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trdsf

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I left my work pen (Romus demonstrator loaded with Hero blue-black) on my desk when I went up front to cover reception. The first notes I had to take up there, I picked up one of the disposable ballpoints that infest workplaces everywhere, looked at it, and genuinely thought, 'How do the heck do you write with this thing?' and just stared at it for a second like I had heard of them but had never actually seen one before.

 

Unfortunately, there were people already lined up at the desk, so I wrote down what I needed to in my block print style... and ran for my desk to collect my pen as soon as the reception area was clear.

 

I've apparently developed a ballpoint allergy. :D

"Well, believe me, I calculated the odds of this succeeding versus the odds I was doing something incredibly stupid... and I went ahead anyway."

--Crow T. Robot, Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie

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Picking up a ballpoint forces me to automatically dumb down everything I'm writing. Thus, the block script as opposed to the usual cursive. I think they have a tendency to inhibit your fine motor skills.

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The ballpoint pens are terrible. I forgot to pick up my fp on my way to the post office today and regretted it. ugh. :(

bp allergy ftw!

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If I forget one of my fountain pens, I'll use one of my many many Parker Jotters that are at hand.

I get the shivers when someone in a store pushes that awful cheap BP at me I just pull out one of my pens.

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I've gotten very good at -- when being handed credit card receipts and the like -- to say "No, no -- I HAVE a pen!" and then warning them that the ink may still be wet....

(In some cases even the rocker blotter isn't much help, though... just smudges the signature). :(

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

"It's very nice, but frankly, when I signed that list for a P-51, what I had in mind was a fountain pen."

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I've gotten very good at -- when being handed credit card receipts and the like -- to say "No, no -- I HAVE a pen!" and then warning them that the ink may still be wet....

(In some cases even the rocker blotter isn't much help, though... just smudges the signature). :(

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

Yes, and I get incredulous stares when I use my fountain pen to sign. Once I was asked, "What is that thing?"

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Hmm. I'm a newbie here. But I guess I'm surprised that y'all will go through the fuss of using a fountain pen to sign a credit card receipt. But I can definitely understand!

 

Before I got into fountain pens, I had a collection of nice gel ballpoint pens. I never could stand using cheap disposables.

 

Some places now make you sign with a finger or a stylus on a touch screen of some sort. That drives me nuts. I can't make out any semblance of my own signature. The problem is, MY signature doesn't really matter on a credit card receipt. BUT, if someone stole my card and used it, how they sign the slip could help my bank determine it was used fraudulently and perhaps even who used it (There have been cases of folks using stolen cards and absent mindedly signing their own name!) Using electronic signature pads essentially eliminates the (admittedly small) protection the signature gives. Because if I can't sign my own name correctly; no two-bit thug is going to be able to sign theres. And it's not really likely the bank will be able to verify fraud given that my digitally signed signatures are nothing more than a few mushed together lines.

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I hardly ever use a ballpoint pen anymore, always try to bring a fountain pen with me.

 

But sometimes, filling out forms or signing a birthday card with some nasty coating on it come to mind, I do use one. I guess they're okay and not all ballpoint pens need a lot of pressure to write. I think I just have a strong preference for fountain pens, but not allergy for ballpoints.

journaling / tinkering with pens / sailing / photography / software development

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Hmm. I'm a newbie here. But I guess I'm surprised that y'all will go through the fuss of using a fountain pen to sign a credit card receipt. But I can definitely understand!

 

Before I got into fountain pens, I had a collection of nice gel ballpoint pens. I never could stand using cheap disposables.

 

Some places now make you sign with a finger or a stylus on a touch screen of some sort. That drives me nuts. I can't make out any semblance of my own signature. The problem is, MY signature doesn't really matter on a credit card receipt. BUT, if someone stole my card and used it, how they sign the slip could help my bank determine it was used fraudulently and perhaps even who used it (There have been cases of folks using stolen cards and absent mindedly signing their own name!) Using electronic signature pads essentially eliminates the (admittedly small) protection the signature gives. Because if I can't sign my own name correctly; no two-bit thug is going to be able to sign theres. And it's not really likely the bank will be able to verify fraud given that my digitally signed signatures are nothing more than a few mushed together lines.

 

When I got a new ID card I had to give my signature on one of those touch screen things and I was so incredibly irritated because the one time it's really important to write it well you can't, I just can NEVER get it right on one of those. you need paper and pen to be able to sign something properly!

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Yes, and I get incredulous stares when I use my fountain pen to sign. Once I was asked, "What is that thing?"

 

Yeah, I have my late-model blue Estie out today, just a student pen, nothing fancy, and a client went "Wow, that's a really nice pen!"

 

Well, sure, I've never met an Estie that wasn't nice, but this one really is nothing compared to others I could've brought in... imagine if I'd whipped out a pot of ink and a dip pen! :D

"Well, believe me, I calculated the odds of this succeeding versus the odds I was doing something incredibly stupid... and I went ahead anyway."

--Crow T. Robot, Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie

My Flickr, if you're interested

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Yeah, I have my late-model blue Estie out today, just a student pen, nothing fancy, and a client went "Wow, that's a really nice pen!"

 

Well, sure, I've never met an Estie that wasn't nice, but this one really is nothing compared to others I could've brought in... imagine if I'd whipped out a pot of ink and a dip pen! :D

You do that and its no longer a nice pen. You'll be given that "what a weirdo " look. :)

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You do that and its no longer a nice pen. You'll be given that "what a weirdo " look. :)

 

That's the look I'm more used to getting. :lol:

"Well, believe me, I calculated the odds of this succeeding versus the odds I was doing something incredibly stupid... and I went ahead anyway."

--Crow T. Robot, Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie

My Flickr, if you're interested

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Yes, and I get incredulous stares when I use my fountain pen to sign. Once I was asked, "What is that thing?"

Usually no one even notices. When they *do* it's invariably one of the Noodler's pens (most often when I'm using the ebonite Konrad, but has also happened with one of the resin Konrads).

Used the just-restored Sheaffer Snorkel Statesman today in Barnes and Noble and the only comment I got from the cashier was that I was the second person that day who bought a lot of knitting magazines.... Now admittedly from her point of view she wouldn't have seen the Snorkel tube, but the Triumph nib with the slight upturn *should* have suggested it wasn't a BIC BP....

Maybe the next time I go shopping someplace that I have to sign a credit card receipt I should use a pen with something more exotic an ink color in it (the Statesman is currently lubed up with Waterman Mysterious Blue, which doesn't look that "out of the ordinary" in an EF nib. Maybe I should use the Pelikan 400, which currently has Noodler's Walnut -- it's a fairly wet writer, even though it's an F nib). Or the Plum 51, which currently has Noodler's Purple Heart....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

"It's very nice, but frankly, when I signed that list for a P-51, what I had in mind was a fountain pen."

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Maybe the next time I go shopping someplace that I have to sign a credit card receipt I should use a pen with something more exotic an ink color in it (the Statesman is currently lubed up with Waterman Mysterious Blue, which doesn't look that "out of the ordinary" in an EF nib. Maybe I should use the Pelikan 400, which currently has Noodler's Walnut -- it's a fairly wet writer, even though it's an F nib). Or the Plum 51, which currently has Noodler's Purple Heart....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

I like using unusual colors of ink on receipts -- if one's questionable, it helps identify a signature as definitely mine. Just that little extra touch of security. :)

"Well, believe me, I calculated the odds of this succeeding versus the odds I was doing something incredibly stupid... and I went ahead anyway."

--Crow T. Robot, Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie

My Flickr, if you're interested

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I've apparently developed a ballpoint allergy. :D

 

You dont need to have allergy to stay away from ball-point. Just grab one and write with it for 5 mins, you'll see your own hand starts to grow self-conciousness (out of pain and agony); It might even give you a self-slap in rebel to remind you what "writing pleasure" actually means.

 

Sadly, I still have to bring a rollerball pen with me because there are too many papers outthere that do not deserve my pens.

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Not a fan of BPs at all...love looking at our weekly banking-it's all so colorful bc of all the different inks I use :)

But...there is this slider pen from schneider that surfs the page almost like fp.

If I have to use bp I use that and then run back to my fp :)

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Yeah, I have my late-model blue Estie out today, just a student pen, nothing fancy, and a client went "Wow, that's a really nice pen!"

 

Well, sure, I've never met an Estie that wasn't nice, but this one really is nothing compared to others I could've brought in... imagine if I'd whipped out a pot of ink and a dip pen! :D

i had the same comment from a knockaround wearever. a wearever that is scratched, knicked, and dinged up that i literally paid $1.50 for it. i think the dude would have passed out if i brought my jinhao 159 or my parker vector in there.

Parker 51 Aerometric (F), Sheaffer Snorkel Clipper (PdAg F), Sheaffer Snorkel Statesman (M), red striated Sheaffer Balance Jr. (XF), Sheaffer Snorkel Statesman desk set (M), Reform 1745 (F), Jinhao x450 (M), Parker Vector (F), Pilot 78g (F), Pilot Metropolitan (M), Esterbrook LJ (9555 F), Sheaffer No-Nonsense calligraphy set (F, M, B Italic), Sheaffer School Pen (M), Sheaffer Touchdown Cadet (M), Sheaffer Fineline (341 F), Baoer 388 (F), Wearever lever-filler (M).

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