My notepad of choice is the Rhodia dot pad. They're bound on the top of the page so they're good at laying flat, and I've never had an ink bleed through the paper. As far as pens I use a Pilot Metropolitan with Noodler's black ink. However, I'm really lazy with refilling it so I tend to default to the PaperMate InkJoy pens that my office gets.
Ask HN: What stationary are you using?
21–30 of 42 posts
Re: Ask HN: What stationary are you using?
#22Pen: Uni Pin fine line. 0.1mm is my go to for general day to day use, anything over 0.5mm tends to be too thick for writing.
Pad: whitelines black oceans (Lined) is really nice to write in.
Re: Ask HN: What stationary are you using?
#23I like using mechanical pencils over pens for everyday notes, although I'm probably in the minority. My goto one is the Uni-ball KuruToga Mechanical Pencil http://amzn.com/B0026ICM1E There's also a slightly more expensive metal version: http://amzn.com/B004OHNTVC I have both, but oddly enough I prefer the lighter weight of the cheap plastic one. Just feels more comfortable to write with for me.
My favourite is the Papermate Pacer: http://www.inkman.com.au/items.asp?id=54523&gclid=CPyZm6GF4M...
Especially if you like spinning pens/pencils, the tapered tip makes it much less prone to accidental stabbing from a bad spin.
Re: Ask HN: What stationary are you using?
#24Paper: Modnotebook
Interesting product. It's a regular moleskin, but it comes with an envelope so you can mail it in and the notebook will be scanned and put into a cloud account for you in various formats. Then the notebook will be mailed back to you. I find this to be a great way to preserve ideas and drawings.
Pencils: I'm an artist as well as developer, so I'm extremely picky about my mechanical pencils. My number one requirement is the need for a replaceable twist-up eraser. I burn through erasers like no other, so having a long eraser that you can twist up as it's depleted is a necessity.
Paper Mate Clear Point 0.5mm http://www.amazon.com/Paper-Mate-Mechanical-Assorted-34666PP...
Pentel Twist-Erase III 0.5mm http://www.amazon.com/Pentel-Twist-Erase-Automatic-Assorted-...
There are pros and cons to each of these. The Twist-Erase III's are more durable and there is more friction that keeps the eraser put. The Clear Point can break if you step on it or simply wear down from use. You'll also find yourself twisting the eraser back out as it likes to twist back down over time. The main advantage of the Clear Point is that the nib retracts completely so you don't stab yourself when you put it in your pocket. I can't tell you how many times I've been stabbed by the Twist-Erase III. The quality of both of their erasers is good.
I'm very much 50/50 on these two. I will say that I won't use anything but these.
Pens: I do not use pens.
Re: Ask HN: What stationary are you using?
#25For an everday pen, I use a Lamy Safari fountain pen[0] with an extra-fine nib. For a pencil I use a Pentel GraphGear 1000[1] in 0.5mm. [0] http://www.lamy.com/eng/b2c/safari/017 [1] http://www.pentel.com/store/graphgear-1000
Hi.
Question regarding your Safari -- does it carry well ? For example, can you toss it in a courier bag and tote it around safely without it leaking ink, or having some other fountain-pen-specific problem happening ?
Re: Ask HN: What stationary are you using?
#26By way of pen, I use a Parker Vector (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Parker-Vector-Stainless-Medium-Fount...). The plastic ones tend to break - avoid! - but the stainless steel ones are excellent: durable, attractive and well priced. Good ink flow and a nice thick line from the nib. The Parker blue and black inks have a watery cast that I've always liked too.
I don't use pencils.
It's probably UK only, but for note pads, I use the Pukka Pad Jotta (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pukka-Pad-Notebook-Wirebound-Jotta/d... - reasonably priced, I think, but cheaper again at Costco if you're a member. Also available with squares rather than lines, albeit at higher cost). Inexpensive everyday notepad with good quality paper. Adequate construction quality. Spiral binding allows you to have it laid flat or folded back on itself.
(If you sit at a desk, and work somewhere where people won't mind if you have notepads that are purely functional, I rate these higher than Moleskines. They are cheap (but not crap), and cheap (but not crap) is good! You can't have too much notepaper.)
Re: Ask HN: What stationary are you using?
#27Paper: Modnotebook Interesting product. It's a regular moleskin, but it comes with an envelope so you can mail it in and the notebook will be scanned and put into a cloud account for you in various formats. Then the notebook will be mailed back to you. I find this to be a great way to preserve ideas and drawings. http://modnotebooks.com/ Pencils: I'm an artist as well as developer, so I'm extremely picky about my mec…
I've always loved the idea of Modnotebook. The blocker for me was always the thought of my notebook being lost while shipping it back to them, before it's been digitized. Glad to see someone using it happily though.
Re: Ask HN: What stationary are you using?
#28Just FYI... I know it is considered uncool to correct writing, and I'm often told that grammar is irrelevant these days. I don't mean to be that guy, but I also don't believe grammar is irrelevant. Personally, I always get briefly confused when I read the wrong word. ("Stationary _what_?" -- I thought briefly you might be talking about a stationary bicycle.) http://grammarist.com/usage/stationary-stationery/
Man, it kinda bums me out that we have to be so guarded these days when just trying to help someone by correcting an honest mistake.
The trolls ruin these things for the rest of us.
Re: Ask HN: What stationary are you using?
#29I use a different notebook, a Black n' Red wirebound hardcover, 8-1/4 x 5-7/8 Inches. I usually use a Pilot Hi-Tec-C (0.3mm) pen and a Pentel Sharp (0.9mm) mechanical pencil with a polymer block eraser.
I've seen thos Black n' Red notebooks in our stationery store, but in 8.5 x 11. Have you been using them for a while?
Yep! I haven't found a nicer spiral-bound type notebook, the paper is heavy and smooth and the size is comfortably constrained.
Re: Ask HN: What stationary are you using?
#30I found out, just yesterday, that it is stationery (with an ery) when talking about office supplies and stationary (with an ary) when talking about something that isn't moving. I'm not a grammar nazi and I don't care how people spell it at all, I was just interested that after years I had always been getting it wrong, so I am just sharing it here!
My bad. I don't typically check back over anything I type on HN. If I had $1 every time my grammar or spelling was incorrect, well you know the story.