Cute Pens For Us Girls!

[flyingfox]

I don't necessarily think that feminine pens have to be smaller/ thinner. I am 5'6" with fairly large hands. I usually wear G-Shock wrist watch for guys at work, out of necessity, and it fits well. They are fantastic- totally tough, water-resistant up to 200m, shock resistant, and practically indestructible (the watch, NOT the guys or the work.) I also have a Baby-G in pink for my days off. I love cute wrist watches, naturally, but I don't trust myself to wear fragile watch, especially if it's expensive... Also, many of the fashionable wrist watches for women have tiny face and no numbers written on it, so- they can be hard to see.

But I digress... going back to the topic at hand...

At this point, I need pens in variety of sizes at the grip section. I have been dealing with a injury of the tendon (responsible for moving my thumb) for the past 6 months or so. If I keep holding a pen (or anything) of any size for too long, my thumb gets stuck, ouch. So- I just keep rotating bet. the pens of various sizes and do the "stone/ paper" exercise periodically... problem solved. I use my Safari as well as the super-slender Sailor, and everything inbetween. As I wrote earlier, I am a total sucker for colors.

Some pens have the same length/ girth for boys/ girls anyways, just the colors/ designs are different.

Case in point... Here's another example of boyish vs. girly pens...

 

Hope I attached those pics correctly. I keep getting the error message, saying "You have exceeded your allotted disk space for attachments" when I try to attach pics normally, so I am trying out the Image Hosting Upload thing for the first time...

 

 

[TSherbs]

When did confectionary colors become associated with femininity? Later 19th century print color advertising? Have you noticed how over the last 20 years the ToysRUs aisles have become taken over by pink/pastel on one side of the store and green/brown/blue on the other? (that's my observation, anyway) What's our problem?

[inkstainedruth]

What about giving a pen as a gift to a girl/woman. Do you choose a "feminine" one?

Have you (women) also ever received pens as gifts which were noticeably gender oriented, or have you (men) been uncomfortable with the gift pens you have received?

I gave a Parker Vector FP/BP set to my husband's niece for a graduation present. I got her ones that were blue (the pink sets I saw on Ebay were way too expensive (just to be pink), and the only Vector pen/pencil set I saw was bright yellow with black trim and clip (and I just didn't see her as liking that particular color combination); although I *did* briefly consider getting it for myself -- but couldn't really justify the price without knowing if I could refills for the pencil -- and it it was a pretty eye-searing yellow at that).

As for pens I've been given, it's always been in the context of a pen club meeting (which is generally mostly guys + me). And it's nearly always been a case of "Hey, I'm giving away an X because I've decided I hate [random width] nibs, anyone want it?" and me going "Sure, I'll take it off your hands!" So, the only one that might be considered *remotely* "gendered" would be the Wing Sung 237, because it's a pretty pen with its red marbled body. Everything else I would consider genderless; they're just pens.

Admittedly a few of my pens have been given names, and (in some of those cases) that has *assigned* them gender -- albeit, generally masculine or non-gendered names. For example, the Preppy eyedroppers set up as rollerballs are "Thing 1", "Thing 2" and "Thing 3" (i.e., pretty seriously genderless); the Parker Urban got christened "Phred" which is a joke that only a few people will in one certain situation/context will get -- just trust me when I say it isn't really a compliment...). But of course that's not really what we're talking about here.

I have smallish hands, so I tend to like smaller, lighterweight pens, rather than big honking heavy ones like a MB 149. OTOH, my friend often buys *teeny* vintage pocket pens (some of which are just *adorable*) that *I* have trouble holding -- I can't imagine how he manages....

I think that the most offensive part about that BIC pen -- and BIC's ad campaign for it -- was that it was like the whole women's rights movement never happened. Yes, some women would want a BP with a pretty pattern like the Crystal. But others would *want* (and positively demand that they deserve) a MB 149 -- and if it's a comfortable pen for them to write with, I'm sure not going to say "Eww, that's a man's pen...."

Oh, and this is for Namru: When someone posted the link to that old TV ad for PFMs last year, the thing just made me want to puke. Until I saw the actual pen mechanism in action. Then it was: "Who CARES if they're *supposed* to be for men? That's SOOOOO cool! Must HAVE!!" Don't have a PFM -- yet -- but I do now have a couple of Snorkel Valiants; I'd have to see whether a PFM was too large for me to write with comfortably -- but once I get the Valiants working....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Daisy25]

I don't necessarily think that feminine pens have to be smaller/ thinner. I am 5'6" with fairly large hands. I usually wear G-Shock wrist watch for guys at work, out of necessity, and it fits well. They are fantastic- totally tough, water-resistant up to 200m, shock resistant, and practically indestructible (the watch, NOT the guys or the work.) I also have a Baby-G in pink for my days off. I love cute wrist watches, naturally, but I don't trust myself to wear fragile watch, especially if it's expensive... Also, many of the fashionable wrist watches for women have tiny face and no numbers written on it, so- they can be hard to see.

 

But I digress... going back to the topic at hand...

 

At this point, I need pens in variety of sizes at the grip section. I have been dealing with a injury of the tendon (responsible for moving my thumb) for the past 6 months or so. If I keep holding a pen (or anything) of any size for too long, my thumb gets stuck, ouch. So- I just keep rotating bet. the pens of various sizes and do the "stone/ paper" exercise periodically... problem solved. I use my Safari as well as the super-slender Sailor, and everything inbetween. As I wrote earlier, I am a total sucker for colors.

 

Some pens have the same length/ girth for boys/ girls anyways, just the colors/ designs are different.

 

Case in point... Here's another example of boyish vs. girly pens...

 

Hope I attached those pics correctly. I keep getting the error message, saying "You have exceeded your allotted disk space for attachments" when I try to attach pics normally, so I am trying out the Image Hosting Upload thing for the first time...

 

 

 

Oh, no. I don't object to pink. I don't object to flowers. I don't object to different tastes between men and women. But that packaging is an example of where these gender stereotypes go so far wrong. What do the "boy" pens get? Action and numbers and energy and mind. What do the girls get? A disturbingly sexualized girl who not only has breasts but is arching her body so they are prominently displayed. Ewwwww.

 

Is Xena in the house?

[whitedot]

Oh, no. I don't object to pink. I don't object to flowers. I don't object to different tastes between men and women. But that packaging is an example of where these gender stereotypes go so far wrong. What do the "boy" pens get? Action and numbers and energy and mind. What do the girls get? A disturbingly sexualized girl who not only has breasts but is arching her body so they are prominently displayed. Ewwwww.

 

Is Xena in the house?

 

Ditto.

 

 

Years ago, my bro and I went to watch Toy Story on Ice. Our host bought my brother a huge, green, plush Rex (i.e. Andy's dino). What did I get? A little figurine of Bo bleeping pushover Peep, Woody's meek, flirty, tittering love interest. I still covet the Rex.

[ANM]

At the same time Sheaffer was marketing the Pen for Men, they were aslo making Ladies pens. There were several designs. Here are two of them. They have the triumph nib and are cartridge-C/C filled.

 

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii101/matthewsno/DSCN0603_zps31fb0402.jpg

Edited June 21, 2013 by ANM

[dorothynotgale]

When did confectionary colors become associated with femininity? Later 19th century print color advertising? Have you noticed how over the last 20 years the ToysRUs aisles have become taken over by pink/pastel on one side of the store and green/brown/blue on the other? (that's my observation, anyway) What's our problem?

Actually, pink was the "boy" color and blue the "girl" color well into the 20th century. A 1918 baby book says, "...the generally accepted rule is pink for the boy and blue for the girl. The reason is that pink being a more decided and stronger color, is more suitable for the boy; while blue, which is more delicate and dainty is prettier for the girl." (Source: Prof. Jo Paoletti's website, Pink is for Boys)

 

Basically, it's just social norms, and mutable ones at that. Whichever colors are seen as "weaker" at any given time get assigned to women. Misogyny ahoy!

 

 

Oh, no. I don't object to pink. I don't object to flowers. I don't object to different tastes between men and women. But that packaging is an example of where these gender stereotypes go so far wrong. What do the "boy" pens get? Action and numbers and energy and mind. What do the girls get? A disturbingly sexualized girl who not only has breasts but is arching her body so they are prominently displayed. Ewwwww.

 

Is Xena in the house?

*Cheer* The overt body display on the package of that child's pen is awful. It looks like a larval form of the backbreaker Boobs-N'-Butts poses that you see women drawn in by bad comic book artists. Her pouty lips and heavy makeup also remind me of those Bratz dolls (from the pink part of the toy store). I always wanted stuff with spaceships and archaeologists when I was a kid, so I could play make-believe, not... creepy, big-eyed cartoon versions of regular people. What's the fun in that?

 

The one with butterflies is really pretty, though. The one with sound effects balloons - WANT. NOW.

[kps]

I was also hoping to find an FSM fountain pen

I assume the nib would be a wet noodle.

[betsypreston]

Aaand these kind of responses (pens are NOT gendered, this is silly, blah blah blah) is precisely why I put this thread up.

 

There are watches for women, which are clearly more delicate in design than men's. There are leather products for women. There are rose-scented shaving creams for women from Art of Shaving (which, if you've ever visited the shop, screams "FOR MEN"). There are laptops in pale lilacs. Yet when it comes to pens, it is much more difficult to find a slender, delicately-designed pen that a woman might enjoy using. (Lamy Safari is not designed for women. The design is rather utilitarian and clunky.)

 

To be honest, the vast majority of fountain pens I encounter do seem to be designed for men. My "feminine" pens are all made in Japan; they are more slender, more delicately made...

 

http://userdisk.webry.biglobe.ne.jp/020/340/39/N000/000/005/135891397543813117420_DSCF9093.JPG

 

http://userdisk.webry.biglobe.ne.jp/020/340/39/N000/000/001/130870638449616428410_DSCF4125.JPG

 

Those are the "Lady Pilot" series. I have the bottom one, and it is rather clear that it is for a woman. Or is it that only Asian females would rather use these pens, and western women would rather use something like this?

 

http://static.jetpens.com/images/a/000/024/24575.jpg

I LOVE your two floral pens. What are they?

[Plume145]

Interesting thread! Food for thought for sure :-)

 

Actually though, I'm not so sure that pens like the stallone one mentioned up thread are what the mainstream would think of as 'masculine'. From what I can tell masculine in terms of design is more often about the ABSENCE of any decoration than about favoring one decorative style or set of motifs or even just color palette over another. I mean, the stallone thing and other stuff like it may not be quite what you might call girly girly, but lots of people seem to find it less than manly as well.

 

I think it's the perennial contrasting of asceticism and aestheticism, a debate about as ancient as the one on nature vs nurture, and one just as tenacious. Like the latter, the former has piggybacked on all kinds of concepts over the centuries, and taken both sides, the culturally dominant one or the other one.

 

Currently, asceticism is associated with wealth and high status (think of the enduring trend for minimalism in home decor). Functional items styled to be decorative AND purely decorative items are considered by and large to be 'tacky' - meaning, relevant to those the speaker perceives as lower status than him- or herself. It used to be that heavily decorated clothes were a mark of privilege, and simple clothes were for people who couldn't afford more.

 

Then the middle-classes rose to power in the nineteen century, and consolidated their cultural hegemony in the first half of the twentieth, and slowly plain, matte black came to be seen the height of good taste. This is still true, even for women if they want to be seen as 'classy' - witness the sea of black cocktail-length dresses at any 'sophisticated' urban gathering (worn even by women who would really look so much better in other colors).

 

The asceticism vs aestheticism thing has been cloaked in the mantle of gender just as much. I'm too worried about straying into dangerously politicized territory to dig any deeper into the connection of the first to the masculine and the second to the feminine and of the Whole Thing to certain uh, religious matters, but yeah - have a google, y'all

 

Anyway - $0.02, YMMV, and so on :-)

[N2theBreach]

I must say Gabrielle, you have a knack for posting threads that take off like wildfire! . I do find them interesting.

 

As a male, I'm glad to hear that many women consider most pens to be genderless. That makes it easier to buy a pen for my wife. Yeah, we guys can be clueless sometimes when it comes to buying gifts that our significant others will appreciate.

 

Regarding the original point, though, when I browse pen pages, whether it's manufacturers, sellers, whatever, I do see a fair number of pens that I wouldn't buy for myself because, to my eyes, they are too feminine for my tastes. So, i offer that there are pens out there that somebody thinks are feminine. They just may not be girly enough for those who want really girly.

Edited June 21, 2013 by N2theBreach

[bitterwonder]

Pelikan M320 Ruby? I saw one at the Boston Pen Show. Probably the cutest thing ever, in terms of a serious, high-end pen at least. I mean, look at it...Image is from DaveyB's blog.http://justdaveyb.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/rubyreds_20121101_tn.jpg?w=955

Pelikan M320 Ruby? I saw one at the Boston Pen Show. Probably the cutest thing ever, in terms of a serious, high-end pen at least. I mean, look at it...Image is from DaveyB's blog.http://justdaveyb.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/rubyreds_20121101_tn.jpg?w=955

My 6ft plus, 230 lb studio mate chose this pen when given a choice of drawing pens. He has no problem using it.

[Loeschpapier]

Admittedly I laughed out loud at the charcoal grey Lamy... Was given that pen by a female friend of mine. I've seen enough practical Bauhaus heirs stuff for a lifetime, though. Unless it's well executed and at a level of Frank Lloyd Wright, I' not much for minimalism. My 'problem' is not so much color variation and style, but size. I have square hands and fairly flat fingers, I blame several musical instruments. But my hands are not as large as a man's hand and even a Pelikan M400 is way too long for my hand. I need pens that are not endlessly long and still offer girth.

 

Size does matter, I can barely write with the original Noodler's piston filler non-flex one because it's so skinny that my hands cramps up even thinking about it - but apparently it is a fairly popular Indian school pen mold and therefore the skinniness is potentially explained. (warning, I have a serious 'thing' for anything blue and blueish)

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zuV6cgDRdpo/T8aKsb-CExI/AAAAAAAAAzQ/k5BBM0ug0pk/s640/20110205-DSC_0022.jpg

Noodler's Konrad has great girth -if it only was a bit less temperamental!
http://www.purepens.co.uk/acatalog/KonradBlueDemo.jpg

 

So I ventured into the Indian fountain pens, for a number of reasons.

The "Camlin Cute" (yessssss, what image pops up in your head??) caught my attention because it is very much advertised as being short, but girthy. Sounds like my kind of pen!
http://www.fountainpenrevolution.com/wpimages/wpad066e37_01_06.jpg
Capped it becomes the perfect length for me and I don't get cramps. And being an eyedropper with really fine threads to keep the ink in - very nice! I personally don't think the pen is overly cute, but that is the kind of pen that my hand needs.
http://www.fountainpenrevolution.com/wpimages/wpad066e37_01_06.jpg

I have the maroon one and it's probably the least girly pen I have. I can promise though I will buy the other colours, too.

 

The pen that I consider the ultimate tool for my female, yet square hands is the discontinued Pelikan M150.

Girth, piston filler and probably too short for many men - but it sure looks slightly drab.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mOTyPOgIno8/SwkS8-K6V1I/AAAAAAAAALA/Wb2aCleeSe4/s1600/M150+red+2.JPG

I sort of refrained from buying FP marketed toward the Ladies - largely because of my disdain for slimmer pens that my hand doesn't like.

 

The other day I bought two clear demonstrators off (branded "Romus", are of Indian design, definitely not German, some speculated they might be Fellowship pens) ebay and subjectively I consider those a joy to write with!
Another female FPN member reviewed it, too and I would have to agree with her - very well behaved pen that lays down a wet line, feels great in the hand and is certainly a great purchase, especially for the price!

Having caught the Indian FP bug I tried getting one girly-girl pen, but apparently the guys selling to the US markets don't offer it - too girly??
http://www.pricesearch.co.in/sears.php?cat=Fountain+Pen&pid=261218761981

 

Unfortunately only shipment to India is listed, otherwise I would have gotten this pen set already - section lists 10mm, sounds good to me!

But there's still a lot out there to be tried when it comes to blue demonstrators, blue, my obsession.

 

I have one Dilli fountain pen with flex nib and it subjectively feels on the skinny side.

 

I love many of the Asian designs out there - but being 1,76m tall I just find that most things marketed toward the Ladies is simply way to small - clothing etc. If someone knows better and can point me toward a pen that's not too skinny, that would be helpful!

 

Oh, and I'm a girl alright - where are the Corpse Bride/Alice in Wonderland and Edward Scissorhand fountain pens??? I'd be a very happy girl indeed.

[Loeschpapier]

I always thought the beautiful Princess Grace pen is the epitome of feminine class.

 

 

REALLY want one!

Looks beautiful - minus that skinny looking section and the jewel thingie!

[Cyber6]

I am a girl... and I like my pens the way I like my men... BIG ... BROAD... and JUICY !!!!!

 

I like big pens... I like BB and BBB.. and HUGE STUBS... and they all better be very WET...

 

But that is just me....

[TheGreatRoe]

I like big pens... I like BB and BBB.. and HUGE STUBS... and they all better be very WET...

 

But that is just me....

 

Too.

 

Many.

 

Jokes.

 

[Elizabeth in NJ]

I like vintage modern/minimalist styling, myself, and I tend toward subdued blues/greens for pen color. Not a fan of pink and purple.

 

That said, one pen I drool over is the Visconti Rembrandt in orange. It also comes in a really nice looking purple, a ruby red, and a white. To me, they have a feminine feel. (These pictures don't do the pens justice. )

The Rosetta Napoleon fountain pen comes in some cute colors too. They're cheap, and I don't know if they're any good, but they look pretty nice. (Hm...hadn't noticed that they have ink cartridge rollerballs. I wonder if they're any good.)

[dorothynotgale]

I like vintage modern/minimalist styling, myself, and I tend toward subdued blues/greens for pen color. Not a fan of pink and purple.

 

That said, one pen I drool over is the Visconti Rembrandt in orange. It also comes in a really nice looking purple, a ruby red, and a white. To me, they have a feminine feel. (These pictures don't do the pens justice. )

 

The Rosetta Napoleon fountain pen comes in some cute colors too. They're cheap, and I don't know if they're any good, but they look pretty nice. (Hm...hadn't noticed that they have ink cartridge rollerballs. I wonder if they're any good.)

I do not need the purple Rosetta. I do not need the purple Rosetta. Even if it is only $29, I still do not need the purple Rosetta. *repeats and locks up wallet*

 

I wonder if they take #6 nibs. *slaps own hand*

[DanF]

The new "Intima" by Moneteverde in neon pink looks kind of girly, but isn't a skinny pen, the section is .39" at the narrowest, just a tad narrower than the Platinum Preppy or Plaisir at .40". There is a green one too. Monteverde Intima Fountain Pen - Neon Pink

 

The Pilot Prera comes in "vivid pink, soft blu, white, ivory, and yellow" - solid colors that may only be available from Japanese dealers. They are supposed to be smaller pens, though I've never seen one live. PILOT NAMIKI PRERA Solid Color - Engeika Finest Store - The Best Japanese Stationery and Fountain Pen - Engeika Finest Shop

[Newjelan]

I am woman & I like pens. I am relatively small (163cm) with average sized hands for a woman. I prefer larger heavier pens with the original Visconti Van Gogh Maxi a favourite along with the Pelikan M800.

 

I don't like skinny pens nor pink pens (or pink ink for that matter). Neither am I keen on Black/Gold pens. I love variations on brown (ie tortoise, speckled, cracked etc), blue pens and orange ones. The only pens that seem to have gender connotations to me are Black Resin with Gold trim (male) and narrow, dainty, fussy pens (female). I stay away from both.