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One year with....?

AimlessWanderer

Remember to forget me!
Which pens?

I was thinking a couple of days ago, whether or not I could just stick with one pen/ink for a year. Not just in terms of not getting bored, but in terms of the practicalities of how I use my writing tools.

I decided not. So then my head moved on to the next question. What would I actually need? After a bit of mulling it over, I settled on needing five different scribbling sticks.

1) 0.5mm mechanical pencil + HB leads
Pens are all well and good, but sometimes a pencil is the right tool for the job.

2) Parker IM with Quink Black Permanent ink
A no nonsense pen and ink. Comfortable, reliable, durable, presentable, and affordable. If I was 100% sure I'd never put it in my pocket, I might switch to my Parker 45 Flighter, but I don't trust that cap for pocket carry. I decided on Parker over my standard international cartridge users, just for that little extra capacity

3) A second fountain pen with a contrast ink. Something like Diamine Burnt Sienna.
Yes, I wimped out by just saying a second pen. I have three or four that I would fill with this ink (my contrast ink pens are red or silver), and any of them would do just fine. The ink is probably my favourite so far for this role.

4) Stainless Parker Jotter with Fisher Space Pen insert
Normally if I am pocket carrying a pen, it will be a ballpoint, and this is a pen and insert combo I know I can always count on. Black refill.

5) Permanent bullet tip marker
Doesn't have to be Sharpie. Staedtler have served me just as well.

I think anything less than that, would be awkward for me. I probably wouldn't go a month without needing to grab each one at least once.

What would be your minimum requirement for a year?
 
Great Minds as my "needs would be quite similar and fulfilled similarly as well. My comments in brackets AND caps below

1) 0.5mm mechanical pencil + HB leads
Pens are all well and good, but sometimes a pencil is the right tool for the job.
[FULLY CONCUR]


2) Parker IM with Quink Black Permanent ink
A no nonsense pen and ink. Comfortable, reliable, durable, presentable, and affordable. If I was 100% sure I'd never put it in my pocket, I might switch to my Parker 45 Flighter, but I don't trust that cap for pocket carry. I decided on Parker over my standard international cartridge users, just for that little extra capacity

[FOR MY "VINTAGE" PICK -I WOULD GO PARKER 45 FLIGHTER WITH A 14KT NIB. I WOULD GO WITH LAMY OR PELIKAN BLACK AS I THINK THEY BOTH DRY A BIT FASTER.]

3) A second fountain pen with a contrast ink. Something like Diamine Burnt Sienna.
Yes, I wimped out by just saying a second pen. I have three or four that I would fill with this ink (my contrast ink pens are red or silver), and any of them would do just fine. The ink is probably my favorite so far for this role.

[LAMY SAFARI AL-STAR WITH A HIGH CONTRAST INK COLOR AS WELL-PERHAPS LAMY TURQUOISE or SOMETHING FROM BIRMINGHAM INK CO.]

4) Stainless Parker Jotter with Fisher Space Pen insert
Normally if I am pocket carrying a pen, it will be a ballpoint, and this is a pen and insert combo I know I can always count on. Black refill.

[CONCUR THOUGHT I LIKE THE SCMIDT EASYFLOW 9000M REFILL BETTER IN BLUE]

5) Permanent bullet tip marker
Doesn't have to be Sharpie. Staedtler have served me just as well.

[CONCUR]

My Add--
[6] -TWO HIGHLIGHERS -YELLOW AND BLUE-I REALLY LIKE THE ZEBRA OPTEX LINE FROM JET PENS.]
 
I agree with the breakdown so far of two fountain pens, one ballpoint, pencil plus stylus in my case, a marker. I don’t remember the last time I touched a highlighter.

As far as colors, at this point any of my blue inks could be my only color. I generally have a light and dark one. I like Waterman, Diamine, and, Lamy.

Ballpoint or rollerball. I generally carry the Parker 45 Ballpoint, but, I still grab gel pens from my desk. I may find something I like better to make this choice easier.

I’ve had bad experiences with cartridge / converter pens. I would use my Parker 61 Flighter, or, one of my regular “51”s, or a Lamy 2000. These are my best functioning writers, and, are the hardiest. Any combination of these could work for a pair with one dark and one light blue.

My pencil is new and I have used it more as a touch screen stylus than anything else. I think I deployed the tube once or twice to see how it worked, and, stuck it in my pocket. It is a Rotring 800+ 0.5mm, and, it is extremely handy. I have been carrying it loose in my pocket, and, once the front section came off so the the entire tube was exposed. I noticed and screwed it back together quickly. I have not had a problem with it since. I think it came with HB. I doubt I will change it.
 
The problem is that I don't have a pocket in my work clothes (Sweats, WFH). I tend to leave pens where I sit(desk, kitchen table, etc). If I go somewhere, I pack a ball point. This weekend it was a Pilot Precise V5 RT. My work pens varied between an Online Switch and a Pilot Metro. I have always liked using a mechanical pencil with very soft dark lead which is a carryover from my Day Timer days where you needed to erase.
 

Rhody

I'm a Lumberjack.
There’s no way I’d want to limit myself to one pen. I have 3 fps inked in my bag (blue, purple and red)
And rotate ball and gel pens and markers. Hardly ever use pencil or mechanical pencil.
 

tankerjohn

A little poofier than I prefer
Interesting thought experiment. I never use pencils, markers, or ballpoints except for the basest utility needs. So I guess I just need my fine nib Pelikan M200 for my shirt pocket, broad nib Lamy 2000 for general use, and Pilot Custom 912 FA for letters and cards. That could get me through a year.
 
I could get by with one. I choose not to. I’ve got a couple Esterbrook SJs that live at the house. I’ve got a TWSBI mini and a Kaweco classic sport that make for fine pocket pens/travelers. I wrote daily for a month with the TWSBI without a refill, so it has great volume, and eyedropper the Kaweco for more volume and a total beater pocket pen that writes well.

My M200 EF writes amazingly well, should travel just fine with good volume and would class up a meeting if I was taking notes there.

I still have a couple Fisher Space pens for use if I need a ballpoint. It’s been years. I’ve got a Parker jotter with a G2 gel. It’s a fatter line than I like, but I have been impressed with it otherwise. I used to not like gel pens back in the day. it sits in a folio that doesn't get much use, with a Fisher and a .5 mechanical pencil. the other Fisher and a pencil lives in the truck for just in case.

I have a few mechanical pencils, and used to use a .5 most of the time, a .9 during specific conditions. Been a long time since I needed a pencil that wasn’t a carpenter’s to mark wood for cutting.

black sharpies, and have kept a silver for occasional use. I haven’t used highlighters for about a decade, but did heavily when it helped to ID references in paper manuals/regulations.I have an 8 pack of Sakura Pigma micron 01 markers to highlight (underline/box/bracket) or color code notes with, or build brackets, tables, organization. I tend to only use the red and blue it seems

most of my writing occurs in an A5 Bullet system journal these days. I keep a pocket notebook on me most days I'm out. and I still prefer a paper/analog primary, digital backup system.
 
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