What are you writing with now? Pen-pencil talk

[Darrell KSR]

I go through phases. For about a month, I've been in my pencil phase. Like to use really nice sliding sleeve mechanical pencils, where $20 can buy you something really "nice" in the pencil world. Usually like to get dark, softer lead for bolder strokes, like B or 2B. I can go with 0.5mm or 0.7mm either one. I have a 0.9mm one, but right now, I just have HB lead for it, and that's not as much fun.

I briefly went back to fountain pens, but shelved it temporarily when my wife located my Mont Blanc ballpoint. Has a bold, blue point that I really like. I have been missing it for about 10 years. I kid you not. it was given to me 27 years ago from my old firm when I left them as a going away gift when I headed back to tax school.

My wife also located a gold Cross pen my parents gave me for my high school graduation. Been missing that one at least that long, if not longer. (She cleaned out a closet and a dresser this weekend.) Anyway, was excited to see it had a PDA stylus in it, then disappointed that it was an old-style stylus that doesn't work on smartphones or whatever.

By the way, after I go through this phase, I'll probably go back to G2 pens and Bic 1.6 or 1.8 mm broad tip pens. See a pattern here? I do like razor thin pens on occasion, depending on what I'm writing and the reason(s), but usually it's a broad tip.

What are you writing with these days?

[Darrell KSR]

Oh -- 2nd question --

Anybody know if Cross makes a ballpoint pen type refill that has the capacitive touch end? I'm not talking about the Tech 2 (or 3) pen "top," but an actual refill that screws in the standard Cross pen, but instead of having a ballpoint tip it has the smartphone type stylus tip.

[dan_bgblue]

Cheap, Pilot G2 super fine gell ink black pens

[KSRBEvans]

I love nice pens/pencils, but unfortunately I've never been good at holding onto them.

For pens, my current weapon of choice is the Uniball Vision Micro, Black ink (because the military prefers black ink, for some reason):

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31Sm6RTeBpL._SY300_.jpg

My favorite pencil is the Zebra M-301, 0.5 mm lead:

http://ak1.ostkcdn.com/images/products/8399569/8399569/Zebra-M-301-Mechanical-Pencil-0.7-mm-Stainless-Steel-w-Black-Accents-Barrel-P15700645.jpg

I've held onto the pen for over a year, so maybe I'm ready to graduate to "grown up" writing utensils. I'll be watching this thread for suggestions.

[KeithKSR]

I like G2 and similar style pens. I like Pentel pencils, used to prefer the 0.7 mm, but now favor 0.9 mm. I've got some Pentels that date back to my 1983 mechanical drawing class in college.

Anything I want to keep I leave at home, at school pens and pencils get borrowed from my desk and never returned.

[Darrell KSR]

G2 pens are great. I use them frequently.

I am using that10k gold Cross pen, and I bought a couple of bold blue refills for it, and it is writing amazingly well. Better than I remembered, very smooth with a full look to the lines.

Nothing fancy with the pen, but a nice sleek look, and it is balanced well. Enjoying using it for now. Will tire of it after awhile, and move to something else, but using it for now. Definitely some sentimental value attached to that, given to me by my deceased mom and living dad, and engraved with my initials and graduation date 36 years ago. Wow.

[UKFlounder]

I still like my old Dr. Grip pen. They don't make the kind I like any more, but I did find a couple on eBay and at Staples I found one pretty close to what I like and it's not bad. I also found the refills I need.

The one I use at work is one I've probably had for 10-12 years and still hide it in my drawer every night instead of leaving it out. I also have one at home that I've had for a few years too. It actually is a pen and mechanical pencil combo, but I only use the pen.

I like how they feel and write and just will keep using them until I lose them or they break (I have had one or two fall apart over the years)

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