"What do you write with?" Topic

I needed a student of mine to sign a form yesterday, and he hadn't a pen on him, so I loaned him the one I was using at the time. It's a fountain pen, and he had seemingly never seen one actually used, let alone written with one (he also asked if I wrote with feather quill pens, but that's a different matter).

I realize that in much of the world fountain pens are quite common still, but in North America, they are fairly obscure & rare.

Given that there are (arguably) antiquarian undertones among miniature gamers (I accept that most of us are likely to type most of our communication as opposed to writing these days, but handwriting still seems necessary at times). However, I'm curious what do you write with most often? What do you prefer to write with?

* A cheap disposable ball-point pen
* A wooden pencil
* A mechanical pencil
* A relatively inexpensive disposable fountain pen
* A refillable fountain pen (cartridge/lever-filler/ or other)
* A refillable roller-ball pen
* A refillable ball-point pen
* A gel pen
* A dip pen
* A technical pen
* A marker
* A brush pen
* Other?

Feel free to specify details as necessary.

It depends.

When carrying a jacket/raincoat I carry four gel pens (black, blue, red, green,) with me in the side [pockets

or

when traveling light, a 6" pen made by a friend with two reproduction Civil War bullets for the top and bottom, a clip made to resemble a copy of a Springfield rifle, with the shaft of turned wood.

As a hangover from both my civil service and faculty days, I usually use cheap ball points, but prefer gel pens.

Gel Pen.

Technical pen (Pilot HI-TECPOINT) usually 0.5mm black but keep the full range on hand. Drawing is more a common use than actual writing as my dyslexia really needs computer impute these days.

x42

the first one

Gel Pen or Fountain pen – lately a Chinese knock off of the Parker 51. Preferred gel pen is the G-2 although I have heard great things about the Pilot Hi-Tecpoint and may pick one up soon.

Greg C.

* A cheap disposable ball-point pen
* A mechanical pencil
* A refillable roller-ball pen
* A gel pen
* A marker

These are pretty much in the order of use for me – of course I do much more keyboarding than actually writing anything by hand – so I guess;

* A computer printer

would be my most used 'writing instrument'

'With' isn't so important. 'In' is: blood for preference.(cue: insane laughter).

all of the above?

What be this "writing" ye all be engaged in??

A chisel and hammer.

Refillable fountain pen (Waterman's or Parker). When working I used to carry three (with blue, black and red ink), plus a biro (for forms) and a pencil.

Mechanical pencils, the cheapest ones the store has usually, since I lose them anyways.

I actually prefer to take notes on paper sometimes.

I have used all of the above, and I preferentially use whatever is available. I carry a disposable ballpoint in my car and a refillable ballpoint in my carryall, and my dining room table is littered with wooden pencils and sharpies at the moment.

Invisible ink

Whatever cheap pen that is lying around- most I have seem to have hotel names on them. I doodle a bit with a nicer mechanical pencil. Back in school, with copious note-taking and transcribing, I was a lot pickier about my writing utensils. Now, I type most everything. My handwriting is horrid, anyway.

I have only used a fountain pen once or twice. Growing up, dad always carried a Cross pen and pencil. Try as I might, I I could NEVER keep up with a writing implement for long, so disposable just makes sense.

Rollerball pen (preferably with a fine point), and/or mechanical pencil.

Didn't realize they made refillable rollerball pens.

A keyboard

A limited-edition MontBlanc 90 Years Skeleton 149 fountain pen, given to me for services I am not allowed to describe to a government I am not allowed to name.

LT

most often? what ever is within reach. I have a 5 and 2 year olds in the house so things tend not to be where left them. I keep gel pens in with my work papers.

Thumdnail dipped in tar

A Smithsonian Institution National Air And Space Museum Space Pen given me as a gift.
Various mechanical pencils.

Packs of Pilot G2 pens.

Tried quill and ink-never realised how difficult that was.

Me fingers.

Refillable ballpoint pen, or when I'm out and about I always carry my tactical ballpoint pen…just in case.

I use a cheap ball point.

Are fountain pens still quite common in some places? They are not used much in Britain!

A metal retractable ball point pen with black ink.

I have a deskful of the things given away by suppliers, including a couple of NASA 'space pens' but the latter aren't so useful as they don't have a pocket clip and I don't come across many zero gravity situations on earth.

When it is empty I throw it away and select another one from the never ending supply. I am currently using one given away by 'Real Staffing', it has rather a nice foregrip and a twist action rather than a button.

At home we seem to have a jar of assorted pens and pencils in every single room in the house.

I had a fountain pen at school, my wife still has hers but doesn't use it.

a stenographer

"What do you write with?"

The blood of my defeated enemies …

wooden pencil, mechanical pencil or technical pen.

My dad was a huge pen collector so I have a few of his nice ones but mostly what ever I have about, and as they are often borrowed cheap ones at work. Although in the winter I go gel as they are slower to freeze.

Although in the winter I go gel as they are slower to freeze

Col Scott, you might want to consider these non-freezing inks:
link
link

They come in several colors & work in fountain pens and rollerballs.

Whatever I have on hand. I prefer to use a pen when I'm writing notes or battle reports. If I'm creating a character for a role-playing game I use pencil, preferably mechanical if I'm using an actual character sheet.