Blog

by Guest Writer Penn’orth

Now that the idiocy of Christmas (well, maybe the ‘hype’ part of it) is consigned to be an unpleasant memory, I can make a stab at having a go at this modern innovation known, for whatever reason, as a blog. It struggles into life as a hotch-potch of fleeting ideas, experiences, over-hearings, snippets from TV and radio, cuttings from newspapers and, dare I say, from the evil dimension that is the Internet too. Unsurprisingly, for me, preliminary musings are given substance using (fountain) pen and paper, this being for me, the way my brain commits the ideas into existence for future perusal and consideration thus creating the basic building blocks that I can re-arrange to create meaningful and informative sentences. Not having the intrusion of automated spelling checkers interrupting the parade of ideas and concepts that blossom with the stimulation of putting pen to paper. I realise that I must transfer these words to a word processor to enable the wider world to benefit from my wisdom or completely ignore my ramblings.

The very act of writing down with pen and paper creates a more stimulating environment for remembering and understanding, as has been discovered in numerous experiments and studies worldwide testing the success of people recording information in remembering and understanding the information they were recalling. Those who used the ubiquitous tablet to record a conventional lecture (without other apps active on the tablet so there were no external distractions) were far poorer in recalling the detail of the lecture with comprehension equally poor. The students who used traditional methods i.e. pen or pencil on paper scored much higher in understanding and detailed recollection with scores improving with time when measured 4 and 8 weeks later. Those who used Tablets had little comprehension at all.

If you would care to prove or disprove the benefits of using technology then can I suggest trying the ‘shopping list’ test?

Use your Smart Phone to enter in an everyday shopping list with say 10-15 items. When finished, leave the phone on the kitchen table and go off to your usual shop. When you get there, see how many items you can remember.

Return empty handed and write out a shopping list using pen and paper. Leave it on the kitchen table and off you go to your usual shop – when you arrive you will usually be able to recall at least 9 out of 10 items!

Ironically, if you write out a list and put the list into your pocket or handbag, the shopping is generally carried out without reference to the list, other than with a glance at the list when all items had been collected and you are approaching the checkout!

Smart phones have their uses – but you can’t beat pen and paper.

Weekend Press reports that Grannies now only get Texts to say ‘thank you’. Should they lead the way with thank you notes written by themselves and sent to their grandchildren?

Benefits of colouring

There are many different reasons as to why colouring books have become so popular with adults. There are both mental and physical benefits. For example, colouring simulates brain areas related to motor skills, senses and creativity allowing the centre of your brain to relax. This is beneficial due to it giving your amygdala (centre of brain) periodic rests and it has been found to reduces your stress and anxiety levels. Shading can help improve your creativity. This would be beneficial to adults as they have been labelled by professors from university of Toronto as being “Not as creative as most children”. It gives adults a chance to show off their creativity and imagination. When you are slightly older and have more experience of the world and your surroundings, you become less imaginative. Children are more creative because they haven’t had many life experiences and they let their imagination run wild.

Colouring therapy for Alzheimer’s

There are many different techniques that can help Alzheimer’s. Proven by professors from the University of Toronto, partaking in colouring sessions or painting sessions can help regain small amount of memory. Creative activities such as colouring and painting promotes “health brain”, activity by stimulating curiosity and self-belief by encouraging individuals to express themselves through colour. It is amazing how something so simple as colouring can have such a positive impact on an individual.

Does colouring help insomnia?

Over the years, I have tried to find ways to help myself fall asleep. I have used everything from counting sheep to listening to soothing music. In my opinion, I think there is nothing that works better than colouring in. I have recommended this to some of my friends and some said it worked. This has had a significant impact on my everyday life. I was previously moody in the mornings and was falling asleep midday. When I started to colour and got into a rhythm I felt drowsy and my eyes started to close automatically. This was due to the wide range of tranquil colours I was using. Because of this, I am now ready and motivated in the mornings and no longer feel tired throughout the day.

Does colouring help anger and stress problems?

Most people have the potential to be creative. However, sometimes our imaginations are held back by social expectations, daily life, and restricted time to do things. The more educated we are, the more often we will prefer to look at things the way they are supposed to be, rather than allowing our minds to wander over imaginative possibilities. For example how would something look if it was in a different shape or colour?

If you’re trying to find a way to relieve stress, consider setting aside a bit of time each week to colour a few pages of your adult colouring book. Their abstract, symmetrical patterns have been designed with grown-up stress relief in mind. When your eyes follow the sophisticated shapes, this automatically sends a message to your brain telling it to relax. It also helps when you use tranquil colours such as: baby blue and light green.

Do you think adult colouring books work? Please share your tips and experiences in the comments below.

Choosing a comfortable pen

As you can imagine, the pen which you actually write with plays a significant part in how much your hand aches after a long session of writing. For example, you have different types of pens that have a certain unique structure. This can prove to be beneficial due to many people having many different types of grips. Some pens have a rounded structure, this makes the pen user feel vulnerable that it may slip out of their hand and therefore make them feel like they have to grip the pen tightly. On the other hand, some pens have a hexagonal structure. This gives the user of the pen extra grip and therefore they feel as though they don’t need to grip the pen as tight. In my opinion, I have tested both types of pen and feel as though the hexagonal structure pen feel much better. This was due to having a comfortable grip and also not feeling any pain or strain on my fingers.

Don’t hold the pen too firmly

When writing for a long period of time, your grip on the pen starts to tighten automatically. This then results into getting bad hand and arm ache. By tightening your grip, the tip of your fingers starts to hurt and because the force is focused on a small area of your finger, this causes the tips to go numb. It has been advised by specialist that you should loosely grip the pen when writing to improve performance and decrease pain.

Don’t press too hard on the page

There are many different types of reasons why you shouldn’t press too hardly when writing on a page. Firstly, the tip of your pen may give way. This could then lead to a catastrophic ink leak on your sheet of paper. Also by pressing to hardly on the page, you will cause pain to your “Dorsal Interosseous Muscle” (Found in between you thumb and first finger) and to your “Septum Muscle” (Found in between your first and middle finger). This will then cause to take regular breaks from writing; this could prove to be crucial at a certain time.

Should you use your arm or fingers?

It has been scientifically proven that writing with your arm causes less strain than writing with your fingers. Keep your hand and wrist still, and move your whole arm using the elbow and shoulder with a loose grip on the pen. It has been said that this method of writing can improve your arm posture and strengthen your arm muscles. It is also a good idea to take regular breaks when writing for a long period of time.

Practice good posture

When writing for a long period of time, it is vital that you use good posture. Firstly, you’ll need to sit up straight yet relaxed position. This will allow you to get a better view of what you are writing so you can spot mistakes as early as possible. With your thumb and first finger, loosely grip the pen (as displayed on the picture). This will allow you to make comfortable pen strokes. Some people say that it is good to position your sheet of paper straight in front of you. This is apparently due to it improving the neatness of how you write and the whole general experience. Although a recent survey shows that 94.2% prefer writing at an angle due to it being more comfortable and getting neater results. It is vital that you lean over the page when you are writing; this is so you can identify mistakes earlier rather than later. It also gives you a better view of the page.

Writing instruments have been used in all kinds of ways for thousands of years. At Pens Etc we just can’t get enough of pens so we’ve compiled a fantastic list of interesting facts about pens and writing instruments.

1. Invention of the Fountain Pen

A man named Petrache Poenaru created the Fountain pen on May 25^th, 1827, he invented the fountain pen while he was in school in Paris and wanted a way to continue note taking without stopping to dip in ink. Petrache Poenaru was a Romanian inventor of the Enlightenment era.

2. Invention of Gel Pens

In the early 1980s, gel ink was first created by a company called “Sakura Colour products corp” or as some may know it as SCPC. This company was based in Osaka Japan. The first ever gel pen was developed by the same company. Several weeks after successfully completing creating the first gel pen, news came from the US that they were too creating gel pens.

3. Why are Pencils Yellow?

Ever since 1890s, pencils where painted yellow. This is due to the Chinese associating the colour yellow to royalty and respect. American pencil manufacturers began painting their pencils bright yellow to communicate this “regal” feeling and association with China. Now even in the 21st century, we still use this method today.

4. Fountain Pen Appearance

Although fountain pens are available in a variety of different  styles that where offering unique features, each is comprised of the same basic components: the nib, or point; the barrel, which holds the ink reservoir, and the cap, which fits over the nib of the pen to protect it from harm. Ink flows from the reservoir to the nib at a composed rate of flow by means of a force called capillary attraction.

5. Before Pens

Humans have used numerous different tools to jot down there feelings or opinions. Man’s first writing tool was the finger, using it to form symbols in the dirt. Later, pieces of metal or bone were used. Ancient Greeks used a stylus to mark on wax-coated writing tablets, while early Egyptians used hollow reeds as writing tools and papyrus as their writing surface.

6. Do Left Handers Multi-task Better Than Right Handers

It has been said that if you’re quicker at video games, sporting events, or other activities that require simultaneous responses, you’re probably left handed! This involves writing with your left hand and using your left hand for more things. Studies are finding that the major connection between the left and right brain is stronger in left-handers. It has also been said that right hand users are more academic. Do you agree with that?

7. Markers

Markers, serve a variety of purposes. Children use them to make bright, colourful drawings. The stereotypical teacher uses a glaring, unmistakable red felt-tip to grade papers. It has been said that the highlighter ink was stored in a factory in japan. Nobody new what it was. Its appearance was bright and thick. In the 1870s, the owner decided to sell this ink to business and that was how the marker was made.

8. Future Of Pens

As touchscreens on tablets and phones and keyboards on computers continue to evolve, it makes writing less and less essential. Now that we have this kind of technology available, the fashion of using pens to take notes may not be needed. This may lead to the extinction of pens.

9. The Most Expensive Pen In The World

Did you know that the Aurora Diamante is the most expensive writing instrument till date. It retails at $1,470,600.  The pen contains over 30 carats of De Beerss diamonds on a solid platinum barrel.

10. Most Sold Pen In England

The bestselling pens ever since 2009 are the Staedtler Noris Club 326 WP20 Fibre Tip Pen. It has been said that children like the many different colours that are available to them and they also like the user friendly grip.  This pen is also available here on our site.

11. How Far Will A Ballpoint Pen Write?

It has been said that one of the most interesting bits is that the average writing length of a ballpoint pen is 900 meters (the longest was 2,000).  It was a black Bic pen that was also previously used before the test. This pen is also available on our site.

12. Space Pen

In the late 1990s, NASA decided to design a pen to be used in space. They used millions of dollars and lots of time do design this pen but still couldn’t come up with a concept. However the Russians decided to take up a pencil instead. This saved millions of dollars and lots of time.

13. Before The Rubber

It has been said that before the invention of erasers, writers and artists used bread crumbs to erase mistakes. However it did not fully remove the mistake but only made it worse by smudging it.

14. Pencil Facts

Did you know that you can use a pencil underwater on limestone! This is due to the pencil being made out of lead and therefore being able to write on any hard surface. A disadvantage of this is that lead is extremely poisonous. This is due to it being made out of Carbon.

15. Ballpoint

Did you know that every year over 100 people die choking on a ballpoint pen. 85% are usually under the age of 8. This depressing fact has had a minor Impact since 2002. DON’T PUT PENS IN YOUR MOUTH!

16. Pilot Frixion Erasable Pen Ink

Did you know that rubbing the Pilot Frixion Erasable Pen ink with its eraser causes the ink to heat up and become invisible. However, the ink is still there, and extreme cold temperatures (-10 degrees Celsius or under) will cause make it visible again.

17. How Old are Pens

Did you know that writing instrument inventions (such as the Quill) have been around for over 5000 years. The ancient Egyptians used strands of hay and ink made out of red ochre mixed with vegetable gum and beeswax. As you can imagine, the texture was extremely thick and sticky.

18. Sale location

Did you know, in the early 1850’s, Birmingham became one of the top pen nib manufacture, producing over half of all the pens in the world. The most dominant countries were China and Brazil.#

19. Retention is better when taking notes

It is a known fact that when you want to remember something for example a date of birth or exam information, it is better to write it down. This is due to the flow of note taking being quicker and more fluent than typing. It is also healthier due to not needing to constantly look at a screen and get migraine. it is also good for the mind as you find yourself concentrating more.

Ballpoint pens are one of the most commonly used writing instruments due to their durability, cost and versatility. The Bic Crystal and Staedtler Stick are the two more commonly purchased ballpoints so we thought it was a good start to compare these. The main points of this review are based around the medium black ballpoint model pens.

Smoothness

When writing with both pens the Staedtler does feel slightly smoother to write with, especially when going over existing lines. However, the Bic pen feels like a smoother write when using the thicker one (1.6mm). The Bic pen tends to stick a bit when going over a line which has recently been written/ drawn.

Quality of Line

I feel that both pens produce a similar consistent line however, on occasions the Bic seems to have more of a faint line.

Above you can see 3 lines with each pen, a free hand drawn straight line, a line drawn with a ruler and a finally, a squiggle. Weirdly, the Bic felt better when drawing the squiggle but the Staedtler felt smoother drawing a straight line. This hints that the Bic may function better when writing with the pen (or nib) at an angle.

Ink Qualities

The colours vary a bit when switching between the two different brands. When testing the pens I found that the red Bic was a darker shade of red than the Staedtler one. Also the black is more of a pure colour in comparison to the Staedtler which has a slight hint of purple in it. The Blue Bic pens are a dark blue colour, which is a bit of a contrast to the Staedtler one which is a lighter blue.

When attempting to smudge a freshly drawn line, the Staedtler seems to smudge slightly easier but both stick to the page very well.

Above you can see two lines drawn with each pen which I have immediately tried to smudge after. As you can see, there’s very little smudging.

In terms of ink vibrancy, I feel that when drawing just one singular line, the Bics ink is more vivid. If you go over the line twice, the Staedtler line suddenly becomes clearer than the Bic ink. This could have something to do with the quality of the ink and the Staedtler ink being absorbed to the paper more easily.

Pen Shape and Ergonomics

The Staedtler is a slightly thicker, shorter pen which depending on your hand shape and size, may suit you better. The Bic pen is thinner and taller in comparison. Whilst doing writing tests with both pens, I felt that the Staedtler pen had a better balance due to the fact it is shorter in length. In my eyes, the Staedtler is a comfier pen to hold and write with. This won’t be the case for everyone though because it depends on how you hold pen, the size and shape of your hands and also your writing technique.

The £10 Bic offer

Bic are so confident in how long their ballpoint pens will last, they say that you will lose it before it runs out. At one time, if you do manage to hold onto one for long enough that it runs out, they gave you £10. Unfortunately we weren’t able to test how long the ink lasted in each pen.

Price

The prices are quite similar for both pens however the cheapest price I could find online was for the Bic. Both are very affordable pens and can be bought in bulk.

General Writing

I feel that both brands produce good quality pens to write with however, Staedtler will give you the odd spot of ink which will stand out. Personally, the Staedtler feels slightly smoother although the drawback to this might be the odd ink blob.

Conclusion

For consistency we would recommend the Bic however, although the Staedtler can leave ink blobs and was less smudge resistant, it was smoother to write with. People with larger hands may find the Staedtler slightly comfier to use due to its wider barrel width. If you don’t mind the odd ink blob we would recommend the Staedtler Stick.

You can find both everyday ballpoints pens and luxury writing instruments on our website www.pens-etc.co.uk