Light vs. Heavy Pens

[ewdin]

For me, anything from a cheap Hero to my Studio feels good. Anything much more than that is too heavy.

[simonrob]

I find lighter pens more comfortable for extensive writing; they're also easier to control. (Is it a coincidence that back when pens were the principal means of written communication the vast majority of pens were light by modern standards?)

 

Simon

[Legal Eagle]

I prefer larger and heavier pens. I really wish that my Mont Blanc 149 weighed three times as much as it does.

[wednesday_mac]

There are days my metal Sheaffers are too heavy.

There are days my plastic Lamy is too light.

There are days my Kaigelus are too slender.

There are some days my Sheaffer cartridge pen is just right.

 

It usually comes down to how much writing I'm doing and on what paper and how long it takes my hand to fatigue using what pen. It's just not a simplified case of, "One pen is the right weight all of the time," and I suspect I'm not alone in that.

 

To me, I think it's more that a pen has to be well balanced, like a sword, rather than how heavy it is. Some hands want a broadsword, some a rapier, some a katana.

[wvbeetlebug]

I like light/medium weight pens that are well balance when posted. I like my 51s. Safaris and Phileas for this reason. I write a lot and a lighter pen feels better in my hand. However, I don't like super skinny or super light pens. I do like to feel the pen in my hand. I'd love to have a Cross Century II, but it's too skinny. Sadness.

[Ghost Plane]

I prefer fat and heavy. Yard o Led Grands and Visconti Ripple are large, heavy and excellent for marathon [all day!] writing sessions. Carenes and Visconti Van Gogh Maxis are my "light" pens. Krone Modernes and many Marlens border on too light, but are so darned comfortable in the hand [Marlen Journal in BB nib comes to mind] that I use them anyway.

 

I write so much, I keep 5 pens inked and may go thru all of them in one session before I stop to refill.

[JFT]

Comfort and balance is the big one.

 

Some people feel they cannot control a light pen as well. They like the solid feel of the heavier pen in their hand. OTOH, some people feel a heavier pen wears them out and they can't write as long.

 

Personally, I used to think I liked heavy pens, until I got some light pens that I liked. Now I am vastly in favor of the lighter pens. I have better control and penmanship with them, and can write marginally longer.

 

Well said! Comfort and balance! Added with a frequent linking of weight and quality, which I was guilty of as well...

 

I now love both actually, thanks to the suburb train... See I have a 30 min suburb train ride twice a day and the morning session is dedicated to writing... Inertia tought me to appreciate a lighter pen

 

Balance and comfort, amen!

[Garageboy]

Light, solid and balanced. I hate pens that try to fight my hand or tip out of it

My favorites:

Post 97 Pelikan M800s (no brass ingot on the back)

Parker 51s

Sheaffer Balance

Montblanc 149

Edited June 14, 2008 by Garageboy

[CharlieB]

Large and heavy. I need the weight to slow down my writing to the point that it becomes legible, and I need the size to keep my grip from becoming too tight.

[Sailor Kenshin]

There are days my metal Sheaffers are too heavy.

There are days my plastic Lamy is too light.

There are days my Kaigelus are too slender.

There are some days my Sheaffer cartridge pen is just right.

 

It usually comes down to how much writing I'm doing and on what paper and how long it takes my hand to fatigue using what pen. It's just not a simplified case of, "One pen is the right weight all of the time," and I suspect I'm not alone in that.

 

To me, I think it's more that a pen has to be well balanced, like a sword, rather than how heavy it is. Some hands want a broadsword, some a rapier, some a katana.

 

I have a katana.

 

Well, it's a kitchen knife, but still.....

 

[Paddler]

It is all about individual preferences. You have to decide what you like after trying heavy pens and light ones.

 

I dislike heavy pens. I think writing with a heavy pen is like dancing with a fat woman who wants to lead all the time. You are constantly shoving it from place to place.

 

Paddler

 

[Glenn-SC]

I think writing with a heavy pen is like dancing with a fat woman who wants to lead all the time. You are constantly shoving it from place to place.

 

Paddler

Well, that's sexist and insulting!

[Bela]

Yes, it is! I'm sure there must be other ways to describe writing with a heavy pen; ways that do not abuse women. What sort of language is this, 'You are constantly shoving it [i.e. her in this example] from place to place.'?

 

[Sailor Kenshin]

It is all about individual preferences. You have to decide what you like after trying heavy pens and light ones.

 

I dislike heavy pens. I think writing with a heavy pen is like dancing with a fat woman who wants to lead all the time. You are constantly shoving it from place to place.

 

Paddler

 

Don't be shy---tell us how you really feel! :ltcapd:

 

[PAKMAN]

I struggled to answer this question so I decided to look around at my pens and see if I could see a pattern. No help there either:

 

I have/had:

Waterman 52 1/2 v up to a Edson

Parker 45 up to sterling Sonnet

Sheaffer Imperial up to an all metal Legacy II

Rotring art pen up to a Lava finish old style 600

Pelikan 150 up to an 800

 

Seems I like light/medium/heavy pens that are skinny/medium/fat in diameter and tiny/normal/long in length.... I'm so confused.. and don't get me started on ink!

[JFT]

I struggled to answer this question so I decided to look around at my pens and see if I could see a pattern. No help there either:

 

I have/had:

Waterman 52 1/2 v up to a Edson

Parker 45 up to sterling Sonnet

Sheaffer Imperial up to an all metal Legacy II

Rotring art pen up to a Lava finish old style 600

Pelikan 150 up to an 800

 

Seems I like light/medium/heavy pens that are skinny/medium/fat in diameter and tiny/normal/long in length.... I'm so confused.. and don't get me started on ink!

 

Well your post reflect the only truth

 

BALANCE in everything :roflmho:

[DeaconKC]

Interesting, because today a Pelikan 150 arrived in the mail. This is a SMALL pen and very light, but posted it feels wonderful in my hand. I was very pleasantly surprised, because of my large hands that it feels so good. Again, it shows you really have to try different pens to see what will and won't work for you.

[Paddler]

Yes, it is! I'm sure there must be other ways to describe writing with a heavy pen; ways that do not abuse women. What sort of language is this, 'You are constantly shoving it [i.e. her in this example] from place to place.'?

 

I'm a man. When I was taught to dance, I was taught to lead. If that is sexist, talk to my elders (you'll need a medium). If my partner tries to lead also, it doesn't work very well; we keep running into each other. It is hard enough to push and drag a light woman around a dance floor. Trying to do the same thing with a fat woman is like running into a wall all the time. It is tiring. Heavy pen, same thing.

 

Paddler

 

[Bela]

I'm a man. When I was taught to dance, I was taught to lead. If that is sexist, talk to my elders (you'll need a medium). If my partner tries to lead also, it doesn't work very well; we keep running into each other. It is hard enough to push and drag a light woman around a dance floor. Trying to do the same thing with a fat woman is like running into a wall all the time. It is tiring. Heavy pen, same thing.

 

Paddler

Suggesting that what I and Glenn-SC are objecting to is your saying a man has to lead when dancing is disingenuous. That is blatantly not what it's all about. I expect you think that, as well as being difficult to manoeuvre (in all senses of the word, probably), women are stupid and can't detect a chauvinist pig at 20 paces.

[Glenn-SC]

I'm a man. When I was taught to dance, I was taught to lead. If that is sexist, talk to my elders (you'll need a medium). If my partner tries to lead also, it doesn't work very well; we keep running into each other. It is hard enough to push and drag a light woman around a dance floor. Trying to do the same thing with a fat woman is like running into a wall all the time. It is tiring. Heavy pen, same thing.

 

Paddler

It is interesting that your idea of "leading" is having "to push and drag" your partner around. I always thought of dancing as a cooperative activity.

 

My elders taught me that calling others "fat" was insulting and impolite.