Zebra Sarasa

I'm left-handed, so I like fast-drying ink. I prefer a thin, but dark line. Here are some of the pens I like using. 1. Pentel Energel needlepoints 0.5 (BLN75 or the BLN105); refills fit a Lamy Tipo. It's a great everyday pen. 2. Zebra Sarasa 0.5 - lots of variations of this pen with lots of pretty ink colors and cute body styles. I would use it more, if it were available in local shops. I don't order stationery. I tried the often lauded Pilot G2, but wasn't a fan. It often would smear.

Gel pens can arguably be as enjoyable to use as fountain pens, with easier refills and less to no need for maintenance. Gel pens also work on all types of paper, with no concerns about smudging due to drying. Pentel Energel refills are very smooth, much more so than Pilot G7 cartridges (but not water-resistant). Zebra Sarasa refills are almost as smooth (and are water-resistant, which can be useful if you get caught in the rain). I use both gel pens and fountain pens, with gel pens for quick notes and writing while on transit. I could comfortably get by with only gel pens—many people have, as I've seen forum posts by former mathematics and physics students who posted photographs of dozens of refills used up over their degrees. I still prefer fountain pens when I'm at a desk, though it's a pleasant luxury for the smoothness—any significant strain when handwriting for many pages went away when upgrading to higher-end gel pens.

used to be a pilot g-2 user but switched to zebra sarasa about a decade ago. so much better (no smearing). cobalt blue is my fave, though i have all the colors. i’ve tried energel but wasn’t as enthused by it.

Two of my favourite pens are here: the Twisbi ECO and the Zebra Sarasa. If you're a regular, gel pen user, I'd really encourage you to check out Zebra Sarasa pens. Some folks think they're a bit scratchy, but they're way less scratchy than the Muji pens I've tried and they write consistently and smoothly. I started using fountain pens in an effort to reduce plastic waste (and because they're cool), and of the many, many pens I've tried, the Twisbi ECO is heads and shoulders over the rest. It also is quite affordable. Word to the wise though, skip the TWISBI GO, it looks similar to the ECO and is cheaper, but I've found it to be a disproportionately worse experience.

Honestly, I've gone back to paper and pen. It's not searchable, it's not sharable, and it's not elegant. It is private, it is secure, it is unobtrusive. My preference is Field Notes https://fieldnotesbrand.com/ and a quick drying gel pen https://www.amazon.com/Zebra-Sarasa-Retractable-Point-12-Cou...

I like writing on paper much more than typing after years of being mostly paperless, though experiences may vary depending on personal preferences. The main benefits include the flexibility to easily draw and write formulae if thinking about a technical topic, the ability to recall what you write easier than what you type, and enjoyment of the feeling of writing on paper. The feeling is actually really nice, and I believe it even inspired essays by Japanese authors about the feeling. The Guardian interviewed some researchers about the differences at: https://theguardian.com/science/2014/dec/16/cognitive-benefi... The main drawback is the ability to search, though I personally rarely look back at past entries (the main benefit is during the act of writing). When brainstorming about something work-related, though, I do scan the related pages with my phone. Digital handwriting (e.g. Surface or iPad) with an app that does hand recognition is an alternative, though the feeling of writing with a good pen on quality paper is much nicer than a stylus on the display (even with screen protectors that simulate paper). If you’d like to try, you can get an excellent setup for less than $50. You can get a nice pen (Pentel Energel, Zebra Sarasa, or Uniball Signo) and notebook (Rhodia, Midori, or Leuchtturm1917) and try it out for a few weeks. r/pens and r/notebooks talk about the differences, and also suggest other alternatives for writing tools.