Gel Pens
I’m beginning to get obsessive about stationery.
I really like pilot V5 pens - but they’re expensive. I’m sure they don’t have to be.
The other week a student left this great pen in our office - comfortable to write (with a sensible triangular grip), nice thin clear lines, and looks cheap as chips.
I can find no reference anywhere on the (non-chinese) internet to the existence of this pen, despite knowing the name, manufacturer and model number. Shame, I could see myself buying four bulk packs in different colours…

April 16th, 2007 at 4:28 pm
Welcome to the ’90s (or were they around before then?). I remember using them at secondary school, and I had a few when I was at uni - most of my notes were made with them as they’re easier on the hand, although you sometimes had to watch out for smearing the gel everywhere. You’re right that they’re expensive though, you’d think after all this time they could make them cheaper. Nowadays I use whatever free pens I can get from vendors or work. I’m not that fussy anymore, it’s rare that I write anything down, I seem to have a keyboard at my fingertips most of the time.
April 16th, 2007 at 7:03 pm
I tend to get along well with the Pilot G-2 gel pens. They’ve a nice rubberized grip at the end that makes them a lot more comfortable to hold for extended periods of time. Not cheap, I grant you, but worthwhile.
April 17th, 2007 at 8:37 am
SB, are you talking about the pilot or the faber-castell?
I have plenty of pilot V5 pens…
April 17th, 2007 at 9:28 am
I’m pretty sure I was using the Pilot V5 rollerball pens at secondary school, but it might not have been until sixth form that I started using Pilot’s G2 gel pens as they were less “scratchy” to use (I was doing a lot of essay writing for A Level English Lit). I was definitely using the gel pens at uni though, although I think I switched to the Neo-Gel pens as they were cheaper (and are probably virtually identical to the Faber-Castell in the photo, although the Pilot pens are transparent), but sadly lacked the rubber grip of the G2/G3.
PS For someone that’s obsessed with the stuff, I’m surprised you chose the wrong spelling. It’s stationery.
April 17th, 2007 at 11:39 am
Ah, another techie who did an Eng Lit A-level - I thought I might be the only one
Spelling’s not my strong suit: I’ve been known to get aggressively pedantic about grammer, though…
April 17th, 2007 at 1:48 pm
You get pedantic about Kelsey Grammer? Or did you mean grammar? Or are you just winding me up because you know it’s so easy?
April 17th, 2007 at 2:01 pm
Uh… winding you up. Yes, that’s it <_< >_>