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June 17, 2004
.3 Pen Freak
Don’t you just love it when you discover that you’re not alone in your obsession? I’ve known that there were other pen freaks in this world, but it still warms my heart when they come to me, ballpoints and rollerballs in hand, and reinforce the love.
What’s a pen, you ask? Why use one when there are so many fine keyboards and printers in this world? I am the first to use a ‘puter for all of my computational needs, however I reserve a strong affection for the handwritten medium—but only when I have the right notebook and pen for the job.
Apparently, I am not the only one. Several of my colleagues are equally or more obsessed than I with the fine-tipped sexiness of a good pen. Recently, one brought in a prime specimen—the Pilot G-TEC-C4.
Despite its common brand name, the G-TEC-C4 is hard to find in the US. It appears to be a European sell (my colleague had gotten hers at Kinokuniya). After several people squealed with interest, she went back and bought us each a nice .4 in blue. I kept reminding myself to go to Kinokuniya to buy more, however its 49th Street location kept me away (I have an ever growing I won’t go there unless I’m dying or underground radius, starting at 29th Street and heading up to 50th). Then, an intern extraordinaire started work at my organization, bringing with him a nice fanatical love for pens—the G-TEC-C4 in particular. He clued us in to the fact that the random stationery store across the street sold the pens—in .3! And the rest is history.
Life is sweet when you’re not the only freak.
Posted by callalillie at June 17, 2004 8:08 AM | Fun Stuff , Geek
what kind of intern is this? buying pens...next thing you know, there will be ties, cigars, etc...
Posted by: tien at June 17, 2004 11:34 AM
Lovely! I must go over there during lunch.
Posted by: Velma at June 17, 2004 11:35 AM
oh no, the intern didn't buy us pens-- that was fellow colleague. the intern just shed light on where to buy them locally :)
Posted by: corie at June 17, 2004 11:36 AM
What's wrong with uptown? [He asks while sitting in his cubicle on West 58th Street]
There is a history/news blog I read frequently, http://cronaca.com, where the owner of the blog collects old pens. The amount of money spent on the pens he writes about is mind-boggling.
Posted by: ccs178 at June 17, 2004 12:09 PM
After working on West 57th street for two years, my tolerance for crowds, tourists, and oblivious businesspeople with cell phones dwindled. Basically, there's nothing between Penn Station and Lincoln Center that I can't get anywhere else that's less crowded. Except for Broadway musicals, which I have no need for, anyway.
Posted by: corie at June 17, 2004 12:24 PM
Tourons can be a hassle in the summer. Since I live in Astoria, it's an easy commute for me though.
Posted by: ccs178 at June 17, 2004 12:31 PM
Don't forget the winter ones visiting the xmas tree...
Posted by: corie at June 17, 2004 12:33 PM
The tree at Rockerfeller Center? I don't see many of them where I work. I do see quite number of famous people, which is only really useful when trying to impress family back in Mississippi. "Hello, Mom. I just saw Billy Joel. No, Mom. I'm ok. He wasn't driving." "Hello, Mom. I just met Carly Simon. I know how much you like her. No, I didn't get her autograph. Why not? I was too busy teaching her how to operate an ATM." Et cetera, et cetera...
Posted by: ccs178 at June 17, 2004 2:39 PM
I personally like the .00001 pens myself. You can't see what you've written, and only dogs can hear what's on the paper, but they are absolutely ace! The 'ink' is actually just some nanobots and a handful of atoms.
Just kidding. I, too, have bought technical pens and couldn't wait to start using their needle-thin goodness.
Posted by: matt at June 17, 2004 2:39 PM
i live by the g-tecs...theyre the only pens ill ever draw with. i used to get friends from hong kong to pick me up a box of it whenever they went home for the holidays in college...
Posted by: halo | veritech pilot at June 23, 2004 10:44 AM
