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Questions about pens
I've used a computer since the early 1980s and I can say that I have not written with a pen for years, except signatures, doodling, and the rare form. Lately though, I developed an interest in writing, but I've become a little sick of computers; don't ask me to explain it, let's just say they make me queasy, and too easily distracted. Hence, back the the zen of pen and paper; the tranquility is idyllic. An hour or two of pen and paper pass like a peaceful dream... same time on a computer leave me tense and excitable. I'm currently using Bic Cristal classic pens, as I got a 50-pack of them a while ago. I fit them with rubber grips and they become much more comfortable. I'm curious though about other pens. So here are my qeustions... 1. What's the difference between ballpoint and rollerball? 2. I like the fact that Bic Cristal pens write a durable and very reliable ink. Once written it's instantly dry on the page, and I won't smudge it off. How is it for fountain pens? I have the impression that their ink on the page isn't as dry, and isn't as resistant to degeneration or mishaps. 3. How do cartridges compare to ink bottles? I have the impression that cartridges are somewhat of a rip-off. 4. How long would an ink bottle last? Let's say I hope to write 10 pages a day. 5. Is a fountain pen clearly better than a Bic Cristal? I know you'll probably find this question absurd, but seriously, I have used fountain pens in the past and though they may be comfortable my impression of them was that they were a little temperamental, often giving less than perfectly consistent lines. You see, with a Bic Cristal, lines are perfectly consistent, and it's no-nonsense. My experience with fountain pens wasn't so as far as consistency was concerned, and I'm not talking about them running out of ink or needing maintenance, I mean at their best. I also remember them as being a little scratchy at times unless used tenderly, or perhaps I just have a rather vigorous handwriting. 6. Are modern fountain pens ever messy? It's been a while since I used any of them, though I vaguely remember them leaking on the dovet. You see, i'm not after an object of affection, or a article of craftmanship; I just need something that works, and works well. I also have no plans to purchase an expensive pen, as I lose pens too easily and I'd am more comforted by knowing that if I lose one then there'll be half a dozen at home that I'd already bought, that, and the fact that I want to throw a few of them around the place so I don't have to look for it when I need to note something. Should I just stay with Bic Cristal? |
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Should I just stay with Bic Cristal? With all your requirements, the answer is yes. |
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(Snip) Actually, writing the above helped me decide. I decided need with a commodity ballpoint; inexpensive that I can buy it in at least a dozen, writes instantly, won't smudge, consistent line, won't wash off. So, forget the questions above, what's the best commodity ballpoint? Bic, Papermate, Staedtler? I'll be using my own rubber grips, so I care more about the quality of the ballpoint itself and the ink, ie. the writing interface, than the handling. Thanks Congratulations, you've evolved into the ultimate consumer. No concerns about quality or selection, just take the cheapest, most utilitarian product that you can find and use it. Then throw it away. Surely there must be forum for alt.cheapskate.disposable-pens and I suggest that you go find it and post there. Don |
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Am 20 5$B7n(B 2005, Andy Dingley schrieb:
Fountain pens are the pens of a more relaxed and refined age. It is simply not a problem that one must allow their ink time to dry -- if there is any hurry, have one of your clerks or a footman deal with the matter instead. I disagree with the content and spirit of this remark. For one, slow drying inks are very much a problem for left handers. They are also a problem for people who don't want to sit around forgetting how their sentences should end as they wait for their super-saturated inks to dry. No thank you. Fortunately, there is a decent variety of inks, a good number of which dry reasonably quickly. (There are also a number that are more or less permament if that's a worry.) It's true that fountain pens are now associated with the upper middle class: doctors, lawyers, profs, and ambitious corporate functionaries. We have Montblanc to thank for that. In a previous age, the image of pens came not only from advertisement but from everyday use. Using a fountain pen meant that you were a white collar worker, or at least someone educated enough to write. In contrast to the advertising image, the use-image of fountain pens was probably something akin to that of laptops today. At any rate, being underlings themselves, the typical fountain pen users of the golden age of fountain pens were unlikely to hand matters off to others. Bic handwriting is basically ugly. That depends. Some people write perfectly well with ballpoints. I don't. I need a fountain pen or a dip pen to be legible. No one mentioned comfort. Writing with a fountain pen requires less effort. My hands cramp at the mere thought of pushing a ballpoint over 10 pages a day. -- What UNIVERSE is this, please?? |
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wrote in message ups.com... 1. What's the difference between ballpoint and rollerball? A rollerball uses liquid ink much like a fountain pen. 2. I like the fact that Bic Cristal pens write a durable and very reliable ink. Once written it's instantly dry on the page, and I won't smudge it off. How is it for fountain pens? I have the impression that their ink on the page isn't as dry, and isn't as resistant to degeneration or mishaps. Depends on the ink. For example, if you use Noodler's waterproof inks, once dried, only fire will obliterate what you wrote. 3. How do cartridges compare to ink bottles? I have the impression that cartridges are somewhat of a rip-off. Cartridges are convenient, bottles cost less. 4. How long would an ink bottle last? Let's say I hope to write 10 pages a day. That depends on the capacity of the bottle and the nib. Since a fine nib lays down a narrower line than a broad, you may expect a bottle of ink to last longer with a fine nib than if you write with a medium or broad. 5. Is a fountain pen clearly better than a Bic Cristal? Yes, simply because over the course of a lifetime, you'll spend less on a good fp and ink than on multiple purchases of Bics not to mention environmental friendliness. I know you'll probably find this question absurd, but seriously, I have used fountain pens in the past and though they may be comfortable my impression of them was that they were a little temperamental, often giving less than perfectly consistent lines. You see, with a Bic Cristal, lines are perfectly consistent, and it's no-nonsense. My experience with fountain pens wasn't so as far as consistency was concerned, and I'm not talking about them running out of ink or needing maintenance, I mean at their best. I also remember them as being a little scratchy at times unless used tenderly, or perhaps I just have a rather vigorous handwriting. Because you sound heavy-handed and want a consistent line, I recommend that you get a fp w/ a stiff "hard as nails" steel nib. 6. Are modern fountain pens ever messy? It's been a while since I used any of them, though I vaguely remember them leaking on the dovet. Depends on the pen and whether or not you leave it touching something with the nib uncapped, the same as with a ballpoint. You see, i'm not after an object of affection, or a article of craftmanship; I just need something that works, and works well. I also have no plans to purchase an expensive pen, as I lose pens too easily and I'd am more comforted by knowing that if I lose one then there'll be half a dozen at home that I'd already bought, that, and the fact that I want to throw a few of them around the place so I don't have to look for it when I need to note something. Should I just stay with Bic Cristal? Since you're lax about keeping track of your property, yes. Or, use the fp only at home for serious writing and scatter Bics around for notes, etc. -- ~~Bluesea~~ Spam is great in musubi but not in email. Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply. |
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"Juhapekka Tolvanen" wrote in message ... http://faculty.haas.berkeley.edu/rjm...s/montblan.htm Heh. Loveit. Everybody should make this guy their role model: "...I rebelled in various ways (none of which would get me fired). I chose ridiculously colorful and highly patterned socks to go with my gray and blue suits. I also chose splashy floral ties whenever possible..." -- ~~Bluesea~~ Spam is great in musubi but not in email. Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply. |
#10
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"Garglemonster" wrote in message
... It's true that fountain pens are now associated with the upper middle class: doctors, lawyers, profs, and ambitious corporate functionaries. We have Montblanc to thank for that. In a previous age, the image of pens came not only from advertisement but from everyday use. Using a fountain pen meant that you were a white collar worker, or at least someone educated enough to write. In contrast to the advertising image, the use-image of fountain pens was probably something akin to that of laptops today. At any rate, being underlings themselves, the typical fountain pen users of the golden age of fountain pens were unlikely to hand matters off to others. One of my father's best friends could not read or write very well since he was forced to quit school at the age of 10, but he loved to carry a shinny new Parker 51 in his shirt pocket, just so people would think that he could write really well. However, he could do the best ink drawings you ever saw with that pen. I understand that in Japan during the "bubble years" of the 1970s and 80s, many doctors would go around carrying pretty much the same fountain pens in their outer coat pocket, but would use ballpoints to write with that they carried inside their coats. At that time, Montblanc was the pen of choice for professionals on the job in the "Land of the Rising Sun," to show off that they had wealth. However, IMHO I really feel that Montblanc is so over rated, but that is neither here nor there. Bic handwriting is basically ugly. That depends. Some people write perfectly well with ballpoints. I don't. I need a fountain pen or a dip pen to be legible. No one mentioned comfort. Writing with a fountain pen requires less effort. My hands cramp at the mere thought of pushing a ballpoint over 10 pages a day. I know exactly how you feel. Many of my classmates in college would complain so much about taking a Blue Book Exam in history classes, not due to the questions we had to answer that were challenging, but because after it was over with, many of them complained about how bad their hand hurt. Some even complained that it felt like it was going to fall off. Nonetheless, I never experienced such problems using my Sheaffer or Waterman, and my writing looked fantastic when compared to some of the chicken scratch from others. However, in my later years some of the exam booklets were becoming less friendly to fountain pen inks, and would feather and bleed through to no end. I just wish that Clairefontaine made exam booklets because they would be friendly to any kind of ink. -- Sincerely yours, Ron Wilbanks "Like a prized watch, a good fountain pen is a trusted companion for life." Spam filter: Negative (minus) 1 for the real thing |
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