On a lifelong search for the best writing utensils

[AlexChandler]

Hello everybody,
For a long time now I have been trying to find the very best thing to write with. I spend most of my time studying and solving math and physics problems so naturally pens and markers are a huge part of my life. I like to write with multi-colored pens as it helps me keep my problems organized. Does anybody have a recommendation for some very nice bright smooth writing pens? I would be willing to pay a decent amount of money as long as it is reasonable.
Thanks!

 

[fss]

I like the Pilot G2s and mechanical pencils. I make too many mistakes for pen, usually.

 

[Fragment]

Have you tried fountain pens? I bought a Waterman for around $100 and have found it to yield the nicest writing I've done. It's a little pricey for a pen, but you get to choose your inks as well as nib sizes(to fit your writing style) and it really takes the strain off of your hand. Otherwise you could try Zebra mechanical pencils if you're into those. I bought two for $12 and they have never jammed in the year I've had them for, they are superbly designed, I love them.

 

[Newtime]

Uni-ball Vision, .5 mm, rollerball. I buy a box every semester. They're just...the best.

 

[Chunkysalsa]

I use Zebra pens and pencils almost exclusively since high school. They are nice and heavy and the pens literally run dry when the ink cartridge is absolutely empty, something I've never seen in other pens.

Only problem with them is the eraser on the pencils. One problem and its gone, but that usually happens with mechanical pencil erasers.

 

[exohuman]

For pencils I found that Pentel makes the best stuff. I regularly use the Pentel P207 and a Pentel Hi-Polymer eraser.

For pens the Uni-Ball Vision is indeed the best I have used. I've been using them since like middle school!

 

[hadsed]

Anything in .5mm point.

 

[AlexChandler]

Yes the Uni-Ball Vision is good for sure! I am not much into pencils though. I like to use only pens. I've found that over time it trains you to be careful what you write and I now make considerably less mistakes in my equations. How about markers? I've been interested to try and write with markers, but most that i have found get all smudged when you write over one color with another.

 

[AlexChandler]

I will have to look into the fountain pens. It sounds nice for a black pen, but I do like to have multiple colors too. Do they make different colored inks?

 

[turbo]

My favorite writing tool is a Caran d'Ache Fixpencil with a 2mm lead. It's an antique, and it was a apparently an advertising give-away, because it is marked with the name "Proceq SA Zurich" - a company that makes materials-testing equipment for materials labs. Very simple and tough pencil. My favorite pens were usually Rapidographs. For a time, you could simply buy the barrels and load them with the in-color/tip-size combination that you wanted, BUT the tips tended to plug if you didn't use the pens frequently. The older 60's-70's Rapidographs were a bit pricey, but dependable.

 

[sEsposito]

I use Zebra pens mostly. I've had a variety: fine tip, ball point etc. and they're all really well made and write nice. I'm currently using a Zebra telescoping ballpoint pen. The best part about them is that they're thin! I hate thick pens, they throw off my handwriting. The zebras are thin and mostly metal, very comfortable to write with.

I must admit, I thought my slight obsession to find good writing utensils was "unique". Glad to see that I was wrong!:tongue:

 

[Fragment]

There exists a dazzling variety of colors to choose from, that is certain. I would love to find smaller than 5mm, as that is big even for my writing.

 

[Leshok]

I have always used the Pilot Precise V5 Extra Fine Rolling Ball pens. I have always taken notes and solved problems in multipliable colors. Although it is not the colors I like about the pens, it is the feel the Extra Fine point has on paper. HTH

 

[cdotter]

Pentel BLN-77 (7mm.) The BLN-75 (5mm) might be better but I can get the 77s for free, so I can't complain.

 

[AlexChandler]

I have always used the Pilot Precise V5 Extra Fine Rolling Ball pens. I have always taken notes and solved problems in multipliable colors. Although it is not the colors I like about the pens, it is the feel the Extra Fine point has on paper. HTH

I also use the Pilot Precise V5 extra fines. They are perhaps the best I've found so far. I sometimes alternate between those, my BIC Z4's (which are .7mm) and of course the Uniball Vision Elite. I feel the same way about the way the point feels on the paper. That is the whole reason I started using the gel type pens. I hate when there is noticeable friction between the pen and the paper. Drives me crazy!

 

[AlexChandler]

There exists a dazzling variety of colors to choose from, that is certain. I would love to find smaller than 5mm, as that is big even for my writing.

The fountain pens sound great to me. But I change colors very often when I am writing. Will I have to change the ink every time I want to do this? How long does it take to change an ink? Perhaps if I could buy a few of the pens I would not have to... but they seem a bit more expensive.. maybe 60-100$ for a nice one.
Maybe I will try out a fountain pen only for my black ink. That is a possibility.

 

[AlexChandler]

My favorite writing tool is a Caran d'Ache Fixpencil with a 2mm lead. It's an antique, and it was a apparently an advertising give-away, because it is marked with the name "Proceq SA Zurich" - a company that makes materials-testing equipment for materials labs. Very simple and tough pencil. My favorite pens were usually Rapidographs. For a time, you could simply buy the barrels and load them with the in-color/tip-size combination that you wanted, BUT the tips tended to plug if you didn't use the pens frequently. The older 60's-70's Rapidographs were a bit pricey, but dependable.

These sound nice! I have given up on pencils in the past but maybe I could give them another try. The Rapidographs sound sound interesting. Wow and it goes all the way to .13mm! I have never seen a tip so fine! They are a bit expensive but these look cool!
Thank you!

 

[AlexChandler]

I use Zebra pens mostly. I've had a variety: fine tip, ball point etc. and they're all really well made and write nice. I'm currently using a Zebra telescoping ballpoint pen. The best part about them is that they're thin! I hate thick pens, they throw off my handwriting. The zebras are thin and mostly metal, very comfortable to write with.

I must admit, I thought my slight obsession to find good writing utensils was "unique". Glad to see that I was wrong!:tongue:

Yes haha! You are not alone! I've heard a lot of good things about Zebra pens now but have yet to try one. Perhaps I will order a pack online. Is there a specific kind you would recommend for me to start out with? I typically like the gel pens the best.
Thank you!

 

[turbo]

These sound nice! I have given up on pencils in the past but maybe I could give them another try. The Rapidographs sound sound interesting. Wow and it goes all the way to .13mm! I have never seen a tip so fine! They are a bit expensive but these look cool!
Thank you!

You're welcome. If you buy a really fine-tipped Rapidograph, be sure to use their branded ink in them, to avoid plugging/cleaning hassles. In engineering school, we all had to take drafting courses, so I learned to be picky about pencils and pens. Pretty soon, I was using my Rapidograph pen for art, too. Layout with a very hard-lead pencil (faint lines), outline with the Rapidograph in black ink, and finish with watercolor wash/gauche.

 

[AlexChandler]

You're welcome. If you buy a really fine-tipped Rapidograph, be sure to use their branded ink in them, to avoid plugging/cleaning hassles. In engineering school, we all had to take drafting courses, so I learned to be picky about pencils and pens. Pretty soon, I was using my Rapidograph pen for art, too. Layout with a very hard-lead pencil (faint lines), outline with the Rapidograph in black ink, and finish with watercolor wash/gauche.

I've just bought a pack of Rapidographs last night. I got a .13mm .18mm .25mm .3mm .35mm .5mm and .6mm all for 70$ i think. They write so nicely! I am going to buy some different colored inks today. Thanks so much for recommending these to me! Another thing that I wonder about is paper. I have been using printer paper for all of my note taking and problems solving for the last couple of years. But now since I have these wonderful pens I feel like I should upgrade the paper as well. Do you have any recommendations for paper?

 

[Karina119]

Pilot G2 is my weapon of choice. I also like Uniball Signo.

 

[turbo]

I've just bought a pack of Rapidographs last night. I got a .13mm .18mm .25mm .3mm .35mm .5mm and .6mm all for 70$ i think. They write so nicely! I am going to buy some different colored inks today. Thanks so much for recommending these to me! Another thing that I wonder about is paper. I have been using printer paper for all of my note taking and problems solving for the last couple of years. But now since I have these wonderful pens I feel like I should upgrade the paper as well. Do you have any recommendations for paper?

Congrats on the nice pens. They are a personal favorite. Do you have a neighborhood art/stationary store? If so, they may have paper samples out for you to try before buying. The smaller-diameter nibs will benefit from some heavily calendered paper (paper that has been smoothed by running it through a stack of heavy polished rolls). Lots of art papers are intentionally coarsely-finished in order to provide some "bite" to graphite, pastels, paints, etc. They don't work so well with fine-tipped pens like Rapidographs.

 

[TylerStorm]

I've been on a fruitless quest for the prefect pen as well for some time. I've been using the Pilot G-2 for several years which works pretty well, but it's far from perfect. After reading this thread, I may have to go writing utensil shopping! lol

 

[turbo]

For people new to Rapidograph pens, a must-have accessory is a pack of Kim-Wipes. Kimberley-Clark produced these as a virgin-fiber alternative to other tissues. Use these to wipe down the tips of the pens periodically and prevent build-up, which is especially important if you are writing on paper with a high percentage of fillers (including recycled paper). Fillers like calcium carbonate and titanium oxides are used to increase the brightness and opacity of paper, but they can play hell with your pens.

Rapidograph pens have a step-down in the tip diameter just before the nib so that the tip can ride on the edge of drafting instruments without allowing the ink to bleed under the drafting guide. When writing or drawing on paper that has lots of fillers, you can pick up enough crap from the paper so that the ink can bleed under your triangle/T-square, etc. For art work, I still wiped the nibs periodically to keep them free.

If you can find a source of bright, calendered ground-wood paper (high grade of newsprint), you will be in Rapidograph paper heaven.

 

[Dr Transport]

Staedtler pens are by far the best I have ever found, followed closely by a fountain pen.

http://www.staedtler.com/

I will sat that my kids always wanted a decent pencil and we have decided in Ticonderoga as the smoothest writing and nicest wood.

http://www.dixonusa.com/

 

[hitmeoff]

Personally, I've fallen in love with Pentel products.

Hands down, that Hi-Polymer eraser is easily the best invention for mathematicians/physicists :)

My first love is the Pentel Quickclicker PD347 .7mm pencil, secondly I like the Side FX PD257 .7mm. These may not necessarily be the most expensive or the highest end mech pencils, but they are leaps and bounds better than anything else I've used.

That they are not TOOO pricey (though pricey anyway, I think a pack of 4 cost 10 bucks or so) is a big plus, because I tend to loose pencils quite alot. But I love these guys so much, I am always making a conscious effort to make sure I have them with me. So I've lost a lot less of these than any pencil before, I truly love these guys!

 

[proof]

Staedtler pens are by far the best I have ever found, followed closely by a fountain pen.

http://www.staedtler.com/

I will sat that my kids always wanted a decent pencil and we have decided in Ticonderoga as the smoothest writing and nicest wood.

http://www.dixonusa.com/

have you ever heard of mirado black warriors?

 

[gmax137]

I am holding in my hands my last Blackwing 602 (by Eb Faber) having just completed today's crossword. "Half the pressure, twice the speed"

As another advertising wit wrote, "this is a fact, not a slogan"

 

[rmunoz]

Just bought a pentel p205. I got it because I really liked feel of similar pentel mechanical pencils but I also wanted something a little more precise and evenly weighted. Hopefully it will live up to the price (between 5-10 for 2)

 

[Anonymous217]

I was always interested in finding the perfect writing utensil and corresponding stationary. I've been using lightly printed college-ruled paper and a normal .5 mm lead pencil with a hi-polymer eraser. I've been interested in trying printing paper/art stationary along with a pen, but how would you erase? And doesn't it bother you that you can't make straight lines or have evenly spaced notes (unless it's mostly diagrams of course)? I love the idea of changing the fine print as well as having color-coded diagrams/notes though.

 

[AlexChandler]

Congrats on the nice pens. They are a personal favorite. Do you have a neighborhood art/stationary store? If so, they may have paper samples out for you to try before buying. The smaller-diameter nibs will benefit from some heavily calendered paper (paper that has been smoothed by running it through a stack of heavy polished rolls). Lots of art papers are intentionally coarsely-finished in order to provide some "bite" to graphite, pastels, paints, etc. They don't work so well with fine-tipped pens like Rapidographs.

Aha. I have tried a few kinds of smooth paper. I bought some Strathmore Bristol Smooth, but the ink always seems to smear when I write on it. Do you know of a specific kind that I might be able to order? I went to a couple of art stores, and nobody had heard of calendered paper.
Thanks!

 

[turbo]

Aha. I have tried a few kinds of smooth paper. I bought some Strathmore Bristol Smooth, but the ink always seems to smear when I write on it. Do you know of a specific kind that I might be able to order? I went to a couple of art stores, and nobody had heard of calendered paper.
Thanks!

Most paper is calendered, but that's part of the production process, and only the quality-control people and buyers would know about the degree to which the paper was calendered to achieve the desired smoothness. Salespeople in stationary stores would only know it some paper was smoother or coarser than other types. You might try asking for drafting paper and see what they come up with.