Anxiety-Proof Pen...?

[CharlieTurtle]

Hi there!

 

I'm a university student and I do a lot of writing. However, I also have an anxiety disorder that causes:

 

1. My hands to shake
2. My hands to clench / tighten
3. My fingers to be unsteady

Is there a chunky, easy to grip pen around that could withstand possibly being dropped? Ideally C/C, cheapish (student!), decent clip, medium nib.

 

Also an ink that goes nicely with then pen? Currently my pens each have a set ink for a certain module (subject) so something bright or unusual.

 

Thanks,

 

Charlie

[swanjun]

I'd probably suggest a Lamy Safari; they certainly feel sturdy to me. Some find their triangular grip section to be uncomfortable, however, but it suits me fine. Another nice feature is that the converter has these little nubs that kind of lock it in place, so it shouldn't leak if dropped.

[renderboy]

I'd say a Rotring Core, though I'm not a fan myself, they have a good sized grip, are cheap(ish) in the scale of fountain pens (under £30 new), and they sure are built well for a plastic/rubber pen. They also look real tech/funky which I why I bought a few of them!

[rwilsonedn]

How about Pilot Varsity (or several Varsities)? Relatively large but light and disposable.

ron

[Oranges and Apples]

An Indian pen. A quick Google search for "large Indian fountain pens" would do you a lot of good.

[HenryH]

Charlie, Noodler's Ahab might be a choice - big, fat pen that holds a lot of ink, can be field stripped with just your fingertips (maybe including a toothpick to remove the O rings), ink delivery is slightly adjustable - feed & nib are seperate - easy to clean because easy to take down. Piston fill. Large number of colors, including transparent; aftermarket #6 nibs reputedly fit right in. Deeply recurve clip is solid and, with thumb & forfinger, can be pinched away from the barrel to fit over a thick pocket - a design point I've not seen in any other pen.

 

Best part is the price: 20 USD, efectively free, though I can't testify to availability in U.K. I have two and am going to buy more. Works well with Noodler's ink - surprise! Slight aroma to the resin used - reduces with time.

 

Ink: I like Private Reserve Orange Crush for mark-up & annotation - orange is dark enough to have good contrast with a fine nib, bright enough to be easily noticeable. Mostly waterproof.

[Mike_Dowling]

I would treat the disease not the symptom, you can get relief for your anxiety issues.

[MisterBoll]

I would recommend Yoga and a Safari - decent inexpensive pen that, should it go flying to the floor, can be easily replaced.

[Dillo]

I'd say a Rotring Core, though I'm not a fan myself, they have a good sized grip, are cheap(ish) in the scale of fountain pens (under £30 new), and they sure are built well for a plastic/rubber pen. They also look real tech/funky which I why I bought a few of them!

The Core is an excellent pen, but they aren't very rugged. It's very easy to make the metal barrel overlay get scratched or dented or damage the rubber on the cap. The clip isn't really well made for use either. It's hard to use it because there is rubber under where it touches the cap, and that rubber is the first thing to go if you even manage to use the clip. I think I mentioned this in my review despite the fact that I am a fan of the pen. I baby mine, but I know people with very beat up ones. Also, the pen is out of production unlike the Lamy Safari. I take care of mine much more carefully than I take care of my Nakaya.

 

I would recommend the Lamy Safari. The plastic body can stand up to a lot of wear and tear without denting or getting too many noticeable scratches. It's also quite worry proof since if you damage the nib, you can easily get them in quantity for quite little. You can also get a number of different colors if you like. I have the same reservations about the Lamy Al-Star and the Nexx as with the Rotring Core. The barrel can get dented if the pen is dropped. Since you are in the UK, you can quite easily find the Safari, extra nibs, and converters on Cultpens, one of my favorite Lamy stockists. I really like the A nibs. They don't usually sell the pen with the A nib, but you can buy a few if you want. They are between fine and medium and are really excellent nibs. The Lamy also has a converter that locks into the grip section so that it doesn't come loose even if the pen is dropped.

 

Dillon

[sandy101]

Parker IM Premium - Metal body can be had for £16 online, nib is pretty good too.

 

Italix Captain's Commission from Mr Pen. It's a solid & chunky pen for £50.

 

Tombow Object - aluminium body and comes with range of nib units from cult pens. It is lighter than both the Parker & Italix.

[Giordana]

How about the Lamy Nexx? Sure, it looks less attractive than the Lamy Safari, but the grip is more comfortable, and it's a C/C, and the clip (on the Nexx M) is sturdy. Regarding inks, well, that's tough! Diamine has a variety of bright inks, or if you'd rather get cartridges, Lamy turquoise seems like a bright color to try.

[CharlieTurtle]

I would treat the disease not the symptom, you can get relief for your anxiety issues.

 

I'm on medication, but it doesn't totally remove the anxiety attacks and when I had one smack bang in the middle of a lecture I ended up with a *very* interesting ink spatter on my face. Oops.

 

I would recommend Yoga and a Safari - decent inexpensive pen that, should it go flying to the floor, can be easily replaced.

 

I already own a Safari, the triangular grip is good but the shinyish plastic is a little slippy.

[CharlieTurtle]

Charlie, Noodler's Ahab might be a choice - big, fat pen that holds a lot of ink, can be field stripped with just your fingertips (maybe including a toothpick to remove the O rings), ink delivery is slightly adjustable - feed & nib are seperate - easy to clean because easy to take down. Piston fill. Large number of colors, including transparent; aftermarket #6 nibs reputedly fit right in. Deeply recurve clip is solid and, with thumb & forfinger, can be pinched away from the barrel to fit over a thick pocket - a design point I've not seen in any other pen.

 

Best part is the price: 20 USD, efectively free, though I can't testify to availability in U.K. I have two and am going to buy more. Works well with Noodler's ink - surprise! Slight aroma to the resin used - reduces with time.

 

Ink: I like Private Reserve Orange Crush for mark-up & annotation - orange is dark enough to have good contrast with a fine nib, bright enough to be easily noticeable. Mostly waterproof.

 

I've been considering an Ahab for a while now, can anyone agree or diagree with the fact a #6 nib would fit in? That way I could use it as my 'shaky hands' pen during term and have a handy flex pen for improving my writing over the holidays!

 

Orange would also be a good ink, thank you

[Ernst Bitterman]

A Pelikan Future or indeed a Pelikano might be the thing; the former has nice inlaid grippy bits, the latter serious texture, and both are relatively girthy and resistant to damage. The Pelikan Twist might also serve, but I've not had one in hand so I can't be certain. The real advantage to the Future is it doesn't look (entirely) like it was made for kids, and the clip is rather more sensible than the current Pelikano.

 

You might also look into getting your hands on an older Sheaffer No Nonsense with a cursive rather than italic point. The point is no more drop-resistant than an other, but the rest of the pen is pretty sturdy and it's also got a reasonably broad cross-section.

[Dillo]

 

I'm on medication, but it doesn't totally remove the anxiety attacks and when I had one smack bang in the middle of a lecture I ended up with a *very* interesting ink spatter on my face. Oops.

 

 

I already own a Safari, the triangular grip is good but the shinyish plastic is a little slippy.

Have you tried the textured Safari? Maybe you can also try the Nexx. It's a bit thicker. It may get dented, but it's a production pen, and you can always get a new one if you damage the one you have.

 

Dillon

[CharlieTurtle]

Oh dear, someone take Goulets away from me. Those nibs are beautiful.

[ac12]

How about a Pilot Metropolitan/MR, or a Parker 45 (although I would not call the 45 chunky.

If the Safari agrees with your hand, you can try the aluminum Al-Star, which is a metal version of the Safari.

 

I don't know about any nib surviving a fall to the floor, if the nib impacts the floor.

But with the Lamy you can easily replace a damaged nib, and the nibs are not expensive.

Edited October 22, 2013 by ac12

[BrandonA]

Parker Vector? Mine used to take a beating at school.

[dcwaites]

Perhaps a set of Platinum Preppys or Pilot 78Gs

 

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MzQ1WDY3NA==/z/3LcAAOxymxFRnBSR/$T2eC16JHJFsFFR9i5zjgBRnBSQzPr!~~60_3.JPG

7 Platinum Preppy pens on eBay here, or here with extra ink

 

http://i.ebayimg.com/14/!BkK4Z)QCGk~$(KGrHqMH-C8Es-c3rG!EBLWcSQuL7g~~_3.JPG

 

4 differently coloured Pilot 78g pens, available here on eBay

The Pilot 78g is a bit narrower around the section than the Preppy and has a screw cap, rather than the pull-off cap of the Preppy.

They do feel like a 'proper' pen, though. But I do like the look and feel of the Preppy pen.

 

If it had a sensible cap (it's very small, just fits over the nib) I would recommend the Rotring Skynn

 

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NjUwWDY1MA==/z/GNUAAOxyA9dSZfq5/$(KGrHqN,!o0FJPu)C0KHBSZfq4iLOg~~60_58.JPG

Available here on eBay

But it does have a nice, soft, chunky, almost squishy, grip. And at $5 a pop, it's cheaper than most 'ergonomic' ballpoint/rollerball pens.

Edited October 22, 2013 by dcwaites

[akustyk]

Also, remember that you can buy a rubber (or rubber-like) grip that you can slip onto your pen and make it very, very comfortable to hold. My local art supplies store has a number of them. Some are soft, some hard, some squishy, some triangular. It's quite an ingenious and cheap way to add girth and comfort to the pen's section.