BATTLE OF THE PENS - TO SIGN OR NOT TO SIGN?

My favorite store in town is Office Max. Why? Because I love paper, pens, notebooks, and sticky notes. I shop there at least once a week and I'm on a first name basis with the staff. I was just there a couple of days ago shopping for pens.

 I have a particular favorite pen that I buy by the dozens. I keep one clipped to my shirt at all times, and have secret stashes of them in my purse, my kitchen drawer, my car. Donna (my Office Max guru) recommended TUL fine point retractable gel pen a few years back and I have used nothing but ever since. I prefer black, but I have some in red and blue, too. I tried purple once, but it just didn't write as smoothly. Maybe that one was defective. I don't know.

Anyway, I was googling about what pens authors use to sign books with and came across a couple of suggestions. One was the Pilot Precise V5 retractable gel.  I ended up getting the v7 instead because it is fine point rather than extra fine. I brought home a 4-pack and started signing my name on a sheet of paper. I tried just my first name, my entire name (which is way too long!), my initials, and various little witty blurbs like "Best Wishes" and "All the best."

Lo and behold, I love the Pilot! Dare I say I love it even more than my handy dandy TUL? It writes so smoothly - not a bump, not a skip. I appreciate the rubber grip on both pens but the slightly curved bullet shape of the Pilot is just a tad more ergonomic than the cylindrical TUL.

Both pens have metal clips, but the Pilot is sleek and feels a bit more substantial. I have had a couple of clips snap off my TULs in the past, which is really irritating.

I am not 100% sure yet which pen will win the signing war. I need to try them both out on some actual books. In the end, the winner will need to satisfy all of the following requirements:

1. The ink must write smoothly without fail
2. Must not bleed or smear
3. Must endure frequent use
4. Must be comfortable to hold for extended periods of time and use
5. Would be nice if it came in purple - I love purple

Next time I will discuss the positives and negatives of sticky-notes.