How many notebooks do you have going right now?

because graphite is a lubricant.

4) get one that takes 0.7mm leads, they're the most commonly available size. Those pencils that take the big thick 2mm leads seem to be the worst quality, unless you buy one of the expensive models.

Too many - all sizes - mainly for drawing but one large one with graph paper for taking down music ideas, etc. There's a Muji store near my work and it's hard for me to walk out of there without another new notebook or one of their awesome newsprint books.

the thing that sucks about only writing fiction in pencil is bcz I don't own a dece pencil sharpener and have to go to the local library to sharpen my pencils

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Oh, so this is the stationery nerd thread! I love those grey triangular pencils with the rubber grip bobbles schlump said were overrated. Although, I bought a 3-pack because I liked them so much and then realised the ones in the pack didn't have erasers on the end like the ones bought singly do, so that was annoying. And I mainly just like the novelty of the shape and the bobbles and the way they feel in your hand, I admit the line is kind of soft.

aww. i had real bad handwriting as a kid, & still have fairly bad & serial-killer-ishly-small handwriting as an adult, & i wonder whether some of my distaste for the three-sided pencil is because it reminds me of various gripped writing implements i was given to straighten me out (nb i cannot be tamed). they're okay. i think i just resented having to pay a pound for one at a whsmith, once, knowing that some of the simplest pencils are nicer & more straightforward & cheaper & are don't attempt space-age solutions to pencil needs.

0.7mm gel ink pens for me, I love them all. I got some Pilot G-Tec C4s and some unknown 0.3s and I do really like the cleanness of the line at that sort of size but my writing comes out horrible and spidery on such a fine point. 1.0s are too fat for my writing.

i think the thickest pens i like are those silver uniball ink - they make me feel all drunk & loose, like i careen across the page flamboyantly. muji .38s are still my go-to fineliner (they don't write on skin, which sucks) but for the last six months i've just been plumbing my stationery bag to mix it up a little. the last thing i was really into was a felt-nibbed papermate pen, one of the ones with the white target-mark on the lid. nice. i think those .7 gel pens are good but something about the actual pen doesn't click with me, i don't think i like the biro-y transparent plastic, maybe.

sorry i am turning this forum into one of those forums.

No I love it, I am a huge stationery geek. It was one of the bright spots of those dark years known as grad school.

haha the most consistent writing by hand i do these days is on crosswords, but i am v. particular (and routinely disappointed by my options) about the pens i use

I hadn't found any new pens I liked a lot until recently, but I really love the Uniball Signo - Micro 207. Really consistent ink flow even after months of use.

^^^^ we used to have these at work, but not anymore :(