Yeah, a thread about pens. AND it's in the general debate section. Ha.

What types do you like? Let me specify.

With ballpoints, I like gel ink. The ink flows out well and although it is a bit messier for one such as me, I really like it. Ordinary ballpoints will do, I guess, but if I use them it's probably because they're the only thing on hand.

I love fountain pens. I have a cartridge one, but I find that on occasion (especially if I leave it alone too long) it is extremely difficult to get the ink flowing out and I have to run the nib under water. A few times (like last night) I've completely flushed out the pen, but then I have to let it dry or I get watered down ink. Hopefully I'll get it back up and running in time to start planning out a novel. I guess I'll make another thread for that too.

I also made kind of a mistake when I recently bought a really old-school type pen: a holder, some nibs (which are the ends that you write with) and a bottle of ink. Not that it doesn't work well enough, but ordinary notebook paper falls to its power and it soaks through quite a bit. If I wrote with it on both sides of a paper I wouldn't be able to read what I wrote. Then I tried dipping my fountain pen into the ink because fountain pens have those backs on the nibs and hold the ink much better. I had the same problem with the ink coming out too quickly, which is why I flushed it out and shall soon try the cartridges again. After that, ballpoint pens, even gel, just seem weak and ordinary.

Interesting thread.

I too like gel pens. My other favorite type of pen is a fine sharpie.

What about pencils? Pencils pwn pens. Especially mechanical pencils.

Damn it AJ, I found out yesterday you're mostly right. As great as the pens I mentioned are, the best way to write on normal notebook paper neatly and easily is a mechanical pencil (normal pencils get dull and we all know the inadequacies associated with dull pencils).

Edit: I also choose .7mm thickness in my lead to .5mm or the rarer .9mm.

Anyway, if I had to choose a pen, I prefer the "expensive" ball-point pens. The kind that don't clog and are really smooth gliding. The gel ink pens would be my second choice.

I like pens that don't run out of ink fast and feel good when I write. I write very fast so i like a pen that doesn't take too long to write a letter down.

My type of pen: The Pilot V5
never clogs and writes really smoothly

That actually sounds like a gel ink pen to me. I have expensive ones that suck. I suppose my Parker pen is expensive. It sucked until I put in a gel ink refill (it came with the pen).

I also like the pilots as gel ink pens. I think it's those and Signos that I use most of the time anyway. However, after using fountain pens and the really old style, which was too extreme for the paper and for my handwriting, normal pens of any kind are just too wimpy-feeling. I'll give it time. Meanwhile, I have my mechanical pencils.

Nah, there are some good ball points that are smooth. The only reason I don't like gel ink more is because it tends to bleed through.

That's exactly my problem with the fountain pens. Sissy-ass paper, if you ask me.