Thick, Med Or Slim? What Is Your Fav Pen Diameter?

[fpconverted]

Im going to invest in a Parker premium special edition soon and its got a sllghtly wider girth than what I am used to. I was told that larger pens are more comfortable to write with longer hours.

What is your preference?

[jar]

It is far more complex that that IMHO, Weight, length and shape of section, overall balance, material used all have a significant effect on how comfortable a pen is to use.

 

However a wider girth can hide many flaws.

[two2tone]

I like my thin Cross Century FP as it fits in a suit jacket pocket without being noticed. It is, however, too thin to write for long periods of time as it will give me hand cramps. It's a great note taker, but not good for long writing. I prefer a mid sized pen for extended writing -- my Waterman Phileas is the perfect size. Large pens don't fit in my small hands.

[Octo]

The answer to your question is very individual. I prefer slim pens and also use many medium ones. For me, the most important thing is to have a slim section. I sold a Phileas F because the section was too wide for comfort.

[Dillo]

Hi,

 

It's definitely slim. For me, slim grip sections are much more comfortable since I have small hands and fingers that are pretty slim at least compared to many people. As for the barrel diameter, I don't really mind if the barrel is thick as long as the grip is fairly slim. For this reason, I like the MB 145 more than the 114 although I like the length of the 114. Balance is also very important, and if the pen is bottom heavy, I'll notice it more quickly than most other people do since my hands are fairly small. I like the balance of pens like the pen in my avatar unposted. (Sailor Professional Gear slim mini)

 

Dillom

Edited October 14, 2013 by Dillo

[ac12]

It depends on YOUR hand.

IF you have BIG hands, then yes larger pens will be more comfortable.

 

I have small hands, and prefer what used to be called "slimline" pens such as the Parker Classic and the original Cross Century pens (vintage 70s and 80s), grip diameter 8.5 - 9mm. And I can write for hours if I choose to do so.

I CAN use the medium size pens (Parker 51), with a grip diameter about 10 - 10.5mm for long sessions, but not as comfortably as the slimlines.

I CANNOT use the fat pens, grip diameter 12mm and larger. I just can't get a decent/comfortable grip on them. I feel like a kid in kindergarten holding the FAT pencil with my fist. Well not quite that bad, but not my first or second choice.

 

As long as the change is not significant, your hand can adjust to it, to a certain degree.

.

If you know the size of the grip of the Premium SE, you can simulate that by wrapping masking tape around the grip of one of your pens, till you reach the diameter of the grip of the Premium SE. Then write with it for an hour or so and see how you feel.

.

BTW, how hard you grip the pen also affects how comfortable a long writing session is. In college I used to grip my pens HARD, and I used to constantly have a cramp in my hand...I wonder why. Now with a light grip, I can write for an hour or more and my hand would not be sore at all.

[DanF]

I have relatively small hands, yet can't abide slim pens at all, as they give me cramps. I like something about medium large in girth of the section, which to me translates to about .38" to .42". This would cover the Pilot Custom series, Sailor Pro Gear and 1922 Large, Platinum 3776, and Cross Solo, the latter being the smallest of the lot. Pelican 600, 800, and Mont Blanc 146 would be in the same group, but I don't own any of them. My two current favorites are the Custom 742 and Pro Gear, both a joy to write with for long sessions. For me the section width is the key dimension I focus on. Length, overall width are not really very important. Unfortunately, the section width is hardly ever given by pen companies or reviewers, I usually have to consult the stat page at Nibs.com, which only carries relatively expensive pens.

 

I might add that weight is also a big consideration for me, and I enjoy a weight in the low to mid twenties (grams), my Vanishing Point is too heavy for pleasure at 30 grams, but gets a lot of use for quick notes where convenience trumps weight.

 

For me, it is easier to keep a loose grip on a thicker pen, the slim ones seem to encourage (force?) a tighter grip, hence the cramping.

 

Dan

Edited October 14, 2013 by DanF

[JesterKat]

I tend to prefer medium girth pens myself, I've got large hands but short fingers, so larger pens often become uncomfortable quickly. I've also learned that I have to choose my girth by what I'm doing, for some reason pen girth translates to letter height so a slim pen with a fine point comes out with minute writing. I'm not sure why that happens.

Katie

[Opooh]

A MB 149 fits perfectly.

[Centopar]

For me, slim is key. I have little hands, and I find a larger diameter pen makes me clutch at the thing rather than holding it lightly.

 

For preference, I like a really tiny ringtop like a Waterman 12 1/2 V. They're too small to be comfortable without the cap, but posted, they're absolutely perfect for my hand, and lots of other companies were making equivalently sized pens. (I just managed to get a teeny ringtop of this sort on Greg Minuskin's site this evening - my excitement knows no bounds! It's a Paul W Johnson, a brand I'm not at all familiar with, and it looks *just* like a 512 1/2 V with a Gothic overlay.)

 

A discussion elsewhere on this site got me wondering about this preference of mine. The ringtops I favour have a similar diameter to the Parker Vector that I had to use when I was at school. It's possible that my liking for a slim pen actually has less to do with the size of my hands, and more to do with the pen I was taught how to write "joined-up" with.

Edited October 14, 2013 by Centopar

[Ghost Plane]

Thick. 149s or M1000 are perfect for my small hands. Slim pens cause hand cramps. But the pen needs to be long & well balanced as well. Visconti Ripples & Deltas are wonderful, too.

[Edwaroth]

I use pens of slightly wider girth with the largish hands I own. I also like shorter, heavier pens than most but they must be well balanced. One pen that has grown on me greatly is a Faber-Castell Loom. I would imagine a Sheaffer Legacy or Aurora Optima to be superb pens for me.

[sargetalon]

I agree with Jar overall but tend towards medium to slim pens myself. Not a big fan of super oversized personally and an M800 is probably the biggest diameter pen that I have.

[Blue_Moon]

I own some small pens, but I prefer larger pens in general.

[sumgaikid]

I like large and oversize pens with a wide girth. In my small hands,such a

size is no problem as long as the pen overall isn't heavy. Once owned an

MB146 in art deco striping. While it looked nice,it was tiresome holding it

for an extended period of time.

 

As long as the pen is light--I post the caps on my pens--there's no problem.

 

 

John

[Lszuk]

Thick. 149s or M1000 are perfect for my small hands. Slim pens cause hand cramps. But the pen needs to be long & well balanced as well. Visconti Ripples & Deltas are wonderful, too.

I wholeheartedly agree!!

[whitedot]

Medium. The 146 is perfect, approx. 12mm at the section.

 

Slim, long and back-heavy pens are the worst for me. The weight hangs outside my hand, and my grip tightens to reduce swing, resulting in cramp.

[Buzz_130]

I agree with ac12--it's really up to what works best for your hands.

 

However, in my experience, I find when taking meeting notes, short scribbles, or to do lists, I like a medium-sized pen. I carry a pair of Parker 51s as my EDC. I will also bring a Sheaffer Snorkel/Esterbrook J type for the same function.

 

I've I'm writing long sections, journals, agendas, briefing notes (I write them down before going to the keyboard now), I like a thicker pen with my larger hands. M805, Onoto Winston Churchill, TWSBI Vac 700, etc. Those are more comfortable for the long writing sessions, and I think better when I slow down a bit to craft my prose, my thoughts, and my words.

 

Buzz

[inkstainedruth]

I would say that for me it's medium: although I have a number of slim pens (for example I have 5 Parker Vectors), the *most* comfortable for long writing sessions are my Parker 51 Aeros and Noodler's Konrads (haven't had the Vacumatic Major long enough to have done much writing with it yet, but that seems to be a decent size). Smaller size pens are fine for quick notes, but if I were to write more than 3-4 pages I suspect that I would have cramps -- and I already have some issues with tendinitis in my thumb; but OTOH, I think that larger or fatter pens would be too fatiguing: tried someone's Montblanc 149 a while back -- it was just too big and heavy, and his 146 wasn't a whole lot better (although the nib on the 149 was pretty nice). Similar size problems with a Pelikan 800 I tried at one point (and even the 600s are a tad too large, but I suspect that -- could I afford one -- a 400 would be "just right").

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[ISW_Kaputnik]

A regular Esterbrook J or a Pelikan M205 has a "just right" feel to it, so I guess I tend to prefer the slimmer side of medium, as well as something fairly light. On the other hand, a range of sizes from an Esterbrook SJ (quite slim and small) to a much larger TWSBI 540 are comfortable enough. The only fountain pen I've tried that was really too thin to be comfortable for lengthy use was an A.G. Spalding mini pen, and it would still be okay for quick notes. I've got a Jinhao 159 that wouldn't be a bad writer except that it's too thick and heavy; it's the only one I've tried that was definitely too fat.