Pens

When I saw that first part, I thought we were headed in a whole other direction.

 

I'm a chick, I can get away with saying that.

 

If it ever gets so cold that these suckers don't work, I'm packing my bag and letting my boss know he isn't getting a story that night -- because you can't pay this Wisconsin native enough to get me to stand outside in that kind of freeze.

 

I've always bought my own notebooks. My paper supplies either legal pads (which are good for around the office, but clumsy in the field) or the smaller reporters notebooks (which are tough to get more than a few words on when you're doing an interview and trying to write fast). So I load up on the one-subject Five Star notebooks when they go on sale for $1.50 at Wal-Mart. Buy five or six and it'll last me a few months.

As for pens, I'm a Bic man. Been using Clic-stics since I was in the eighth grade. And I will lay a Miami-FIU style beatdown on anyone who tries to steal one from me. They borrow it, I keep a radar lock on it and let them know when it's handed over that I expect it back or there will be consequences.

 

Cross. 24-7.

I was once a man who would purchase my own pens, but I always seemed to keep buying the ones with legs on them. (They would constantly walk off from my desk.)

I got so tired of this crap. I had a very gay looking pink pen with a feather on top of it. That sumbitch never went missing. It was the first pen in like 10 years I wrote with from the time I opened it until it ran out of ink.

But when that happened, I broke down a bought a pretty generic cross pen. Got it at Wal-Mart right after the first of the year on post-Christmas clearance. For like a couple bucks they put my initals on it.

It's not super fancy like those gel pens and it won't write upside down or in the rain, but by God, if anybody in the office tries to lift it --- BUSTED.

As a sidebar, the atheletic trainers in my area have these clear plastic (kind of heavy duty) ice bags for ankles and such. I found out one night by accident that they were just big enough to put two hands, a reporters notebook and a pen in and have enough room to move around.

The last time it rained, I got the trainer to give me 10 or so. I keep them in my glove box and when it does rain, I'm money.

 

Now that I'm office-bound, I find myself carrying a Waterman about half the time.

For wet weather notes, I swear by these products...

http://www.riteintherain.com/

 

I just realized that the plastic they use on dry-cleaning suit bags is the right combo of big and clear enough to read through. Used one tonight, worked pretty well. A little ungainly, but still good. It's probably the same plastic as what you used. I should talk to a school trainer.

 

I'm sure I'm not the only one to take some inspiration from this thread.

Went out and spent two-and-a-half bucks on a Uni-ball Signo, and I'm duly impressed. Hasn't left a blue mark on this lefty's pinky all week. Thanks, y'all.

 

Cadet, in the past I've asked you to apply for our next opening. If you do, could you please wear your jeans? I'm big into studying wear patterns. Okay, that's a lie, but I do like to see a smoking hot chick in a snug pair of jeans.

 

He has a uni-ball. [/Butt-Head]

 

I think you need to fetch my girl Cadet a beer before you make comments like that, newbie!

 

Lamy Sky fountain is my pen of choice. I use a pair of Pentel 0.7 mechanical pencils. Have had them for a decade and keep extra leads and erasers in the bag.

Those Rite In the Rain notebooks are great. When I was up in Sweden in the far north, they worked liked a charm despite the constant snowfall that melted on them. When I was in Iraq, one of them fell in a pit of dirty, standing water. The pencil stayed on the paper and I was able to use my notes, but I tossed that notebook because it stank.

As for notebooks, I use the Moleskine reporters. Bit pricey, but I do like them. A lot.