Inspired by a tag challenge I found on TarotTube (yes, that’s a thing), I decided to modify the questions a bit and turn it in to a pen community tag. If you would like to participate as well, copy and paste the questions at the bottom of the post and add your answers into the comments. Fellow bloggers and content creators, send me a link if you decide to do this challenge as well.
Okay, let’s go!
1: What is the pen they’ll have to pry out of your cold dead hands?
My Sailor ProGear Slim in Starburst Galaxy. Its got an awesome nib and it’s black and sparkly! It touches my inner goth girl.
2: What’s your guilty pleasure pen?
The old, ridiculous Platinum (Carbon) Desk Pens. They are too long to fit in most pen cases so I hack the ends off with a Dremel tool. The old models had those weird little rubbery, plastic caps. But damn if I don’t love these stupid pens. Platinum has since changed the pens and don’t ship with Carbon ink cartridges, but have real snap caps. The nibs are different and I just don’t love them as much. I love the old ones in their weird, ugly bodies with their amazing extra fine nibs.
3: What’s the pen you wish existed?
A Platinum 3776 in a glittery material with silver hardware. I almost don’t care what color material I just want it glittery. Platinum, embrace the glitter. Take some cues from Sailor and make all the sparkly, colorful beautiful things. Call me if you need suggestions. I have my Pantone book ready and waiting.
4: What pen would you give to a new enthusiast?
Kaweco Sport. Its inexpensive, easy to use and pocketable so a new user might be compelled to take it with them rather than keeping it “safe” on a desk.
5: What pen do you want to get along with but it just never clicked?
TWSBI. Anyone who knows me well knows that TWSBI pens (ECOs, 580s, Mini, Swipe, whatever) never seem to perform for me the way they do for other people. I think I may have had a couple bad experiences early on and now I just have a TWSBI curse. Most of the TWSBI reviews on the site were done by other people because me and TWSBI just don’t see eye to eye.
6: What pen do you only keep only because its pretty?
My 18111.com Cherry Blossom with twig roll stop. It was a pricey pen and then I put a fancy modified nib on it too so I made it even more expensive and fancy. Its beautiful but is definitely a pen I keep safe in its case and don’t take it around with me much. It’s also a bit too big for my hands so its not something I would use regularly anyway. But its SOOOO pretty.
7: What pen (or stationery item) did you buy because everyone else did?
Musubi notebooks. They are gorgeous. I love what Musubi is doing creating jobs for people but they are too precious for me to use. I have bought several and good friends have gotten them as gifts because I couldn’t bring myself to use them.
8: What pen (or stationery product) is over your head or just baffles you?
What baffles me is how much people love the Plotter. Every time I see one I flash back to my Filofax which I love. And so many people complained about how expensive Filofaxes were so I am a bit baffled how people are spending WAY more for Plotter covers. The Plotter papers are really nice but if you already have a Filofax or other ringbound planner, I don’t understand investing in a Plotter. YMMV.
9: What pen (or stationery product) surprised you?
Because I am not a big Tomoe River 52gsm fan, I put off buying a Stalogy Notebook because everyone said it was basically Tomoe River paper. I was so sure I wouldn’t like it that I asked Laura to review it knowing she liked Tomoe River paper more than I did.
What makes it such a surprise for me is that the Stalogy paper is lightweight like Tomoe and shows a lot of ink properties (maybe not as many as Tomoe River) but it also dries much faster. I have gone through a whole A5 365 notebook and am working through an A6 365 as my daily journal. Surprised? You betcha! Happy about it? Yup.
10: What pen (or stationery product) doesn’t really work for you but you keep it because it’s a collectible?
I dug through my pen collection and realized that I keep pens for sentimental reasons way more than because they are collectible. Many “collectible” pens have been re-homed. The pens I tend to collect aren’t very expensive — like new colors or the Kawceo Sport or Lamy Al-Star/Safari. I probably have more “collectible” inks than “collectible” pens like pedestal bottles of Bungubox inks and vintage bottles of Montblanc inks.
11: What is your favorite sparkly pen (or ink)?
For sparkly pens, I would probably have to pick my first ever sparkly fountain pen: the Bungubox Sailor Pro Gear Slim Pink Love. As for inks, I like the PenBBS shimmer inks best and will always choose them over other brands.
12: Which nib do you love – but hate the pen? (or vice versa)?
See Monday’s post about the Caran d’Ache 849 fountain pens. Love the pen, hated the nib.
13: What pen (or stationery product) gives you the willies?
Any pen with a GIANT logo on it. I don’t want to wear a giant logo on my shirt or printed on my handbag so why would I want a BIG logo on my pen. I won’t name names but if I want something from a fancy brand, bury that logo.
14: What’s your favorite pen for long form writing?
Any of my Sailor Pro Gear Slim fountain pens. They are light, small and easy for me to use for long writing sessions.
15: What pen (or stationery product) do you love in theory but not in practice?
The Kurutoga mechanical pencils. This might also be more of a product that baffles me because I don’t get the benefit from the rotating lead.
Also, the Pilot Vanishing Point or Decimo. I like the idea of the retractable fountain pen but I have never used one that was actually comfortable for any length of time.
16: What pen (or stationery product) would you never let someone else use?
There is no pen I wouldn’t let someone use, or at least try. As for stationery, I would be hesitant to let someone use my journals because there is some personal info in them but I’d probably let someone flip to a blank page and test out the paper. Pretty much, my stationery cabinet is full access.
17: What pen (or stationery product) would you never use for yourself?
I know this will come as a shock to many people but I don’t really love Tomoe River 52gsm. So, all the hullballoo about the change in the paper was interesting to me and I cared for other people but, for me, it wasn’t a big deal.
18: What pen (or stationery product) could you NOT bring yourself to buy?
I love the Minä Perhonen Hobonichi covers but they are so expensive. I look at them every year and lust after them but I cannot justify spending the money for these covers, especially since I don’t use a Hobonichi for my planner.
19: What’s your favorite vintage pen?
I am Lady Sheaffer — I mean I love Lady Sheaffer Skripserts. I think there are several other people vying for this title but I’m willing to fight for the title.
20: What is your favorite EDC/pocket pen?
Kaweco AL-Sport. ‘Nuff said.
21: What’s the pen (or stationery product) that got away?
I can’t believe I have missed both the original release AND the follow-up releases of the Blackwing Red and Blue Pencils. I love red/blue pencils but both releases landed at times when I was either very cost-conscious or crazy busy and lost track of the release schedule.
That’s my list. If you’d like to try this yourself, the questions are posted below. Remember to use the hashtag #21PenQuestions if you post this on social media. Thanks for playing along!
The questions:
1: What is the pen they’ll have to pry out of your cold dead hands?
2: What’s your guilty pleasure pen?
3: What’s the pen you wish existed?
4: What pen would you give to a new enthusiast?
5: What pen do you want to get along with but it just never clicked?
6: What pen do you only keep only because its pretty?
7: What pen (or stationery product) did you buy because everyone else did?
8: What pen (or stationery product) is over your head or just baffles you?
9: What pen (or stationery product) surprised you?
10: What pen doesn’t really work for you but you keep it because it’s a collectible?
11: What is your favorite sparkly pen (or ink)?
12: Which nib do you love – but hate the pen?
13: What pen (or stationery product) gives you the willies?
14: What’s your favorite pen for long form writing?
15: What pen (or stationery product) do you love in theory but not in practice?
16: What pen (or stationery product) would you never let someone else use?
17: What pen (or stationery product) would you never use for yourself?
18: What pen (or stationery product) could you NOT bring yourself to buy?
19: What’s your favorite vintage pen?
20: What is your favorite EDC/pocket pen?
21: What’s the pen (or stationery product) that got away?
Updated: 05.10.23. A kind reader pointed out that I forgot to include #16 so I’ve added it. Sorry for the oversight!
