Anxiety-Proof Pen...?

[Christi0469]

I would suggest the Pelikano or even the Pelikano Jr. If you don't mind the juvenile styling.

[MisterBoll]

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

 

Slippy can slip away with some well placed strokes of sandpaper.

[ac12]

 

Slippy can slip away with some well placed strokes of sandpaper.

 

He he he

You reminded me of what I did in college to my Parker 45.

I had OILY fingers back then and they constantly slipped on the smooth section, and it drove me nuts.

So I took a file to the section and filed groves onto the section where I held the pen, and I think I followed that up with sandpaper to degloss the area. It looked horrible, but it worked, no more slipping in my fingers.

[linux3214]

A Safari in Matte Black (Charcoal) isnt slippery at all. Also, the only damage it could take from a drop, or throw for that matter, would be the nib which could be replaced for $11 in the US. As for inks, Diamine produces a bunch of really nice colors that wash out if it gets on your clothes. I'm more shaded of blue myself, so Majestic Blue, Sargasso Sea, and Asa Blue.

[DanF]

Medication for anxiety can be helpful in the short term, but for the long run Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is something you might want to check into. It's relatively short term, focuses on here and now, looks at how to deal with the thoughts that underly anxiety. It can be very effective for both anxiety and depression. The problem with most anxiety meds (benzodiazepines) is that your system can develop a tolerance to them, requiring higher and higher doses to get the same relief. In other words, you get hooked, and have rebound anxiety if you try to lower your dose. Getting off of them can be very difficult.

 

About a pen, how about a Platinum Plaisir? About $20, and a nice chunky section, and is available with a medium nib. Light weight aluminum body. Same nib and section as the Preppy, but a much more durable body. Also has a snap cap.

 

Dan

[UK Mike]

I think the logical choice has to be the Lamy Nexx with its rubberised grip and reliable Lamy nib. Relatively inexpensive too.

 

In my opinion, the Safari can be a hateful thing if you don't get on with the grip (which I don't) and things like the Pilot 78g have slim and slippery plastic grips.

 

The Platinum Preppy or the Plaisir could be decent choices but I don't like the M nibs on mine.

[Namru]

Lamy ABC. Kinda goofy, but whatever.

Something Chinese. Jinhao X750 or similar.

Parker Frontiers' can still be had rather cheaply on Amazon.

Edited October 23, 2013 by Namru

[MBFan]

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

Anxiety, whichever form it may take, is not a disease. In fact, depending on your view point, it can be seen as a symptom. I'm not having a go, just trying to clarify the distinction in the spirt of de-stigmatising mental health issues.

 

To the OP; I used to have a Parker Reflex, it looks good, comes in a variety of colours, is pretty cheap (£7ish), and has a nice grippy section.

 

All the suggestions are also worth a look in. Good luck!

[Sasha Royale]

I offer the suggestion of a Jinhao x500 fountain pen. You can find it on Ebay, typically large area of pearly white on the barrel, or a distinctive "checkerboard" pattern.

It writes fairly well, especially if capped and nib down, when at rest, between uses.

Its diameter is approx. that of a LAMY Safari, but spherical, rather than angular.

Construction is enamel (?) over brass tubing. Very sturdy ! It is almost a "war club".

Converter included. Uses International Standard cartridges.

Cheap enough to throw away, if you don't like it.

[icevic]

The Pelikan Pelikano has the triangular grip, sturdy construction, and flow control to minimize blobbling that you are looking for.

[MisterBoll]

He he he

You reminded me of what I did in college to my Parker 45.

I had OILY fingers back then and they constantly slipped on the smooth section, and it drove me nuts.

So I took a file to the section and filed groves onto the section where I held the pen, and I think I followed that up with sandpaper to degloss the area. It looked horrible, but it worked, no more slipping in my fingers.

 

You know what we say -

Lamy - YES

Parker 45 - NO

[Sailor Kenshin]

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

I will second the Nexx. Own three, wonderful writers, fat RUBBERIZED section that's not too fat.

[Lone Coyote]

Try a jinhao 159, its brass and quite hefty.

 

Its actually a huge pen, but writes quite smooth

 

Cheers,

 

Lone coyote

[carlos.q]

Another vote for Lamy Safari...

[Ecriveur]

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.

 

 

 

Lamy Safari. It was designed as a pen to be used in schools, so it's very durable and quite chunky. With the cap on, it could easily survive a drop from chest height. No fountain pen can survive being dropped on its nib from a significant height onto a hard surface though.

[UK Mike]

Anything that applies to the Safari also applies to the Lamy Nexx which has the huge advantage of the larger and smoother rubberised grip, which could be a critical feature to the OP in view of the issues he is experiencing.

[duende]

Once you have found a nice pen to write with, then you may want to use a few tricks to reduce your anxiety with it. According to this article (http://tinyurl.com/3ugmxs7), if you write about your worries before taking an exam, then your anxiety will be reduced and your performance will improve. This exercise could also be useful for other anxiety-inducing events that may cause your hands to shake while writing. Further, you can use a Jedi mind trick to learn to associate a specific pen with reduction of anxiety. This means that it is better to use the same pen for the journaling exercise AND the anxiety-inducing work. Just holding the pen may have a calming effect because you have classically conditioned yourself to reduce anxiety with it. You may also want to get a nice journal. I recommend The Five Minute Journal (http://www.fiveminutejournal.com/). If you go to the website you can flip through the pages to see why this is useful for positive thinking that may lead to a reduction in your symptoms. Good luck with your search!

[CharlieTurtle]

Anything that applies to the Safari also applies to the Lamy Nexx which has the huge advantage of the larger and smoother rubberised grip, which could be a critical feature to the OP in view of the issues he is experiencing.

 

*she

 

 

Lamy Safari. It was designed as a pen to be used in schools, so it's very durable and quite chunky. With the cap on, it could easily survive a drop from chest height. No fountain pen can survive being dropped on its nib from a significant height onto a hard surface though.

 

I already own (two) Safaris

[Fabienne]

Lamy ABC it's a great looking pen with a lot of the features you said you want. Heck, I want one!

[Dillo]

Lamy ABC it's a great looking pen with a lot of the features you said you want. Heck, I want one!

There isn't a clip on the ABC, although there is one on the Nexx. Charlieturtle mentioned that she would like a clip. If one wants a clip, the Nexx has a pretty good clip.

 

Dillon