Heavy Modern Pens - Why?

[Surf Monkey]

The mass of a pen and it's centre of gravity are not linked. A heavy pen may be back-heavy or front-heavy. Posting is relevant IMO because it affects the balance and can be beneficial or not as suits the hand of a particular person.

 

I agree with one caveat. If a pen is very light (the Noodler's piston fill pens for example) it won't matter where the center of gravity is because there's not enough overall weight involved to pass the threshold where you actually notice. A pen has to have enough mass to it that you can feel which direction it's weighted to.

[rockspyder]

The heavier, the better

[fabrimedeiros]

I prefer pens not too heavy. In fact, I prefer pens in the lighter side. Pelikan M800 is perfect and I don't think it's a heavy pen, neither the M1000. For sure, balancing is more important than weight. MB 149 is a perfect exemple of a light pen and very well balanced: it's a very confortable pen! I really like it!

 

When I use a heavy pen for many hours, my wrist hurts.

 

One of my beloved pens is Visconti Homo Sapiens, which is a very well balanced pen, when unposted! Unfortunately, The cap is too heavy and I can't use it posted. I prefer my pens posted, though, when I use them unposted, I don't think it's a big problem.

[Pen Nut]

Guys, we're getting wayy off topic here...this is NOT about "to post or not to post", but about the seeming advent of heavy pens......

 

development of topic I would say.

[Surf Monkey]

Guys, we're getting wayy off topic here...this is NOT about "to post or not to post", but about the seeming advent of heavy pens......

 

development of topic I would say.

 

Agree. Posting changes the center of gravity, so it's relevant to the topic.

[mirosc]

Agree. Posting changes the center of gravity, so it's relevant to the topic.

You mean: the more we are posting, the more the topic is gravitating towards new angles...?? (puns intended)

[fabrimedeiros]

Guys, we're getting wayy off topic here...this is NOT about "to post or not to post", but about the seeming advent of heavy pens......

 

development of topic I would say.

 

Agree. Posting changes the center of gravity, so it's relevant to the topic.

 

 

 

Weight, center of gravity, inertia, posted or unposted pens are all interconnected issues, when we are talking about pen weight & comfort.

Edited June 16, 2011 by fabrimedeiros

[rhosygell]

I have an 8 inch hand span which is a little smaller than normal, therefore posting changes the dynamics of most pens considerably for me. It may also be why I am not too keen on heavy pens.

 

I did try posting the M800 to see what difference it made - what was on the verge of tolerable unposted became unuseable posted. Clearly, what suits one person fails miserably for another.

 

However, the need for weight in modern pens still baffles me particularly as we have plenty of light, strong non corroding materials available to us for piston mechanisms etc. Surely there is a case for moving away from heavy materials such as brass? Or have I missed the point yet again ?

[EMM]

The only heavy pens I dislike were chinese brands lol

 

However I do believe the heavy = quality argument is purely psychological.

[brwolff]

I totally agree! I wish I could find a beautiful pen, that doesn't weigh more than 25 grams. I have been relegated to lightweight fountains pens, that, unfortunately are very boring to look at. But to me, it's all about the feel. I have to like the way if feels when I hold it. I have smaller hands and those big honking pens make me feel like I'm holding a pipe.

 

Can someone make a light AND gorgeous fountain pen???

[mirosc]

I wish I could find a beautiful pen, that doesn't weigh more than 25 grams.

[...]

Can someone make a light AND gorgeous fountain pen???

 

Depends on what you regard as "gorgeous". I have found mine - with ink: 18g. Great nib (both writewise and lookwise). Fabulous bodyfinish. I love my Sheaffer Targa Slim (Grapes and Leaves finish) with golden stub nib. And of course my Pilot Myu: thicker, but not heavier. And there are even more pens out there.

 

But on some occasions it's also nice to feel some heavyweight

[stefanv]

Can someone make a light AND gorgeous fountain pen???

 

Pelikan M400, M405, or perhaps M600 or M605. All quite light, and quite gorgeous.

[Ernst Bitterman]

Can someone make a light AND gorgeous fountain pen???

 

They did, but it's been discontinued for a while-- Parker Vacumatic Major.

[RMN]

I totally agree! I wish I could find a beautiful pen, that doesn't weigh more than 25 grams. I have been relegated to lightweight fountains pens, that, unfortunately are very boring to look at. But to me, it's all about the feel. I have to like the way if feels when I hold it. I have smaller hands and those big honking pens make me feel like I'm holding a pipe.

 

Can someone make a light AND gorgeous fountain pen???

Try Cleo Skribent Classic. Your choice in piston or c/c, gold or steel nib, black or white.

 

I have the black piston with gold medium nib. Good writer, a bit too light for my taste.

 

 

D.ick

[Florida Blue]

However I do believe the heavy = quality argument is purely psychological.

 

I would agree. I think there is a certain belief that if a person was going to spend $150, $200, $300 etc. on a high-end pen that it ought to be made of metal and not plastic. Plastic implies cheap and inexpensive and therefore not worth the cost of the pen because it's made of plastic. The weight I believe also gives the pen some sort of substance that people associate with expensive. Expensive=heavy. Cheap=light weight, such as the cheap disposable pens that you buy in office supply super stores. Metal I believe also equates to longevity. Many would believe that a metal pen is going to be more durable and longer lasting than a plastic one but those people have never seen the plastic beauties of the 1930s, 40s and 50s.

[floydee1]

Well, it all has to boil down to individual suitability.

 

The mass of a pen and it's centre of gravity are not linked. A heavy pen may be back-heavy or front-heavy. Posting is relevant IMO because it affects the balance and can be beneficial or not as suits the hand of a particular person.

 

Mass is the key; writing is a dynamic activity and the mass of the pen will alter the feel when writing according to a person's muscles and writing style and writing speed. There can be no universal rules. A lighter pen will move quicker for less effort for one, or will feel skittish and uncontrollable to another. A heavier pen will confer momentum and solidity, or just be too tiring to hold for another. I agree, just from personal preference, that girth is a more important factor than length, if mass is not considered.

 

My first new pen was a Pelikan M805, a heavier pen, and it felt a little too heavy at first. As I used it more, and wrote more, the weight became irrelevant - I adapted as my muscles developed, and I now find it less tiring to use than a lighter pen, for long writing session.

 

Well said, beak.

Your post says it all (for me)

[USMCMom]

I prefer larger and heavier pens also. They're more comfortable for me, less tiring and the weight seems to handle the "work" part of writing. Smaller and thinner pens, for me, aren't as comfortable.

[Florida Blue]

However I do believe the heavy = quality argument is purely psychological.

 

I would agree. I think there is a certain belief that if a person was going to spend $150, $200, $300 etc. on a high-end pen that it ought to be made of metal and not plastic. Plastic implies cheap and inexpensive and therefore not worth the cost of the pen because it's made of plastic. The weight I believe also gives the pen some sort of substance that people associate with expensive. Expensive=heavy. Cheap=light weight, such as the cheap disposable pens that you buy in office supply super stores. Metal I believe also equates to longevity. Many would believe that a metal pen is going to be more durable and longer lasting than a plastic one but those people have never seen the plastic beauties of the 1930s, 40s and 50s.

 

Not necessarily. Some of the most expensive pens out there are celluloid lightweights and Japanese maki-e pens with an ebonite or plastic base - also light in weight.

What I would say is that plastic does suffer (and rightly so) from a low quality image, hence the stupid title 'precious resin' that certain pen makers like to give to this material. There is nothing precious about plastic - it's cheap and nasty. Celluloid and ebonite are another matter and go to show that excellent quality pens can be made with material of genuinely more precious material.

 

I was making a case against expensive pens needing to be heavy. I don't really see how celluloid or ebonite is precious. Celluloid is just a hard plastic and ebonite is mostly rubber. I suppose both are a little more expensive but not that much more because they are largely man-made.