I am starting The Pen Blog because...well...I love pens. More than just pens. All kinds of stationary, really. But I figured this name would be easy to remember.

What is it about pens, you ask?

Long answer, but one that will become clear the more I write about pens, I hope. I guess there's something exciting about a new pen - the possibilities, and the ideas that you'll write about; ideas that you haven't even started to think about yet. Who knows? With this new pen that's in your hand now, you might write love letters, or you might doodle a new business idea, or you might make a sketch that turns out to be the muse for a great piece of art. The possibilities are endless!

There are also such subtle tactile differences in pens. One of my favorite pens is the Pilot G2, the granddaddy of gel pens. I bought my first G2 in 2000 when they were still fairly new, and I will always associate that pen with: my move to England, two incredible love affairs, and a period of growing up - all of which I wrote about in my diary, with the G2.

The G2 has matured since that first one, though. The first one I had was black, 7mm, with a normal gel tip. Now they come in 5 and 7mm, and I've found my writing is cleaner with the 5mm. Also, they recently introduced a version with a needle point, called the Precise Gel, which has quickly become my favorite of them all.

There is something so pleasurable about wrapping my fingers around the barrel of this pen. The little finger-cushion is in just the right place, and the ridges on the barrel are all placed exactly right. It's not too heavy, nor is it too light. It doesn't scratch too much on paper. And the ink flows evenly, even when you're writing at an angle.

If you're going to be writing a journal or a diary, and want something that will be comfortable for hours at a time, I highly recommend the Pilot range of gel pens. They have been much copied - more on that in the future - and while some of the copies are really very good, and much used by yours truly, there really aren't any that come as close to perfecting the entire writing experience as the G2 or Precise Gel.

Stats:
Pilot Precise Gel Pen
5mm Needle Point
Available in Black, Blue and Red
Approximately $2.10 each
Lasts: These pens have tended to last about 75 pages for me.
Availability: The G2 is available at all discount and office stores. The Precise Gel is a bit newer, and hasn't been quite as available yet, but I've found it at most Wal-Mart's, Office Max's, etc.

note: the above photo came from the Pilot website at www.PilotPen.com