Pencil V Pen

February 28, 2018

The best writing instruments to carry around are pencils especially mechanical. When you think of the inconvenience of having to uncap a fountain every time for just for jotting down a note.My relatives were born in the latter half of the 19th and first decade of the 20th {that dates me!} who used pencils extensively throughout their lives for writing notes, even letters, a fountain or dip pen would be inconvenient at times. Incidentally one popular pencil during the first half of the 20th centuries became known as indelible. When the tip was moistened it produced a purple "ink" and when dry became waterproof. It was often used before laundering clothes and sheets for identification and became permanent even with frequent washes. It was also popular for writing notes.

Hopefully people will know that some of the dyes in the pencils were toxic with health issues. People would wet them with their tongue. Not a good thing.

April 15, 2018

They all (pens, pencils, ballpoints, mobile phone writing apps, typewriters) have their uses. Sometimes switching can change your mood or thinking.

There are Facebook groups dedicated to the wooden pencil if you want to go down another rabbit hole.

I agree completely. I think that being forced to use pencils in grade school, then finally being permited to use pens leaves a mental mark on us that pencils are inferior. However, each has its use. For me it is 99% fountain pen, 0.9% ball pen, and 0.1% pencil use. Of course if I include computer, tablet and phone, the numbers would be different.

April 16, 2018

I use pencils, usually something like a 3B wooden pencil to get a broad line. Fountain pens are my writing implement of chice and I use a ball point for quick notes etc when I am out but pencils are great for jotting down notes, annotating documents, puzzles etc.