Pen Lore

Took my oath of office in the Philippine Consulate in Osaka. To help me meditate on the responsibility and dignity of the new appointment,  I passed by the legendary Morita Fountain Pen Shop to finally get a serious writing instrument. The owner insists that you try out the pens - feel the weight, try out various nib sizes, see what kind of ink you like - so it's kinda like Ollivander's, but for fountain pen geeks.

For me, the right pen turned out to be the Matte Black Pilot Vanishing Point  - it's unadorned, functional, and has a couple of nice technological tricks.

As a kid, I've always loved Pilot's retractable ballpoints (back then, a luxury which I could only afford with Christmas money), so I consider this a natural upgrade from my favorite childhood pens.

The pen will fit right in with my upgraded toolset, which now includes a Jetstream Prime multi-color ballpoint and a  Kuru Toga mechanical pencil. My purchase philosophy has always been based on the comfort principle - to spend money where I spend my time. Since most of my time now is spent writing class notes or thesis drafts on paper, I figured it was money well spent.