A Pen Addict's Assessment of School Supply Shopping

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her first novel, The Bone Weaver’s Orchard, now available where books are sold!)

Like many of us, my love for stationery began early, possibly from birth. Was there anything better, in childhood, than a fresh box of crayons? Back-to-school shopping was the highlight of the year. Better than my birthday or Christmas. Back then, the school supply lists gave general guidance on what you might need, and the list hinted at what grand adventures might await in the new classroom. I remember the first time my list had paints on it. The excitement was almost unbearable.

College school shopping was extra exciting--there were no real lists, and I was free to use glitter gel pens and fountain pens and Clairefontaine notebooks to my heart's content. No more college-ruled loose-leaf nonsense! I missed school shopping, after I graduated. The rows of bins of fresh erasers still tempted me every fall.

So, you can imagine my delight when my eldest child started school and back-to-school shopping reentered my life.

But times have changed. The list has changed. And some of the fun has gone out of school shopping. The days of picking out your own markers are over--now they give you an item number or exact brand name and type. It's more of a scavenger hunt than a selection process, and it takes place in a maze full of frazzled obstacles. What once was the biggest celebration of the year has become the biggest burden.

Now, part of that is the financial aspect. The school list alone, without any of the extras, like shoes or the requested classroom donations, runs about $300 a child. Between the two kids and all the gear they need, we can easily top $1200, if we're not careful. So we have to be very careful. Every year it gets more expensive (separate gym shoes! Calculators!), and every year, I have to develop new strategies to make sure my kids have what they need to get through the year.

My strategy this year? Screw the list. Yeah. Normally, I'm a list follower. I used to glide gleefully down the aisle from item to item, checking things off. But I'm just done. 48 sharpened number two pencils? No. That's ridiculous. Twelve red pens? I don't think so. I spent twelve years of my life editing for a living, and I don't think I went through twelve red pens in that time. He has two, still, that we got him last year, and that's enough. It's true that he might lose them, and in that case, we'll have to get more, but I hope he might learn, instead, to keep track of what's important.

He'll need new notebooks, of course, and I'm always happy to provide the classroom with sanitizing wipes or whatever else they may need to prevent the rampant spread of classroom diseases, but the supply list madness has to stop.

We're having to watch our pennies quite closely this year, and I think a lot of my frustration comes from that--that these items are deemed necessities when, really, many of them are luxuries. And I realize the high quantities on some items are because we're supplying the classroom, not just our child. And I don't believe that teachers should ever have to purchase classroom supplies, and I know how often they do, and it breaks my heart.

But I also don't feel like my eleven-year-old NEEDS a wireless mouse, so he's not getting one. He definitely needs jeans and a new coat, so we'll focus there.

Maybe I'm just being grumpy. Maybe I've got the summer break blues. Tell me, parents, do you still enjoy the school supply shopping? Or has it worn you down? How many pencils does your list ask for? How much do you end up spending on your school shopping? Do you follow the list?

I hope the magic is still alive for you. And I hope it comes back, for me, too! Perhaps it will next year, when we'll be school shopping for three, as I'll be going back to school, myself. I can't deny that one of my first thoughts when I decided to return to school was that I'd need school supplies! I wonder if we need fresh crayons for grad school...

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Pilot Metropolitan Rollerball Gel Pen Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

The original Pilot Metropolitan took the stationery world by storm when it was first introduced a few years ago. A well-made fountain pen with a solid nib and classy metal body for less than twenty bucks? Yes, please! The Metropolitan quickly entrenched itself as a classic, default fountain pen for new and veteran fountain pen enthusiasts alike. It's a modern classic and also happens to make a great gift for fountain pen curious friends.

But, we all know that fountain pens are just one avenue of pen geekery, and sometimes you just want to use a good ol' reliable gel pen for a while. Maybe you're stuck using paper that doesn't play well with fountain pen inks, or maybe you just love using gel refills and are looking for a more classy body to use over the default clear plastic bodies. Well, the Pilot Metropolitan Rollerball might fit the bill.

The Pilot Metropolitan Rollerball is identical to the fountain pen version except for the grip section. In this case, the grip section is unique and fits a Pilot G2 style refill instead of a fountain pen nib and cartridge. If you want, you can swap the G2 section into a favorite fountain pen body to mix and match colors as you see fit. It's great that the only difference between these pens is the configuration of the grip section. I'm sure this cuts down on manufacturing costs, but it's also a nice perk for the customer.

Now, let's focus on the most interesting part of this pen: the refill system. It ships with a standard black 0.7mm G2 refill, but that means you can swap it out for any number of refills that match the G2 size — including the Pilot Juice refills. That's right, Pilot's best refill system will work in this pen, making it a classy combination that fits in at the conference table at work, your pocket while out running errands, or laying on your desk.

I'm a huge fan of the Pilot Juice line, but you are extremely limited by the default line when it comes to exterior design and color options. The Juice is standard across the board — clear body with a color-coordinated soft grip, nock, and clip to match the refill color you purchased. While it's a great pen, it's not classy. The Juice is well-made and plenty durable, but it does look like a bulk-purchase gel pen (same goes for the Pilot G2). If you want to class up your G2 or Juice, the Metropolitan Rollerball body is the perfect way to do this. You have plenty of options as far as the color and middle section design (the design featured here is *Black Crocodile Body) to match your aesthetic, and it will only set you back about $19. To me, this is a great value for a classy pen that's made of metal, interchangeable with the other Metropolitan fountain pen bodies I have, and accepts my favorite gel pen refills.

The Pilot Metropolitan is a timeless design that performs great. It makes a great gift, a great introduction into finer pens, and will last a lifetime if cared for properly. If you haven't tried one out yet, do yourself a favor and order one as soon as possible!

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

The Pen Addict Daily Newsletter is here!

I’ve been asked countless times over the years if I had a mailing list to receive Pen Addict blog posts via email. Well, now I do! Sign up right here to get all of the latest posts on the blog, delivered right to your inbox.

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