Ah, the eternal debate of black vs blue pen.. who will win out??
After many hard years of black or blue indecisiveness, with a few purple-pen-leaking-through-the-page debacles, I have finally decided that the blue pen rules. To pay tribute, I’ve made this blog blue.
I had a friend once who was so anally retentive that he had to decide the colour of the pen he was going to use at the beginning of each year, because there was absolutely no way he could swap mid year. That would just be far too messy.
I also have a friend who in maths lectures INSISTS on writing headings in red, examples in black, and the rest of the bulk in blue.
Her name is Crazy.
But, I’ve been trialing and erroring throughout my high school career. I’ve sampled the entire colour spectrum, and yes, there have been some mistakes. One day I decided to start from scratch, and draw up the pros and cons..
You have to admit that blue looks better with red. And you need red. Furthermore, blue looks far less drab and bleak as contrast on white paper. Blue makes me happier. One of the major turning points in my life was the Velocity pen, which was obligatorily blue. They have spunky case covers in different colours to suit your mood, good grip and most importantly, a good click (oh and they are smooth to write with, too). Yes, Velocity got me through the school certificate. I have since moved on, but they will always remain dear in my heart (see appendix A).
After Velocity there was an erratic period (ie year 11) of Kilometrico, Bic and those cute 50c pens you get from dymocks that have the swan on them and are all frosty on the outside.. (see appendix B to rectify my horrific descriptions). Also, I think I had a strange era of putting a grip on those Staedtler pens (I think
Cath and Lauren’s faves), and I may have used one for my Journeys paper, but I have tried extensively to eradicate Journey memories from my mind so who really knows.
Then my friend introduced me to Pilot Super Grip, which he loved so much he’d been using since the SC and also all throughout the HSC. So that got me through for a while, and then I practically didn’t pick up a pen for the entire summer holidays after year 12.
Last year, I found two pens to be my favourite, the Staedtler 422G Soft Ink, and the uni Laknock (appendix C), both available at the Wentworth newsagency.
One considerable rock in my path to Blue Enlightenment was the Free Pen catastrophe. Promotional pens are always so soft, so easy to use, have perfect grip and perfect smoothness on any paper.. And yet they are ALWAYS black! I was well and truly torn, but I have devised a plan to resolve this issue... Promotional pens are to be kept in bags, purses, etc for random jottings-down of phone numbers, addresses, meeting times, etc. Viola! (Appendix D)
So if you are a Black fan.. puh-lease, try and tell me why I should change. You may find yourself spluttering with a lack of reasons, but feel free to do that spluttering in the comments section below.
Or, celebrate with me the glory of blue, blue, blue!
Appendix A: Tribute to the Velocity pen
Appendix B: Frosty-Swanny-Dymocks pens
Okay, I couldn’t find any of these pens in my pen box. Also, I’m sorry but I am finding it really difficult to make pens look interesting, so please bear.
Appendix C: My current faves.
Appendix D: Some of the best pens I’ve come across, all besmirched and unusable in every day life from the fact that they are Black
Comments
Clearly black is better. I write with a fountain pen that I've had since year 8 and it's so much better than a ball point. Black fountain pen ink looks so much better, really stands out. Blue looks messy and bland when put against the blue ruled lines of lecture pads.
If you haven't tried the fountain pen phase, do it - you won't go back.
Posted by: Paul | March 1, 2007 03:45 PM
What about changing the ink cartridges over in the promotional ones? I know, the ink won't be as smooth as the drug company "prescribe me!" kind - but still, pretty on the out side at least.
Posted by: Jack | March 1, 2007 05:11 PM
hey paul,
actually i have tried a fountain pen and youre right, they are fantastic. but they just arent practical for every day use, in lectures etc...and the blue lined paper is a very good point.. one that im going to be increasingly aware of now, THANKS A LOT! just kidding..
jack:.. nah.. the most enticing bit of the promotional ones is the smooooooooooooooooooothness of writing!
THANKS FOR THE COMMENTS GUYS! keep them coming
Posted by: asako | March 1, 2007 05:58 PM
We have to use black pens at work so they rule my life.
Posted by: Dee | March 2, 2007 05:02 PM
It's hilarious that there's a stationary appreciation society, i think i could've used you guys last year during the hsc when my stationary appreciation point reached its maximum during my economics classes, apparently i was playing with it so much that i'd begun distracting my teacher. I think that both black and blue have importance, and may both be used for the sake of variety at least. I change colour according to my mood and whichever colour my fingers can find first in my bag. For tests however, i've been told to write in those inky black pens because they stand out the most, esp since most people seem to write in blue. Glad to hear of another appreciator of the velocity pens!
Posted by: Lucy | May 17, 2007 10:50 PM
I've been a so called blacky my entire life (yes ever since I got my pen license)
For arguments sake, I would just like to state that blue really does suit me better than black. I wish I had chosen it in the first place *regret*
Yet, I feel I must defend my beloved black.
Black pens are good for;
- Drawing on newspapers, changing stuff around, drawing moustaches etc etc... Blue is INCAPABLE of this feat
- Black seems more like a logical choice than blue. Blue is part of the colour spectrum. Its just really a random point. Why not yellow? or red? Or purple?
Black is a tone, it is at the end. It seems logical to me.
- Black is the colour of the night. Night is cooler than day (temperature wise too!), thus if you dont want your hands to sweat, USE THE COOLER PEN! (I know black absorbs more heat, blast, another hole in my argument)
- Goths are pretty awesome, so are those new fangled emops. They like black dont they?
*tries for a very long time to think of some better reasons*
*succeeds (to a certain degree)*
- Black stands out more against the blue crappy lines. Lines are crap, so is blue.
Okay, that's all I have.
Oh! and Paul, so true on the fountain pen thing. I think a good compromise, if you are going for the inky thing, are felt tips. They make my writing look shit, but oh so cool!
And on that note, I will end this terribly flawed argument, GOODNIGHT!
Posted by: Angus | August 1, 2007 09:22 PM
hey angus
thanks for that long comment! i have to admit i wholeheartedly agree with the "why blue" comment. youre right, why not orange or pink or purple ()actually purple runs through the page eventually)
but still - i cant help being a bluyey!!!!
keep up the comments
A
Posted by: asako | August 2, 2007 11:21 PM
I like blue, I have this beautiful handwriting-(British Schooled) and using a blue bic really brings out the best in my handwriting...
Posted by: Sittle | August 21, 2007 06:02 PM
Okay, I came across this page by Googling "drawing with my fountain pen" and obviously there's nothing about drawing with a fountain pen on this blog entry. But the words "drawing" and "fountain pen" do appear, so Google got all confused.
But I just want to say that:
1) I've had almost as weird a trip through pens as you have (but prefer fountain pens and black ink) and
2) What Angus wrote was hilarious :)
Posted by: Christine | December 9, 2007 06:42 AM
I must profess, I am indeed a Black pen user, and not only do I write with it, but many of my drawings and serious art works are created with black kilometrico! They work wonders, the versatility of a black pen with the use of shading, tone, line and the ability to give your designs a tattoo type of effect is not so easily done with blue.
Not only that, but creating the illusion of photocopied images or text with blue is impossible.
You guys rule, I love the blogs!
Nighty children!!! :D :D xox
Posted by: Eleni | February 18, 2008 02:33 AM
I used to use blue... then a mix up with stationary happened in year 7 and now i only use BLACK kilometricos =P (med. point. Fine points are too thin and reedy...)Black just looks so much cooler than blue lol - and it doesnt hurt my eyes when i stare at black writing for a long time - i think that's on of the main reasons i like black better. And blacks just seem to just write so much better than blues O_o but then again, thats prob just me =P
Posted by: samantha | April 29, 2008 09:53 PM
Hello Asako!!
I actually think the person (crazy) who uses red for heading, black for examples, blue for the rest is really smart!
Confession: I do that hehe
Posted by: Cathy | July 18, 2008 08:56 AM
I must admit that I, too, am one of those obsessive people who only uses red for headings, black for examples and exercises, and blue for the rest (and will go to any lengths to find a blue pen if mine has run out whilst in class)
I also love the velocity pens, but i had the problem that i could ONLY find them in black!
Posted by: Jess | October 7, 2008 03:13 PM
mmm always a dilemma.
i does indeed depend on my mood but at the moment it is definitely a black phase.
and i used to be a staedtler (?) fan 100%, but only in blue, and only if the cap was stuck on the end on the pen so it seemed extra long, maybe something to do with the physics of it?
but now im a hard and fast papermate profile black ink only fan.
as the packet claims, 'the smoothest pen in the world', and extra bold :)
Posted by: HM | October 16, 2008 06:04 PM
Strange really because if it is a ball point pen it has to be blue but if its a marker pen then for me it has to be black... yeh I hear you... odd. As for red... definately not. But in the end it may well be whatever is the best value at the time. Jamie S.A.
Posted by: Sydney Hotels | February 20, 2009 04:42 PM