Office Pens

[ac12]

I thought I would start a thread that is a variation of a couple other threads.

This would be what pen(s) would you take to or keep in the office?

By office, I mean a general office environment with a bunch of co-workers/clients around you, not the more controlled home-office.

 

The reason for this category of an "office pen" is that a pen in the office is subject to being lost, stolen, borrowed, damaged, etc.

After having my expensive Cross pen stolen, I stopped bringing any of my good pens into the office and only used pens out of the supply cabinet. But now having my FP interest rekindled, I would like to take a FP in to the office again.

 

So my criteria for an "office pen" is; low cost (since you could loose the pen), decent writer (since you will be writing a lot with it), looks appropriate to a business office.

 

I currently have on my list of "office pens" the following 3 pens:

 

Pilot Metropolitian - Available in matte black, silver or gold. I have the matte black version. It is very understated simple. The pen is a dream to write with, very smooth. But it is only available in a M tip. It cost me $15 at Staples. I replaced the included sac converter with a CON-50 converter, because I like to see how much ink I have left, and it is easier for me to clean a piston converter if/when I change inks.

 

Parker IM - This one is still inbound to me, so I have not been able to test it. I think the black with gold trim would look good in in an office. Cost on Amazon just under $20. This is my token American brand, even though it is not made in the US and Parker is no longer an American company.

 

Baoer 388 - Classy looking, gloss black with gold trim. The tip is not marked but seems to be like a western F. I had not considered a Chinese made pen. I got this pen on a whim, and was pleasantly surprised. It writes well, at least on smooth paper, not sure how it will behave on less than smooth paper. It has a removable screw piston converter. Cost at isellpens $9. This low cost has opened my eyes to look at more Chinese pens for the office.

 

I am somewhat concerned about tip size. The average office paper is NOT smooth, and some are FP unfriendly. The 3 pens on my list have different tips from F to M. So it will be an experience to determine if a F tip or M tip would work better for the various paper types in the office.

 

I will probably carry the pen, as leaving it in the office would just be inviting the pen to "disappear."

And using the idea in another thread, I would also carry a cheap ball point, for when someone asks to "borrow" a pen.

 

I flush clean all new pens before use, to make sure that the feed is clean.

I do my new pen "break-in" and testing with Waterman blue ink. So I do not know how these pens will behave with other inks.

I decided to use bottle ink in all my "office pens" because it is more economical than cartridges. It took me a long time to discover that simple fact. All cartridge pens have converters installed, primarily screw piston type. So far, all the pens on my list take converters. But any pen in the future that does not take a converter, I will probably have to load the cartridges using an ink syringe.

 

What is your office pen?

[Voormas]

Good and interesting subject!

 

I came back to fountain pens (after school) due to using them at work/at the office.

 

I concur on two of your three criteria. The price is not as much of importance for me - not because I am filthy rich (wish I was ) but because I do not anticipate to loose a pen often or at all. I work in a "color coded environment" - this means different people use different colors according to their place in the hierarchy. As I am the only one who uses my color - red at the moment - I do not anticipate handing my pen over to anybody. And as I have my own office I would find if I misplace it.

 

But of course I am not really comfortable to use my really expensive pens (Pelikan M800/M1000) because I would have to kick myself for loosing them.

 

My current office pens right now:

 

1.) Italix Parson's Essential

My "signature" pen. Classy look, still really affordable and a very smooth nib. I use the medium italic and MB Alfred Hitchcock for signing anything.

 

2.) Pelikan 400NN green-striped EF

My "margins" pen. Huge ink reservoir, nice EF nib that turns out to be more or less an F. Tiny enough for my handwriting to write on margins, take notes or correct texts. I use it with Pelikan Edelstein Ruby. And on German ebay you should be able to find such a pen for under 100 USD.

 

In a few weeks I will move to a new job that requires much more physical activity - that will probably change my whole "pen setup" I am thinking about using a KAWECO Sport EF then - inexpensive if it breaks...

[CoolFool]

I keep a Hero 616 and a Hero 329 at the office in an old glass pen holder. While the pens aren't terribly exciting to write with, they're pretty dependable, inexpensive, and look kind of classy in an understated, officey, retro sort of way.

Chinese pens tend to have smallish nibs which makes them better at writing on lousy paper. I've even managed to write with them on multiple-copy paper, although I usually break down and use a ballpoint for that.

Edited July 20, 2013 by CoolFool

[UK Mike]

Since I lost my job last March and I'm only a couple of years off retirement age I may never have to take a pen to an office again.

 

However, when I did it was usually a Parker Frontier "Flighter" (stainless steel) Medium nib with Waterman Florida Blue or Parker Quink black. Just a usable and reliable combination.

[Sandy1]

Hi,

 

I keep my daily writer with me, so it hasn't been stolen or gone missing since I received it some years ago.

 

Perhaps one could revert to the use of ye olde desk pens : capless, mounted in a rather hefty base holder. (Chains are optional extras.) Being too long to pocket, makes them unlikely to be inadvertently tucked away; and being capless, makes the likelihood of making an ink-free getaway unlikely.

 

The Platinum Carbon Pen could easily be modified for such use, and would be OK for most ad hoc tasks, though personally I'd find the nib too narrow for long haul writing.

 

Bye,

S1

[RMN]

I don't work in a room with more people together. So the problem does not arise. Still I take my pens with me (shirt pocket with a leather pouch there) whenever I go for coffee or such.

 

But there are few pens I won't take out there. And those are either a bit awkward in size (small or big) or are heirlooms that stay out of rotation.

 

D.ick

[N2theBreach]

In addition to the other attributes you noted, I think office culture plays a part in your decision. I work in an environment where many, if not most, people use supply cabinet pens. Anything else is a step up. My first pen was a black Lamy Safari and people referred to it as a "fancy pen". It stood out, even though it certainly wouldn't be considered fancy at a pen show.

 

I think most of my pens would be OK if I left them on my desk. However, like RMN _^^^^_ I try not to tempt fate. When I walk away from my desk, my pens go with me. I don't have many pens, but I have enough to make a choice about which ones I take. I usually take the black Lamy and a TWSBI 580.

 

I was thinking about the suggestion for Chinese pens with a bit of irony. Even though inexpensive, some of them look like they could be quite expensive. The question to ponder--might a nice looking inexpensive Chinese pen be more likely to be stolen than a more expensive, plain looking pen? And if it was, would it matter, since they are relatively cheap? At what rate could a person afford to lose Chinese pens until it made better economic sense to buy, say, a black Parson's Essential?

[da vinci]

I have a Lamy Safari 1.1 nib plus 2 pilot 78g's one broad one fine. They are both kept in a desk drawer locked at night. The pen in my rotation (currently a waterman Gentleman in sterling silver Barleycorn finish) is kept in my briefcase.

[carlos.q]

How about a nice Esterbrook desk pen set?

[pencils+pens]

I have two pen cups at work. The one nearest the clients and visiting co-workers is loaded with office supply or vendor give away ball point pens and mechanical pencils.

 

The pen cup nearest me and very hard for anyone else to reach has a slightly better set of ball point pens and mechanical pencils. It is also home to two BIC disposable fountain pens - blue and red. The cap on the black one broke. When they are done, the Heros (see next) will take their place.

 

In my brief case, I carry a Hero 330 (PR Dakota Red), 336 (PR DC Supershow Green), Guanleming 2001 demo (Noodler's Dragon's Napalm), a Zebra H-301, an inexpensive mechanical pencil and in a day planner, a Papermate ball point.

 

In my pocket, I carry a better fountain pen from the rotation, a Cross Classic Century ball point from the rotation and a better mechanical pencil. The pocket instruments get used and immediately returned to the pocket. I have never lost one or had one "appropriated".

[ac12]

@UK Mike

I see you are another Parker 180 fan.

That is one of my favorites.

 

@N2theBreach

Interesting point you make about how expensive a pen looks, vs. how expensive it really is.

That reminds me of something my uncle told me "the crow principle." People will steal shiny looking items more than dull ones. He sold a line of auto tools that were dull in finish, and that was the specific reason for the dull finish, to avoid attracting the "crows." Maybe I need to go for matte black instead of gloss black. What is also funny is my 2 cheapest pens happens to look the most attractive to the unknowledged eye.

[Runnin_Ute]

I only have five or six pens, and I am not often away from my desk other than my lunch hour, and often times anywhere from 3-6 go with me. I keep about three or four cheap ballpoints on/at my desk which if they walk away, it is no big deal. They haven't yet. I keep my FP's in a mug when at my desk, but always keep at least one in my shirt pocket. Since I started buying "more" expensive pens ($30+) I have only lost one - a Parker 45 Flighter ballpoint (a Made in UK version) and it fell out of my shirt pocket between my car and a business in downtown SLC. I was devastated. I used Jotter's for years - but the plastic lower barrel kept breaking. So I bought my first all stainless one in around 1979-1980. Have had one all stainless Parker or another ever since.

[gmcalabr]

An interesting side effect on this topic:

 

I work out of my home office (where everything I can ink is my office pen), but occasionally out of another office (more fitting here). But more often than that, I travel, typically 2-4 days/week. So I have a complex set of issues: I don't want the pen to stand out and make me look like a wierdo, I don't want the pen to be inappropriate for business casual in factory environments (no Mont Blanc Jonathan Swifts), nothing too valuable if lost, must be super reliable, and must fly well. Here are the pens that I can typically depend on:

 

Nemosine Singularity, Sailor HighAce, Lamy Safari, Pilot 78G/etc., Parker 51, Platinum Preppy

 

I've been known to take shinier pens, but those don't typically draw attention. Generally I try to keep 4 pens around: black or grey ink, blue ink, red ink, and something else (purple, green, orange, brown, etc.). That covers anything I need. The bigger challenge is often to find a quality ink that is water resistant or water proof.

[Brian C]

Parker 51 special.

[orfew]

I bring whatever pens I am using to the office. I have my own office so there is little danger of theft.

[pen_addict]

I generally have 2 pens inked with blue and blck ink that basically live at my desk next to the ballpoints that get handed out to most others ... Right now that's a platinum preppy and a noodlers pen...

Then I also carry a few others with me (because really who uses ONLY 2 pens nd inks???).... This week includes a pelikan m200, a lamy al-star, a twsbi 580 and a rotring 600!

[PhatMan]

ac12,

 

I have had two (2) Lamy Vista ball-points stolen at work

 

Since then I have been using a Jinhao X750 (inked with Sailor Sei Boku), and, touch wood, this pen has remained un-stolen for months now

 

Have fun !

 

Best regards

 

Russ

[GRJP]

Currently I have two office pens: a parker 51 and a parker 45. Both bought on Ebay for that purpose, so no attachment, but still, most people around here cringe at the sight of a FP, so neither are particularly tempting: they are fountain pens and not recognizable as OMG status simbols, so no one really wants to touch them... the P51 mechanical pencil, on the other hand, is being coveted by the boss who says it's been a while since he had such a sturdy MP, so, strangely, I fear more for that than the FPs

[Nek]

I bring three pens to work in a 3 pen case. A MB 146 FP (used to write and sign documents), MB LeGrand Rollerball (black ink used to sign documents), and a MB Starwalker Resin Rollerball (used for meetings). I have my own office so makes it easier to keep pens safe. So far, nobody has commented on my pens.

[cybaea]

My pens are either in my hand or in my pocket (in a pen case) so it is less of an issue. I usually carry a Lamy 2000 (not shiny!) in the jacket pocket filled with Registrars' Ink (the pen, not the pocket, at least not yet). Never leave home without Registrars' Ink