[crq-yml]

I've embraced the Pulaman over the past year. It's grungy when used on rougher paper, and wet enough to bleed through lighter weights, but the lines are full of character. It's a fountain pen with a marker tip - it fills in a certain complementary thing that Pilot nibs don't have.

I have also become a champion for Bic Gelocity, because they figured out a quick-dry gel formula that has similar viscosity and reliability to their classic ballpoints. Viscous ink keeps my writing legible, and the gel needs less pressure, so it's a great EDC writer.

Some of my bigger explorations have been with graphite - I have both new mechanicals, cheap stuff, lead holders, and vintage pencils. There is a lot of reason to go mechanical for reliability, but cheap mechanicals like the Bic pencil are unreliable - it's worth it to go for a Pentel. Similar story with lead holders - I have some from Daiso that do the job but aren't as tight as brand names. The nice thing about wood is that it handles well - the weight is lighter than metal, and it stays balanced as you wear it down. As well, for drawing, being able to cut the point you want makes a difference. There are woodless pencils which are quite a bit heavier and more brittle if dropped, but they are nice to work with to get something similar to a long point sharpen without having to get out a razor and whittle it by hand.

[atombender]

+1 for Pentel Pulaman. They have a weird hybrid nib that's somewhere between a felt tip and a technical pen, and you can vary the line thickness a lot. The nib flattens a bit with age, so you end up with an almost brush-like feel.