Fountain Pens for Daily Use

I recently starting collecting fountain pens this past summer and fell in love with them. This compelled me to convert all my school stationery to become more fountain pen friendly, with the idea that I could use fountain pens to take notes in class.

On the first day of lecture in my physics class, I tried it out and decided that I should really just stick to using gel pens to take notes. I had the following problems: the doesn't dry fast enough making the ink smear, the ink is too water soluble, and I just feel really pretentious (and I just get distracted by my pen and start writing random things). It seems that all the problems are down to the ink, as I am basically using Private Reserve Velvet Black, but I'm really afraid of loading other types of ink into my fountain pens, and the safest inks seem to have similar problems. 

The mild sadness that is seen through my physics notes on a side-staple bound ~A5 Rhodia notebook. (Areas circled in red = problems which include smudging and distraction.)

Now, it's really difficult for me to find time to use or take care of my fountain pens. I've basically emptied them all and then now only dip whenever I feel the need to use them.

I'm wondering, how do you find time to use fountain pens? And if you use them daily, how often do you use them and in what situations do you use them in? 

Giveaway: STMT X Colombia Kit by Rad and Hungry

Don't understand what the title above is all about?  Well good - read along then.  Rad and Hungry contacted me last week about their new Something Mighty Collection, which is an effort to put together a monthly office supply kit of goods gathered from Rad and Hungry founders Sam Alston and Hen Chung's world travels.  I'll let Hen explain further:

“Every time we traveled together, we synched up in a path of mad consumption that would gather momentum during the trip,” says Hen Chung. “One of each postcard at the museum. One of each patterned scarf, and one for my mom. And one for your mom. Two of each beer. Order everything on the menu, we’ll split it. Good thing these pencils come in packs of twelve…

“The common thread was design, but unrefined design – ‘local’ in the sense that it’s so basic and part of the everyday landscape that people in that country find it unremarkable. The kitschy outdated postcard, the shoes people wear when cleaning house, the cheapest brew, the #2 pencil. We’re taken by the concept that simple, daily items are given new meaning through travel. It transforms the mundane into something inspired.

“We wanted to transfer that experience through design without altering the fundamentals inside. Each kit is focused on office supplies—the everyday basics. Everyone can take ‘em and use ‘em, make something, get down!”

Hen has graciously offered to give away one of the STMT X Colombia Kits to a lucky Pen Addict reader, which features two pencils, one paper pad, and one box of twelve jumbo paper clips, all from the Columbian region.  Here is how to enter:

1. Leave one comment on this post anytime between now, and Thursday night at 11:59 PM Eastern Time.  You are limited to one entry.  Feel free to link this giveaway on your blog, or share it with anyone you feel is a true pen addict.  If you have a blog, I would love a link back, but it is certainly not required for entry into the contest.

2. For this contest, I will pick one winner at random from the comments section of this post.  The comments will be numbered in the order they are received, i.e. the first comment is #1, the second #2, and so on.  The Random Integer Generator at random.org will be used to pick the number of the winner.

3. The contest winner will be posted on Friday, December 3rd.  The winner will have one week to email me at the address posted in the right sidebar.

4. ***This contest is limited to U.S. residents only due to shipping limitations.***

Huge thanks to Hen and the Rad and Hungry gang for offering up these goods for giveaway. Be sure to check out their website at Rad and Hungry as well as their Twitter and Facebook pages.

Guest Review: Uni JetStream 101 Blue 1.0mm Ball/Gel/Roller

(This is a guest review from Chris, who can be found blogging regularly at Pens'n'Paper)

So, a new JetStream, huh? I must admit, I'm not a horribly huge fan of the JetStream line... I like the 0.5mm JetStream color that I purchased due to it's extremely fine line width, but the others don't really impress me. They seem to just be a glorified and over-advertised ballpoint. Sure, they do write a bit more smoothly than the ordinary ballpoint, but the quality of the writing is about the same. The same skipping is present. I think it's one of the same reasons I never fell in love with the Zebra Surari, because I just wasn't impressed. Maybe I'm just a gel pen fanatic who won't be swayed by the pen companies attempt to yank me back to the age of ballpoints, but, YMMV.

As for the left-handed/quick drying aspect, I can agree with that. Being left-handed, I have always dealt with the issue of smearing ink or graphite all over the page as I was writing. I've slowly adapted over the years (weird hand/paper positions, a cover sheet, different paper, different pens), but it's still an ever-present problem. I can almost even attribute my interest in pens and paper to the fact that I'm still searching for the perfect writing utensil, but I digress... The JetStream 101 dries quickly and is relatively smear-proof (although there was a bit of smearing present when I swiped my hand quickly over it, but I usually don't write that fast), making it an excellent choice for the left-handed writer.

The only other issue I have with this pen is the grip. I grip my pens relatively hard when I write, and this pen doesn't give an inch.  Sustained writing (even in just writing the short paper review) caused my hand to begin to cramp. I'm sure I could train my hand out of this habit (or slide on one of the pencil-grippy-things), but I like a pen I can grip firmly without any discomfort.

Other than these small problems, the JetStream 101 is still an excellent pen for those people who love 1.) a smooth ballpoint, 2.) a dark and vibrant ink, and 3.) a relatively (for most) comfortable writing experience.

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Thanks again to Chris for providing this excellent review.  Be sure to check out all of his work at Pens'n'Paper.com.  If you would like to write a guest review for The Pen Addict, click on the About button on the right sidebar and send me an email.