Gifts for Writers…Pens

With ten days left to the beginning of the holiday shopping season, Black Friday, 3 Questions wants to offer some suggestions for gifts you may want as a writer or you may want to give your fellow writers. Let's start with the most basic tool of the trade…pens.


Do real writers even use pens in the age of computers?

YES! We take notes, brainstorm, sign our names to letters and contracts (if we're lucky) at the very least. Although we do most of our work on computers, writers still use and love pens. Some people edit on their hard copies, needing to see the words differently than how they composed. Others outline and write a rough draft in longhand. Don't forget journaling. A good, comfortable pen is essential for journaling. And then there are the mundane daily tasks like writing a check to pay the power bill or taking a telephone message.

Yes, writers still use pens.


What kind of pen should you give?

That depends on a number of things. A fountain pen works with either replaceable ink cartridges or it has an ink chamber that must be refilled. Although much improved over the years, because it requires liquid ink, there is always a chance it could leak. Fountain pens are elegant and flow across the page, and therefore, seen by some as the top of the pen line.

Rollerball pens offer the smoothness and flow of a fountain pen without the hassle of liquid ink. Then there are ballpoint pens, and if you buy a quality ballpoint, it will also write smoothly but the ink is semi-solid and can clump and stick.

So consider what's important to your writer - ease of use, performance, style and appearance - to help you decide what kind of pen to give. How much will he use it? Where will he use it? These questions also should be pondered.

Cost is another consideration - an important one for most of us. Good ballpoints start out around $40 depending on the brand, style, and from whom you purchase it, and top out around $100. On the other hand, the lowest priced fountain pen I saw in a quick search was $235, while others ranged up over $700. So think about what you can afford, and if you splurge and get an expensive pen, will your receiver be reluctant to use it or will he show it off?

Sheaffer.com has a "Signature Selector" that offers four questions for you to answer about the person you're buying for, then it will recommend about four pen styles that should fit that person.

Where can you buy fine pens?

Google "fine writing pens" and you'll have hundreds of online catalogs that sell many different brands of pens. Or you could go directly to the company if you know what brand of pen you'd like.

Below are first the website of some famous brand name pen companies, then two online catalogs who appear to have many name brands and competitive pricing.


BRANDS

Cross - most widely recognized brand name of pens, has fountain, rollerball, ballpoint and "selectip" which is four pens in one. Also sells pen desk sets and pen/pencil sets.
Parker - also has fountain, rollerball, ballpoint and sets.
Sheaffer - also has all of the above-mentioned items plus the "Signature Selector" to narrow down your choices.
Waterford - yes, this is the Waterford of crystal fame, they also make a variety of elegant pens.

ONLINE CATALOGS

Levenger - the tag line is "Tools for Serious Readers" but the site has a large selection of pens, search by type.
Paradise Pens - this site has an extremely large selection with an extensive list of brand names, advance search lets you select item, brand, price range and key word.




Photos are of products from the company websites.