Counterpoint

(Or, what the heck am I doing, writing for a pen blog?)

My name is Lou Rinaldi, and I am probably the last person who should be contributing to this blog; you see, I absolutely hate handwriting.

Allow me to explain. I work in the field of information technology, in a higher education environment. As you might imagine, I do a lot of typing. Ever since receiving my first computer in the 1980s (a Texas Instruments 99/4A), I have strongly preferred typing to handwriting. Learning how to write cursive in third grade was agonizing; I hated how cramped my hands got from using those oversized red square-edged pencils. My interest in computers as a hobby grew with me, and I soon found myself able to type much faster than I could ever write. I was the only student in my high school graduating class who regularly used a laptop for in-class work, long before geek was chic (think 1991-1995). Rather than handwrite an undergraduate final in one of those blue exam books, I begged the professor to let me sit in front of the entire class and type my answers on the lone computer in the classroom. I don’t think I hand wrote a single thing during all of grad school. And signing the myriad of legal documents when buying and selling real estate was the seventh level of hell for me.

So, what am I doing here? You’ll recall I mentioned that I work in higher education. A growing aspect of my job function involves interfacing with Ivy League faculty; talking with them face to face, gathering their feedback on various issues, and recording it in a non-disruptive manner. One thing I’ve learned quickly is that many of them appreciate a more conventional approach to note taking in these scenarios. That means leaving my laptop behind, and picking up a writing implement. The time has come for me to make my peace with the pen.

Now that you know a bit about my background and the perspective from which I’ll be approaching my contributions, I’d like to hear from you. What products do you recommend for someone in my shoes? What tricks or techniques should I know? How can I ease the transition from typing zealot to handwriting hero?

This post is by Lou Rinaldi, who can also be found at cfug.org and on Twitter @LouRinaldi.

Review: Kuretake Pocket Double-Sided Brush Pen

This review is by Kalina Wilson, who can also be found at geminica.com.

The brushes on the Kuretake Disposable Pocket Double-Sided Brush Pen are felt tips that are designed to give a variable width line.  These brushes are in the same neighborhood as Tombow Fudenosuke brush pens (of which I am a great fan) in terms of line width, shape, and responsiveness.

The two tips are described as "fine" and "medium", but with a light touch, they can both achieve quite a fine line.

Neither of this pen's tips are intended for fast, lush sketching. Ink flow is quite thin.  You get a lot of control but not a lot of ink.  I'd say this is a good pen for cartoonists that are inking carefully over pencil sketches - not so good for loose sketching since you'll run out of ink if you move too fast.  The ink appears to be totally waterproof.

This pen would be a solid competitor to the Tombow Fudenosuke... if the "medium" brush were a little more reliable.  Mine hasn't been used much but it's already a little flakey, and its skimpier ink flow really becomes obvious if you try to fill an area - see the bottom of sketch on the right. 

 

Because this pen is double-sided, affordable, waterproof, and has at least one good fine brush tip on it that can achieve very good detail (that Spock drawing is quite small), it's a very decent pen to experiment with - but I would recommend giving the excellent Tombow Fudenosuke a try as well.  

Review: Pelikano Fountain Pen - 2010 Edition

This review is by Kalina Wilson, who can also be found at geminica.com.

The Pelikano Fountain Pen has been around for 50 years as a sturdy, easy-to-use fountain pen aimed at school kids. Pelikan has redesigned the pen several times over the years; this version is new for 2010.  

The Pelikano writes smooth and wet, gliding easily across the paper with ink flow that doesn't let up at any speed. Probably due to this abundant ink flow, the line width seems to depend largely on the surface. 

On absorbent papers the width of the "fine" nib is similar to a Lamy Safari EF, but on non-absorbent papers (or sketching over watercolors, as shown above) the line gets quite broad.

As with previous designs, the Pelikano 2010 is available in a few nib sizes, colors, and customized for left-handed and right-handed writers.  It currently retails for $18.40 at JetPens.

Like our friend the Pen Addict, I favor a fine line or else a variable line that is quite fine at its minimum width so this one is a bit broad for me. That said, the ease with which it lays down a whole lot of ink is quite alluring. I have no other fountain pen that will effortlessly fill an area with ink like this one will. The sketch to the right was made on a relatively absorbent paper, but it was still easy to get a thick, rich ink fill.

The grip on the pen feels very comfortable. Fingers naturally end up where they are intended to be.  The body is lightweight and unobtrusive. The cap is not as unobtrusive;  it doesn't feel like it is intended to be posted, and wobbles around on the end of the pen. I notice it a little, but it's not so bad that it stays on my mind while drawing.

The bright side of the cap is that it snaps closed very snugly over the nib. Between the cap and the design of the nib housing, this pen feels... safe.  My fingers don't come into contact with the ink at all.  There has been no ink leakage at all.  Any time you have a large amount of ink in any pen in your bag, there is at least some small chance of disaster - but this pen feels quite secure.

The Pelikano takes international standard ink cartridges as well as a special long cartridge that appears to hold twice as much ink.  I don't really like the way these cartridges connect to the pen - it takes a little pushing to get the cartridge to connect, and it's hard to be certain when it is all the way on.  However, it is nice to know I could travel with this pen and have no problem finding extra cartridges.  Between the easy-to-find cartridges, clean nib, and affordable price point as far as fountain pens go ($18.40), this would be a good choice for on-the-road sketching.

I do wish there weren't two holes in the bottom of the body because otherwise this would be a great choice for an eyedropper conversion.  You can use a silicone sealant to close up those holes but personally I would never be able to trust the pen enough to travel with it after that.   If you want to use your own inks, the other option is the cartridge converter ($5.50).

This pen was a pleasant surprise, despite the broad line.  I'll probably fill it with black ink and use it in combination with a finer-tipped fountain pen to achieve two different line weights.

 If you like a broader line or tend to have flow issues due to writing or drawing quickly, this pen could be a great match for you!