Blue Book Paper

[linux3214]

I'm a college freshman and am wondering how bad, or good, the blue book paper is and what ink is best used on blue book exams. Now that its college can I even use pencil lead that isnt #2 on written portions or is that up to the instructor?

[GabrielleDuVent]

It stinks. Forget using FPs unless you're willing to not write on the back pages. The back page ends up like some new work by Jackson Pollock. It also feathers to the point XF looks like a B nib. It's clearly made for ballpoint only. Even the cover feathers and bleeds like it's a bird roadkill.

 

I firmly believe that I'm paying a ridiculous sum to have those people read my answers, so I just don't care and write with FPs anyway, but they're awful. Even I can't read it at times, and I wrote the words myself!

[The Good Captain]

Even I can't read it at times, and I wrote the words myself!

I've had this problem all my life...

[lahlahlaw]

Ballpoints work best, try BIC Crystal pens. I take two into every exam.

[Ghost Plane]

Broad nibbed rollerballs tho' a Carene withWaterman cartridges or MB ink will fake it if you're lucky on the paper. Do not count on getting lucky.

[linux3214]

Oooh this is gonna be tough. My experience with rollerballs hasn't been the best, feathers like crazy compared to Noodler's Black. Pencil it is then.

Edited September 17, 2013 by linux3214

[ac12]

I would take a small pencil box with an assortment of pens that you can then select which one works based on the paper.

Roller ball uses thin ink, gel pens work better for me.

[Ike Levens]

My school uses roaring springs blue books, and I had no problems with them using Noodler's black ink.

[vinper]

I would totally abandon the idea of using a fp on blue books. The best advice,noted above, is to bring several bps and write away. I once wrote 2 full blue books and was well into my third when an instructor called "time" during an exam some 50 years ago--there is no way I could have written that fast with a fp. My feeling is save the fps for when you can savor their use and look for efficiency in everything else. Good luck in your future exam efforts! vinper