07 December 2011

pen happy / the latest and greatest of the season





here's the skinny. pens are important to me. i'm very particular about them and can't really put my finger on the specifics; but i will tell you this. i don't do well with your regular ballpoint pen. my handwriting sucks with those. my mom writes beautiful cursive (the same cursive she's had since her twenties) with her collection of ballpoint pens, so i believe they work for some people. they've just never done me any favors. i lean toward gel pens and liquid pens, i keep blotting papers at the ready as some can be a bit of a smeary mess. the ones pictured above are more 'marker-y' which is fun for large writing, fast writing and list taking. i make lists in bed (and sometimes at breakfast too). are you bored of hearing about pens yet? i hope not.

here's the line-up of my latest finds.

+ the colored pens are liquid flair, in medium by papermate. i loved them so much, i got a rainbow. they have a look of a fine sharpie, but i like the pen nib (if you can call it that) much better. you can lean it to the side so nicely. it does not smear and the medium size is perfect for jotting letters on smooth (or textured!) surfaces. or writing color-coded lists in bed. haven't done that yet, but plan to.

the black pen is my go-to for pretty much everything. pictured, from top to bottom.

+ pilot p-700, fine. this gel pen has been a longtime favorite of mine. no other pilot pens really live up to this one. and suddenly it is so hard to find. i hunt for it every time i am in an office supply store. i may have to resort to online shopping, which seems like an extreme measure. anyway, i am sucking the life out of the two i have left. i love this pen and am sad if i have to find another everyday black pen.

+ the zig vellum writer. two tips, i prefer the 0.5mm fine tip for letter writing, scrapbooking and other marking needs. it's a christmas card keeper.

+ the liquid flair, in medium by papermate. (see comments above.) these are my latest craze in pen addiction. they are excellent for journal writing too.

+ the pentel sign pen. love this one too. solid felt tip pen. creates a great medium-thick line; also available in awesome colors (seen in first photo). makes a bit thinner line than a fine point sharpie.

+ the fine point sharpie. my fallback for all thick writing. i love scrawling it across envelopes, packages and grocery lists. it's mighty and makes things feel extra important. i love all the colors, but tend to buy them only in red and black.

// now your turn. do you have a favorite pen i should know about?

38 comments:

Summer said...

You made my morning! I thought I was the only one that was obsessive about pens. I use a Bic Z4 for everyday. I prefer blue and always 0.5. They are very hard to find also, and I'm afraid they are going to be discontinued. Your writing is beautiful, and I really love the pen round up! Have a great day!! P.S. I feel like a nut that I spent that much time commenting about my pen of choice... hehe.

Tara Celeste said...

My absolute favorite pen is the uni-ball jetstream stick roller ball in black. I prefer one with a cap rather than the retractable kind, but not really for any reason. They're everywhere in my house - on my bedside table, in the junk drawer, in my purse and diaper bag, and I have a jar full of them in my craft room. Love love love them!

J, K, L, and D said...

this post made me so so happy. i adore pens. (and paper, but this post is about pens.) in fact, i did a study abroad in london for a semester, and knew i found a friend for life when a classmate & i both automatically stopped at a pen store...and stayed there. for an hour. thanks for sharing your finds. :)

Lindsey said...

My favorite pen for everyday writing is the Zebra F-301 fine point. So smooth. It took me a little while to get used to the thin barrel, but now I love it. Sharpie pens are awesome for things like check writing or anything that's important. When I need color, a fine point sharpie it is! Oh and I recently a pack of four Martha Stewart .5mm pens and they're wonderful for adding details to my doodles.

Amy --- Just A Titch said...

Oooh, I'm a pen addict. I'm deeply committed to the Pilot Prescision RT V5 "needle point". In black. In a pinch, a Sharpie pen or a regular Pilot Precise V5 rolling ball will do. I want to check out those colored pens! They look lovely.

Melissa said...

I, too, love pens. Thanks for sharing your favorites. I'm always on the look out. :)

Amy said...

Love the pen reviews! I especially like the pics of your written examples lined up with the pens. An easy go-to guide for the rest of us.

My go-to pen is a Pilot G-2 07...but I haven't tried any of your finds to compare.

Brianna H. said...

Pretty much my all time favorite, can't be beat pen is the pilot precise v5 extra fine. I use them always- have three in my purse, an extra pack in my room and it is literally the only pen I use until it runs out of ink... My only sadness is it explodes on airplanes so I have to travel without. Have you ever tried it. Love love love it :)

I'm giddy with excitement that you have this little love affair with your pens like I do :)

Dansie Family said...

i haven't been particular about pens since my senior year of high school AP tests. i had to have a particular pentel pen i think. i remember my teachers telling me it really did matter in what pen you wrote your essays. maybe i should think about pens again instead of just using whatever t brings home from work.

Hil said...

My absolute favorite pen as of late is the Sharpie pen. I can't handle anything else for my shopping and check lists. They just don't look as awesome or important if I'm not using it! ;)

Hannah said...

Marta- I'm a pen lover. I'm a recovering p-700 addict, too! But...I have to tell you that I found something BETTER. It's true. It's perfectly inky. You MUST give it a try. I like all three sizes, but these two are my favorite:

http://www.jetpens.com/Pilot-Envelope-Address-Writing-Gel-Ink-Pen-Extra-Fine/pd/5293

and

http://www.jetpens.com/Pilot-Envelope-Address-Writing-Gel-Ink-Pen-Fine/pd/5294

My last one just ran out of ink last week and I'm going through withdraws. Must order again soon.

Alicia said...

I will only write with Uniball Signo 207 Gel Pens (Micro) in Black and sometimes in red if I'm editing something. I'm glad that other people are just as neurotic as me when it comes to this stuff. I have tons of them at my house, my office, my purse etc. When I need some color I always use Sharpie fine tip pens - they've got such a great selection of colors out there! I'm also pretty particular about the kind of paper that I write on - I hate it when paper has a roughness to it and the pen catches as you're going across the page. Needless to say I bring my own pens & notebooks to the office :)

Anonymous said...

From one pen lover to the next, my absolute favorite (and only!) pen I use is the Pilot Precise V5 Rollerball. LOVE IT!
http://www.officemax.com/office-supplies/pens-pencils-markers/pens/rollerball-pens/product-ARS19496

[eeny] said...

It is so good to hear that there are other people out there that are in love with pens. I try out new ones every time I am at the office supplies store.

My favorite ones these days are:
Pilot V10, Uni-ball Impact 1.0, Uni-ball eye micro, Schneider Xpress, Faber-Castell Broadpen 1554, edding comfort 3 and of course the good ol' Sharpie (Fine Point and Ultra Fine Point). It always depends on what I need them for.

By the way, your handwriting is lovely.

Mrs Abbott said...

Pilot G-2. Who woulda thought pens would be such a HOT topic?

Kerry said...

Ultra Fine Point Sharpies are my weapons of choice. My favorite Christmas gift to myself last year was the '80s Glam collection of Sharpies.

Kaija said...

Sakura Pigma Micron. The finer the better. I love 0.1. I'm a huge pen fanatic after finding the Microns some 5 years ago I haven't really used anything else

Stephanie said...

I just splurged on an entire box of the liquid expresso in purple extra fine. Have been using them since 2L internship had them in the supply closet! Have you tried the extra fine? I love medium also but find that after some use the line thickens. Box of 12 was a great deal on Amazon, $1 each, I think.

Erin :) said...

Pens are important to me too!

My all time favorite is the Pilot Precise Roll Ball V5. I buy them in large packs at Costco. Their one down side is that they occasionally have the tendency to explode. Mind you, I have used them for most of my pen needs my entire university career--5 years so I've been through lots (the probability of explosion is probably small).

Other favorites have been TUL in medium width (only at Office Max)--they're fantastic and come in a variety of colors. The new fine point Sharpies are also fantastic.

More pens to try. Glad we have a shared passion for pens!!!

Dani said...

I thought I was weird to have a pen obsession! My latest favorite is the Staedtler triplus fineliner 0.3 mm. They write like a dream, have great colors and won't dry out if you leave the cap off. I have many other favs, but you covered the best of the best!

Ella A. said...

I love seeing your handwriting- it is such a rarity to actually see handwriting anymore. I do love pens as well. I want to try some of the ones you've shown. they look fun.

Mara said...

I love the Pilot G-2 0.38 but I haven't tried the 700, thanks for the tip!

Jaimie said...

i'm really into pens as well. but i just don't have the cash to buy very many. right now i'm into my faber-castell artist pen i got at michael's. i wanted to do more cursive writing and lettering and maybe learn calligraphy, but i find it nice to write with all the time! my husband, on the other hand, is confused by it. haha

Ali said...

I've always loved office supply stores, newsagency's - my love of pens, paper and stationary began at an early age!

when my mum used to work in a newsagency I loved her even more! ;) I used to love going there after school or on days she couldn't get anyone to baby sit.... i'd sit out the back and dream up ways to buy all the pens & magazines

Anonymous said...

Marta, I'm a pen snob too. My current favorite is the Sharpie pen, but I tend to avoid using it if I'm writing a lot, because it doesn't write well if I hold it at my usual angle. The Pilot Precise V5 extra fine is my next favorite, probably followed by the Pilot G2 07.

*Dream Weaver* said...

finally... i know that i am not alone with the pen obessesion. thanks Marta and you ladies out there who make me feel normal.
Pen snobs unite! :)

Jessica said...

I have to have a fine point ballpoint pen. My handwriting looks horrible with liquid or gel pens.

Stephanie said...

I am such a pen addict too! I'm always super sad when one of my favorites runs out. My major problem with my love of pens is that my kiddos don't know how to keep their hands off them too!

Tammie said...

I love all sorts of office supplies including pens, but for everyday use I love the ceap blue Bics with a medium point....I buy them by the box full :o)

I love seeing so many people with obsessions like mine!

Tommy said...

I like Sharpies and Le Pens.

Palymama said...

Le Pen...in all colors. Hard to find though.

Claire said...

I. Love. This. Post.
I also loved scrolling through the comments and seeing other fellow pen obsessers naming off their ink-friends of choice. My absolute favorite pen is the Pilot Precise V7 in fine. Medium gets way too blotchy. I'm excited to try some of your recommendations though! My pens ran out of ink all in the same week, so it's time for another trip to the office supply store.

Anonymous said...

Sharpie pen. I buy them in bulk at Sam's. My absolute favorite for just about everything. Merry Christmas!

Hanna said...

I mostly use staedtler triplus finliner for colored pens and pilot g2.

jessica said...

I have a pen fetish, too. I agree with so many things that you mentioned in this post, it was like you were reading my mind! And I love the liquid flair pens. I had a purple one and because that was one of our wedding colors, I wrote all our thank you notes with it until it ran out of ink and I was devastated. Maybe santa will put some in my stocking. I usually get sharpies. I love them.

Natasha and Jesse said...

I know this is a really old post, but I had to comment. My sister and I were talking the other day that when we were in college and needed a study break we would go to the bookstore and find some new pens to try (and buy).

I love pens, but my problem is that I'm lefthanded so certain pens smear and leave ink stains all over my hands! I also like gel pens and liquid pens since they are easier to write with, but I need fast drying ones.

I'm currently using a Pilot Precise V5 pen in fine. I like the way it writes but not that it smudges. Oh, well...

I'll have to try out some of your pens. Thanks for the recommendations!

Allie said...

I love meeting pen addicts - I am so particular too. My every day pen is the Pentel Slicci 0.25mm. I feel the same about my handwriting & lean toward gel pens. I recently wrote with my dad's Uni-Ball Vision Elite & loved the feel & how my writing came out (like I could make it fancy & flowy), but you have me intrigued by the Liquid Flairs; where do you find those?

Anonymous said...

It's such a relief to see pen addicts turn up here. I looooove pens especially gel inks, I love the colorful ones and I am always so happy to finish the ink in order to try the next. I discovered Penelope slicci 0,7 and I ain't going back, the purple and orange colors are fabulous. The pilot Hi Tec was my one time favorite as well, then of course the sky blue of the pilot wingel is a winner any day. I must not forget my go to pen the Uniball Signo- but I will take a slicci any day any time. I love me some slicccis.

Victoria Lucas

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...