For the record, it’s a Papermate Silkwriter BP. Not the current silkwriter (which has a 1.6 mm tip and tends to leak gunky ink), but the older model with the see-through barrel, the metal clasp and ribbed rubber grip.

When I enquired about this pen to Sanford (Papermate’s parent company), I was told they no longer make it.

I love Papermate pens, but why is it they no longer make the great pens while making the el cheapos that do a lousy job of writing?

I keep checking out various stores in hopes I’ll see some being sold. At the Shop Rite in Vassar, Michigan two years ago, they had some for sale. I’ve also seen some on the internet, and I’ll see about picking some up when I have extra cash.

I feel like a badass when I use ink on math assignments. It’s all I do in life these days, really. Just try and feel like a badass whenever possible. It’s fun. Also, have you ever been writing like crazy crazy crazy in a notebook that you’re hardly paying attention and you fall right off the page? That happens to me a lot and I feel like a doorknob.
You don’t know this, but today’s entry is coming at you on paper. I mean, not actually on paper for you guys, but for me. I’m writing this in a notebook (as previously mentioned) in the middle of English class. There is a nice lad in front of me and to the left, drumming his fingers on the desk and humming something under his breath. I like this lad. (Not really, I mean, he’s kind of a jerk, but his tapping provides a nice beat for this notebook-y entry!) So right, the notebook. I mean, you won’t be able to see the TARDIS or the owl that I doodled, as I can’t really type those up (hehe), but you can the the WORDS. I wonder if the “passionateforwords” jokes that I always seem to make in my head will ever go away. I wonder if I’ll ever get sick of this username, like I got sick of the countless others in the past. Like “filthy_poet” and “dachshundsrule72″ and “mysteriousvideo”. Don’t even ask about that last one, because I don’t even know. I mean, it’s surpsring that I don’t have a username like, “cexiowlluver” or something! As in loving “cexi” owls, not me, myself being “cexi”. Yeah. Cexi with only one I though, not any more. What about you guys? Any embarrassing usernames? Hotdude888, anyone?

PS. Just a post script, when I was typing this up, I got THREE blog comments. It’s like… DO THEY KNOW?! xD
PPS. I’ve been asking a lot of questions lately. Yahoooo! Speaking of Yahoo!, I really like the new mail. It’s just… fun.
PPPS. Dang! Too many post scripts! It’s the last one, I promise. But anyways, I just find it so amusing that I can check “School Update”. I love it so much.

I am about as paper-free as anyone can be, but when I do want to write something down, I have small pieces of paper I tear up from waste paper. And there is always a pencil sitting at the ready.

Ever since I was a child I have always preferred a pencil to a pen, and through the years have even gotten to the point where the eraser outlasts the lead—actually it’s a graphite and clay mixture. The amount of clay used in the mixture modifies the hardness of the graphite, giving us a full range of pencils from 9H or 9B. The scale for hardness was developed in Europe where H stands for hardness, B for blackness and F for fine point. The standard No. 2 pencil we are all used to using is HB—equally hard and dark. On the European scale the hardest is 9H, the softest is 9B. In the U.S. most Americans use grades: No.1 – B; No. 2 – HB; No. 2½ – F; No. 3 – H; and, No. 4 – 2H.

I especially like the big, fat pencils, and of course, yellow is always the best color for the barrel. This started in Austria in 1890. Up until then most pencils had been painted in dark colors, but one manufacturer decided to paint his best and most expensive pencil yellow to make it more distinctive. Other manufacturers wanting to associate with the quality of these yellow pencils began using the same color. However, people in countries like Brazil and Germany prefer green, and in southern European countries, the preference is for dark red or black with yellow lines. Red with black bands at one end is preferred in Australia.

Today, most pencils are round, but come in a variety of shapes, even triangular.

The invention of pencils dates back to the 16th century when sticks of graphite were wrapped in string or sheepskin for stability and ease of holding while writing.

Italians were the first to develop the wooden holders we call barrels today. A piece of juniper was hollowed out and a piece of pressed graphite was inserted. It didn’t take long to improve the technique where two wooden halves were carved, a graphite stick was laid down on one half and another piece of wood glued to the first. This same, but mechanized, technique is essential used today.

In the U.S. Red Cedar wood was used because of its nice aroma and the fact that it did not splinter when sharpened, until supplies of the timber dwindled dangerously low. It was later discovered that abundant Incense Cedar, perfumed and dyed to match Red Cedar works just as well and is used even today through the use of managed forests.

Erasers were first attached to pencils in 1858. The metal band used to attach the eraser to the pencil is called a ferrule.

Thomas Edison

I feel like I am in good company because there are some very famous people who preferred pencils: Thomas Edison (used custom-made pencils), Vincent Van Gogh, John Steinbeck and Vladimir Nabokov. There is one other characteristic all these people shared, and those who know me well say I do, too: they were all a little odd, but that’s besides the point.

Annually, about 14 billion pencils are made worldwide each year. While that may seem like a lot of anything, I can remember seeing a television news report about the fact that children from poor families could not go to school simply because they didn’t have their own pencil. Makes you think, doesn’t it?

If you take pride in your work...sign it! - © 2009, Ric Morgan and SimpleWords Communications. All rights reserved.

Esta pieza para Papermate Extrafino de JMC Y&R logra entrar en el Hall de las curiosas casualidades creativas de Je La Pompe, después de haber ganado un Ojo Local en el Ojo de IberoAmérica y una Arepa en el premio del Círculo Creativo de Venezuela. Tranquilos chicos, no son la primera agencia venezolana en ser mencionada en este prestigioso site caza fusiles o, mejor dicho, casualidades de Joe La Pompe

La primera es del 2007 de Publicis Singapur para Bic Extra Fino, la otra es del 2008 de JMC Y&R para Papermate.

Sin duda es una casualidad, jamás fusil, conozco a la gente del grupo creativo de JMC Young & Rubicam y sé que serían incapaces de eso, no les hace falta porque tienen mucho talento, pero la chuleta no fue tan original después de todo… Ya se había hecho.

I honestly can’t think of anything I dislike about this pen. In fact, it very well may be my all-time favorite Papermate to write with. It’s a clear plastic, so you can see how much ink you’ve used. It has a rubbery barrel that’s easy to grip. The ink is dark, doesn’t skip and smudges very little. And it has a sturdy metal clasp to fasten the pen to your pocket or shirt collar. I also have noticed, interestingly enough, that my handwriting improves a lot when I write with it. That’s an added bonus. Alas, Papermate doesn’t seem to be issuing this pen out too often these days. I hope they will. I’d love to get black, blue, red and possibly even purple and green.

Ironically enough, the new model of the Papermate Silkwriter is one of my least favorites. It tends to leak thick ink and at 1.6 millimeters the ballpoint is far too wide. (I prefer medium point that’s no more than 1.2).

I keep telling my wife that someday I’ll narrow my pen collection to my top favorite Papermates and then just collect pens as a novelty.

I’m a person who needs silence when writing.

Therefore, crowded coffee shops don’t quite cut it for me most of the time when it comes down to writing for money. I prefer to be home, with my feet up on my over sized ottoman, hot cup of tea in hand. I am also a person who prefers cooler weather to hot, so when the winter time hits and I’m curled up on the couch with a cup of hot cocoa and my pink bunny slippers on, life just doesn’t get much better. My laptop is my best friend when I’m getting my freelance writing and editing done.

However, if I am writing for my own pleasure, then I’m a person who prefers writing long hand. To sit down with an open, lined notebook or journal, my favorite pen, and my two cats at my feet, is simply heaven for me. Computers are grand, don’t get me wrong, but there is just something insanely relaxing about putting pen to paper and allowing your hand to guide the pen in upward strokes across the paper. To really focus on and savor your writing is a fairly cheap form of therapy for me. Long hand also allows me to become one with my words. I also read aloud my writing often. I prefer words that linger on the palate and appreciate being sung by the tongue.

It is this writing for my own pleasure that sometimes takes me outside to write. I appreciate an empty park (bench or grass) and an ice cold tea with a splash of lemon to help alleviate the sometimes stress of being a mother. I allow for the freshly cut grass to dance in between my toes and take in the smells of the flower gardens nearby. I never bring my laptop with me when I’m writing for my own pleasure. I simply would never be able to engross myself in the semi-trance-like state that writing puts me in. That horrid key tapping sound would ruin the rhythm of my prose and interrupt the dreams I allow room for in my writing.

Sweet, playful i-dotting and t-crossing…that’s all I want to hear when I’m writing for my own pleasure in an empty park. I want to gaze lovingly at a brand new, jet black Moleskine journal and feel that little bit of anticipation that builds right before I take it out of it’s wrapper. And when my heart fluttering subsides and I open it up to the first page, I can’t wait to grab my Paper Mate and allow the two to become one. The mating of pens, journals, and a passion for recording your innermost thoughts.

Share your favorite places to write, I’d love to hear the inspiration you gain when being there.

Appearing on facing pages in Saturday Evening Post, June 6, 1953

even more fun with markers...

Chia your truck !!

Yes, that is a golf club penned in there.  Floating in mid-air as it were.  The little cut-out man in an upswing is long gone.  What makes this awesome is look at the license plate.   ALBERTA !   Alberta, land of beef and really eco-friendly vehicles.    Was Poison Ivy from Canada ? (DC comics villian reference)  Maybe this is her Dad’s truck.

The running golf gag is that this was the tee-off point and the 9th hole was located on a nearby Semi, covered in turf naturally.

As an amateur pen-spinner I often spend inordinate amounts of time in the pen aisle in Staples. Today a particular pack caught my eye: Papermate Visibility. This particular pack, unlike the one to the left, had colored pens in it.

Being stupid, I automatically assumed that the pens had black ink. The colored casing must be for funsies. No.

I now have five (5) Visibility pens: green, blue, red, pink, purple. What the fuck am I going to do with a pink pen? The only one of those colors that’s even remotely practical is blue.

Not that the blue pen is useful. The ball point is so miserably bad for writing that it’s almost easier to just scratch your words into the page.

On the bright side, the Visibility is incredible for spinning. It’s light, well-balanced, and reasonably long. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the only pen better than the Visibility for spinning is the Bic Soft Feel Clic Stic. Maybe the Pentel RSVP is better. I’m still on the fence on that one.

I think I just came in my pants

We at Completethelist.WordPress.Com want to list “the 15 Best and Worst Office Pens Ever!”  We need your comments to complete the list…, just submit your suggestions at the comments box.

BEST PENS

1. Waterman Ball Point Pen – In my opinion, this is the best ball point pen on the planet today.  I can’t imagine you ever going wrong with this product.  The weight balance seems perfect, the color of the ink is good and the writing is always dependable.  I you like using a ball point pen and you would like a pen with an executive look and feel, this pen is definitely for you. 

2. Pilot Dr. Grip LTD – The top-end standard for your typical office pens.  The LTD is a Gel Ink pen, yet doesn’t seem to smear much at all on a regular surface.  It has an almost perfect grip, writes smooth and the ink is dark, yet still has brilliant characteristic.  Good looking pen–but, will your office pay $10 per pen?

3.  BIC Intensity – Great pen for work, comfortable in your hand and the gel ink writes smoothe, but the ink tends to smear if you’re not careful, or write on a glossy surface.

4. Waterford Kilbarry Guilloche Rollerball Pen – When it comes to “fancy” pens you get for a 10 year anniversary, this pen is a great choice.  It’s made of solid brass with plaitnum plated accents.  This large pen has got a great texture and a balanced feel when you write.  The dark, yet bright liquid ink simply glides across the page.  It seems to have a very old fashioned feel as if I was using a fountain pen – no cusion or grip on this pen.  I’m not sure that I would ever use this pen if I were to be hand writing a letter, or signing a lot of documents (unless for the pure intent of impressing someone or to stroke my own ego). 

5. Uniball Jetstream Premier – This is a rollerbal pen and has a lot of nice innovations.  The ink is a little on the dull-side as far as color, but it writes smooth and has a very dependable ink flow.  One neat function of this pen is the relatively soft and muted clicking action for a retractable pen–I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t distract too many people in a classroom setting to be constantly clicking this pen–although it’s not entirely silent of course.  If you are one of those, maybe this pen is for you. 

The grip is a little strange and awkward to get used to, but seems to be a smart design which makes your writing movements to have a pillowed, squishy feel–but, not so much that it annoys.  One side is softer near the bottom of the grip and the other side is softer near the top of the grip (middle finger knuckle rest vs. thumb rest) and a good traction spot for the forefinger.  I think if you’re a firm gripper and/or do a lot of writing this might be a pen for you as well. 

6. Pentel tko – A pen that isn’t real reliable, but writes fine.  It is a slender pen that has a clear shaft so you can easily see the ink level.  Has a nice grippy tip for comfort and control.  Smooth writing pen with a nice color ink.  If you like a slender and inexpensive pen, this may be your choice.

7.  BIC Reaction - The Reaction is a good writing pen with a nice bright color, dependable writing and also has a nice “shock absorber” for those that tend to press too hard when they write–I’m guessing that is why they call it the “Reaction.”  But, the absorption isn’t too squishy, it seems just about right to me.  I have used this pen when dealing with particularly frustrating people and it’s nice to have a little give to the pen if you’re writing when you’re angry.

8. BIC Z4Roller 0.7 – This is a good writing pen, but I don’t like having to take the lid on and off.  You can easily see the ink level, which is a plus for any pen (no surprise when the ink runs out).  It has a nice design, a comfortable (dimpled) grip and the ink seems to flow nicely.  You can’t see it on the photo, but there is a bar code on the side of the pen–maybe that wouldn’t be available on a pen purchased in a box?

9. [Supergirl] I have found that the absolute best pen to buy is the Pilot G6 07. It may smear a little, but the end result is amazing.. my office orders them non-stop.

10. (berserkersgearpage) Zebra F-701

http://berserkersgearpage.blogspot.com/2008/01/zebra-f-701-stainless-steel-pen.html

Also see:

http://10mmman.wordpress.com/2008/10/13/zebra-f-701-review/

11. (This could by your comment!)

WORST PENS

1. BIC Round Stick – Terrible “torturous” pen with sticky ink that doesn’t write immediately when your pen hits the page.  Warning! Your page may have scribble marks from trying to get the ink started. 

2. Papermate Black Cap pen – If it can’t get any worse.  I believe it is an office conspiricy to order these pens.  What they really want you to do is go out and buy your own, so they give you the worst pens on the planet.  This is the most unpredictable pen in existence.  Will it write?  Maybe.

3. Papermate Felt Tip Pen – Great pen for signing an autograph (once), or signing a birthday card, but I would never use this pen to fill out any important documents.

4. Gimmicky Pens – Pretty much a papermate pen in a fancy costume.

5. (This could be your comment!)

I love writing by hand.  Grocery lists, journals, letters, you name it, I love to write it. But each thing I write requires a different writing implement. Certain pens are assigned certain tasks–can you appreciate this?

I have four specific pen-types that I use in my life, and each has its own arena. Let’s discuss, shall we? C’mon, it’s the weekend–you must have a few extra minutes to spare.

Addressing Packages/Envelopes/Writing on Cardstock: ULTRA-FINE SHARPIES

I adore ultra-fine Sharpies. They offer a precision not often seen with marker-esque implements. I have them in an array of colors, housed in a cute little tin bucket. Husbandito doesn’t dare touch the Sharpies.

Grading Papers/School Work: Papermate Felt Tips (Purple or Green ONLY)

I only grade papers/essays/exams/homework/quizzes/tests in purple or green ink. I don’t use red because I think it’s threatening and looks angry. Green and purple are more friendly and less accusatory.

Journal Writing/Letter Writing: Pilot Liquid Ink V-Razor X-Fine

These are such delightful writing implements! They make my handwriting so precise! I swear!

Grocery Lists/General Doodling/Scribbling: Papermate Blue Medium

The granddaddy of pens–I used these during my high school years and just bought a box of 60 last week. Love them!

So, do you have a particular pen that you prefer?!?!

It’s time to move on to another pencil. Let me introduce the Newell Rubbermaid Sanford Papermate Mirado Black Warrior. Goodness, that is a long name for a pencil isn’t it? This pencil, like the Dixon Ticonderoga, certainly carries a reputation behind it and not all of it seems positive. A lot of people say that once the brand and product was acquired and integrated into the Newell Rubbermaid conglomerate that the quality went down hard and fast. I’m still new to pencil collecting so I can’t say which way the quality went. I don’t know what the Mirado Black Warrior was like before but I sure am going to find out what it is now.

I got a pack of 10 Black Warriors during my business trip to Phoenix AZ back in February. The pencils have been lying around in their packaging while I have been test driving the Ticonderoga.

Like the Ticonderogas, they were purchased at the nearby Walmart. At $1.77 (excluding local taxes), they come out to a whopping $0.18 per pencil when rounded up to the nearest cent. That’s almost a nickel more per pencil than the Ticonderoga. So what do I get for a nickel more? At first glance I seem to get American manufacturing and pre-sharpened tips. Couple that with a cool sounding name like Black Warrior, and you would think that you have the equivalent of a ninja samurai for a pencil. You’re ready for any task as long as you have your Black Warrior handy.

Actually, for those who don’t know (and this was news to me), the Black Warrior was actually a Confederate schooner. I’m not exactly a boat enthusiast. Honestly, I prefer to keep my feet planted on something solid. Civil war buffs may get a kick out of owning something that relates to American history but civil rights activists may object to something that could in some manner (however thinly) be related to the oppression of people. Unfortunately, I don’t know more about how the pencil got it’s name but it would be interesting to know.

While the Ticonderoga is claimed to be the world’s best pencil, the Black Warrior say it is the world’s smoothest – and Newell Rubbermaid guarantees it.

If you think this is just a marketing slogan then read this text that is located on the back of packaging.

It’s a broad and bold claim to make and I wonder how many people actually disagree with them on the statement who then go ahead and file a claim to get their money back. You’d probably pay more in return postage than the cost of the pencils themselves.

Take out the ten pencils and line them up. Each has a very nice and smooth coat of lacquer in a matte finish. The casing is round so the pencils roll very easily. In fact, you wouldn’t believe how hard it was to line them up for the shot below.

I have to confess that I cheated a bit and put a pencil sharpener (not shown) in the bottom left hand corner to keep the pencils together. Only one pencil ended up being warped and only by a little bit.

Statistically speaking, this equates to a one in ten chance of having a warped pencil. In other words, 10% of Black Warriors around the world could be warped. Compare this to the one in twenty four chance of getting a warped Ticonderoga which would equate to an approximate 4.2% of all Ticonderogas being warped. That’s quite a jump. Obviously, for this statistic to have more meaning (and a better one) the sample size should be greater – like 100 or even more.

As mentioned earlier, each pencil is pre -sharpened so you should never see overflowing lacquer at the end like the Ticonderoga. You also won’t see if the leads are centered in the wood casing either. It is interesting to wonder what is cheaper: making a clean unsharpened pencil end or a sloppy unsharpened end and then sharpening it. Honestly, I can’t think that having the ends pre-sharpened is a deal maker or breaker for the consumer. I would think that many people who buy wooden pencils actually enjoy sharpening them. It enhances the ownership and builds a little attachment. Take a look at this detailed shot.

The ends are not sharpened by any sort of rotating blades. It looks like the pencils are fed through a hole with ever decreasing diameter. This process shaves away the wood to a decreasing point, exposing the lead, and shaving the lead to a decreasing point as well. All of the points end in a somewhat dull looking tip but this rather smart of Newell Rubbermaid. It helps keep the point in tact during shipment. Additionally, you can assured that none of the pencil material was wasted. Only the bare minimum amount of material was removed. Just look at those grooves!

The Black Warrior is only slightly shorter in overall length than the Ticonderoga. Specifically, it is 0.093″ shorter. Here is a shot of the end of both pencils when they are stood up side by side. I couldn’t effectively capture the whole length of pencil in the picture. That would be one long JPG!

The lacquer finish is even duller than what is found on the Ticonderoga and it feels a bit rougher. That is not to say it feels course as sand. On some pencils it is possible to see the seam running up the length of the casing. This seems to indicate that the finish is very thin. Other pencils had rough surfaces and the thin lacquer did not cover it at all. Perhaps the roughness came from the wood being cut poorly or perhaps it came from some impact after the lacquer dried. Either way, it was present and easy to see.

Continuing upward, we run into our first stamping and it boldly proclaims where the pencil was made.

One word: crunch! That looks like a painfully strong stamping. Unlike the Ticonderoga, this pencil is round so it cannot accommodate a head-on stamping unless the stamping is contoured. It should be a rolled stamping. Then again, maybe this a rolled stamping just done very poorly. Either way, it’s not very impressive and it looks ugly. Unfortunately, the other stampings aren’t any better.

We finally end our progression upward at the ferrule where more disappointment awaits us. If Dixon crimped their ferrules on a wet, freshly lacquered pencil then Newell Rubbermaid did the exact opposite. The ferrule must have been pressed onto the pencil after the lacquer had cured. Look at how the ferrule digs into the lacquer and gets underneath it. I wouldn’t think that a ferrule needs to double up as a burrowing squirrel.

It is interesting to note that the ferrule is in some ways very similar and very different to the Ticonderogas. A colored band appears in the center and there appears to be an all-around crimping if you could imagine the circumscribing grooves to come from a machine. However, the biggest different lies in the circular metal punchings above and below the band that also go around the pencil. There are six punches on each side of the red band to make a total of 12. None of the punches are equally spaced apart although they are consistently spaced between the top and bottom sets. If a set of two punches are too close together up above then you see the same down below.

The erasers seem shorter than what is found on the Ticonderogas and they are covered with some sort of white power. Perhaps this is talc. I don’t know. It does rub off easily onto your fingers.

Papermate’s website offers some detailed information on the Black Warrior but a lot of it seems like fluff. I can understand what it means for the casing to be made of incensed cedar, have a round shape, and contain ceramic waxed lead but what does “executive upscale styling” mean? So far I have seen nothing that would make me think this pencil graces the desks of CEOs and high level politicians. “Premium rubber eraser” can mean a lot of things too. I thought it was interesting that the Black Warrior shown on Papermate’s website does not match the appearance of the examples I bought at Walmart.

The sharpened end is nothing like the pre-sharpened end found on my Black Warriors. None of the stamping matches either. Where are the little hearts at the top of the pencil?

So how does it write? Well, I can’t exactly say that I am impressed. It does feel harder than the Ticonderoga and it also feels rougher. The perceived additional hardness is verified by the crumbling lead. Increased hardness almost always leads to something being more brittle.

The roughness likens itself to the experience of running the tip of a screwdriver across a piece of wood. There is a lot of friction here that was not felt when using the Ticonderoga. Perhaps you could say that the lead feels like it has sand in it or larger clumps of clay. The impressions on the paper are ever so slightly darker than the Ticonderoga but not by much. You have to stare at it for a while. Compare the Black Warrior impressions on the left to the Ticonderoga impressions on the right.

The Black Warrior sharpens well with the right sharpener. My Berol gives the pencil a good sharp tip and the wood has good adhesion to the lead. However, the Faber Castell results in a disaster. The tip crumbles and breaks. This is another sign of brittle lead. You can compare the sharpening of the Berol (right) to the Faber Castell (left).

The eraser is a disaster. Compared to the soft latex free eraser on the Ticonderoga, the rubber eraser on the Black Warrior feels like it was carved out of stone. It is very abrasive, sensitive to lead staining, and leaves a lot of residue behind. Even worse, the erasure is incomplete and sometime it can be smudged. I drew a line with the Black Warrior and Ticonderoga and then used each of the pencil’s erasers to remove the impression. Compare the performance of the Black Warrior eraser (left) to the Ticonderoga (right).

I darkened three areas and the areas were to receive a single pass, a double pass, and a multiple pass of the eraser respectively. The Black Warrior eraser simply could not work through that quantity of lead on the paper. It got saturated and the eraser turned black after one single pass.

After that, the eraser slid on all subsequent passes. The lead simply lubricated the eraser and I’m running oil on oil here. No erasing is possible until the eraser is cleaned. Here are the three darkened areas in my notebook.

Now I had to go back to the Ticonderoga and repeat the experiment. What a delight to see the Ticonderoga tackle the task with ease.

Again, I don’t know how any of these features and performance examples can lead anyone to think that this pencil has “upscale executive styling”. My initial impressions leads me to believe that this is poorly crafted pencil. Someone at the factory either doesn’t know or doesn’t care to make a good pencil. It’s as if someone tried to make something like this!

In my next post, I will try to dissect the Black Warrior and see what’s “inside”. Stay tuned!

I really like drawing with pens and as such have tried out quite a good number of different kinds to see which I like best.  My current matter of opinion supports either the basic Papermate pen which has time and again proven itself to be a very functional writing and drawing tool.  I am also a big fan of the Pentel RSVP pen which makes some damn fine lines but has a nasty habit of being leaky at the tip.  Now I know that there are pens that are specifically designed for drawing and design purposes and I suppose they are really good in what they do as well but for my own personal use I see no reason to need a fancy expensive pen when a simple cheap ballpoint will do the job just as well.