What Do You Write With All These Pens And Inks?

[lreiley]

I handwrite very little--marking up students' papers, birthday cards, get-well cards, and far too many sympathy cards of late, but that's about it. I know some of you are avid journalers, but really, what else is there to write these days?

[pienaar]

Notes when you are on the fly at work. How about letters? I have family in the EU that dont do email. I even write letters to folks who have email. There is something about getting a hand written letter that email will never replace. Really anything they have ever done with pens.

[jb500]

I write out many things that I used to simply type into the computer BFP (Before Fountain Pens )--now I write out drafts of papers, notes, sometimes even drafts of emails! Two benefits: I get to use great pens & ink, and when I do type from my drafts, the electronic versions are usually clearer and more thoughtful.

 

jb500

[risingsun]

Notes at work. Journal at home. Lists. Signatures. Any other excuse I can find...

 

I've got a good friend who is a retired judge. He used to take three fountain pens a day to work, all different colors. While he sat on the bench, he would take notes on the prosecution's arguments in one color, notes on the defense in a second color, and use the third for his own thoughts. He amassed a beautiful collection of pens, but now admits that he hardly ever uses them anymore in retirement...

[USMCMom]

Notes at work. Journal at home. Lists. Signatures. Any other excuse I can find...

 

I've got a good friend who is a retired judge. He used to take three fountain pens a day to work, all different colors. While he sat on the bench, he would take notes on the prosecution's arguments in one color, notes on the defense in a second color, and use the third for his own thoughts. He amassed a beautiful collection of pens, but now admits that he hardly ever uses them anymore in retirement...

 

Your friend, the judge, should come to our fountain pen world here on FPN and maybe we can all get him back into the inky business of things.

[Jared C]

I like to re-write short stories that I like. I'll search through open-sourced lists, read a bunch, and then re-write the ones that I liked into a journal. I just finished filling my first 200 page journal with handwritten stories from other people. felt good. NOW, I gotta find more stuff to re-write.

[USMCMom]

Well, Ireiley ... if it can be written, it's most always done with a fountain pen. I rarely use a pencil, unless it's for sketching or some type of artwork. I have a ball point pen somewhere around here and one at work, because I rarely have to actually write anything and what little writing I have to do, must be done with a black Sharpie, unfortunately. I keep a journal, use my pens for grocery lists, to-do lists, notes to my daughters that are left on the refrigerator to not forget one thing or another. I write letters when I can (we have a wonderful snail mail group here) and like you, birthday cards and such. My fountain pens have pretty much replaced the use of a ball point.

[pajaro]

Fictional items and remembrances.

[swanjun]

I review books and manga online, so I use my pens and inks to take notes while I read. This weekend, for example, I've been reading a nine-volume manga series and have taken notes in a Rhodia notebook using a different pen/ink for each volume.

[xHaishou]

I've been using em to practice my penmanship.

[N2theBreach]

Since I went back to school (the world's oldest grad student!) I have lots of opportunity to write, of course. Pursuing a master's is a bit drastic just to be able to write, but you could sign up for a writing course at the local Community College if you ever thought you wanted to be an author.

 

I journal at home, but I also journal at work, more than just meeting notes. Journalling can be a powerful way to stimulate thinking, so I'll write about events that took place, ideas, etc. My regret is usually that I didn't write enough. I'll go back looking for something and find that I didn't capture it.

[restlesscourage]

Journal entries. Notes. Stories. Letters. I also doodle.

[ronw]

1358825453[/url]' post='2572854']

I handwrite very little--marking up students' papers, birthday cards, get-well cards, and far too many sympathy cards of late, but that's about it. I know some of you are avid journalers, but really, what else is there to write these days?

 

I write a lot with these pens. Poetry, essays, short stories, engineering notes, calligraphy for friends and family. I also draw; each pen has its own character of line and expression. Typically do 3-4 drawings a day. I spend an hour or two a day using various pens. Happy, happy, happy. :-)

[Kiara]

Being a fourth year undergrad student requires a lot of note taking, studying, marking up scientific papers, drawing diagrams, etc. I've also recently started journaling, which I admit is partially so I can use my pretty pens more =P

[2GreyCats]

In fact, I hate journaling. I really stink at it. But I take notes in church, in faculty meetings, etc. I also write with a FP on paper under the document camera in my classrooms, which is projected onto a big screen in front. It's a HUGE improvement over the old overhead projector!

 

I write random notes to myself about what we did in class, what I should have done instead/will do next time, and so on. A small notebook in my purse is a repository of haiku.

[Nibwitz]

Fountainpens do write so lovely that one just searches for opportunities to write.

It brings you back to writing in this digital age, where indeed there are very little moments that you actually have to write.

 

I use them most for:

 

- Taking notes at language courses

- Journaling when I'm traveling

- Writing handwritten letters home when I'm traveling (nothing beats a hand-written letter, certainly not when using a beautiful ink and paper)

- practicing handwriting; when you start writing again, you notice how your handwriting already has deteriorated since you left school/university!

- Taking notes at work

 

In fact, when I was on a 2700km bicycle trip this summer through Europe, using mainly my little tent to stay overnight,I also kept my journal up to date with my Pelikan M200 (yes, piston filler..) with ink in a little Nalgene bottle; just worked perfect! Also no leaks when flying back home.

Edited January 22, 2013 by Nibwitz

[sopa]

I use my fountain pens to write anything that needs to be written - sometimes I'll use them even if there are digital equivalents. I write out quick to-do lists for the day, jot down an outline for a presentation that I then go and prepare on the laptop, take down notes at business meetings (I eventually transcribe some of them on Evernote) - basically I write anything that could be written. I also mark up student papers using either green or red inks.

[elegantpens]

Depends really. I have a pen for signatures. A pen for scribbling down notes. I also have pens I use to draw stuff, its just a hobby of mine.

[GRJP]

Journals, notes, addressing envelopes, short stories, all the research for a given piece of work. If I can justify doing it by hand I'll pretty much do it!

[Joker4Eva]

Yup, as many have said, as long as I write, it's with a FP!

Being a uni student, it's mainly calculations, drawing circuit diagrams, and writing German essays, seeing I've got to pick the language up during my studies here. They won't let me graduate if I haven't been able to take my German proficiency test, so I'm hoping to complete it WAAAAAAY earlier.