Why is using disposable pens still common practice?
Why is using disposable pens still common practice?
Why not buy one decent pen "shell" and then just buy the plastic tube with the tip and the ink afterwards?
I know many companies use pens for marketing but still, they could apply this too and also stand up for the environment while still do marketing.
Because you have 20 of them around the house and don't care if you lose them?
Why would you use disposable refills at all if you care about the environment? A fountain pen can last for many years, the ink comes in glass containers, and it's far nicer for writing in most scenarios.
23Fountain pen writing may look nicer in most scenarios, but in terms of practicality they're awful compared to ballpoints.
14How so?
There's only one situation where a ballpoint is better suited than a fountain pen: writing checks. Fountain pens are not good for situations where you have to press hard enough to create a pressure duplicate. Thankfully, check-writing is going slowly extinct.
There are many pens besides the Pilot Vanishing Point that are just as convenient; why do you say that ballpoints are more practical?
5Sure, if you're a mechanic that's writing on greasy paper while standing. The same ink and delivery system make it far worse if you're actually sitting behind a desk and writing for prolonged time.
2There's a type of Japanese felt tip which writes somewhere between a fountain pen and a ballpoint, and there are versions that can be filled with ink. They don't need all the faffing around of fountain pens, and don't dent the paper like a ballpoint.
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I love the feel of writing with a fountain pen but they tend to leak. Also it's hard not to smear the ink.
I always use the ones with the plastic capsules, not the real refillable ones. They're more expensive and I don't look after my pens well enough.
3they tend to leak.
Don't buy the 1$ ones for kids, and they don't. For 4-5$ on AliExpress they don't leak at all. I carried a few in my bag, and the worst that happened was that the nib got a bit dirty. If you need to be extra careful, get a one with a screwed cap.
Also, I'm pretty sure the converter makes it safer. When you draw in the ink, it creates a vacuum (pretty sure), and I've had ink literally defy gravity.
Also it's hard not to smear the ink.
Not really if you're not using the cheapest possible ink. Decent cheap ink through an extra fine nib dries in about the same time as a gel pen for me. As in, don't try to smear it, and you won't.
I always use the ones with the plastic capsules, not the real refillable ones.
You can buy a converter if you still have any. Big companies make their own, Chinese have a standard most of them are using and coming with. A Parker converter literally cost me more than 2 Chinese pens though.
They're more expensive and I don't look after my pens well enough.
My current favourite is Jinhao x750. It's less than 5$, metal body, refillable, doesn't leak. I've replaced the nib on the one I'm using, but the default is still way ahead of a ballpoint. The plastic models cost even less, but don't feel as nice IMO.
4Easier again? A dip pen. Doesn't sound so easy, but you never get leaks on the paper or where you store your pen, can change ink on the fly, not limited to nib choice or handle choice by manufacturer of either.
Great fountain pen nib could cost you upward of $50 plus barrel it will go into, plus reservoir or facility for cartridges. Stellar dip nib could be $20, you can tape it to a twig, and just dip it in ink - no converter or pricey cartridges needed.
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The ink from these pens takes longer to dry, I don't want to wait until I can turn the sheet of paper around. And I have 20 of the same ones because they run out so quickly when you use only pens and I like how they feel in the hand.
3The ink from these pens takes longer to dry, I don’t want to wait until I can turn the sheet of paper around.
Unless you're using the cheapest possible ink and paper with a fat nib, you're only waiting like 2-3 seconds to be certain it won't smudge. Even when I'm writing quickly and can't wait, I haven't yet smudged from turning a page. TBH I spend way more time waiting for my hand to uncramp because I had to press a ballpoint like a maniac while holding it in a horrible position.
I like how they feel in the hand
Then I'm guessing you haven't held a decent fountain pen. Get something cheap like a Jinhao x750 (<5$) and then tell me any disposable ballpoint feels better. And if that doesn't fit your hand, there's a wide array of shapes, sizes, and materials.
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Personally, I carry a pen knowing that it will one day be lost. Long before it runs out of ink, it will become someone else's. Or broken.
I've never used a single pen long enough without losing or breaking it to need to refill it.
17I’ve never used a single pen long enough without losing or breaking it to need to refill it.
Heh. I still have my first pen. Yes, I do mean my first ever pen. The one I learnt to write with in 1st grade.
Unfortunately, it's in terrible shape:- The cap is lost
- Its nib is pushed in (perhaps from a drop)
- The tines seem a bit separated
- The tip seems slightly chipped
- The soft touch plastic coating has already melted due to time
- There's probably dried ink in the feed
Perhaps if I could re-align the nib, it could write again. The chip is small, and the tines don't seem too far separated. But I am not sure how to proceed with that without breaking it. It's just one of those cheapest fountain pens, not something meant to be serviced in any way.
I've used it for around 4 years.8
I carried around a $150 fountain pen for years. Then I lost it. Not fun.
15What was it?
3Pilot Vanishing Point Yellow Rhodium Medium nib.
Was a thicker line than I prefer on my EDC anyway, but it was a beautiful pen.
6
Meh the amount of plastic is minimal and most pens are made from renewable materials these days (Polylactic Acid).
Personally I don't use pens much at all anymore so it never really happens that I empty one of ink. If I throw one out it is because it is all dried up.
13True but I have a lot of similar pens because I use mostly pens and I like this particular type a lot. And every time I empty one, which happens for me probably once a month it feels weird to throw it away just to grab the same one from the drawer instead of just filling it up.
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- Nicer pens/refills aren't cheap
- Few people actually handwrite anything enough these days to warrant the expense
- Most people actually don't care about them. Refillable pens, especially nicer ones, have become an extremely niche market
12Largely because the refills are more expensive than the pen, making it cheaper to buy a new pack of pens than a pack of refills.
6They aren't cheap, but I have been very happy with pens from tactile turn. They have a newer aluminum line that are a bit more affordable, and they all take regular pen refills.
I have a few cartridge pens which are nice but the tactile turn pens are a better balance of convenience for me.
1Why pens at all is the real question and the answer is because technology is made to profit those who make it and hindering people from being able to do it any other way and be forced to be using pen and paper helps with that. Things like not giving an option to email a pdf doc instead of a paper copy but only give an option where you have to go to a site to fetch the doc.
1Or, in the US at least, signing the bill at a restaurant and writing in the tip (many places also take signatures on electronic devices these days). Or, in work and academic settings, writing on a pad to take notes (many, but not all, schools/classes allow students to take notes on electronic devices these days).
I don't think I've been required to use a pen that wasn't provided to me in the US in years. In other countries, I have though, with Japan being the most recent example I believe. Those situations are extremely frustrating, but when a pen is provided, I generally don't mind. I can't see it being some big conspiracy about pens though - unless you consider the slow adoption of technology in general a conspiracy, which I'd be more open to.
2Sure, people only write when they're forced to, and the world is against you typing everything...
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