Writing Utensils...A Grayapedia Take

Call me crazy, but I am extremely particular about what kind of writing utensil I use. I prefer for it to be a click pen that has extra fine ink. Usually a gel writer. Write now I am sporting this sexy new pen that is as sharp as a needle. It is called the PILOT EXPLORER. And boy have I enjoyed the exploration of this pen. It clicks (with me), is extra Fine (both in hotness and sharpness), and has these nice curves at the grip point.

History

I think the obsession with writing utensils started in elementary school. Kind of around that point that kids in class started changing from the pencils you have to sharpen to mechanical pencils. It's amazing how you could obtain overnight celebrity status in the classroom at the click of a pencil. Kids flocked to you to borrow a pencil when they heard the clicks of the utensil. The first ones I encountered were the Bic pencils with the colored clip. There were two drawbacks to this model. The lead (commonly mistaken with graphite in elementary school) inside squeaked all the time. It had a higher pitch that nails on the chalkboard. The second drawback with this model was the lead size. This was a one size fits all lead that was of the .07 family. The advantages of this model were the durability and the affordability of these pencils. They also have good erasers. The next model to hit the market was the "twist" mechanical pencils. These were introduced to the market around 5th grade or 1993ish. These pencils had the color of regular pencils, but needed no sharpener. Almost a faux blind type effect. The advantages to this pencil was that it looked like a real pencil so if the teacher said no mechanical pencils, you could still break it out. Also, these created a quick ability to twist and get on with your work. It didn't make any sound when you wanted to lengthen the lead, therefore no distraction to the classroom. Drawbacks of the twist model included only one size lead (.07), and the erasers were not high quality like the smooth white ones. The final model that came out was the pencils that clicked by the grip. These were the rolls royce of mechancial pencils. I imagine that someone from the Ford family created this one (maybe Henry). It was the first mechanical pencil that you could change out the eraser when it was worn. Another great thing about this model was the ability to buy it in many different lead sizes (.05, .07 even .09). This helped make most everyone happy. Some of the drawbacks of this item were affordability, and the pencils durability near the lead extraction sight. If this was bent...you were doomed b/c you were never able to bend it back straight to get the lead to come out.

Pen history...that is another day's post

Famous People's Utensils

Bob Dole was all about the old wood pencils. Glad to know that his old school values trickled down to his writing utensils as well.

John McCain holding a Sharpie. Many people feel that he writes with these due to his ageing eyesight, but a top advisor for the McCain campaign says that McCain uses them b/c they are "Mavericky"