I’m a fan of pen and paper - I like to make notes on 3×5 cards and I always carry spare notes with me. But finding a good pen - one that you can use but not worry to much if you lose - is always a challenge.
I love fountain pens and I use them at work and at home. They’re delightfully retro and really get my creative juices flowing. But a lot of times I just want to dash off a quick note and being a “lefty” makes using fountain pens an exercise in patience and control or the entire side of my left hand turns blue.
So when I’m on-the-go, or just need to dash off a quick note, I reach for something else. And by and large I dislike ball point pens. I know, everyone raves about the Fischer Bullet Space Pen, and I own one, but my preference is for something other than a ball point. I usually gravitate towards Paper Mate felt-tip pens. They leave an effortless line on the page, and I usually don’t smudge my hand to much with them. But they’re still not perfect.
So imagine my surprise when I found a lose Paper Mate “Liquid Expresso” pen at work a few months ago. They’re a felt-tip pen, but they’re fed by real, liquid ink. So they write almost exactly like a fountain pen, but dry quickly and work for a lefty.
The only complaint I have is that they feather a little on cheap 3×5 cards. But then so do fountain pens and plain-ol’ felt-tip pens, so I’m really no worse off.
But the line they lay on paper is amazingly smooth. The tip just glides across good paper; it’s hard to describe, but a pleasant surprise for a pen that costs about $1.75. In my opinion, they write a heck of a lot better than the Pilot G2 gel pens that so many GTD’ers love so much.
And the price is low enough that if I do misplace a pen (or more likely one “grows legs” and walks off my desk) I don’t worry to much about it. If you’re a picky pen person, I highly recommend you check them out for yourself.
And for the record, I don’t have any connection with Paper Mate, this is just my own opinion and it’s not bought or paid for. Hopefully if you’re a pen-and-paper devotee this will be a helpful little article about a pen you may not have tried yet!
June 16th, 2007
I have previously written of my love of 3 x 5 index cards. I try to always keep some on me wherever I go to capture thoughts, “to dos”, and notes.
I had been using a leather card holder I picked up from an online company called Gifts For Professionals. It was inexpensive ($15.95) and held about 8 index cards neatly in my back pocket.
I had also looked at the Levenger pocket briefcase, but had stayed away from it because the $16 job from Gifts for Professionals had done the job.
Then the unthinkable happened…while in the middle of a move I lost my card holder.
I figured it would turn up, but the weeks ticked by and it never showed itself. I tried stuffing cards into my back pocket, but they would be grimy, creased and wrinkled when I pulled them out to use them. I needed a new card case.
So I decided to give the pocket briefcase from Levenger a try. Yes, it was more than twice a much, but past experiences with Levenger had been positive so I decided to give it a try.
I opted for the monogram and I don’t know if that delayed my order, but in today’s instant-always-on-world I don’t want to wait around for my online purchases. So I was a bit disappointed when it took over a week for my pocket briefcase to arrive.
But once I received it I was impressed. The packaging was first-class and the pocket briefcase itself was very nice. It’s construction also gave it two extra pockets that my previous 3 x 5 card case didn’t have.
It’s slightly thicker than my previous 3 x 5 card case, but not so much so that you notice it in your pocket. I have about 12 index cards in it right now and it feels about right. I could probably jam a few more in, but it would really get overloaded and, with capacity for only about 8 cards before, I’ve not run out.
I can highly recommend the pocket briefcase. If you’ve been on the fence about getting one; try it. Once you start carrying 3 x 5 cards you’ll wonder how you got by without them.
I will caution; don’t bother with the blank or personalized index cards that Levenger sells unless you’re an absolute paper snob. The paper is nice, but it’s not that much nicer than blank Oxford-brand 3 x 5 cards. I also like customizing the cards for my own needs and printing them out on my laser printer. I can print up a batch of 100 custom-printed 3 x 5 cards for about $3.00 (printer toner included).
I have to give my standard discalimer about product and service reviews. I’ve not been paid a dime to promote this item - In fact it cost me almost $50 with monogram and shipping!
June 5th, 2006
