Favorite "knock-Around," "always-With-You" Pen

[Gsak]

What pen do you take around with you everywhere and aren't afraid to knock around? If you keep it in a sheath, it doesn't count.

 

 

[HedgeMage]

My Kaweco AL Sport.

 

This thing was built (by Germans, I think?) to be unceremoniously crammed in an engineer's pocket, day after day, and come out alive every time. No clip, screw cap, and when closed the screw cap overlaps the threads between the cap and body by over an inch, so any pressure on the pen won't be transmitted to damage the threads. The overlap between the cap and pen when closed is close to three inches. It posts well, too.

 

The down side of this very robust pen is that it takes international short cartridges, and I haven't found a converter for it yet, so I end up refilling cartridges. Still, for something I can't destroy it cannot be beaten. Mine's quite worn after a couple of years of heavy use, but it's never failed me.

[AG_ORD]

Loclen Tiny brass fp with fine sst Bock nib. It's a small pen that posts to a regular size pen and is a cc only. That said, the brass body is bullet proof and the fine nib allows for writing on a variety of different grades of paper. I don't worry about throwing it in my pant pocket. Typically I keep it clipped to my pocket journal, which I stuff into the back pocket of my jeans...No fear of crushing the tiny pen!

[TheRealMikeDr]

Lamy Safari. It's nearly indestructible and always starts right up.

[mike.jane]

Twsbi Vac 700 in F and 'smoke' colour.

Obviously the resin and the steel accent will get scratched up a bit, but it's a rugged pen. It has now served me well for 14 months.

[FountainPenCowgirl]

In terms of reliable and not afraid to knock around, two already mentioned: Al-Sport and Safari. I'd give the edge to the Kawco, if only because some of my Safaris' caps pop off a little too easily.

 

Nothing penetrates my Al-Sports. But I'd have no hesitation to drop a Safari in my purse and go.

[Manalto]

Platinum 3776 Century bourgogne fine. It goes with me everywhere because the fine tip is practical for jotting notes in limited spaces. It's not pampered, so I thought the gloss would suffer more than it has. There are most definitely micro-scratches, but at arm's length it's still a glossy pen after several months of constant carry. Public reaction is fun. I think the subtle red complements the gold nib and gives it some pizzazz.

[Slider20]

Pilot Stella 90s sold in the USA as the Stargazer with a F nib, I just keep it loose in my pocket, it's fine and medium dry so it never feathers or needs through on cheap paper, quite reliable, and not that expensive if you buy it from Japan.

[jar]

All of my pens would fit that criteria. They ride in a shirt or (back when I wore them) jacket inner breast pocket. For the last few years they most often are in a t-shirt pocket. Today it will be the Nakaya Neo Standard with the double broad nib stubbed by John Mottishaw but once I empty these three Nakayas I have been thinking about bringing one of the Ferrari da Varese pens into rotation.

[SpecTP]

My VP hooks on my notepad and I take that pad to every meeting

[Mech-for-i]

Platinum Plaisir , Muji Aluminum & Aluminum short ( VP ) , Pilot Kaküno , Cross Classic Century .... Basically metal construction or rather robust plastic. I could take my Montblanc or Sailor KOP everywhere but they won't be up for knocking around

[Tas]

Faber Castell Ondoro, F nib.

No leaks, no fuss, solid cap click, love it.

[gryphon1911]

Karas Kustoms INK in Blue with a medium nib.

[dogpoet]

Whatever I have inked up and to hand that looks solid, mostly.

(I do favour cartridge pens - without a convertor - slightly for this. I used a Scheider Base as a go to for a while until the rubbery padding on the section started to flake off. I've also used a few Parkers, 25s in particular, a Rotring 600, a Rotring Core and a Waterman Phileas in that role.)

[Ergative]

My TWSBI 580. It always, always starts right up, the cap stays securely on, the clear barrel means I always know how much ink I've got, and the capacity is so huge that I rarely have to refill. I'm sure that one of these days the plastic will crack on me or something, but if I'm going out and only take one pen, that's the one.

[Margana]

Pilot Metropolitan or Pilot Kaküno. Both are easily replaced and are good at introducing inquisitive newbies to the fun of writing with a fountain pen.

[Bookman]

Conklin Duragraph F

[carlos.q]

During the past year my favorite "always around me" pen has been a red Pelikan M205 with F nib filled with Montblanc Permanent Blue.

Lately it's been accompanied by a Plum P51 with M nib and Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black.

[Runnin_Ute]

Depends on mood, what I am doing, shirt....

 

A Parker 45 Flighter works most of the time. Although I don't have one inked currently. Sometimes I will just not have one.

[inkstainedruth]

I'll admit that I don't tend to carry pens loose in my purse, as much to keep them upright as anything else. So mine go places in pen sleeves or cases or (if I'm carrying a number of them) in a pen wrap.

But pens that are fairly indestructible? Ones that people have already mentioned: Lamy Safari, Pilot Metropolitan, Parker 51 Aerometric. I'll add Parker Vector and Parker 45, and my Noodler's ebonite Konrad, to the list as well. And my Pelikan M200s, especially the Café Crème.

Mind you, I also have been known to carry around much fancier, more fragile pens, as EDCs, especially my Parker Vacumatic Red Shadow Wave....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth