Oh yeah I used to have these really nice pens, but they somehow fell into someone else's possession. I really miss my black 08 prismacolor fine line marker and pilot precise v7 rt.
this post was submitted on 04 Oct 2023
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Showerthoughts
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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The best ones are thoughts that many people can relate to and they find something funny or interesting in regular stuff.
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Every decent pen I've ever owned has just vanished. Glad I don't really need them anymore, so I can avoid buying the cheapest ones possible.
I don't see why you shouldn't use nice pens all the time. My daily driver is a Lamy Safari and I love it.
A good life motto that I live by in many ways. But I am poor so I have decided to use if toward those other ways instead of pens lol. (Now I'm jealous lol)
Been using my Lamy Safari for at least five years. Good pens!
So dumb question - what exactly is it about that pen that sets it apart from your standard ballpoint?
It's not a stupid question!
First of all, it's a fountain pen, which means its nib construction and method of delivering ink is completely different from ballpoint pens: a fountain pen pushes liquid ink down the nib slit through capillary action. See close up here. The ink flows smoothly and you don't need to push against the paper when writing. Most fountain pens are refillable and you can choose any ink colour you like.
A regular ballpoint pen has a small ball, held in place inside the casing by a tiny spring, and typically uses thick, oily inks. See close up here. The ink is delivered through friction (ball vs paper), which means you have to push harder against the paper when writing. It can lead to fatigue during long writing/sketching sessions.
Now, there are "ballpoint-like" pens that take liquid ink, called rollerball pens. See close up here. They're usually a good option if you want a smoother writing experience and more ink options than your standard ballpoint offers. With roller balls though, I've had the issue where the ball casing wears down and the spring shoots out the ball like a projectile, spewing ink everywhere ... I find that the fountain pen nibs are more durable if you take good care of them.
As for the Lamy Safari, it comes in all three options but the most common one by far is the fountain pen version.
Thanks for the info. I didn't realise fountain pens worked using capillary action. When I was younger we had to use fountain pens in school for a few years and I remember them being slightly frustrating. But nowadays I don't need to write nearly as much/whilst under pressure, so I could see a fountain pen being quite nice. Plus, I'm pretty sure the ones I used were cheap and scratchy; if the brand you mentioned is good quality I might give one a go.
Yeah, I'm very happy with it and it's usually recommended as a good starter pen, along with the Pilot Metropolitan for those who want a metal body and/or a more traditional look. Check that one out too if you're interested!
I ended up getting a Safari fountain pen and wow! It's so smooth. Way better than any I've used in the past. I've been writing stuff for the hell of it just to try it out. I'm so used to pressing down with some force whilst using a ballpoint (especially the first time you use it each day) so this makes a nice change.
Thinking back to when we were made to use them at school, we were told that the nib would wear down to fit our writing style... which I think was nonsense. Pretty sure I used to use more pressure than was necessary back then, to try and get the pen to 'mould' faster. If I'd been taught to use them correctly maybe I'd have enjoyed it more back then.
That's really nice to hear, I'm glad you liked it!
The safari is exceptional, cheap and common, however the standard nibs they come with are a bit hit and miss, but generally fine to try out, a good lamy replacement nib is just about 10 bucks iirc.
I'm back and forth between my Lamy Safari and my Pilot Metropolitan.
I'm trying to remember when the last time was I used a pen. I think the contract I signed when I switched heath insurance a couple of years ago.
Sounds like a pretty significant moment then!
Jk but what do you do for work that you literally never need to use a pen or pencil? If you don't mind sharing I mean.
I work as a Programmer, so my laptop usually isn't far away when I need to take notes.
It's really just contract signitures and maybe the rare form, though almost anything can be done online these days.
Not just pens. Paperwork in general is fortunatly becoming obsolete. I haven't recieved anything important by physical mail in months and almost all invoices are now digitial.
Wow I'm a programmer too, and I can't imagine getting through an entire day without my notebook. It's how I organise my thoughts in the morning, and stay on task. It's also a really nice break from the screens every now and then
Yeah, digital task management or note taking has never worked well for me. It's best if I write things down, then fill out Jira or whatever
Ok see that was one of my first guesses but I personally would still need to write notes at least for myself, plus doodling lol, so I ruled out any office jobs.
Clearly I was wrong haha
So you use a really nice keyboard, right? ...Right?
Internal macbook keyboard :(
Pilot Precise V7 RT can be bought in a pack for like $3. They're not expensive, but the best everyday pen on the market IMO. Got me through 4 years of uni
For $3 where??!!
I got mine from Walmart. Granted this was a couple years ago
If you ever feel like buying pens, you should try Micron and Staedtler pens. So satisfying to write with.
I'm glad that you have such a nice experience with your pens, but I don't know if this is a showerthought :(
That's fair. I was in a state where all my thoughts felt like shower thoughts lol. And hey it's not like it matters eh? Lemmy only has so many active communities it's more about engagement I thought
Pilot Precise V7 is the GOAT. It's my everyday pen. The Sharpie S-Gel is a close second, and then there's ol' faithful, the G2.
I had a thieving boss like you one time. After a while I started to make sure after any meeting that everyone would get back the pens he had managed to get his grubby little mittens on.
Lol I was wondering if people thought I stole them! No they will be pens I find on the ground or other various ways, one of the ones I found in OP was at the beach. I have too much respect for the pleasure of a good pen to intentionally rob anyone of that lol.
You are doing good work protecting the pens! Your boss sounds really absent minded, like the lighter thieves I've known in my day haha.
I've spent too much on fountain pens, I only use special pens and special ink
The nicest pen I have ever bothered to own is the Parker Jotter Stainless Steel (1953170). Real nice feel to it, sturdy and the gel ink refills write really smooth. Also not too expensive so if it gets lost not a huge deal.