Essential Tool #1: The Pen

Drawing done using a Pilot V7 © Karen Thiessen 2011

My favourite pen for writing and drawing is a black Pilot V7 Hi-Tecpoint. Even though it has its occasional faults, I buy the pens by the dozen. I cannot fly with my beloved Pilot V7 because if I do, it will leak dramatically (for the rest of its life) and when I least expect it like when I'm signing a receipt in a public place while wearing nice clothing. Naturally, I will not have a handy tissue to blot my newly blackened hand. The pen was redesigned with a much smaller viewing barrel in about 2008 so that you can no longer tell how much ink is in the cartridge until shortly before it runs out. My conspiracy theory thinking has me believe that it was redesigned so that they give you less ink. Since the redesign, I've also found that the nib doesn't work as well, so 4 out of 12 pens are duds. Did they change the metal to save money? But, I persist with this pen. The ink is a deep black and when I am writing or drawing with a perfect pen, the ink flows nicely and the friction of nib on paper is so minimal that I can work for hours. When I fly, I switch to a pigment pen. It works well, the ink is black, but it drags to such a degree that I truly miss my Pilot V7 for the entire duration of the trip. Yes, really.


Do you have a favourite pen? If so, let me know.