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Most comfortable pen

Gentleman,

I find myself writing more and more now that I am a Sgt. (its one of the things they forget to tell you when you make rank) and most of my reports have to be hand written due to the nature of them.

I've never had a good pen (normally use anything disposable i can get my hands on like the zebra steel pens etc.) and now i find my hands and fingers cramping up after writing for a while. So naturally I am in search of a new pen.


1.It must be under $50 as it is very possible of getting lost or damaged on duty. (so naturally it would be great if the pen was durable as well)
2.No fountain pens it must be rollerball or ballpoint
3. Must have smudge resistant ink as I am left handed so my hand drags accross the ink as I write
4. it cant be to big in diameter as I'd like it to fit in the pen slot in my uniform shirt pocket next to my whistle.
5. above all else it must be comfortable to write with
 
Pilot Dr. Grip Gel pen is comfortable but may fail on criteria #4
Pilot G2 will vastly reduce the friction, making it easier to write (as long as you ease your grip) ... and hopefully it will dry fast enough not to smudge
Pentel Energel if smudging is a problem with the G2s

But the key I believe is for you to loosen your grip on the pen... and then even the Zebra may work for you.
 
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The small diameter of the pen might be the cause of your hand discomfort.

Judging by your price limit, you might be looking for a nicer pen, but I haven't found any pen that writes better than the Uniball Jetstream. The ink dries fast and does not smear.
 
As a full time student I am also writing quite a bit. After getting tired of hand cramps and disposable pens I got into fountain pens. Despite picking up a wide range of styles (and prices) of pen, I find myself using my Lamy Safari the most. Lamy makes a rollerball version of the Safari that you may wish to check out. They fall in the around $25 range, and are quite comfortable in my opinion. As for size, the Safari fits well into the pen slots in my backpack, so perhaps it will fit nicely in your uniform pocket. At the price point, it's worth checking out. Good luck, and happy hunting!
 

The Count of Merkur Cristo

B&B's Emperor of Emojis
Rich:
Pens can be a very tricky subject because it is such a very deep and personal preference (fountain, rolleball, ballpoint).

I for one, love Montblanc Pens and I have a Rollerball "Starwalker" pen (engraved bwith my name and been with me over seven [7] years...around $275-$300 range), which I enjoy immensely because of it's weight, large diameter and ease of writing.

Although not meeting many of your requirements (I was a SFC when I retired...with many deployments under my belt), I took government Skillcrafts out to the field / deployments, but kept my Montblanc for Garrison use (hey...myself not being prone or forgetful, I beleive persons in / out of uniform deserve 'nice' things too).

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Christopher
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The Parker gel refill is great suggestion.

Be sure and check out the Pentel Energel pens, I have friends who are left handed and they love them.
 
I just came into owning a Sharpie Pen.
Yeah, the famous permanent marker now comes in a pen form.
It's actually quite nice.

But I think it might smear on you.
Ok yeah it will smear.

But the pen is very nice for right handers.
 
Thank you for the suggestions guys. I'll try out the energel and G2 and possibly take a look into something a bit more upscale
 
My best friend is also a lefty when writing, he says that rollerball ink is too wet and smears when he writes. He recommends a ballpoint, a Waterman Phileas is relatively inexpensive
@ $20.00, writes smoothly and will fit the pen slot on your shirt.
 
First Recommendation: Caran d'Ache 849 Original Metal Ballpoint

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1CDi6hc6UpQ/TGaqb10wsfI/AAAAAAAABRo/zGjFh5zWXOc/s1600/caran849orange.jpg
I have this one in this color.

The Goliath refill lasts for ages. If you order a spare with your pen, you will not have to get more ink for years. I use my pen daily, and have not exhausted a refill yet.

Second Recommendation: Any Cross ballpoint. The Cross refills are the standard of the ballpoint world. You can get them in any point and color you wish. They are available widely.
 
The Cross ballpoint is a good idea.

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I have a very traditional one, and it lasts forever.
Very dependable also.

Good recommendation!
 
I used to have to handwrite reports at job sites. I always used a Uniball Signo 207 Med. The multi-packs have cheap looking plastic see-thru barrels, but they also make one with a solid silver barrel and grey accents which looks nicer. It writes smooth, and says no smear, but I'm not sure if that's entirely true if you're writing left handed. It's gel so it may take a split second to dry. I also don't know if the rubberized bottom will fit your pen slot.
 
Also, I picked the Caran d'Ache flor orange, as it is a bit unusual in brand and color. It would be hard to miss if someone "accidentally" ended up with my pen. I don't leave it behind easily either. It is slim enough to fit into any pen pocket.
 
I carried a cheap Parker retractable for 2+ years while I was in. It lasted through an entire deployment with minimal wear and tear. I think it cost me all of 10 bucks at Wal-Mart or the PX. It fit perfectly into the ACU pockets as well.

It should be noted that some of the pen suggestions in this thread wouldn't fit into the uniform pockets on the Army ACUs. The pockets are big enough to fit a standard BIC but not much more. Regular sharpies are too big.
 
The Bic Stick Classic Crystal is probably one of the greatest ball points of all times. Great writer with perfect size.

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My suggestion would be a Retro 51 Tornado. Great writing roller ball. Sturdy and cheap! Normally about $25.00 Good looking pen too.

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Gentleman,

I've never had a good pen (normally use anything disposable i can get my hands on like the zebra steel pens etc.) and now i find my hands and fingers cramping up after writing for a while.

Normally the hand cramps because the pen barrel is too narrow. Getting a fatter pen and writing with a lighter grip solves this.
 
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