago dealing with pens. Personally, I use rollerballs, and I just got a new Parker that may become my favorite. It’s a Parker Sonnet and it writes like a dream. I like the blue Parker ink too. It writes much more smoothly than my Watermans. I will have to see how it holds up, but I think I may be a Parker man from here on out…

30

I am a pen-hoarder, but mostly only when it comes to Sharpies. I am a Sharpie addict–I’ve probably got twenty five of them in my desk drawer right now, not to mention the ones that are scattered all over my house and car. I use mostly the blue or black ultra fine points for normal writing, and only use other pens when there is a significant problem with bleeding or the neccessity of writing on both sides of a sheet of paper. I like the size of the line and the rich, dark colors they produce–especially the blue.

~Mixie

31

I’ve always liked pens of good quality. I hated writing and having my pens run out in the middle and having to dig out another pen of a different colour or, almost as bad, a different shade of the same colour!

I don’t really have any brands I prefer, I like those clear bics with the blue lids just because they work so well for taking notes. Any fancier pens I have were all scrounged from places that give them away. I have a couple of nice ones from my school that write really nicely. But roomie ‘borrowed’ one and now it’s run out of ink. I also had another pen I really liked from a local company and later found tore apart and missing half the pieces because someone wanted something to do with their hands.

This is why I have taken to hiding away any pens I find that are good and work or me. They always get snagged by other people and I never see them again. (Thank goodness they are not real expensive pens at least)

If you really wanna talk to a pen freak se if you can find Feynn on the boards. I haven’t seen him post much lately but he’s building a business on good quality pens IIRC

32

My thread’s back! Awesome!

I recently bought a Scheaffer beginner’s calligrapher set with three tips and four inks. It works well and isn’t complicated, with the cartriges instead of dipping. I’m happy with them, although I’m pretty sure I could know what a really good calligraphy pen would feel like (if I tried one), then I’d just NEED one.

Yesterday I bought a set of oil-based gel/ballpoint pens which seem nice. They were 98c for two plus two refills! On quality paper, on a good surface, they’re great. Also, they’re great for drawing on skin. If I have the right pen, I do fake tattoos sometimes. Those pens turned out to be a Wal-Mart brand; g’soft, they’re called. I don’t know if they’ll stay so cheap.

My overall favorites are still Avery eGels.

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Ah, but I did! Enjoy! My all time favorite pen thread…

34

I’m not a pen freak, but I know Feynn is. :slight_smile:
As for my own personal pen idiosyncrasies, I detest Bic pens since they never seem to last. I like PaperMate pens… I buy them in a box of 12 for about $1.50 or so. They last me a long time, usually because I buy multiple boxes at once. :wink:

I like mily / metallic / gel pens well enough, but the only thing is that they don’t seem to last that long for some reason.

Blue ink is preferable to black, but if you’re going to photocopy a document for me… the original pen ink had better be black! (way better for my eyes, y’see)

F_X

35

I have a couple of nice fountain pens. Little Bic Stiks and such are toothpicks among my big fingertips, so I like a pen with a larger diameter. One is a big black Cross, and the other is a Rotring Core. The Core fountain pen has an unusual profile where your fingers meet it. The top is low-slung, like a saddle. I can’t really describe what it feels like, but I like it. The exterior of it is outlandish, with flashes of color.

The pen may be mightier than the sword, but a revolver can be mighty handy when the guy with the sword shows up. --Talia Watt

36

I like gel pens with a roller ball. I prefer they have a cap, instead of just clicking up into the pen.

My current favorite is the Sanford Uniball gel pen.
Blue ink, medium point.

The medium point in blue ink is hard to find. Apparently most people prefer fine point and black ink, but I hate it. Gotta be medium point and blue ink.
I found them at Office Depot and bought 2 boxes.

37

I lurve that viagra pen - its wicked - unfortunately I no longer work at a pharmacy either, and i’m missing it terribly!!
:smack:

38

a vintage parker 45 fountain pen, with a fine nib. It’s simple, but elegant, writes like a dream, and is easy to fill.

I also have a vintage sheaffer cheapie (med nib) that’s an excellent writer, and a lamy al-star that was my everyday user for months.

Got a couple wooden (what else?) ballpoints that stay in my brief case.

All ink is black. The fountain pens are refilled from a bottle of quink. Got the bottle about a year ago for $4.95, and it’s not even half used. What a bargain!

Oakie

39

Usually, I run with a Cross 14K gold pen and pencil set. I’ve carried my current pair almost around the world in my travels. They have a good balance and function reliably. Recently, my Cross pen was stranded in San Francisco after a Burning Man fundraiser.

In the interim, I have begun using my backup squad, which consists of a Parker Cisele solid sterling pen and pencil set. I have always adored their appearance, and recently found a nearly mint condition 1970s set at the neighborhood thrift shop. The single pen in the link sold for $99.[sup]00[/sup] at auction on eBay. My price for the set (in original box) at the thrift shop?

A whopping $4.[sup]50[/sup].

I also have Kohinoor Rapidographs, a pair of beautiful Parker tortoise shell fountain pens, a Mont Blanc and others in my collection. I’m getting quite fond of the Ciseles though, I like the textured grip they provide.

40

'chekin’in…

major pen lover here… Pens are my jewelry fetish. I can’t care less about jewelry other then my wedding ring and wedding chain, but pens do it for me. My fave is a Parker Duofold Centennial edition, med. nib. Jasper Red. Writes smooth as butter and never skips. I have a little flourish in my signature where I underline the signature, and doing this a little quickly makes the nib ring a little like a sword coming out of a scabard :slight_smile:

I have tried an even smoother one, the Omas Paragon. That was like writing on glass with an ice nib, it was so smooth… Unfortunately, the barrel doesn’t flare out at the bottom, and my fingers kept sliding onto the nib. They have a cool Titanium version out now. (Can you imagine how hard that was to machine?)

I also have a montblanc for dressy events / big meetings, a low-end reddish brown Waterman for wearing with khakis, and a clear-body Recife pen, that you refill with a dropper or syringe, and that lets you see the ink. It’s great to look at the ink flowing back and forth when your’re bored in a meeting…

On my fantasty wish list:

-one of the bigger Pelican Souverans (red & black or blue & black)
-the Namiki one done in Japanese laquer shoing Mt. Fuji
-a restored parker 51 hidden nib pen.

Unfortunately, they’re all priced more in the jewelry category than in the “stationery” category :frowning:

Ink-wise, I used to love the Herbin Bleu Myosotis; it’s a rich royal blue with purple undertones, but since my son was born, and they told us to bring a pen with black ink to register the birth at the hospital, I’ve switched to Pelikan Brilliant Black. It doesn’t grey out at all, but gives you a very black line, unlike most other blacks I’ve tried.

What’s on your pen fantasy wish list?