Last autumn, on the way home from Zürich on the train, I found a pen. It had fallen between the seat and the carriage wall, and presumably its owner hadn’t noticed because I was able to fish it up quite easily. It was a Paper Mate, but not one of the gold-plated kind so I didn’t feel obliged to take it to Lost Property. I dropped it into my bag, and home we went.
And it was, quite simply, the best pen ever. Exactly the right thickness with a very comfortable and non-slippery grip, and even my terrible handwriting flowed effortlessly from the tip. I blessed that train journey and guarded my new possession jealously.
Two weeks ago, it died. I opened it up and found a normal ink cartridge – not one to be replaced, and reluctantly, I went back to using some of my other, vastly inferior pens. But none were half as comfortable, and I realised I had found my writing instrument for life. There was nothing else for it; I would have to replace it. I set off for our local Papeterie, where they sell everything from crayons to padded bags, and presented my dead pen to the girl. She tapped around on her keyboard.
‘Sorry, we don’t have it in stock,’ she said, frowning at the screen. ‘I could order it for you.’
‘Please,’ I said.
She tapped around again then swung the screen towards me. ‘Which colour do you want?’
I looked. There was my pen, in red, black, and blue, and there may have been other colours too, but my eyes had stuck on the price. This paragon of a pen was going to cost me a whole Fr.2.30.
I ordered two and danced home.
linda huber 
Quality has no price….sometimes literally.
Congrats!
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It’s incomprehensible that something so good is so cheap! 🙂
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Oh, I want to try one of those pens. I’ll be looking out for them.
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They’re great. Lovely texture to hold. I may just buy in a small supply now…
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This was so interesting. I’ve never considered a particular pen as a preferred writing tool. I do have a preferred nook at home where I write with my mind uncluttered. Guess it’s down to the personality too 🙂
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My serious writing is done on the keyboard, but this pen is just so comfortable! I have my writing corner at home too. You’re right, it’s important to unclutter your mind before you start!
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I’m glad you found it and that it is even affordable. I can relate to the absolute importance of having the right pen! I found my favorite here in California, nothing expensive but just the right kind for my hand (and I have terrible handwriting too!) I couldn’t find it in Switzerland so now I always take a bunch along when I stay there. A Kingdom of a Pen…. a Kingdom for a Pen … Cheers, Christa.
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Exactly – and I notice when I use one of ‘my’ pens, my handwriting does improve. I nearly fell over when I saw that price – I was expecting it to be ten times as much – at least! Happy (hand)writing 🙂
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I love medium- or bold-point pens and thought I found the right one…but alas, the entire pack of five turned out to be temperamental. I just ordered a box that got great reviews so I’m hoping….
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Fingers crossed for you, then! It does make a difference when you have a comfy pen… with this one, I think it’s a combination of the weight (very light) and the good grip that makes it work for me.
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It’s the Pilot G-2 and so far they’ve been working nicely. It seems wrong to throw out pens when they still have ink in them but the other brand has let me down at crucial moments.
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I love Papermate pens, they seem to be the only ones able to cope with all the synthetic paper we have to write on these days, and they don’t cost a fortune either.
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They certainly don’t – I had them in my head as being expensive, but I guess they do the less costly ones now too. Thankfully!
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Lovely post. I’ve used this same pen for years. (in the same colour actually, I didn’t realise it came in various colours). I originally bought one in a stationary store, but these days they sell them in packs of three at my local super market. I agree… the most comfortable pen I’ve ever used.
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I agree – I have two now and I’m going to get some more. Must have a look in the supermarket too, good tip!
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Good for you! I hope you’re still enjoying this style of pen.
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I am – but nowadays I buy them by the box!
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