My job requires a lot of writing by hand, for which I generally use a pen instead of a pencil. I do have some very nice fountain pens that I use on occasion, but for general everyday use, I somehow developed an attachment years ago to the Sanford Uni-ball Onyx Micro. I don’t know when the attachment formed, but I’ve been using that brand of pen pretty much daily for the last 10 years.
I can’t be the only person here who has developed that kind of brand loyalty to a pen, so I’m interested in seeing what kind of inexpensive and commonly-available pens the rest of you like to use on a daily basis.
I use an old Parker 51 fountain pen. I really wish they would make these things again. Best writing implement ever made. Unless you’re a pilot or an astronaut, that is.
I’m partial to the uniball signo 207 these days. I tried out the uniball Jetstream retractable for while, but went back to the signo (ok, looking around I actually have 2 Jetstreams, blue and black on my desk and a red signo, plus a black signo in my pocket, which signifies my current preference ). Pilot G2s are nice, too.
I always used to go for rollerball pens with caps but these days I use retractables, since there are so many nice rollerball retractables now.
My wife bought me a Jacques LePine SM 50 FS samba plume. It’s a stainless steel tank and weights about ten pounds. I absolutely love it and write with nothing else.
Absolutely (although I prefer a broader point). My favorite pen. Nice, smooth flow. The point just glides over the paper. The body is just the right size for my hand, and the rubber grip feels great.
Also, honorable mention to the Pilot Better Ball Point pen, if you’re looking for a traditional ball-point. The body isn’t as nice, though.
For the same reasons, when writing in pencil, I like the Pentel Twist-Erase (also in a broad point). The body feels just right. No hand fatigue at all. Which is important, because my right hand has taken a beating over the years. Broken fingers, a cut tendon, a broken hand quite recently.
Pilot Precise V5 or V7 in black or blue. This is one of the few liquid ink pens that will work for left handers. It will write consistently until it’s dry without the roller ball smooshing into the tip (which causes skipping). For a standard ink pen the Bic still rules. I just went through all my old pens and the Bic’s were consistently the pens that worked when the other stick pens dried out. I was able to test this because one year I bought different packs of stick pens to give out on Halloween and I was able to compare the different pens left over.
). Pilot G2s are nice, too.