Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with pens

What kind of black ink is best?

Roman Graves — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 21:32:22 -0800

So I've ordered my first fountain pen, a Lamy Safari. What kind of ink do I use? I've heard a lot of positive things about Noodler's bulletproof black, but also that it causes "nib creep" with Safaris. Is this actually much of a problem or just a minor annoyance? Also, I'll mostly be writing in a Moleskine planner (which I hear works well with Noodler's) and on whatever generic paper I buy for class notes. Any specific paper recommendations are also appreciated, as I know ink brand/paper combos make a big difference. Yes, I'm only looking for black ink.

Bonus question: what kind of drying time can I expect?

Custom Pen Question

Debaser626 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 08:02:26 -0800

Custom pen question. I need about 1000 custom pens "printed." Primary color of the pen itself should be blue or blue/green. Ink color doesn't matter. The problem I'm running into is it's for an organization which will not be using a CC. I need to find a cheap company who will do this by invoice/check only. Any ideas?

good pencils for comic strip drawing?

pipti — Tue, 20 May 2008 08:07:10 -0800

Artisti: If you were going to buy a great pencil or pen or set thereof for someone who draws comic strips, which one would you get?

Help me push this hobby even further into the pathology zone.

sneakin — Mon, 12 May 2008 13:22:11 -0800

What's a good magazine subscription for a 30-something guy who is really into watches and pens? My brother is young, hip dude who is super into (obsessed with, really) collecting and repairing and tinkering with old, antique and collectible watches and pens/ink. What are some cool publications for a collector like him? I'm especially interested in anything slightly less popular and a bit more off the beaten path (that he's less likely to have already stumbled upon).

I'm sure I can just google around for titles but I was hoping for feedback about quality of specific publications.

Packing Pen on Plane?

gyusan — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 19:36:00 -0800

Does anyone have direct experience taking a Rotring 500 fountain pen on an airplane in post 9/11 America? If so, your advice? I am flying to a conference and would like to bring along my daily writing pen as I intend to take lots of notes but because it is a solid hunk of brass I am reluctant to chance getting it confiscated. It has always reminded me of one of those "self defense wands" and I am afraid that a tsa agent will think the same. Bonus: any general tips for taking a fountain pen on an airplane? I have heard horror stories about spurting ink and general messiness due to fluctuating air pressure. Thanks.

Will my Copics blow up?

COBRA! — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:28:02 -0800

Will my art pens survive a plane flight? Travelling by air later this week, and hoping to catch up on some inking while I'm gone. But I'm worried about destroying my arsenal of art pens/pigment liners/brush pens by bringing them along... I've had regular pens get messed up by the air pressure on planes, but these function differently and I hope that'll help. Comic-makin' Mefites, have you flown with art pens?

pen island

fish tick — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 18:07:51 -0800

Graphic artist question: can anyone tell me how the old K&E Barch-Payzant lettering pens work? Do they hold a nib of some sort, or if not, what is the function of the knurled knob?

Green office products that aren't in bulk?

bristolcat — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 08:36:31 -0800

Easiest and greenest way to put together a gift kit of green home office supplies? My sister-in-law has recently become interested in living green and at the same time is starting down a slightly different career path. I'd like to give her a kit of office supplies with a green theme for Christmas (my brother assures me this is something she'd love). I'm thinking a few pens, folders, a notebook or two, a planner and maybe tape or a stapler. I've even seen a USB drive that was promoted as green, which was pretty cool. For the sake of the theme, I'd like it if it looked recycled or the packaging promoted the fact that it was green.

Unfortunately, I'm having a hard time finding these things locally. Research online has led me to some cool products but shipping time is a concern and lots of online office supply stores assume you're buying in bulk. I want just enough to get an individual started with a budget of about 35 dollars for a nice kit (probably excluding the planner) or 50 dollars for a spectacular kit. I also want to do this the greenest and most efficient way possible and not have to have things shipped from several different stores.

I've become enamored with these products:
-Staple-less stapler
-Pilot's BeGreen Pens
-Recycled notepads, binders, folders and CD holders like these

What is the best way to find and put together these items? Are there any cool items I don't know about? I'd like to shop locally, of course, but I'm in small town South Dakota and the only options we have are big box stores, Office Max and Staples.

I found and loved Frog File but they only ship to Canada. Other online green office stores seem to be bulk goods only or don't have products that "scream" green.

I know this is an awkward and difficult question, so any help at all would be appreciated.

Nice multi-coloured pen?

tiamat — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 16:15:20 -0800

Does anyone know of a nice looking (read, formal/professional looking) pen with 3 or 4 colours? I really love this bic pen because it saves space in my pocket, but it really doesn't look right in a professional enviroment. I'd love something made of wood or metal, of even just plastic that just looks like wood or metal.

Extra points if you can provide a URL to shop/see it online.

I need to to learn about old paper.

spiderwire — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 22:49:39 -0800

I need to learn about paper. Specifically, I need to know where, if you were trying to write a medieval-looking text (Like a prop Necronomicon for an amateur production of Army of Darkness), you would get that thin, wispy parchment type paper. I'm not doing an Army of Darkness reproduction, sadly (it's high on my list!) but I do need to know what to call this as I don't understand anything about paper weights and types and Google and WikiPedia are confusing me.

I need to be able to describe your sort of standard 'ancient Codex' and I need to know what it was written on -- because I know nothing about ancient books, it's difficult to articulate exactly what I'm going for, beyond: that brittleness of carbon paper; the sort of vellum/parchment feel of early 20th century paper; the thinness of newsprint; the decayed yellow that my Pogo books have turned since their original 1951 run and my Bloom County books are fast approaching; Though those two example even have to heavy paperweight -- the unabridged OED is more what I was going for in that department.

Any thoughts?

Oh yes -- what modern writing instrument would one use for such paper? Quill pen? Would a standard BIC ballpoint work or would it tear right through? How about a high-quality Pilot Precise V5 Extra Fine?

Fiber Pentel replacement?

Squid Voltaire — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 15:23:25 -0800

Pentel no longer makes the porous-tip pen that my boss loves--the Fiber Pentel. They've discontinued the Tradio, too. Any recommendations? My boss likes to use Fiber Pentel style porous-tip pens. (I much prefer steel-tip fountain pens, myself). The key features, as I understand it, are:

Extra-fine nib
Ease of altering stroke width (I believe the pens were originally designed for calligraphic work. She doesn't do anything quite so fancy, but it's important for her that she can create a variety of line widths)
No mess (I tend to think that ink-smeared fingers and small spills are quite romantic. Her, not so much.)
Must ship to the US.

So I called Pentel, and the person I spoke to said that the Tradio line (which didn't seem to have fine-enough nibs, but was the closest thing we could find) has been discontinued in the US. she couldn't recommend any comparable Pentel product, either. The office in London used to ship us pens, but have apparently stopped doing that (or returning my emails).

She didn't like my favorite fountain pen (the Pilot Petit) and she thought that the nib of the disposable pen by Varsity was too large.

I really love pens, and I know that there is a huge pen-geek crowd out there, so I'd love any advice you'd care to give.

WTF, gel pen?

knave — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 00:43:10 -0800

Gel pens: Help me learn to make them perform consistently. I have a problem writing with gel pens (and fountain pens, I think) where they appear to be working just fine, but then a couple letters don't come out at all. It frustrates the hell out of me, and I think it must be a problem with me, because I've seen other people write just fine with them. When a letter doesn't come out, I can retrace it over and over with nothing appearing on the page. But if I move an inch away, the pen will resume producing ink just fine. Then I can go back and that letter will come out normally (or, often, a little heavier than it should have come out).

How are you supposed to hold one? When I hold a pen naturally, it's at about a 15 degree angle off of vertical. Should it be more vertical, or more angled? Am I pressing too hard? Something else I haven't thought of?

I can write just fine with a ball-point pen or a pencil, it's just these "nice" pens that fail me. The non-performing strokes occur once every 5 to 10 words. Writing surface doesn't seem to matter, most recently it's a brand new, high quality notebook.

The Spy Who Wrote Me

basicchannel — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 12:34:16 -0800

In the movie Breach, notorious spy Robert Hanssen obsesses briefly over a specific brand/model of pen. Anyone know the brand/model Hanssen preferred so much? According to the LA Times the pen detail is accurate.

"Can I borrow your pen...?"

Webbster — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 11:02:08 -0800

Looking to buy some promo pens (yeah I know, very unoriginal) but I'm looking for cheep... cheeeeap ones. Minimum amount (at least 50) and minimum price (less than $100) Checked a few sites, but nothing has caught my eye yet. Recommendations ?

What is your favorite highlighter?

coolhappysteve — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 09:14:56 -0800

The best commonly-available highlighter? Highlighters have such a proclivity for crappiness; what's your favorite that I can pick up at the local stationer?

Also, how has this question never been asked - so many pen threads, no highlighter-love!

Using Uni-ball Jetstream refills in non-Jetstream pen bodies?

strunkl — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 09:02:35 -0800

As a left-hander, I've struggled to find a pen that writes smoothly but dries almost immediately so the ink doesn't smear when my hand passes across it. The the Uni-ball Jetstream fits this bill nicely. Some have criticized it as too smooth, but I like it. It offers me the smooth lines of a gel ink without the goopyness. Unfortunately, I'm also a devotee of weighty, elegant, well-made writing instruments. Though I've given up on using fountain pens for anything other than a signature, I can live with the size and style of a good rollerball design. Are there any high-quality pen bodies (Waterman, Pelikan, Montblanc, etc.) that will accept a Uni Jetstream refill? I've had trouble finding any information regarding the cross-compatability of refill cartridges, and I'm unwilling to buy another $100+ pen only to learn that the ink is unsuitable for me. Of course, if you can recommend a fountain pen that will fit the bill, I'd love to hear about it. But my experience has been that, even using extra-fine nibs and specialty inks, I have to choose between smearing the page or literally scratching my letters into the page.

Why do pens burst when they're sitting in your pant or shirt pocket?

Effigy2000 — Fri, 24 Nov 2006 01:10:24 -0800

Why do pens almost always burst forth their precious ink when they get put in your shirt pocket or pant pockets?

Pen me!

lonefrontranger — Mon, 31 Jul 2006 12:43:17 -0800

MoleskineFilter: Can anyone recommend a non-gel ink, commercially available pen to use with my pocket Moleskine? before you snark, I did run a search. Previous answers mostly involved artsy-indie fountain type pens, gel pens, or specialty items I'd have to order on Ebay/Amazon then wait a week or so to receive.

I really just want to go to Target or the local art supply tonight and buy something affordable that works, plus I'd like to buy a couple to keep backups around for if when I lose the original.

Black ink, medium to medium fine point works best. Nothing fancy, just a smooth writing pen with non-smudgy, non-gloopy ink that doesn't skip. Does such a thing exist?

I'm mostly writing in my Moleskine but I also do some pen sketches from time to time. I dislike the way gel ink 'feels'. Slender metal barrels or 'micro' pens won't work as I can't grip them properly. I tend to destroy felt tips within about a week.

thanks everyone.

Help me find some brown-ink pens!

tastybrains — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 06:52:33 -0800

I'm not sure if these even exist - but is anyone aware of either ballpoint or rollerball pens that come in brown ink? I'm going to be addressing wedding invitations myself, and since my invitations are brown & pink, I'd love to find a brown-ink pen to address the outer envelopes with. I don't want to use jelly pens or felt-tip pens since I don't write as nicely with them. Ditto for fountain pens.

So, do any ballpoint or rollerball pens come in brown? If so, where can I get some? (I'm in the US.) I've tried a few crafts stores (Michaels, Joann) and Staples. Any ideas?

Difference between roller ball and gel pens?

Postroad — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 18:22:17 -0800

Is the ink in a roller ball the same or pretty much like that in pens using gel? If not, what is the difference. If yes, what advantage if any to a roller ball pen?

Looking for a lighted pen

evoo — Mon, 09 Jan 2006 08:18:13 -0800

Recommendations for a lighted pen? I'm looking for a ball point pen with a lighted tip, so I can write in the dark. I've searched the web and found many, but before I order one, I'd love to hear from the Metafilter pen fetishists. Some things to keep in mind:
1. I've seen the cheapo LED pens with clear barrels and ugly colored lights, but that's not what I'm looking for. I don't want one with a bright, glowing barrel. Ideally it should be just enough light to write with, mainly focused at the tip.
2. Preferably something classy looking, and durable.
3. I'm willing to spend in the neighborhood of $30.00 if it's the right pen.
4. My day-to-day pen is the Fisher Space Pen and I really like the feel of how it writes. Something with a similar feel (ink-wise) would be nice.

Thanks in advance.

Who Sells Multicolor Pen + Pencils?

arrhn — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 15:47:10 -0800

I saw someone in one of my classes that has this neat 5-color pen + mechanical pencil. I thought that it might be a fun item to add to my online store, and wanted to find the manufacturer. I found one of the pens themselves online at an e-commerce site, but I can't find any information on them. Can you help me find a manufacturer or distributor? The pen I saw online is at:
http://www.containerstore.com/browse/Product.jhtml?CATID=62523&PRODID=10013671

However, I can't even find a manufacturer of these things. Calling the e-commerce site in question, they wouldn't release who makes them.

And this is an acceptable question to be asking here, right? Thanks!

Where to find French fountain pens, blue cartriges, and eraser pens?

shoesandships — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 09:58:57 -0800

..French pens.. Anyone know if there is a way to buy French school-type pens online? What I'm talking about are the fountain pens with the blue ink cartridges and the corresponding eraser pens.

A quick-drying pen for Moleskines?

aebaxter — Fri, 02 Dec 2005 09:34:33 -0800

What are your favorite (preferably gel) pens for writing in a Moleskine that dry quickly and won't smudge or bleed? I am currently using Pilot G2 (.07 mm) gel pens with my pocket Moleskine notebook. I love the flow of the ink and the deep colors, but the ink dries so slowly that jotting down a note and snapping the book shut is nearly impossible if I want to avoid smudges in the writing and dots on the adjacent page.

I'm sure there's a great pen out there, but I don't want to spend tons of money buying up new ones to test out. Bonus points if it's a gel pen and/or can be bought in a regular store like OfficeMax, OfficeDepot, etc, but I'm open to all suggestions.

Parkster

Skyanth — Sun, 11 Sep 2005 08:24:59 -0800

Please help me find this Parker ad billboard poster type thing. Years ago there was a billboard ad for Parker pens I saw in Belgium (I'm guessing/hoping the ad was international though). The poster was a white background with a black man in a suit holding a saxophone or a trumpet (it kind of dangled from his hand a bit behind his body). I'd love to find some version of that poster I can blow up and have printed.

If you can't answer this question you may also point me to some other cool similar pictures I could blow up and have printed. :)

Or would it be an idea to ask Parker?