Holiday 2011 Favorites

I get asked for pen, pencil, and paper recommendations all of the time so I wanted to put together a list that might help you out this holiday season. All of the products listed below are items I own and use frequently, so I can give them my highest personal recommendation.

If you are looking for something specific that is not covered in this list feel free to leave a comment below. Happy Holidays!

Kaweco AL Sport

This fountain pen provides one of the most pleasant writing experiences in recent memory. I didn’t know what to expect when I first used it, but I haven’t stopped being fascinated by it yet. The aluminum body construction it top notch, and the fine nib is as smooth as it gets. (review)

Blackwing 602

Many of us were not able to know and love the original Blackwing 602 pencil. The brand was brought back to life over the past year and has turned me into a woodcase pencil fan. Even the most hardcore pen geek will appreciate these. (review)

Doane Paper Idea Journal

Paper is a big deal to me and Doane Paper is far and away my favorite. My all-day, every-day notebook of choice is the Idea Journal. It has a permanent home on my work desk and packs up easily in my backpack for when I want to work outside of the house. The quality is unparalleled.

Pilot Hi-Tec-C 10 Color Set

Is this the best gel ink pen on the market? Your won’t get much of an argument from me. The lines are clean and sharp, and the ink colors are vibrant. This has been my favorite every day writing pen for years and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. (review)

Fisher Space Pen

The original every day carry pen. It uses a pressurized ink refill which allows you to write on wet or dirty surfaces, hot or cold temperatures, and even upside down. This is the pen you want to have on you when you leave the house.

Quick Hit: Kaweco Sport Classic

This post is by Lou Rinaldi, who can also be found at cfug.org and on Twitter @LouRinaldi.

Kaweco Sport Classic Fine Nib + Rhodia No. 12 Graph Pad

I'€™m a firm believer in maximizing utility. Perhaps that'€™s why I shied away from fountain pens for so long. They always struck me as overly fancy instruments that tethered the writer to a desk. This pen completely changed my mind! Form follows function here, no doubt about it. It writes smoothly, is lightweight and is perfect for carrying around all day in a pocket. Bravo, Kaweco. You'€™ve made a believer of me!

Kaweco Sport Ice Roller Ball Liquid Ink Pen Review

Being the bonafide Pen Addict that I am, there are many cases where I can't wait to get my hands on a pen to try out, and this red body Kaweco Sport Ice Roller Ball definitely had me at hello. The idea of a liquid ink cartridge roller ball is not a new concept, but is a setup I have never used before.

The pen tip is your standard medium rollerball (right in the 0.7mm range), and the ink cartridge snaps in as if you were using a cartridge based fountain pen. I hear on the internets that these types of situations are called a "mash-up".

Kaweco has done a great job with the Sport line, building a barrel that is lightweight, durable, and very functional. With the cap on, the pen is a compact 10.5 cm, but when posted it expands to a comfortable 13 cm. Writing with the cap posted is just about perfect.

I already had the Aubergine Purple Kaweco refills for my Kaweco Sport AL, but I wanted to try a different shade than the blue that comes with it, so I went with the blue black. I honestly wasn't thrilled with my ink selection when I first started writing with it. The ink was a little watery, but the more I wrote with it, the more solid it became. I'm thinking it is a case where it took a little priming, just like if you were putting a fresh ink cartridge into a fountain pen.

Speaking of fresh ink, you can also convert the Kaweco Sport Ice Roller into an eyedropper style pen and use any fountain pen ink you want. Check out the how-to on the JetPens Blog.

The Kaweco Sport Ice Roller Ball Liquid Ink Pen is available in four different body colors for $16.00 at JetPens.com.

Updated for the Doane Paper fans!