Pens or Pencils

[Replicant 113]

I prefer a big fat sharpie marker. Because graffiti, that's why.

 

Pencils are definitely better than pens, though. I'm all about aesthetics, and if you mess up with a pen you mess up forever. 

[Celtore 2,770]

I have come to a decision! The pencil wins!

While the pen carries more status, a higher quality mechanical pencil is an absolute joy to write with. I had to write my math notes with a crappy ball point pen the other week and I just got frustrated. The ink was fading despite a full cartridge, the flow wasn't consistent and there were scribbles all over the place from me making corrections.




I think that pencils can have an equal elegance to pens without the leaking, inconsistency or any other ink related problem. Take the pencil I use for example (the picture). I think it looks pretty professional and as I said before, it writes very well.

I haven't had any problems with this thing in terms of smudging or leaking or it just outright refusing to work. Heck, even the lower quality mechanical pencils have never simply refused to work either! But the pen does have a place when something needs to be recorded permanently. Otherwise, the pencil wins for being less of a pain.

 

[i have no experience with a quill though. Perhaps someday...]

Edited December 1, 2013 by Celtore

[Chuckles4lyfe 441]

I use pens more often than pencils. However, when I was younger it was switched. I mainly use pens to take notes and write papers. Pencils on the other hand, I mainly use when I'm taking tests or doing math or chemistry homework (as this requires a lot of erasing).

 

I've never used a quill before, but they do look interesting. I might find them annoying due to the constant dipping of the feather into the ink, but maybe one day I'll get my hands on one  . 

[Zygen 6,066]

Well it all depends on what we're using them for, for instance if your drawing something a pencil is always better off since you can erase, and most of the time a pencil is better for convenience when I use it in school because if I mess up I don't have to scratch stuff out. Plus most teachers make us use pencils and stuff anyways.

 

However I can write faster with a pen, it flows a bit better for me. But my handwriting is ugly regardless . I'm much faster at typing then writing with a pen or pencil.

 

I've never used a quill before , I kinda wish I could now..

[Circadian 1,273]

Pens! Wait, I mean pencils! No, actually pens! Hold on, quills! Yeah quills! Actually, I like pencils! Mechanical pencils! But pens are so very inky... fuck.

[PlunderSteed 1,252]

Both.

 

*somewhere, a Mexican village erupts into celebration*

 

While at work, I have a gel pen and a 1.1mm mechanical pencil on me at all times. The pen is for signing things, and gel > weak-ass regular ballpoint. Less strain required for writing. It can get messy though, because I'm left-handed. The pencil is because I make a lot of write-in changes to technical documents. The 1.1mm is less likely to damage the paper than 0.7mm, and it's easier to erase.

 

Also, I use the hell out of dry erase markers and highlighters most days, too.

[hawkflame 3,310]

Pens? Pencils?

 

Oh, so those are things in that little cup next to my computer. If I recall correctly, I believe they're some kind of writing tool kind of like a stylus except they work directly on paper rather than a touchscreen.

[silvadel 1,393]

I prefer to use a keyboard.  It is very annoying when you end up in a situation where you actually have to do anything significant with either a pen or a pencil.  For signing checks etc, you are forced to use a pen at any rate. 

[PlunderSteed 1,252]

Pens? Pencils?Oh, so those are things in that little cup next to my computer. If I recall correctly, I believe they're some kind of writing tool kind of like a stylus except they work directly on paper rather than a touchscreen.

Heh, well said. My employer provides us with iPads, which makes it a lot easier to keep track of stuff. Still, in the event of catastrophic or sustained power outages, we need to be able to function just as effectively without our modern toys.

[Skrinky 25]

Pencil is easier to write with, but pen just looks sooooo much neater... now using a quill... hmm I like that idea, but I probably couldn't write neatly with it.

[Crystal Sparkle 344]

I'm a kleptomaniac when it comes to pens. It's one of the many weird things I'm just addicted to. (But I don't go into Staples and just steal a whole pack, though.)

[Creamy Arty 6,252]

Being left-handed presents me with an extra drawback regardless of which I choose. Graphite always smudges when a southpaw brings his hand across it, leaving a gray sheen on the side of his hand and making whatever he was working on look horrible. Gel inks don't take long to dry and don't cause as much of a problem even when wet. That's reason enough for me to choose pens over pencils. Most of us learn to compensate for this problem at a young age by either rotating the paper and cocking our heads or curving our wrists in a claw-like fashion. If a lefty's penmanship looks sub-par to any of you righties out there, that's the reason. Cut us some slack.

 

 

So, to actually answer the question, I prefer pens. Not just any pens, though. I like rollerballs well enough if they use a gel ink because it tends not to blotch as much as the more liquid alternative and they glide more easily across the paper than ballpoints. However, their propensity for smudging is the bane of lefties everywhere. My favorite type of pen in the Pilot G-2 ballpoint:

 

 

Pictured above is the ultra fine-point variant. That's the one I prefer above all others. The regular fine-point, identified by a width of 05, is also acceptable and is what I currently have sitting next to me. G-2s are comfortable and make crisp, clear lines. It may not be the best pen in the world, but it's the ultimate in ballpoints.

[crazitaco 596]

oh, thats a toughie between all three. but i'm gonna have to go with pen. for some reason, i actually draw/doodle better with pen than pencil. probably because there's no going back to erase once you make a mark, so it forces me to move on. writing wise, i love the feel of a pen, so smooth. some pencils feel awesome, and then there's always one crappy quality one thats oddly frustrating to write with (ones with crappy graphite, forcing you to use more pressure than it should require). also, pencils lead breaks/wear down quickly and i never have a sharpener at the right time    the good thing about pencils, though, is that they are excellent for shading/blending with. (although the smudging does get annoying too)  you can erase, which can be both good and bad. as for quill/fountain pen, while obviously not very practical for everyday writing, they are great for artistic purposes. i have so many different pen points for a variety of shapes and sizes. quills/fountain pens look FANTASTIC. the drawback to using them is that it can be a bit annoying having to re-fill the pens ink every couple of strokes. and they can be a bit messy if you're not careful. sometimes, it can be hard to get a smooth curve out of them. you generally have to pull the pen towards you, otherwise its clunky and not-smooth.

 

i have WAY too much to say for this topic. lol

Edited February 6, 2013 by crazitaco

[Lunas Husband 2,777]

ahh that's hard to say,

 

Going with Pens, because I just like how everything you wright down looks, I like how dark it is with pencils... it looks really light and pencils break really easy...

Edited December 1, 2013 by Princess Pinkie Pie