The Pen Collecting Thread

[Joey D]

So I've recently become interested in collecting pens and after some chatting in the Ramblings thread, I figured I should make a dedicated thread for this sort of thing since I have to imagine there are others out there that enjoy nice pens. Here's my current collection, although I have more on the way because I can't help myself.


Top row left to right: Parker Jotter, Zebra F-701, Zebra F-301, Gold TUL, Rose TUL, Pentel Energel, Zebra/Sarasa, Pilot G2 Limited, Retro 51 Tornado "Gymkhana"
Bottom row: Hong Dian Forest fountain pen

And since I like the G2's so much:

 

[VXR]

I do love a reliable pen.

At work I have a Parker jotter with blue ink and a bright yellow Nikon-branded generic type that I won through an Instagram competition.

I wouldn't mind investing in a Mont Blanc or similar at some point.

 

[kolio]

I had a Zebra I used at worked for months, but eventually lost it. Recently went through an entire G2, and had another one so that's what I'm currently using.

My current G2 is starting to fade pretty hard on occasion despite the fact that it has plenty of ink left. Any tips?

 

[Pupik]

A couple dozen Pilot Precise V5 pens for the everyday stuff and most doodling, and some Sakura Microns for drawing the fine lines. There's almost always a black Sharpie in my backpack if the need to deface markup something arises.

Microns tend to leak badly when put through the rigors of flying, but I found a "lost" one that was well over 25 years old a few weeks back, and the ink still flowed nicely! They stay at home along with some fine line (0.3) colored Staedtlers, though.

I'm not a big fan of ball-points but I have a Waterman for filling out anything in triplicate, cards, or airline sudoku puzzles (flight mags have succumbed to COVID-19). I have a metal Zebra pen which isn't too bad, the metal barrels have a nice balance to them.

I travel with a Pentel mechanical pencil and a Staedtler pencil that's also about 25 years old, but the tiny eraser cover is fussy, so it's bad for travel.

I've played around with some fountain pens, and I like the nib style, but they're usually too wide a point for my tastes (not sure how they'd hold up to air travel).

Pens with other travel essentials, highlighter (I like orange for maps), along with the Adonit Pro (stylus), a tire gauge, mini screwdriver, and Moleskine notebook.

 

[Joey D]

My current G2 is starting to fade pretty hard on occasion despite the fact that it has plenty of ink left. Any tips?

This happens with G2's quite a bit and it's mostly due to air bubbles in the ink. You can take the cartridge out, pop off the cap, and then use a cotton swab or something to push the ink down. You can also blow into the cartridge while scribbling on a piece of paper and that should get rid of the bubbles too.

 

[kolio]

This happens with G2's quite a bit and it's mostly due to air bubbles in the ink. You can take the cartridge out, pop off the cap, and then use a cotton swab or something to push the ink down. You can also blow into the cartridge while scribbling on a piece of paper and that should get rid of the bubbles too.

Alas, a solution! Do you think it not having a cap on the cartridge could be an issue? Just curious because it was like that when I acquired it. Maybe that's assisting with the air bubbles... Or helping? 💡

 

[Greycap]

I don't know how many Pilot Drawing Pen 01's I've used during the last 25 years or so but "lots" doesn't cut it. Back when I used to actually draw things it was my main weapon of choice and nowadays they're just floating around here. One in my backpack, one in each of my cars, one on the desk right now, probably a couple more in the drawers. I almost never use a ballpoint pen but these ones instead.

 

[1241Penguin]

I love using the Paper Mate ComfortMate Ultra 1.0M pen. It's been my go-to since my university days and I have never used something that was so smooth and glides around the paper like a skate on ice.

Do mechanical pencils count? Because I would like to add the Pilot Dr. Grip 0.5. It has a shaker inside that dispenses more lead as needed. I've used this since I was in Grade 3...

 

[Joey D]

Alas, a solution! Do you think it not having a cap on the cartridge could be an issue? Just curious because it was like that when I acquired it. Maybe that's assisting with the air bubbles... Or helping? 💡

It shouldn't be, the G2's aren't pressurized like a Fisher Space Pen so the cap is more there to provide a hard surface for the retracting mechanism. There's a glob of glue or grease (I'm not sure what it is) in the cartridge that should prevent air from getting in.

If pushing the ink down doesn't work, you can also clean the point by drawing on the bottom of your shoe. I know it sounds weird, but the soft rubbed on a shoe's sole seems to work really well for clearing away and debris from the tip of a pen.

 

[kolio]

It shouldn't be, the G2's aren't pressurized like a Fisher Space Pen so the cap is more there to provide a hard surface for the retracting mechanism. There's a glob of glue or grease (I'm not sure what it is) in the cartridge that should prevent air from getting in.

If pushing the ink down doesn't work, you can also clean the point by drawing on the bottom of your shoe. I know it sounds weird, but the soft rubbed on a shoe's sole seems to work really well for clearing away and debris from the tip of a pen.

It does have that glue stuff in there which I assumed was doing the job.

I've heard of scratching the tip on jeans, which has worked for me in the in the past too.

Definitely going to try the shoe trick too.

I use a pen a lot at work and this is very helpful information 👍

 

[Joey D]

Got this in the mail today, a Parker Vector Rollerball "Flag of Nations" from 1993. My grandma used to use this extra model of pen to do crossword puzzles and while going through some old pictures, I was suddenly reminded of it. I had no idea what the name of it was and posted a vague description on Reddit and someone came through in the clutch for me. It needs an ink cartridge, but that's an easy fix. I'm so happy to have it though since I lost my grandma a few months ago and been struggling with the grieving process since I'm unable to go back home.

 

[David]

I don't collect pens, but here's a fun little anecdote . Back in like 2014 I sat next to a guy at work who was really into fountain pens. He had a bunch of different containers of ink at his desk and from what I could tell, spent a not insignificant amount of time browsing pen forums instead of working. It truly was a pleasure to have to rewrite and fix all of his code after each sprint. He took a lot of notes in his Moleskines at meetings just to do everything wrong. Good times.

 

[Joey D]

Got two new pens in the mail today, a Rotring 600 and a Zebra F-xMD. The F-xMD will be my go-to pen for when I can finally get back into the hospital and do some work after I've been vaccinated. It's entirely metal so it's really easy to disinfect over and over again without worry, plus it writes really nice.

 

[kolio]

Been using Paper Mates's Profile 1.4b for quite some time now in my gaming room for running league races (sorting heats/grid orders). I use a small notepad and it's starting to bug me with how thick it lays down the ink. Too fat for my small pad.

Enter... Zebra something which I've used before and lost. Think I mentioned it in this thread already.

Also picked up some purple G2 .07's for work.