You Say Fetish, I Say Discerning Consumer

I don’t know what it is, but if I’m in a CVS or a Staples or any sort of office supply store–I have to check the writing implements. I’m drawn to them. I won’t use I don’t know why I have to look, but I always feel that maybe there might be something new. Something I haven’t written with yet. I like writing, the act of putting pen to paper. However, the act must be consummated with a specific feel of pen. I can trace this back to when my father gave me a cross pen in grade school with my name engraved on it. I remember losing it.

After I graduated from high school, my father gave me a set of green marble and gold parkers that I absolutely loved. They were heavy, solid. The pen’s presence was defined by weight. The pens I write with nowadays feel like they’re going to fly out of my hand. I still have the set of three. One ball point, one pencil, and one fountain. They’re in retirement right now, but I still take them out of their case (a hard leather affair) when I need them. Usually for correspondence of some sort.

So, I’m picky. I have several boxes of the Better Retractable Pen from Pilot. All fine point. Pilot also makes a series of Gel Ink pens that I enjoy–but only in Extra Fine point. Fine and Extra fine–I can’t write with anything larger than that. Medium point makes me feel like I’m holding a melting stick of butter and trying to write into molasses.

With a fine point, there’s the actual feeling that you’re inscribing something. Etching an indelible trough into the paper, in addition to placing ink there. Rough, curt strokes are possible with a fine point that you just can’t do with a medium point.

And the ink can’t be too watery.