Armed Polite Society

Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: Ben on December 30, 2018, 09:44:28 AM

Title: What is Your Preferred Pen Ink?
Post by: Ben on December 30, 2018, 09:44:28 AM
What kind of ink do you prefer in your pens?

I had been a Gel guy for a long while, but actually got tired of it recently and switched to regular P900 type ballpen inserts.

I really like gel pens in that they produce a nice, dark, bold line. What I have come to hate about them is how picky they are about writing surface. They never want to write on the paper type in my checkbook ledger, for instance. Also I often find myself having to jot a note on whatever piece of scrap paper I have in my vehicle. I was keeping G2 pens in the cars, but again, half the time they would skip or not write at all on some kinds of paper.

While the P900 inserts (what do they call that kind of ink anyway?) have a slightly "duller" ink, it writes on most all paper with no smearing. The Gel also smeared a lot, at least for left-handed me.

Anyway, right now I'm using these inserts:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00M2KVV68/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They work pretty well and write on more surfaces without smearing than the G2 ink. Anyone have recommendations for something better?
Title: Re: What is Your Preferred Pen Ink?
Post by: Fly320s on December 30, 2018, 09:55:13 AM
Black.  Free.  Ball point.
Title: Re: What is Your Preferred Pen Ink?
Post by: p12 on December 30, 2018, 09:56:28 AM
I’ve been a big fan of Zebra F301 7mm
Very rarely do I find a paper it won’t right on

I love Foray’s needle tip. But I wear pull over pocketless golf shirts for work. Pen goes in between the bottom of the collar and the first button or second button depending on the shirt. Foray will destroy the material in short order due to clip design. Zebra won’t.


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Title: Re: What is Your Preferred Pen Ink?
Post by: bedlamite on December 30, 2018, 10:07:10 AM
Sometimes the maintenance reports on machines can have oil spots, the Pilot G2 1.0mm will write on anything and keep going where most other pens will die.
Title: Re: What is Your Preferred Pen Ink?
Post by: MillCreek on December 30, 2018, 10:08:53 AM
If I am not using a Fisher space pen refill, I like the Zebra pen/ink mentioned above.
Title: Re: What is Your Preferred Pen Ink?
Post by: zahc on December 30, 2018, 10:35:39 AM
Scheaffer Skrip is the only ink you need.
Title: Re: What is Your Preferred Pen Ink?
Post by: Sindawe on December 30, 2018, 12:18:22 PM
Another fan of the Zebra F301 7mm here.  I've been using them for so long any other pen "just ain't right".  The only exception is when I need to write on a surface that ball point pens are useless, then it will be a Sharpie brand marker.  Ultra fine tip for use on labeling tape, standard or broad tip for lamented tags or large surfaces respectively.
Title: Re: What is Your Preferred Pen Ink?
Post by: Doggy Daddy on December 30, 2018, 12:54:33 PM
Another fan of the Zebra F301 7mm here.  I've been using them for so long any other pen "just ain't right".  The only exception is when I need to write on a surface that ball point pens are useless, then it will be a Sharpie brand marker.  Ultra fine tip for use on labeling tape, standard or broad tip for lamented tags or large surfaces respectively.

The tags.  Are they dead or just very ill?   ;/
Title: Re: What is Your Preferred Pen Ink?
Post by: TommyGunn on December 30, 2018, 12:56:27 PM
If I am not using a Fisher space pen refill, I like the Zebra pen/ink mentioned above.

Ditto this.  Well, the Fisher part, that is.   
Title: Re: What is Your Preferred Pen Ink?
Post by: Perd Hapley on December 30, 2018, 01:12:18 PM
G2 extra fine
Title: Re: What is Your Preferred Pen Ink?
Post by: K Frame on December 30, 2018, 02:59:12 PM
Writing?

As in by hand?

With a non digital device?

What are you, some kind of savage neanderthal monkey or something?
Title: Re: What is Your Preferred Pen Ink?
Post by: Perd Hapley on December 30, 2018, 03:48:40 PM
Writing?

As in by hand?

With a non digital device?

What are you, some kind of savage neanderthal monkey or something?

Guilty.
Title: Re: What is Your Preferred Pen Ink?
Post by: Ben on December 30, 2018, 03:55:46 PM
Writing?

As in by hand?

With a non digital device?

What are you, some kind of savage neanderthal monkey or something?

https://youtu.be/sn7bEVnFlds
Title: Re: What is Your Preferred Pen Ink?
Post by: Sindawe on December 30, 2018, 04:56:35 PM
The tags.  Are they dead or just very ill?   ;/

Laminated.  For use on fermentation vessels (beer & mead).  The brain jumps ahead of the fingers sometimes and spelling errors are missed.   :old:
Title: Re: What is Your Preferred Pen Ink?
Post by: BlueStarLizzard on December 30, 2018, 06:37:25 PM
Whatever is in the Uniball pens.

I like the colors.  =D
Title: Re: What is Your Preferred Pen Ink?
Post by: Scout26 on December 30, 2018, 09:53:41 PM
We use Bic Atlantic at work.  They work and they are also fairly inexpensive, since we lose a lot over the course of a tax season. (see Flys320 post above)

For my personal pens I use the G2's.  For many years, I used green roller balls.
Title: Re: What is Your Preferred Pen Ink?
Post by: K Frame on December 31, 2018, 10:36:12 AM
Just wrote two thank you cards by hand.

I feel so retro...

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Title: Re: What is Your Preferred Pen Ink?
Post by: Firethorn on December 31, 2018, 04:57:23 PM
I like fisher as well, I enjoy the reliability.
Title: Re: What is Your Preferred Pen Ink?
Post by: T.O.M. on December 31, 2018, 07:59:38 PM
I use the G2 Limited. It's a fancy G2, a little more weight, a softer grip.  Uses the same ink cartridges, so refills are cheap and easy to find.

Title: Re: What is Your Preferred Pen Ink?
Post by: Ben on December 31, 2018, 08:03:13 PM
You guys with the G2s don't have problems writing on certain kinds of paper or surfaces?
Title: Re: What is Your Preferred Pen Ink?
Post by: bedlamite on December 31, 2018, 08:16:37 PM
You guys with the G2s don't have problems writing on certain kinds of paper or surfaces?

Like I mentioned in my post above, It's the only one I've found that reliably writes on dirty, oily, lint covered maintenance reports hanging on the machines.
Title: Re: What is Your Preferred Pen Ink?
Post by: Boomhauer on December 31, 2018, 08:44:06 PM
You guys with the G2s don't have problems writing on certain kinds of paper or surfaces?

The only issues I ever had with G2s were the finer point ones. The 1mm bold ones always flowed well and wrote on surfaces.

My preferred pen is Pentel Energel. Very smooth writing. I usually just have cheapies in my pocket because they get lost easily and the nicer pens aren’t cheap.



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Title: Re: What is Your Preferred Pen Ink?
Post by: T.O.M. on December 31, 2018, 09:39:54 PM
You guys with the G2s don't have problems writing on certain kinds of paper or surfaces?

With my job, I'm either writing on legal pads or forms generated on quality copy paper.  But I've not had an issue on any paper yet.
Title: Re: What is Your Preferred Pen Ink?
Post by: K Frame on January 01, 2019, 01:58:41 PM
To be perfectly honest, my all time favorite pens are still Sheaffer Snorkel fountain pens with the extra fine nibs. I took most of my notes in college with them. Being left handed, I needed a fine nib to allow time for the ink to dry on the page before  I dragged my hand though it.

Now days when I write with a pen I normally use Pilot VBall liquid ink pens.
Title: Re: What is Your Preferred Pen Ink?
Post by: dogmush on January 01, 2019, 03:15:23 PM
I actually prefer the Zebra F-701 to the F-301.  Slight wider line, but all metal and better heft.  I also have a couple of the Gerber "Tactical" pens with rite-in-the-rain inserts in them to go with my field notebooks when outdoors.  Those things write on ANYTHING
Title: Re: What is Your Preferred Pen Ink?
Post by: Ben on January 01, 2019, 03:42:17 PM
I actually prefer the Zebra F-701 to the F-301.  Slight wider line, but all metal and better heft.  I also have a couple of the Gerber "Tactical" pens with rite-in-the-rain inserts in them to go with my field notebooks when outdoors.  Those things write on ANYTHING

Hey, I forgot all about those! I had some rite-in-the-rain notebooks at work, but they came with pens. I'll have to check Amazon for inserts. I actually use the S&W tacticool pens at home because I like a heavy pen. They came with good inserts to begin with, but then I ordered Parker gel insert replacements when the originals went dry, and had nothing but problems with them (again, on receipt type paper. etc.). So far so good on the p900s (which actually are apparently sorta-kinda gel ink) but I'm going to see if there is a rite-in-the-rain insert the fits my pens.

On the fountain pens, I'm not really a "pen guy" but got one off Amazon last year for kicks on a cheap lightning deal.  I guess I got lucky on the nib, because it writes reliably on most things. It just sits on my desk though, so doesn't do me any good in vehicles or wherever else I keep pens laying around.
Title: Re: What is Your Preferred Pen Ink?
Post by: MillCreek on January 01, 2019, 05:19:24 PM
Bear in mind that Fisher makes the rite in the rain pens and refills.
Title: Re: What is Your Preferred Pen Ink?
Post by: Unisaw on January 01, 2019, 06:07:01 PM
The pen I use the most is a Lamy Safari fountain pen.  I use blue Lamy cartridges with it.
Title: Re: What is Your Preferred Pen Ink?
Post by: cordex on January 01, 2019, 07:36:57 PM
I've always wanted to like the space pen cartridges, but in my experience they have always seemed kind of bad at writing.  Compared to, say, a disposable Bic ballpoint it writes a rough, gritty, inconsistent line and tends to leave - and worse drag - little flakes and strings of ink that look like eraser debris but stain like ink.  Sure, in microgravity or underwater it works when other types would fail, but I do so little writing in space these days that it doesn't make much sense.

For pens to carry around or use at the house I've gone back to cheap or free ball points, although I do keep an inexpensive Pilot Metropolitan with a medium nib loaded with Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue ink on my desk at work.
Title: Re: What is Your Preferred Pen Ink?
Post by: Boomhauer on January 01, 2019, 08:48:34 PM
I've always wanted to like the space pen cartridges, but in my experience they have always seemed kind of bad at writing.  Compared to, say, a disposable Bic ballpoint it writes a rough, gritty, inconsistent line and tends to leave - and worse drag - little flakes and strings of ink that look like eraser debris but stain like ink.  Sure, in microgravity or underwater it works when other types would fail, but I do so little writing in space these days that it doesn't make much sense.

For pens to carry around or use at the house I've gone back to cheap or free ball points, although I do keep an inexpensive Pilot Metropolitan with a medium nib loaded with Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue ink on my desk at work.

I thought I was the only one who didn’t like the writing quality of the Fisher pens. The couple of cheaper tactical pens that I had from Rite In the Rain with the Fisher cartridges in them sucked for writing. Maybe the more expensive pens are better?

Uniball used to make a pen called “power tank” that was pressurized like the Fishers and it wrote extremely smoothly. I was disappointed when they were discontinued long ago


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Title: Re: What is Your Preferred Pen Ink?
Post by: MechAg94 on January 01, 2019, 10:10:36 PM
I use G2 0.7 mm pens at work a lot.  However, we buy the 100 packs of cheap pens and those are often just as reliable as the more expensive pens.