Best “Write With It” Pens

[MRDucks2]

As I introduced some pens to the wife's booths this fall (a first for us) I noticed something interesting. In these solidly middle middle class blue collar communities the interest is in pens to write with based on "hand feel" and balance. Some smiles at the oft referred to and often unbalanced gimmick pens, but the Knurl GTs, Patriot (artisan), cigar and princess type pens are what sold after folks tried writing with different ones.

So, my question is: what type of pen do you find people prefer for actual writing/use, rather than gimmicks/gifts?

 

[Kenny Durrant]

Personally I like the rollerballs. I like the way the ink effortlessly flows to the paper. My son likes the Parker Gel cartridges. As far as the pen body goes for me it's about the ease it is to carry. I carry the Rollester now but used to carry the slimlines. My son likes the bolt action techs. He carries them in his pants pocket. I like the pocket in my shirt and the bolt action techs are top heavy and want to hang over the top. I guess we don't write enough to worry about the feel in hand.

 

[qquake]

I rarely sell pens, but among my friends the most popular is slim click pens. Like the PSI Groove.

 

[egnald]

Like Kenny, my preference for writing is a rollerball and like his son I swap the rollerball refill out. I prefer the broad tip Pilot G2 refill and it fits very nicely in the Jr. Gent pen. For the past few months I have carried an Ambrosia Maple Rollester, but I just finished up an Olive Jr. Gent that will be keeping it company.

As for general kits though, I also like the Cigar style very much. I just haven't found a Parker style gel ink refill to my liking yet, so my carry pens will likely continue to be rollerballs.

To each his own though, my wife likes to write with the very first pens I made, a batch of pregnant Slimlines customized with the larger Comfort center band.

Regards, Dave

 

[KenB259]

My everyday pen is a Knurl GT, use it many times every day. It feels great in my hand and the weight it just right. Unfortunately it is being discontinued.

 

[qquake]

My everyday pen is a Knurl GT, use it many times every day. It feels great in my hand and the weight it just right. Unfortunately it is being discontinued.

Crooked Mill has a copy of it. I've made a couple.

Annular Twist Pen Kit

Bold and modern, this ballpoint pen kit features a diamond-pattern tip and cap for excellent grip and unique style.

crookedmill.com

 

[JohnU]

Early in my working career I liked the comforts and sierras. They fit nicely in my work shirt pocket. As I moved up the chain and was spending more time at a desk I preferred a nice rollerball. Now that I'm retired, I find myself using mostly Sierra twists. They fit nicely in my pocket, I don't have to worry about misplacing the cap, and I like the size and weight of them. Plus, when I'm out and someone sees it and likes it, I usually give it to them, so they are quick to replace at a lower cost. Lol

 

[MRDucks2]

One thing I really liked was the fact that half of my sales of pens were to college age or there about. They would try the pens with a combination of cursive, print and doodling. The little pictures/cartoons on a piece of paper attracted additional folks to look at the pens.

 

[mmayo]

When I tell a customer about a Schmidt Easyflow 9000 cartridge and then they try it they almost always say oh my or wow. I get the same impression but even better with Schmidt 5888 medium rollerball pens. They sell due to how it writes (and how pretty).

 

[penicillin]

I think there are two questions here:
"Which pen kit(s) and blanks do you like to hold in your hand for writing?"
"Which pen refills do you like for their writing qualities?"

You could also ask a third question:
"How do you like to shape your pens for personal use when you turn them? Straight? Curved? Something more elaborate?"

For my own personal use, I like medium size pen and pencil sets. For feel in the hand, I prefer to turn my own pens as straight cylinders. My friends tease me about the plainness of the shaping, but that's how I like them to feel in my hand for writing.

I keep a Slimline Pro pen and pencil set (Gold) in Kryptonite Glow Stonez at my desk. I bought the pen kit at Rockler and ordered the matching pencil kit from Penn State. The pen kit came with a gel refill, and I refill it with a Parker Quink Gel medium black refill. I like the way that gel pens flow onto the paper for writing handwritten letters, notes, and greeting cards.

I also keep extra pens for guests, filling out forms, etc.: A Duraclick EDC (Brass) in a windfall downed Brazilian pepper tree branch, and a Gatsby twist (Gold Titanium Nitride) in Holographic Black (inlace acrylester). Both have whatever ballpoint refills they came with, or replaced with Schmidt EasyFlow 9000 medium (for myself) when they run out.

In the shop I have Rockler Long Wood pen and pencil set in zebrawood. I use that pencil and its 0.7 mm HB lead for most of my shop work. I also have 0.5 and 0.3 drafting pencils and a marking knife for when I need very fine lines. Sometimes the purpose of the pencil is to help me see the marking knife lines.

Links:
Pen and Pencil Set at Desk:
https://www.rockler.com/slimline-pro-gel-click-pen-hardware-kit-24k-gold
https://www.pennstateind.com/store/PK-PCLXX.html
https://www.rockler.com/kryptonite-glow-stonez-pen-blank

"Guest" Pens at Desk:
https://www.pennstateind.com/store/PKEDCDBR.html
(See photo of test blank and resulting pen from Brazilian pepper tree, below.)
https://www.rockler.com/gatsby-twist-pen-hardware-kit-gold-titanium-nitride
https://www.rockler.com/inlace-acrylester-pen-blank-holographic-black

Pen and Pencil Set in Shop:
https://www.rockler.com/long-wood-click-pen-hardware-kit-gold
https://www.rockler.com/longwood-click-pencil-hardware-kit
(Zebrawood pen blanks cut from the end of a zebrawood board.)

Refills:
https://www.parkerpen.com/inks-refills/ballpoint-pen-refills/parker-gel-2-refills/SAP_2136231.html
https://www.schmidttechnology.com/en/schreibgeraete/produkte/easyflow/c_1_9.htm

Photos:

• Office Desk: Slimline Pro pen and pencil set in Kryptonite Glow Stonez.
• Office Desk: Duraclick EDC pen in Brazilian pepper, with original test turning from the same downed branch. The turned pen did not live up to the artistic promise of the test blank, but the pen is very comfortable in the hand.
• Office Desk: Gatsby twist pen in Holographic Black (inlace acrylester).
• Shop: Long Wood (or Longwood) pen and pencil set in zebrawood.

 

[MRDucks2]

Great responses by all! It was quite interesting how we quickly took to what refills we use as much as what type of pen.

 

[sorcerertd]

I sell on Etsy, so my customers don't get to try them out first. The ones that sell the best are the Jrs, the PSI classic rollerball, and the cigars. Not that I've sold a lot at this point. As for people requesting pens locally, like coworkers, the most frequent request is the .30 cal bolt action just because they look cool. I'm not sure they care that much about the ink, but I always include the Schmidt Easy Flow 9000 in them.

On a personal note, I do like a rollerball, and very frequently carry one, but I do not like the balance (lack of) when the cap is posted. Way too top heavy. The lesser tip extension of a Pilot G2 on my Jr Milton bothers me so I stuck with the kit fill and, so far, I have not needed to refill it. My other personal carries are a cigar and a Duraclick EDC (the lighter weight aluminum variety). I like the balance of both and use the Schmidt. I don't think you can really go wrong with a nice cigar pen for overall feel.

Around the house, I have several Compsons hanging around (mostly because I screwed them up while pressing - don't get me started on that topic) and I really like them as far as general use. They are very well balanced, it's an easy one hand click operation, and there's no caps to keep an eye on. The gel ink that comes with them is really pretty smooth, but doesn't last long. That gets replaced with the Schmidt also.

Ultimately, I advise people to buy a pen they will realistically use, not just something to decorate their desk or pocket.