rubber grips on pens and why they're bad
I'm a big fan of stationery. I already have more than enough pens, ink and other random writing-related utensils, but whenever I see a stationery store, I can't help but take a look inside. An interesting things that happens when you follow a "hobby" like this for long enough is that you start developing these indiosyncratic preferences, hangups and pet peeves. A recent one for me has been pens with rubber grips.
OK, so, look. I get why they put rubber grips on pens. I've dealt with slippery grip sections myself, and it's not a pleasant experience. However, I don't like rubber grips as a solution. Why? It's simple: They "gunk up." They gunk up soooooooo easily.
To be fair, not all rubber grips are the same. Some are better than others, and manage to stay somewhat clean. But in my experience, those are the exception. Usually, sooner or later, a mix of dust, hand oils, dead skin cells, small hairs etc. builds up on the grip section and makes it really unpleasant. And god forbid you "do an oopsie" and allow some kind of sticky material (like glue from a gluestick or some kind of packaging) to get on it. That shit's never coming off. No matter how well you try to clean it, there will always be some kind of barely noticeable gloopy residue.
So yeah, that's why I prefer pens (and mechanical pencils) without rubber grips. Some simple ridges, knurling or texture, even if it's done relatively cheaply, does the job for me. Some pens even work with no "grip section" at all.
Sadly, there seems to be this kind of broad perception that "rubber grip = better." I stopped by Itoya yesterday, and there are so many pens that look quite nice - but 80% of them have that damn rubber grip. It's mildly infuriating (I'm exaggerating a bit here). Maybe it's a blessing in disguise though, because without applying that very specific filter of mine, I'd be buying a lot more pens that I already do anyway. And when I do find a pen that meets all my criteria, I get this feeling of mundane excitement. So maybe it's alright.
Some pens that I like
- Muji Smooth Retractable Gel Pen (0.5) - no grip
- SAKURA Ballsign iD (0.4) - no grip
- SAKURA Retrico Ballpoint Pen (0.4) - simple ridged grip, plastic
- Pilot BP-P (0.5) - simple ridged grip, plastic
- uni Style Fit (0.38, 0.28) - no grip
- OHTO GS01 (0.7) - no grip
Some mechanical pencils that I like
- Zebra Color Flight (0.5) - simple ridged grip, plastic
- Muji Weighted Mechanical Pencil (0.3) - knurled grip, metal
- Muji Smooth Mechanical Pencil (0.5) - no grip
- Pilot S3 Series (0.3) - simple ridged grip, plastic
- rotring 500 (0.5) - knurled grip, metal