Favorite Writing Instruments

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School is starting for some of us. Here are two tried-and-true writing instruments for the serious scholar. Or in my case, the compulsive doodler/slacker. Each is around $10 a piece retail. Well worth the investment -- they will last you for years, until they get lost or stolen. That's why I stock up.

The Papermate or Sanford Logo IV 0.5mm


I've been using them since they were made by Sanford. Pretty much the same model. It comes with a generous twisty jumbo eraser that retracts about and inch and a half into the barrel. So if you're error-prone, this is the mechanical pencil for you. My main problem with the cheapo mechanical pencils is that those little tic-tac-sized erasers always run out before the lead does. And the replacement erasers are always shaped funny so you could only buy the maker's expensive erasers. With the Logo, you can buy those cheap Clic eraser refills. Simply shove them as far as you can down the barrel and cut to size. Actually, any generic tube-shaped 1/4 inch diameter eraser will do. The rubber grip tends to snag on clothing. It also frays and gets gummy with age. Periodically I replace the grips with the silicone ones I pull off pens I don't really care for. Heavy-duty construction and a timeless, no-nonsense design. I recommend the Pentel 0.5 2B lead. It's not for everybody as it tends to smudge but it is extremely dark and feels like liquid when applied to the page.

The Zebra F-701 0.7mm


I like the heft and the cold feeling of the all-stainless steel body against my fingers and how it looks simultaneously sexy and spartan. It's like an Exacto knife but duller. The ink is not very dark but it makes up for it in responsiveness; the ink just goes on the page the instant the ballpoint touches the paper. You can buy ink replacements as well and probably forever as they have been producing this particular model for about 20 years or so. It's a great pen for keeping in your pocket; the weight keeps it from falling out of those slit-pocket khakis and because the grip is machine-etched and not rubber, it doesn't catch on your clothes while you're trying to take it out. Somehow, every word feels important when I write with this instrument. Also great for drawing; great for smudge-free fine lines and building up hatch marks.

I've filled up journals, sketchbooks notebooks just with these two alone. A good pen becomes an extension of your body. These are my favorites, what are yours and why?

I have a green pen that contains a built-in maze with a little silver ball. I like the pen, because it's fun to try to get the ball from one end of the pen to the other, through the maze.

i much prefer to let my fingers tap the keys and "write" with electrons.

Research shows that connecting a mental activity with a physical gesture improves organization of ideas and cements them in your memory better. I find that I remember what I'm writing better when I concentrate on the loop-de-loops I'm creating in my longhand cursive. If that makes any sense.

Typing? Pecking on buttons is what B.F. Skinner had pigeons do. Opposable-thumbed humans were made to wield quills and practice beautiful calligraphy.

I should probably be writing this not typing it.

I like writing with a real pen too. Ran Prieur recently commented on his blog about how he feels he writes more intelligently when he writes with a pen, rather than a computer. Personally, I like both methods. Good pens are to be treasured. I have a fairly nice Parker which I always have about my person. Struggling with crappy, leaky Biro's makes writing into a horrible ordeal.

maybe a jejune question, but how is tapping on a keyboard NOT a physical gesture? it's different from wielding a quill but it is still physical.



opposable thumbed humans who are not brain-addled, that is. i have never been able to write without major hand strain, mental strain and illegible results to go along with it. beautiful calligraphy only in my dreams - pidgeon-pecking chicken scratch was about as good as i could get. a keyboard for me is a godsend. i wish i could write but it just isn't in the cards for me.



there oughta be an app for that

I'm not much of a writer. I prefer to use a keyboard.

mechanical pencil, not terribly picky what

you are basically the same way I am auntblabby. I know my issue is also the fact that written language isnt meant to be written with the left hand. All I have to say in response would be.... f**k society for favoring you damn righties :/

I always used a mechanical pencil throughout elementary and high school … the Bics and then the Zebra F(?)-301.

In college I discovered the Pilot Varsity, a disposable fountain pen. I love writing without having to press down on the page. My handwriting is less than stellar these days though.

i adore gel pens.

Pentel e-Sharp 0.5mm mechanical pencils(hard to find!) or the Pentel 205 0.5mm mechanical pencil. For pens, I universally use Uni-Ball Vision series. I like how rollerball pigment ink pens write.

My favorite:



Very cheap! You can get 7 of them for only $ 0.99 at Target!

I've never liked using pencils, for some reason. And I can never seem to do anything creative when I'm staring at a computer screen, so I normally type only lecture notes and final drafts.

well, If I do have to show whatI use...


Cant find a good pic, but Ill list em...


INC Brand - Magna Tank Gel Roller pens
id have to find my mech pencil to list it

I wont bother listing my drawing stuff though it is artists loft brand.

LOL me too, it's so fast and easy! But I have been writing alot with a pen or pencil for the past couple of years. I actually collect pens and pencils and have hundreds of them. My children use to buy them for me as gifts. I'm going to have to go buy some of these nice looking pens mentioned here and check them out. Pens in Southern Arizona dry up quickly and then they didn't work. I'm in Virginia now so I don't have to worry about that. I had some cute one's that looked like syringes once long time ago that were cool.

I love these pens, I use them often myself. They are all over my home because one of my cat's (Winchester) loves to steal them and he carries them away and I find them everywhere under and behind furniture and boxes.