Preferred technical writing tool? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Fsck
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2013, 09:14:55 am
content: Kind of curious what people use, not sure if people are as picky as me when it comes to writing tools.Two categories,  pencils (designs, math, etc) and  pens (lab notebooks, where an unerasable solution is required or where pencil lead transfer would be annoying)I'm kind of a huge fan of the Pentel Graphgear 1000 mechanical pencil with 0.5mm lead. Discovered it in high school and it's like my holy grail of pencils.Pens: the KarasKustoms bolt is my current favorite here or if I need disposable pens: Uni-ball Signo 207 also in 0.5mm.

author: Balaur
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 29, 2013, 09:45:25 am
content: On the pencil side, I've bought in my youth with my own pocket money (huge investment at that time) a Rotring Tikka 0.5mm that I'm still using today. Very nice tool full of German mechanical goodness.Otherwise, I'm a huge fan of fountain pens. My favorites are a Sailor Professional Gear - super quality, very fine trace, strong black ink, incites to a careful and deliberate writing and a vintage Pelikan M400 pen with a custom nib (yes, I'm a pen snob, I know it) - generous trace, smooth gliding, very good for day to day stuff. The Sailor is perfect for fine annotations, schematic notes, etc. The Pelikan has a nice plum ink and it's quite elegant.(Don't get me started on ink/paper combinations).However, I must admit that I'm not manually writing too much these days. I largely prefer some computerized (PC, tablet) method together with Palm notes/OneNote/Evernote apps. I absolutely like the fact that I can quickly update/modify/transform the information, save it, having it synchronized on several devices, etc. Even for home, I prefer storing stuff in OneNote (and previously Palm notes - just recently, I've consulted the pinout of a home automation device that I've made back in 2001). My old notebooks are really crusty and they should be somewhere in storage.

author: steve30
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2013, 09:46:12 am
content: I like using my Lamy fountain pen, but for technical stuff, where there are small diagrams and small writing, even my extra fine nib is a bit too thick. I tend to like the fairly cheap Uni-Pin technical pens from Mitsubishi Pencil co. They are quite nice. I do find the nibs wear out long before the ink runs out though.I don't use pencils much these days. I used to use them, but that was back when I did writing with ball point pens, which I never really liked. Since discovering fountain pens and fine liners, which come in many thicknesses and colours, I hardly use pencils.

author: KJDS
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2013, 10:34:49 am
content: I've been using a keyboard for so long I've almost forgotten how to write.

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2013, 02:11:29 pm
content: TUL pens (gel) on graphing paper. There is a brand here that makes graphing paper with subdivisions in different grids. You can get paper with 1/2 inch 1/4 inch 1/5 inch 1/8 inch 1/10 inch ruling.But i use that only for quick sketches to explain something to someone. Everything else is done directly in CAD.Microsoft WordMicrosoft ExcelAltium DesignerAdobe IllustratorRhino 3D

author: jpb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2013, 02:24:26 pm
content: I use a Waterman Exception fountain pen, it is very nice but the quality of line depends on the paper. I've discovered some cheap hardbacked notebooks, made in China, that have a very nice finish to the paper that takes the ink well. Otherwise just plain A4 paper is good, if I'm not going to keep it long term.I still find that pen and notebook are best for portability, and for diagrams, equations, sketches etc. Though I work with computers (I'm a computer scientist) I still find them a rather clumsy tool for getting random ideas down quickly.Of course if you're laying out circuits, or typing a lot of text then computer tools work much better. For the nicest output quality (of text/maths) LaTeX is great but it is still time consuming to generate diagrams.

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2013, 02:29:05 pm
content: KiCad for quick diagrams and XCircuit for nice ones. LaTeX for math (XCircuit generates EPS so these can be embedded).Oh, you meanoutsidethe computer? Nearest pen/pencil I can spot - there's usually one lying around, and it's usually a piece of crap.

author: AlfBaz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2013, 03:05:50 pm
content: Sorry for the hijackQuote from: c4757p on May 29, 2013, 02:29:05 pmWhat's your OS? Having trouble finding something easy to install and use in windows

author: jpb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2013, 03:12:59 pm
content: Quote from: AlfBaz on May 29, 2013, 03:05:50 pmI use Windows 7 64bit at home (OS X/Linux at work). I Use WinEdt on my home machinehttp://www.winedt.com/I use it with MiKTeX. I wrote my PhD dissertation using it. The main problems I had were not with the editor but with things like diagrams wheredifferent versions of LaTeX like eps or pdf but none of them seem to like both!

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2013, 03:34:12 pm
content: Quote from: AlfBaz on May 29, 2013, 03:05:50 pmDebian. I remember from my days as a math major that everyone used MiKTeX on Windows, so it must be pretty good. I only keep Windows around for those little tools that I can't get to work under Debian (Zeroplus logic analyzer software, etc.)

author: jpb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2013, 03:47:06 pm
content: Quote from: c4757p on May 29, 2013, 03:34:12 pmSorry c4757p, I sort of hijacked your answer to Alfbaz's original hijack!MiKTeX is good but it is like a compiler so an editor is really needed on top of it and that is where I find WinEdt good as it is geared at being a front end for LaTeX.It is not WYSIWYG of course but on my machine at least it can produce the final output very rapidly so I can check what the layout is looking like almost interactively.

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2013, 03:54:56 pm
content: Quote from: jpb on May 29, 2013, 03:47:06 pmvim.Oh yeah, there's my other technical writing tool!To add a bit of relevance to the trollish "I use a computer herp derp" answer, I do have a Graph Gear 500 drafting pencil, 0.5mm. I don't usually use it at home, though I do take it to school. If I actually take the time to select something decent to write with, it's very nice.

author: Alana
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2013, 10:20:58 pm
content: If its pen and paper its usually what's around but back at school i loved classic ink based pen in which i sharpened tip so that lines were about 0.1mm.But nowadays its winword, notepad and mspaint running on my lappy.

author: steve30
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2013, 11:52:08 pm
content: With regards to LaTeX, in Windows I like LED as an editor.But I tend to use Debian these days. In my old Debian installation, I think I Latexilla or something. Can't quite remember as I've not used it for a long time.

author: marshallh
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 30, 2013, 02:34:20 am
content: Adobe Indesign

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 30, 2013, 03:15:21 am
content: I just use a mechanical pencil for drawing schematics and stuff. For text, I use an Android tablet with a keyboard attachment or a PC. (Now if they made an affordable drawing tablet that offers the same resolution as paper, I'll probably be going digital all the way!)

author: Smokey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 30, 2013, 03:46:23 am
content: Pentel P207 mechanical pencil. Downside is the crappy eraser, but that's easily fixed by a big old eraser wedge (or don't make mistakes!).Just watch out, people tend to talk off with pencils/pens without really thinking about it. That's why you need to condition your coworkers just not to touch your prized writing implements in the first place. Like training dogs, it's all about being stern and consistent..... NO!! Bad engineer!! Drop it!!!!

author: marshallh
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 30, 2013, 04:40:21 am
content: Quote from: Smokey on May 30, 2013, 03:46:23 amI grew up using those. 0.5mm lead started me off writing small.

author: AlfBaz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 30, 2013, 08:47:49 am
content: Out in the "field" it's not uncommon to find a sturdy twig and a nice patch of dirt

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 30, 2013, 03:39:51 pm
content: Quote from: AlfBaz on May 30, 2013, 08:47:49 amDirt ? I prefer drawing directly in a pile of unrefined silicon, shaded by a palmtree. something sippy in a long , tall glass, with a little umbrella in it by my side. And if i make a mistake, the oncoming tide will wash it right away. ( just watch out for little hermit crabs, the tend to wander across the drawing board making connections that shouldn't be there....)On a more serious note : why does everybody like pencil ? I hate those things. They make a scratchy noise... And the mechanical ones are so fine it's hard to read.I prefer a good gel pen. Besides for documentation purposes you don't want anything that can be erased or altered ! Keeping a lab notebook is very important. Never rip out pages or make anything, even if wrong, illegible. It can be very important when applying for, or defending , patents !

author: steve30
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 30, 2013, 03:47:29 pm
content: I also have a Brother AX-425 daisy wheel typewriter which I also use sometimes for typing stuff on.It has the most creaky plastic ever, but the keyboard on it is rather nice.

author: cthree
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 30, 2013, 04:22:39 pm
content: I prefer a 0.9mm mechanical pencil with HB or 2B leads and a wire bound pad of graph paper, 4 squares/inch, for quick scribbles, calculations, sketches and brain farts. I keep the notebooks for a while, they are roughly in chronological order but unfortunately not indexed.The pencil barrel is up to the writer. Pentel, PaperMate, Staedtler, whatever fits your hand best. I find 1.2mm leads to be too blunt, 0.5mm too sharp. 0.9mm seems a nice balance for me. My preference is a Staedtler Mars Micro 775 series with 0.9mm barrel. Pretty basic.http://www.staedtler.com/en/products/pencils-accessories/mechanical-pencils/mars-micro-775-mechanical-pencil/If I write something I want to show others or keep I use Sublime Text 2 and Markdown.

author: Hercules
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: June 30, 2016, 03:04:03 pm
content: Hello, just registered on this very interesting forumSorry for the bump, but this topic got me... I'm a big fan of all german products, so including mechanical pencils too and have around 10 Rotring and Staedtler pencils, usually 0.5, 0.7 and 0.9. Is there any solution for this?After few months of use, all pens look like this. I was wondering is there any "trick" so this metal parts couldn't lose this clear and shiny lack and keep it so they look like new?

author: Muttley Snickers
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 30, 2016, 03:35:26 pm
content: First and foremost welcome to the forum.I'm no pencil expert but would have thought that a two part clear epoxy resin such as used on fishing rod wraps and guides would do the trick, you would need to polish the offending parts first then set up a drying jig using a low rpm motor to rotate the pencil whilst the epoxy cures, there may also be other clear coatings available but I am versed in rod building so would stick to what I know.

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 30, 2016, 05:46:13 pm
content: For pencils, I have a Staedtler Mars 780 Technical pencil and a Berol Turquoise 10C drafting pencil, both with 2mm leads that I keep very sharp tips on. For pens, I use a Pilot Precise V5RT .5mm black. If I have to mark something in color, I steal, I mean borrow the granddaughter's colored pencils. She still doesn't know her blue, green and red pencils are missing.

author: m98
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 30, 2016, 06:26:38 pm
content: For equations I often use the "Daum equation editor". By far the most usable, free equation editor that I've seen. For hand drawings and random scribbling I often use a pilot frixion or a prodir pen.

author: klunkerbus
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 30, 2016, 06:36:46 pm
content: Pentel P209 0.9mm pencils here. I obtained several of them LONG ago, and they've been great. The 0.9mm lead is smooth to write with, is very readable, lasts a long time in the pencil and doesn't gouge into the paper as much as smaller leads, making writing easy to erase. As others have noted, the built-in Pentel erasers leave a lot to be desired, but I always keep a click-type eraser around to use instead. The P209s that I have are all yellow color. That always made it easy to point out to someone that they were walking off with one of my pencils.

author: ZeTeX
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 30, 2016, 08:24:23 pm
content: Whatever I can get - Usually when I open my drawer the first pen is "PILOT SUPER GRIP 0.5mm".It works

author: rdl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 30, 2016, 11:35:21 pm
content: Sanford uni-ball Vision Elite, 0.8mm (blue/black ink only please)Dixon Ticonderoga #2 "The World's Best Pencil"** It says so, right on the box.

author: batteksystem
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 30, 2016, 11:58:55 pm
content: Adobe IndesignAdobe IllustratorAdobe Photoshoppostgre SQL

author: Cubdriver
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 01, 2016, 02:51:10 am
content: Alvin Draftmatic DM05, 0.5mm HB lead. I also have an ancient Berol Turquoise lead holder floating around somewhere; have had it since high school but couldn't put my hands on it right now.As for pens, whatever's at hand - usually just a cheapie Bic soft retractable ball point in medium.-Pat

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 01, 2016, 09:44:47 am
content: Edlin.

author: Philfreeze
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 01, 2016, 02:13:13 pm
content: I have three of these pencils:https://modernfueldesign.com/shop/

author: Kirr
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 02, 2016, 01:33:10 am
content: I use standard 0.5mm gel pens most of time. But also important is the surface to draw on. I found that I think best when using 3mm grid paper, of at least A4 format.

author: ez24
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 02, 2016, 08:05:53 am
content: Here is some info on mechanical pencilshttp://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-mechanical-pencils/I was trying to find mine which I know is the best and was made in the 70's, but could not find it.

author: rrinker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 06, 2016, 01:55:41 pm
content: I've used Staedtler 0.5mm and 0.7mm mechanical pencils ever since discovering them in college over 30 years ago. I still have one or two of my originals (as mentioned - they like to wander off), which were imprinted with the university name. I find the finer the point, either lead in the pencil or a pen when I do use one, the more legible my writing, which needs all the help it can get. Anything more than a line or two I always type up and print. Or anything where I expect lots of people to be able to read the final output.

author: Cubdriver
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 06, 2016, 02:08:42 pm
content: Quote from: rrinker on July 06, 2016, 01:55:41 pmSo you're like me. I missed my calling. Should have been a doctor - I have the handwriting.-Pat

author: rrinker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 06, 2016, 04:11:11 pm
content: Exactly. You should see my signature......

author: D3f1ant
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 06, 2016, 08:17:06 pm
content: Love pencils, my favourite has always been my now very old Rotring 600 0.5mm pencil. Had it for longer than I can remember, my precious.

author: photon
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 06, 2016, 08:33:40 pm
content: Pentel P200 series, 0.5 mm.Platinum Preppy 02 (EF).

author: Hercules
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: September 07, 2016, 08:26:41 am
content: Just bought Faber-Castell TK FINE 9717 0.7 mm and it's awesome and beautiful coloured.I also have 2 Rotring Tikky's 0.7 and 2 of them 0.5 mm, one Staedtler Mars Micro 775 0.7 and one 0.9. German style

author: setq
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 07, 2016, 08:47:42 am
content: Rotring Rapid Pro mechanical pencils are nice. Basically a metal tikky with knurled grip. Also pocket safe as the tip is retractable. Best £20 I spent for years.As for real technical writing, a Hodge podge of LaTeX, markdown, graphviz and some tools I wrote myself.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 07, 2016, 03:32:38 pm
content: Depending on what I'm doing, I use:Freehand sketching, notes:- wood pencils:— Palomino Blackwing reboot series:Blackwing (soft),Blackwing Pearl (medium),Blackwing 602 ("firm")— about 4B, 3B, and 2B, respectively.— Staedtler (Cadet/RallyandMars Lumograph)- 2mm lead holders with Caran d'Ache, Staedtler, or Koh-i-Noor leads.Generally softish (2B, B, or HB) leads in these.Technical sketching:- 0.5, 0.7, and 0.9mm mechanical pencils (HB leads from Pentel or Koh-i-Noor)I use Pentel vinyl erasers, which come in various versions (standard ZEH, ZEL for delicate paper, low-dust ZES) and a kneadable eraser.Technical drawings:-Staedtler triplus fineliner-Stabilo point 88Everyday pens:-Caran d'Ache 849 ballpoint(not the absolute best ballpoint, but damn these pens feel great in my hand)-Paper Mate InkJoy(which are hands-down the smoothest ballpoints I've ever used)

author: Miles Teg
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2016, 09:21:00 am
content: Tooki, funny to see that from your pens I could nearly guess where you come from.Makes me discover some interesting products. Like the fine lot of colors liners, that could be really usefull to annotate printed schematic.On my side, I don't have specific hand writing tools.For my designs thinking, I'm always using Freemind and Yed softwares.

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2016, 12:45:33 pm
content: Quote from: free_electron on May 29, 2013, 02:11:29 pmMicrosoft Word is not a technical writing tool. Technically speaking, it is a piece of crap. Antiquated, has plenty of bugs (post 2010 versions) and is not that intuitive and lacks smart features. It got a lot worse since the Telemarketer took over running Microsoft. Professional tech writers do not use Word. Period.LaTEX is is bloated to a level of being ridiculous like MPLAB or Visual Studio. And it is suffers seriously from a lack of ease-of-use in the setup department. That being said, once it is set up , its pretty good. Anyone who knows about usability knows ease-of-use and intuitiveness is of key importance in a successful program. Engineers have enough problems to deal with without having to learn some other convoluted frogshit that is not core to their discipline.If I recall correctly from a tech writer I worked with, he favoured Framemaker.

author: b_force
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2016, 01:08:08 pm
content: Some nice classical tools people are using here!To me it's funny. Isn't engineering & science all about calculating on a tiny piece of paper, coaster or envelop with a pen that's barely working?That's where the ureka moments start.Also, as far as I know, handwriting of most engineers is absolutly horrendus.

author: Miles Teg
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2016, 01:13:33 pm
content: And my real handwriting tool is just a pile of cheap plastic erasable pen:

author: R005T3r
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2016, 05:48:05 pm
content: This stylus:It's actually my first and last stylus pen and it has 15 years, And it's still going strong. I passed countless tests and exam with it..

author: Nauris
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2016, 05:58:48 pm
content: For most writing Faber-Castell HB wood pencil that local bookshop sells. It just works.

author: setq
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2016, 08:40:20 pm
content: Those Faber 9000's are the best traditional pencil you can get. I occasionally do some sketching with one of their 4B's. Very nice. Also their colour pencils are nice too - waxy and easy to blend. My wife nicked mine!

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2016, 09:03:38 pm
content: My handwriting is poor. Not only is it difficult to read but it's also horrendously slow!I type, whenever possible.At home I use OpenOffice.org. At work Word because it's what's installed and I'm no allowed to install anything else.

author: helius
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2016, 12:45:52 am
content: I like 2mm mechanical pencils. They just feel good and I can draw for hours without being distracted by how I'm holding the pencil.For writing I like Uniballs for note taking; or Montblanc, Pelikan type pens when I want to send a personal message.

author: cncjerry
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 09, 2016, 04:27:26 am
content: I'm switching to Mathcad. It seems to have the best formatting and the sheets are live where if you change a variable or formula it propagates throughout the doc. The graphing is a little basic but otherwise near perfect on my surface for compiling technical notes.

author: Tabs
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2016, 09:25:21 pm
content: Out of curiosity, did anyone produce technical documents of blue print back in the day?I'm mostly interested in what would be the modern day font for technical blueprints, the kind you see in movies.I've always liked this style and wanted to produce documents like this.Sent from my SM-N930F using Tapatalk

author: Tabs
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2016, 09:30:49 pm
content: Btw I switched from latex to word for official technical docs and switched from pen and paper to Microsoft onenote and stylus for hand written notes, sketches and math. This is on a tablet and after much getting used to, feels like pen and paper but with the advantages of being digital and searchable, indexed etc...Sent from my SM-N930F using Tapatalk

author: helius
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2016, 09:39:47 pm
content: Quote from: Tabs on September 09, 2016, 09:25:21 pmAdobe Tekton is based on draftsman style printing, as found on blueprints.

author: CatalinaWOW
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2016, 10:25:55 pm
content: In the places I worked, more than half of the draftsmen did lettering freehand. Styles obviously varied a bit. Those that didn't have a good enough hand used either a template or in some cases a lettering machine (basically a custom pantograph). The templates produced a style somewhat like Century Gothic. Different style plates could be purchased for the lettering machines, but the ones I saw most often were like the templates, similar to Century Gothic. You might also want to look at Comic Sans as a style which somewhat resembles some draftsmen's work.I have never found a pencil good enough to get permanently hung up on. They all died and needed repair or replacement after a couple years of use. I guess I inherited my dads hand, which would engrave tabletops when he wrote. So I just buy whatever is available to hold a 0.5 mm HB lead when the previous pencil dies. I do have a preference for the ones which have the lead advance near the writing end of the barrel.In electronic form, it depends on what form your output will take. If it is printed or a pdf, all of the comments above on utility for document creation are valid. In many cases distribution of an editable electronic document is required. Which means that your user has to have the software. Which in turn means either MS Office or OpenOffice or something widely distributed and used.

author: Ampera
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2016, 10:35:07 pm
content: I absolutely HATE pencils. I can get by with a standard pencil you sharpen, but I would rather write in my own blood than a mechanical pencil. Mostly due to I could kill a small animal if I wrote normally on it.I LOVE the Pilot brand Frixion pens. They erase better than any pencil, and are wonders to use. LAMY Fountains are not bad, but I mostly use them for fun.For computer drawing I use AutoCAD for computer drawing, and for image manipulation (Not exactly what was asked, but close enough) I stand by GIMP.I also sometimes use the Nvidia Dabbler which works great (If the pen I had wasn't busted, oh well getting the recall unit soon).

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 10, 2016, 05:40:12 am
content: Quote from: TwoOfFive on September 09, 2016, 10:35:07 pm+1 for Pilot Frixion.Their design is very clever. They erase by heat, not by removal or chemical reaction. This leaves the paper free of eraser crams and the eraser at their top end last forever since it is just used to create heat by friction. Amazon carries them in different colors, both pens and refills, e.g.https://amzn.com/B009QYH644. The retraction mechanism may be puzzling at the the beginning but works very well.I don't use them though to write bank checks.

author: setq
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 10, 2016, 08:13:42 am
content: The ink fades pretty quickly from those Pilot pens I found.If you want that experience but nicer, Rotring Isograph+transparency film.

author: ajo518
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 10, 2016, 02:25:42 pm
content: Another vote for Grapher 1000 I'm still a student and I can't live without them. And they last forever. Im a junior and have had it sense senior year in high school still going strong.Is engineering paper popular other places? At my school everything is on it and everyone loves it, but I don't see it too much other places...

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 10, 2016, 05:40:22 pm
content: Quote from: setq on September 10, 2016, 08:13:42 amI used them in drawing classes in high school. These days I do drawing and schematics on computers only. The result has more value.

author: setq
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 11, 2016, 11:27:45 am
content: Definitely. For art and illustration purposes though it works better than a tablet/wacom etc.

author: Ampera
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 12, 2016, 03:04:55 am
content: Quote from: setq on September 10, 2016, 08:13:42 amWhat you might be experiencing is that the pens tend to run out quick for me. Be that from my using it a lot, or not a lot of ink in the pen, it does run out soon.

author: setq
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 12, 2016, 07:26:53 am
content: I mean once it's on paper, about 5 years later the ink had faded.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 12, 2016, 01:04:27 pm
content: Quote from: Miles Teg on September 08, 2016, 09:21:00 amHahaha yes, Caran d'Ache isn't very well known outside of Switzerland! It just happens that their (metal) writing instruments have a diameter and length that my hand loves! (I wish I could find better ballpoint refills for them. The originals aren't bad, but others are better, and they don't make refills in purple!!!! I may have to fashion my own.)I learned to use colors in middle school here, where I had a pedantic teacher who required us to take notes using color coding. Turns out it's a great idea that served me extremely well in university and later. When taking notes, I always alternate colors between sessions — that way I can see when I made retroactive additions to a prior session's notes. (I used black, blue, and purple for the notes. Other colors as needed.)What I like about the fineliners is that they don't smear like crappy ballpoints can. And they can write over pencil, then you can erase the pencil beneath them.

author: JustSquareEnough
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 26, 2017, 05:13:13 am
content: just bumping this thread because its awesome! was wondering to myself, what do other nerds like me use for a good pencil. then thought maybe check the eevblog forum, and sure enough a thread with a number of good suggestions!

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2017, 12:28:31 pm
content: I still haven’t found pencils I like better than the Blackwing. But they’re too soft for technical drawing.Since my original enumeration, I’ve added a set of Staedtler Pigment Liner pens, 0.05–0.8mm. Cost a whopping €7 and are fantastic. (And they don’t leak on airplanes, which is nice!)

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2017, 08:07:28 am
content: I was introduced to 'clutch pencils' (quite thick leads) in childhood by my architect and artist parents. Used them for many years, till 0.5mm lead engineering pencils turned up. The cheap plastic ones don't last, but the Pentel ones are pretty durable. I bought a box full, which should do me for life. But also made myself an all-metal one based on the core parts from a broken one.I generally keep at least two to hand, since sometimes you urgently need to jot something down, and that's always when the lead feed is jammed up. They are fiddly to clear, so just grab another one.Leads were an annoying expense, till I found an AliExpress source that was so cheap I could buy a lifetime supply of leads too. All 2B, which suits me. Good darkness without scoring the paper, equals easy erase-redraw ability.As for what I write on, I have no need to keep bound journals so use loose A4 photocopy paper sheets, on wooden clipboards. Which I have several of, organized by projects and topic. When done with the sheets they go to the filing cabinets. Every sheet always with a date! A lesson I learned from not doing this for most of my youth, and now finding that bad habit very annoying when I want to find old stuff.Btw, write dates as YYYYMMDD. After you get used to it, you'll be so glad you did. Especially when you routinely prefix file names with that date form. Presto- perpetually correctly dated and sorted files!For bulk writing, I type. On a tenkeyless mechanical keyboard, using a simple, old freeware plain text editor (EditPad 3.4.0) for either plain ascii text, or html, depending on purpose. I virtually never use word processors like Word or Open Office.

author: Hercules
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: March 07, 2018, 07:54:33 pm
content: Last week I've bought Faber Castell Grip 2011 0.7 mm mech, best pencil for writing so far, and beautiful, it's around 10€ but worth it.

author: jmsc_02
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2018, 09:46:51 pm
content: Pilot v5.It walks with me since first year of the bachelor degree 15 years ago... You can take notes really speedy with this pen.

author: ez24
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2018, 10:26:31 pm
content: When I could use a .5mm pencil, my favorite was a pencil that I bought in Japan in the 70s for $15. Now it is $150 on ebay.Now that I use .7mm this is my favorite (I like retractable). This is a heavy pencil which may or may not be good:https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GAXKGU/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1It retracts by pushing down on the pocket clip. Very strong on going in and going out. Made in Japan

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2018, 12:57:16 am
content: Quote from: Hercules on March 07, 2018, 07:54:33 pmI've been lusting over the Rotring Rapid Pro mechanical pencil (comes in 0.5, 0.7, and 2.0mm), but itcosts €35 on Amazon.

author: FrankE
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2018, 12:17:41 pm
content: I'm still on crayons.

author: Richard Crowley
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2018, 12:49:17 pm
content: Fran Blanche did a couple of interesting YT videos on writing instruments...https://youtu.be/GZRvQDMBEOEhttps://youtu.be/ZuJxh5QneDU

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 08, 2018, 06:05:26 pm
content: Quote from: jmsc_02 on March 07, 2018, 09:46:51 pmFor a pen, I have been using these for almost 18 years. These worked great on the 3 part work orders I used for service calls with carbon paper back in the day. I have to buy them by the box as I either lose them or people steal them. My absolute all-time favorite. Pencil is the Staedtler Mars 780. I have owned 2 for 21 years. A number of years ago, I accidentally stepped on one of them and cracked the barrel with a piece actually falling out. Superglue and it is good. Yes, I can buy replacements but at 21 years old, there is some sentimentality there, like an old friend. I don't let any family members use them.

author: mathsquid
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2018, 02:29:04 am
content: My preferred pencil is the Zebra Drafix 0.5mm mechanical pencil, with 4B lead.https://www.jetpens.com/Zebra-Drafix-Drafting-Pencil-0.5-mm/pd/1154Preferred fine pen is Uni-ball Signo UM-151 Gel Pen - 0.28 mm.https://www.jetpens.com/Uni-ball-Signo-UM-151-Gel-Pen-0.28-mm-Black/pd/295

author: meeko
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2018, 08:37:47 pm
content: My "everyday carry" is a Staedtler Marsmicro 775 (I think? After 20+ years, the lettering's nearly worn off) 0.5mm mechanical pencil, with Pentel Super Hi-Polymer HB leads. Which reminds me... I need to pick up more leads...

author: metrologist
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2018, 09:14:32 pm
content: It was rumored that folks in the olden days used to take the carcasses of dead trees, pound their fibers flat, for which they would then scribe their memoirs using their pigments.

author: helius
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2018, 09:52:09 pm
content: Quote from: metrologist on March 16, 2018, 09:14:32 pmThat's one way of putting it.I think there are still a lot of advantages of analog media generally, and even the best software tools don't give you the kind of flexible, transparent expression of your ideas that paper notes do.