Favorite pen

[Red Beard]

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What is the best pen you've used? I fell in love with these things, and guard them jealously in the hospital.

http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/775688/Foray-Tungsten-Carbide-Retractable-Ballpoint-Pens/?cm_mmc=Mercent-_-Smarter-_-Pens-_-775688&mr:referralID=2b7866b8-2327-11df-8544-000423c27407

 

[deleted87716]

Not a big fan of disposable pens.

My "go-to" pen lately has been the Lamy Safari ballpoint. They write well, plus the wide clip makes it easy to slip in/out of my lab coat pocket.

I prefer to write with ballpoints. I hate gel or rollerball pens. My handwriting is bad enough, but even worse with those.

 

[BlazerMed]

The Pilot G2 Retractable Gel pen, with the Ultra-Fine 0.38 size point.

 

[countingdays]

The Pilot G2 Retractable Gel pen, with the Ultra-Fine 0.38 size point.

Ditto.

 

[gutonc]

What is the best pen you've used? I fell in love with these things, and guard them jealously in the hospital.

I'm a fan of the PaperMate PhD Multi 3-in-1. Has a pen, pencil and stylus (which I never use anymore but can replace with another pen cartridge).

I've had my current one since I was an intern (2nd year fellow now).

 

[Apollyon]

Papermate Flexgrip. Has some apparent "anti-bacterial" coating, but the best way I've found to keep the pens from being a vector is to not let the patients use them.

 

[racerx]

The Pilot G2 Retractable Gel pen, with the Ultra-Fine 0.38 size point.

The G2 is a very nice pen. I prefer the 0.5 though, as it seems to write a bit more smooth. The tip just glides across the paper. The 0.38 feels like it it scratching the paper. . .just a sensory thing for me.

 

[DeLaughterDO]

I kinda like the Zebra F-402. Fine point, smooth writing, nice heft as the barrel is metal, refillable, and the grippy thing is comfortable.

 

[DizzyNT]

uni-ball jetstream RT (retractable)

Simply the best pen ever, and fairly cheap
writes extremely smooth and NEVER stops up like crappy G2's do, and is smudge free. can find at any office depot/max

seriously try it

 

[Red Beard]

I have an unconscious habit of wedging my thumb under the clip of my pen as I am walking around the hospital, which invariably breaks the clip. A pen with a broken clip is super annoying, since it will no longer sit right in my pocket.

I wish I could find a reasonably priced pen that had a bombproof clip but still felt well balanced with a smooth, fine, ballpoint tip.

/pen porn
//so nerdy

 

[BlazerMed]

The G2 is a very nice pen. I prefer the 0.5 though, as it seems to write a bit more smooth. The tip just glides across the paper. The 0.38 feels like it it scratching the paper. . .just a sensory thing for me.

That's fair. I write pretty small, and things seem to get a little to smushed together with the 0.5 vs. the 0.38.

uni-ball jetstream RT (retractable)

Simply the best pen ever, and fairly cheap
writes extremely smooth and NEVER stops up like crappy G2's do, and is smudge free. can find at any office depot/max

seriously try it

Can I get it in an ultra fine point?

 

[BlondeDocteur]

I've had my current one since I was an intern (2nd year fellow now).

Can I just say that this is one of the more impressive things I've ever read on this website?

 

[SocialistMD]

uni-ball jetstream RT (retractable)

Simply the best pen ever, and fairly cheap
writes extremely smooth and NEVER stops up like crappy G2's do, and is smudge free. can find at any office depot/max

seriously try it

I concur.

 

[gutonc]

Can I just say that this is one of the more impressive things I've ever read on this website?

I think the fact that we switched to an EMR halfway through 2nd year (negating the need to use the pen as often) has a lot to do with it. I also keep 2 or 3 loaner pens in my white coat and have only once loaned out this particular pen, when I was on service with our division chief...hard to say no to that one.

 

[Red Beard]

So I ended up being loaned a G2 0.38 today, I see what you are saying.

Verrrrry niiiiiice.

 

[tkim]

G2 fan, but can't use the .38 and rarely the .5 since we use that carbonless paper and I need to press down hard enough that a finer tip feels like I'm scratching the paper, or the chemicals in the paper to make it carbonless won't take the ink in a finer point.

When I use single T-sheets (i.e., normal paper), finer points are awesome.

Can't get back to the ballpoint, for some reason.

 

[Encephalopathy]

Uni-ball Signo Micro 207 0.5 mm

 

[deleted87716]

Borrowed one of these (Sharpie retractable fine point) from somebody at a restaurant last night. Liked it a lot. The tip had a little more friction than a typical rollerball or gel pen, so it was easier to control. Nice dark line, no bleeding.

If I needed a disposable pen, I'd pick up one of these.

 

[silas2642]

Borrowed one of these (Sharpie retractable fine point) from somebody at a restaurant last night. Liked it a lot. The tip had a little more friction than a typical rollerball or gel pen, so it was easier to control. Nice dark line, no bleeding.

If I needed a disposable pen, I'd pick up one of these.

Pilot Precise V5-- probably the best pen I have ever used.

 

[deleted87716]

If you've posted in this thread, you'll probably enjoy this blog: http://www.penaddict.com/

 

[J-Rad]

Love the color versions of the G2s

I esp. like the bright colors when I'm writing to-do notes on my patient sheets. Smooth writing and they really seem to last a while. I always put my pens in my back pocket, so the other nice thing about them is that they're durable. Very much in contrast with the Zebra "F" pens which will all break at the cheap plastic fore-grip if you sit down with them in your pocket (the reason I stopped buying any of them even though I kind of liked the weight and profile)

 

[RTrain]

Love the color versions of the G2s

I esp. like the bright colors when I'm writing to-do notes on my patient sheets. Smooth writing and they really seem to last a while. I always put my pens in my back pocket, so the other nice thing about them is that they're durable. Very much in contrast with the Zebra "F" pens which will all break at the cheap plastic fore-grip if you sit down with them in your pocket (the reason I stopped buying any of them even though I kind of liked the weight and profile)

Yes! We have an all-EMR so I only write for me now, and I use only wild colors - there are so few ways to let your personality out at the hospital, I love having all my notes-to-self and to-dos in green and pink. There are plenty of black pens lying around when I need to fill out paper consents.

 

[DrJosephKim]

Some day, the pen will be an antique because we'll all use digital pens, tablets, and other modern forms of paperless computing.

 

[Speculatrix]

Pilot Varsity fountain. Anyone else here?

 

[Sneezing]

I've been seeing some residents at different places use these multifunctional pens.
http://www.stamperpens.com/

 

[BobBarker]

I only use tactical pens.

 

[Kubed]

I'm a former G2 and zebra fan, but it's Uni-ball 207 FTW! I started out with the standard, but after I tried the premier I was sold. It has made a big impact in reducing the middle finger callus that I was starting to rock. 0.7 cartridge... very sexy.

 

[Kubed]

If you've posted in this thread, you'll probably enjoy this blog: http://www.penaddict.com/

... I did not need to find this the day before step 3 😀

 

[deleted87716]

... I did not need to find this the day before step 3 😀

Sorry, man.

Step away from the keyboard... 😉

Good luck on the test tomorrow, by the way. 👍

 

[lulubean]

Where's the love for the 4-color Bic pens?!?

They keep my to-do list sooo organized. Love 'em.

 

[Bobblehead]

With both of my hospitals having moved to electronic orders and progress notes my supply of "good" drug pens will likely last the better part of a decade at the rate I'm going.

 

[adam6]

 

[Apollyon]

Some day, the pen will be an antique because we'll all use digital pens, tablets, and other modern forms of paperless computing.

Sure, but what does this, at all, have to do with this thread? Moreover, I would wager that, even in 1000 years, some people will choose to use antiques in their personal lives, notwithstanding current times. Some will choose to take pictures with film, printed on paper, and to hand-write on the back of those pictures.

Some day, the hydrocarbon combusting engine will be an antique because we'll all use magnetic levitation, inertial propulsion, and other modern forms of non-combustible power. But, today, I still have a favorite car.

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

Win

 

[Red Beard]

Win

Really? Without a retractable tip?

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

Really? Without a retractable tip?

The ones I get are the clicky tops, so the tip does retract.

 

[kalix]

FLAIR, gotta love the boldness factor...
Nothing wimpy about it, durable and fearless 👍

 

[RussianJoo]

sigh... it's a sad day in the life of a med student/resident/doctor, when we can't count on free pens from the pharmacutical companies, and no one is commenting on how awesome the Zosyn metal pen was or someone having a viagra pen... sad sad time.

I really like my montblanc pen that i got as a college graduation present but i am always afraid i'll lose it. also it's hard to tell how much ink you have left cause the ink cartridges are metal, but it lasts a while (it better since each cartridge is $8) and writes very smoothly.

 

[md2010sgu]

Nothing beats a plain ol' BIC. Writes every time the first time... super cheap so you don't care if you lose one or get fecal matter on them and toss it out. Once you go BIC you never go (can't think of anything not perverse) 😱

 

[Dr.LeoSpaceman]

Papermate Profile 1.4

I can't use rollerball or gel because of the way I write...I always end up smudging. For ballpoints, these write incredibly smooth (comparable to most gel pens, I think). They're also super cheap ($1/ea.) and come in a bunch of different colors if that's you're thing. Not for those that like very fine points, though.

 

[RussianJoo]

does anyones hospital not care if you use blue or black ink? I see attendings write in blue ink at my hospital all the time but i think the rule is black ink because it photocopies better, which i think is a BS reason. Personally I would think they'd want us to use blue ink so that we could easily tell if the document was a copy or an original.

 

[LukeWhite]

Muji 0.38mm:

http://www.muji.us/store/stationery/pen-pencil/gel-ink-ball-point-pen-0-38mm.html

Loved the Pilot G-2's until I was introduced to the Muji, and now buy them 100 at a time. This is the best pen I've used since my Rapidoliner technical pens were discontinued, and at 1/10 the cost.

 

[DizzyNT]

That's fair. I write pretty small, and things seem to get a little to smushed together with the 0.5 vs. the 0.38.



Can I get it in an ultra fine point?

comes in 0.7 and 1.0, but comparing it to a g2 the 0.7 is as fine or slightly finer than an 0.5 g2, and of course is waaayyy better

to the other poster, i use blue pens every now and then, but always end up getting scolded by some nurse... "didnt you know you cant use blue pens!? OMFG WE"RE ALL GONNA DIE" dunno though, they claim its some legal thing, if i finished my note though i usually just sign it, shrug, and walk off...

 

[twilightdoc]

What is the best pen you've used?

I like the Sensa pens with the pressurized cartridge (the same one use by the Fisher Space Pen). You can use it in about any position, and it has a firm point that works well with NCR copy forms, etc. My personal observation is that the likelihood of losing a pen is directly proportional to its cost- cheap motel pens tend to stay around longer.

 

[bullpup777]

I use fine fountain pens. This may seem like a ridiculous thing to bring to the hospital, but I haven't lost one yet. And it improves the quality of life.

 

[deleted87716]

I use fine fountain pens. This may seem like a ridiculous thing to bring to the hospital, but I haven't lost one yet. And it improves the quality of life.

I agree. I used fountain pens for a while in residency. I eventually switched to ballpoints, though...damn coated paper and multi-part forms.

 

[bullpup777]

I agree. I used fountain pens for a while in residency. I eventually switched to ballpoints, though...damn coated paper and multi-part forms.

I find that a hard extra fine nib will work on multi part forms and is less susceptible to problems from coated paper, or picking up fibers from recycled paper. Try a Parker Duofold with an extra fine nib, for example. Or a Namiki Fine point, since Japanese pens are one grade finer than American or European pens.

Also, Parker and Waterman carry a lifetime reapair warranty, and they do back it up, I use it regularly.

 

[RussianJoo]

I find that a hard extra fine nib will work on multi part forms and is less susceptible to problems from coated paper, or picking up fibers from recycled paper. Try a Parker Duofold with an extra fine nib, for example. Or a Namiki Fine point, since Japanese pens are one grade finer than American or European pens.

Also, Parker and Waterman carry a lifetime reapair warranty, and they do back it up, I use it regularly.

so if you break your nib because of pressure or clog it up because of poor paper quality they'll replace your nib for free?

 

[FutureInternist]

Papermate Profile 1.4

I can't use rollerball or gel because of the way I write...I always end up smudging. For ballpoints, these write incredibly smooth (comparable to most gel pens, I think). They're also super cheap ($1/ea.) and come in a bunch of different colors if that's you're thing. Not for those that like very fine points, though.

👍👍

 

[3dtp]

I use fine fountain pens. This may seem like a ridiculous thing to bring to the hospital, but I haven't lost one yet. And it improves the quality of life.

Ditto. Waterman Phileas, Fine Point. And yes, they have replaced the nib. For free.