h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Can you answer some questions for my brother? He will be most appreciative!


1. Do you have an interest in calligraphy? YES / NO

2. Are you left-handed? YES / NO

3. Different people look at pens in different ways. It would be helpful if you could indicate below whether you are male or female. MALE / FEMALE

4. Which of these types of pens have you used?
BRUSH PEN / STYLUS / QUILL / CALLIGRAPHY PEN / FOUNTAIN PEN / BALLPOINT PEN / FELT-PEN / FINE-LINER / HIGHLIGHTER / ROLLER BALL / ERASABLE PEN / DIGITAL PEN

5. For every pen that you have used, what are the advantages and/or disadvantages to writing with it?

6. If you have used a pen with a metal nib, do you prefer it to be made from gold or stainless steel? GOLD / STAINLESS STEEL

7. Why?

8. What size of nib do you normally use? FINE / MEDIUM / BROAD

9. Why?

10. Which of these types of nibs have you used?
OBLIQUE / REVERSE / OBLIQUE / ITALIC / STUB

11. Does using a nib give you any problems? YES / NO

12. If so, what type of problems does the nib present?

13. Have you ever broken a pen? YES / NO

14. How did the pen break?

15. Is it important to you that you can write fast? YES / NO

16. Would you say that you had a small size of hand or large size of hand? SMALL / LARGE

17. Does the pen that you use suit the size of your hand? YES / NO

18. If not, what would you do to improve it?

19. How would you describe the shape of your pen, e.g. thick, thin, long, short, etc.? If you prefer, you could draw it.

20. Is the pen the right shape for your hand? YES / NO

21. If not, why not?

22. Which weight of pen do you prefer? HEAVY / MEDIUM / LIGHTWEIGHT

23. Is the pen the right length and width for your hand? YES / NO

24. If not, how would you improve it?

25. Is your hand, finger or thumb under any strain when you write with the pen? YES / NO

26. What would you do to the pen to make it more comfortable to hold and write with?

27. Do you need to use a lot of force to write with your pen? YES / NO

28. If yes, why?

29. Do you prefer the pen to have a grip? YES / NO

30. Why?

31. Is your pen safe to use? YES / NO

32. If not, why not?

33. Has your pen ever not worked properly? YES / NO

34. How?

35. Can you refill your pen? YES / NO

36. If not, do you think this is a disadvantage? YES / NO

37. Which of these materials would you prefer the pen casing to be made from?
WOOD / METAL / PLASTIC / GLASS

38. Why?

39. Are you allergic to nickel, which is found in stainless steel? YES / NO

40. Of these materials, which would you least prefer to use?
WOOD / METAL / PLASTIC / GLASS

41. Why?

42. What colour(s) of pen would appeal to you and why?

43. Should the pen have decoration or patterns on it? YES / NO

44. Does your pen have a cap? YES / NO

45. Does it need a lot of force to pull/push the cap into position? YES / NO

46. Do you ever need to carry your pen with you ? YES / NO

47. If yes, where do you carry your pen?

48. Does your pen have a clip? YES / NO

49. Are you worried that the clip may break off? YES / NO

50. Would you use a pen that could be hung around your neck? YES / NO

51. Would the cord get in the way when you write? YES / NO

52. Would you buy a calligraphy pen? YES / NO

53. How much would you pay for it?

THANK YOU FOR COMPLETING THIS QUESTIONNAIRE.

Back later - 53 questions!!!!

Ditto. That's too much to think about, at the moment!

You did ask....

1. Do you have an interest in calligraphy? YES / NO

Not any more

2. Are you left-handed? YES / NO

No

3. Different people look at pens in different ways. It would be helpful if you could indicate below whether you are male or female. MALE / FEMALE

Female

4. Which of these types of pens have you used?
BRUSH PEN / STYLUS / QUILL / CALLIGRAPHY PEN / FOUNTAIN PEN / BALLPOINT PEN / FELT-PEN / FINE-LINER / HIGHLIGHTER / ROLLER BALL / ERASABLE PEN / DIGITAL PEN

Calligraphy pen
Fountain pen
Ballpoint pen
Felt pen
Fine Liner
Roller ball

5. For every pen that you have used, what are the advantages and/or disadvantages to writing with it?

Calligraphy pen
A) can't think of any atm - at the time I liked writing everything in gothic script while my classmates put little hearts over the i's
D) Slow, Messy, slowdrying ink
Fountain pen
A) None - unless you count flicking ink on the backs of people I don't like
D) Messy, fragile, annoying to use, fiddly to refill, hard to find the right cartridges/ink to refill, expensive

Ballpoint pen
A) Cheap, cheerful
D) some pens (esp black ink) make my handwriting look even worse, not comfortable to use for more than a few notes

Felt pen
A) Easy to use, flow over the paper
D) I have the ability to use a black felt pen and somehow instantly end up covered with red, green and blue ink (I think my skin works in the same way as filter paper does in the experiment with black ink and drops of water). Felt pens often are useless on certain types of paper.

Fine Liner
A) Fine and liney - had to use these to annotate geological maps, strangely they make my writing look neater
D) Ink takes too long to dry (another pen which ends up with me covered in ink), not much fun for writing long essays

Roller ball
A) Nice to write with, even long essays. Makes handwriting appear neater
D) Some roller balls soak the paper with ink so end up smudged.

6. If you have used a pen with a metal nib, do you prefer it to be made from gold or stainless steel? GOLD / STAINLESS STEEL

No preference - stainless steel

7. Why?

ummm - it's cheaper

8. What size of nib do you normally use? FINE / MEDIUM / BROAD

Medium

9. Why?

Because they seem most common

10. Which of these types of nibs have you used?
OBLIQUE / REVERSE / OBLIQUE / ITALIC / STUB

None of them ring any bells - I threw out my fountain pen (except for the one which could flick ink a long way) a year into senior school. The calligraphy/gothic script pen lasted about a year on and off when I was 15/16.

11. Does using a nib give you any problems? YES / NO

Yes

12. If so, what type of problems does the nib present?

They bend, break, scratch and don't write well on shiney or absorbant paper

13. Have you ever broken a pen? YES / NO

Yes

14. How did the pen break?

It slipped and banged it's head on a doorframe

15. Is it important to you that you can write fast? YES / NO

No - I've always been a slow writer (I was writing a's as alpha's until I was 9) which is why my writing is untidy...thanks to computers and geology notebooks (writing in all small caps) I couldn't care less about writing quickly.

16. Would you say that you had a small size of hand or large size of hand? SMALL / LARGE

Small with tall uppy/downy bits

17. Does the pen that you use suit the size of your hand? YES / NO

Not really - I use cheap biro's most of the time as I rarely write anything

18. If not, what would you do to improve it?

Longer and fatter

19. How would you describe the shape of your pen, e.g. thick, thin, long, short, etc.? If you prefer, you could draw it.

It's a cheap biro

20. Is the pen the right shape for your hand? YES / NO

No

21. If not, why not?

My fingers get bunched up around the end if I'm writing more than a phone number

22. Which weight of pen do you prefer? HEAVY / MEDIUM / LIGHTWEIGHT

Medium

23. Is the pen the right length and width for your hand? YES / NO

See 17&18

24. If not, how would you improve it?

See 17&18

25. Is your hand, finger or thumb under any strain when you write with the pen? YES / NO

Yes

26. What would you do to the pen to make it more comfortable to hold and write with?

I dont know...amputating my ring finger would probably be easier

27. Do you need to use a lot of force to write with your pen? YES / NO

No

28. If yes, why?

29. Do you prefer the pen to have a grip? YES / NO

Yes

30. Why?

It makes it easier to grip?

31. Is your pen safe to use? YES / NO

Yes

32. If not, why not?

33. Has your pen ever not worked properly? YES / NO

Yes

34. How?

The nib dried out and I had to scribble with it to get the ink flowing again

35. Can you refill your pen? YES / NO

No

36. If not, do you think this is a disadvantage? YES / NO

Yes

37. Which of these materials would you prefer the pen casing to be made from?
WOOD / METAL / PLASTIC / GLASS

Wood

38. Why?

I like wood

39. Are you allergic to nickel, which is found in stainless steel? YES / NO

No

40. Of these materials, which would you least prefer to use?
WOOD / METAL / PLASTIC / GLASS

Metal

41. Why?

Slippy and cold to hold

42. What colour(s) of pen would appeal to you and why?

Green or brown

43. Should the pen have decoration or patterns on it? YES / NO

Don't really mind

44. Does your pen have a cap? YES / NO

No

45. Does it need a lot of force to pull/push the cap into position? YES / NO

N/A

46. Do you ever need to carry your pen with you ? YES / NO

Yes

47. If yes, where do you carry your pen?

In my hand

48. Does your pen have a clip? YES / NO

Yes but I don't use it

49. Are you worried that the clip may break off? YES / NO

It broke off a few months back - I'm not worried about it

50. Would you use a pen that could be hung around your neck? YES / NO

Yes

51. Would the cord get in the way when you write? YES / NO

Yes

52. Would you buy a calligraphy pen? YES / NO

No

53. How much would you pay for it?
n/a

. Do you have an interest in calligraphy? NO, not really
2. Are you left-handed? NO, not at all, never
3. Different people look at pens in different ways. It would be helpful if you could indicate below whether you are male or female. FEMALE
4. Which of these types of pens have you used?
BRUSH PEN / STYLUS / QUILL / CALLIGRAPHY PEN / FOUNTAIN PEN / BALLPOINT PEN / FELT-PEN / FINE-LINER / HIGHLIGHTER / ROLLER BALL / ERASABLE PEN / DIGITAL PEN All of them except the last
5. For every pen that you have used, what are the advantages and/or disadvantages to writing with it? Can't do ALL of these, but
Quill -slow, but writing becomes an art work
Fountain- writing looks good, but ink runs out inconveniently and very occasionally blots
Ballpoint - looks slapdash, messy Fine-liner is better for fast note taking
6. If you have used a pen with a metal nib, do you prefer it to be made from gold or stainless steel? GOLD /
7. Why? more flexible
8. What size of nib do you normally use? BROAD
9. Why? makes italic type writing look better - can get thin and thick strokes
10. Which of these types of nibs have you used?
ITALIC /
11. Does using a nib give you any problems? / NO
12. If so, what type of problems does the nib present?
13. Have you ever broken a pen? YES /
14. How did the pen break? Held in mouth too tightly while applying pressure from hand; snapped in two between hands; trodden into gravel path. You name it, I've broken it.
15. Is it important to you that you can write fast? NO. I haven't been a student for many years. Handwriting is for things like birthday cards and thank you letters
16. Would you say that you had a small size of hand or large size of hand? LARGE (wide for a woman)
17. Does the pen that you use suit the size of your hand? YES
18. If not, what would you do to improve it?
19. How would you describe the shape of your pen, e.g. thick, thin, long, short, etc.? If you prefer, you could draw it.Standard length and fairly thin or I have a short 1920s replica
20. Is the pen the right shape for your hand? YES
21. If not, why not?
22. Which weight of pen do you prefer? HEAVY
23. Is the pen the right length and width for your hand? YES
24. If not, how would you improve it?
25. Is your hand, finger or thumb under any strain when you write with the pen? NO
26. What would you do to the pen to make it more comfortable to hold and write with?
27. Do you need to use a lot of force to write with your pen? NO That's why I use a fountain pen or a thin liner. They glide over the paper.28. If yes, why?
29. Do you prefer the pen to have a grip? YES / NO Doesn't matter
30. Why?
31. Is your pen safe to use? YES
32. If not, why not?
33. Has your pen ever not worked properly? YES
34. How? ink clogged
35. Can you refill your pen? YES
36. If not, do you think this is a disadvantage? YES / NO
37. Which of these materials would you prefer the pen casing to be made from?
WOOD / METAL
38. Why? Traditional
39. Are you allergic to nickel, which is found in stainless steel? NO
40. Of these materials, which would you least prefer to use?
PLASTIC / 41. Why?easiest to break
42. What colour(s) of pen would appeal to you and why? Purple is my favourite colour.Mottled effect on old metal pens I like very much. Also polished stainless steel
43. Should the pen have decoration or patterns on it? YES / NO no preference
44. Does your pen have a cap? YES
45. Does it need a lot of force to pull/push the cap into position? NO
46. Do you ever need to carry your pen with you ? YES
47. If yes, where do you carry your pen?In its own case
48. Does your pen have a clip? YES
49. Are you worried that the clip may break off? / NO, I don't use the clip
50. Would you use a pen that could be hung around your neck? YES
51. Would the cord get in the way when you write? NO, I assume it would be hung by the cap
52. Would you buy a calligraphy pen? YES
53. How much would you pay for it? $50 max

(I hope you're able to call in a lot of favours for this AFC)

PQ and WS, what can I say.

1. YES

2. NO

3. MALE

4.
CALLIGRAPHY PEN
FOUNTAIN PEN
BALLPOINT PEN
FELT-PEN
HIGHLIGHTER
ROLLER BALL

5.
CALLIGRAPHY PEN: lookes great even with bad hadwritng.
FOUNTAIN PEN: Preferd usage, Words flow.
BALLPOINT PEN: rough and ready form of communication
FELT-PEN: as above
HIGHLIGHTER: Only one use:
ROLLER BALL: Smoother method nearer fountain pen.

6. GOLD

7. Smooth writing action.

8. BROAD

9. Makes my hadwritng look legable.

10. Which of these types of nibs have you used?
OBLIQUE
REVERSE OBLIQUE
ITALIC

11. YES

12. Paper needs to be correct for the nib to flow.

13. YES

14. dropping and bending nib

15. YES

16. LARGE

17. YES

18. NA

19. thick

20. YES

21. NA

22. MEDIUM

23. YES

24. NA

25. NO

26. NA

27. NO

28. NA

29. NO

30. Why?

31. Under H&s regulations no pen is safe to use, so must use it in acordane with pracrice.

32. NA

33. YES

34. Ink gets solid, or leaks.

35. YES

36. NA

37. Which of these materials would you prefer the pen casing to be made from?
PLASTIC

38. Warn and looks nice.

39. NO

40. GLASS

41. Why?

42. Mood so any colour.

43. who cares

44. YES

45. NO

46. YES

47. Pen Pocket.

48. YES

49. NO

50. YES & NO

51. NO, the type I know the cap has the cord atached.

52. Would you buy a calligraphy pen? YES / NO

53. How long is a piece of cord. £10.00- £200

Will you complete Tiger Susie's in exchange? F102421?thread=239205#p2840469

1. Do you have an interest in calligraphy? YES
2. Are you left-handed? NO
3. Different people look at pens in different ways. It would be helpful if you could indicate below whether you are male or female. MALE
4. Which of these types of pens have you used? Uncertain. I don't know all the terms. For sure I have used CALLIGRAPHY PEN / FOUNTAIN PEN / QUILL / BALLPOINT PEN / FINE-LINER / HIGHLIGHTER / ROLLER BALL / ERASABLE PEN..
5. For every pen that you have used, what are the advantages and/or disadvantages to writing with it? Calligraphy, quill and fountain pens because the result looks good (my fingers get all inky, but that's another story). However, I use them seldom; I use disposable pens mostly. Highlighter: well obviously to highlight things . Erasable pen because I happen to have one, but I don't find it all too flip, so that will probably be the last. Ballpoint because they're everywhere, and besides I own one with my name on it . Roller ball and even more fine-liner because I like it.

6. If you have used a pen with a metal nib, do you prefer it to be made from gold or stainless steel? STAINLESS STEEL
7. Why? Why not? It's all shiny.
8. What size of nib do you normally use? BROAD, but I change my opinions more often than not about it.
9. Why? I like the feel of it. Some of my former fine pens got dry before I finished using them, which made me mad.
10. Which of these types of nibs have you used? OBLIQUE, certainly. As for the other ones: dunno.

11. Does using a nib give you any problems? Problems?
12. If so, what type of problems does the nib present? Ink on my fingers? I can achieve it anyhow, though.
13. Have you ever broken a pen? YES
14. How did the pen break? Usually the thing on the cap which allows you to carry the pen around in your breast pocket.
15. Is it important to you that you can write fast? Important? No. Useful? Definitely.

16. Would you say that you had a small size of hand or large size of hand? Average .
17. Does the pen that you use suit the size of your hand? YES
18. If not, what would you do to improve it? ---
19. How would you describe the shape of your pen, e.g. thick, thin, long, short, etc.? If you prefer, you could draw it. Thin, 5 inches long (I just measured it), red, fineliner, and the thing I told you I often break is broken (then again, I use many different pens. I won't describe all of them here, just the one I've been using for the last couple o'days).
20. Is the pen the right shape for your hand? YES

21. If not, why not? ---
22. Which weight of pen do you prefer? MEDIUM, I guess.
23. Is the pen the right length and width for your hand? YES.
24. If not, how would you improve it? ---
25. Is your hand, finger or thumb under any strain when you write with the pen? YES, at least sometimes (when I end up with an aching hand).

26. What would you do to the pen to make it more comfortable to hold and write with? Have a chat with it and explain how to behave nicely . Just kidding; I like it the way it is.
27. Do you need to use a lot of force to write with your pen? NO, though I obviously do sometimes (aching hand, or arm BTW).
28. If yes, why? Dunno. It just happens.
29. Do you prefer the pen to have a grip? I don't care.
30. Why? Forty-two.

31. Is your pen safe to use? Safe? I should assume so!
32. If not, why not? Who knows? Wild pens are agressive sometimes.
33. Has your pen ever not worked properly? YES (damn it, they go wrong just the day when you have no spare pen).
34. How? Just ceased working, I guess. Empty ink reserve.
35. Can you refill your pen? NO (with an exception for my calligraphy pens).

36. If not, do you think this is a disadvantage? NO. My pens don't live very long generally, so I wouldn't need to refill it anyway.
37. Which of these materials would you prefer the pen casing to be made from? GLASS
38. Why? Glass looks good.
39. Are you allergic to nickel, which is found in stainless steel? NO
40. Of these materials, which would you least prefer to use? PLASTIC

41. Why? Because I had to pick one, and I quite liked the other three.
42. What colour(s) of pen would appeal to you and why? Black (it's neutral enough), red (I'm more or less a teacher ), blue-black (I happen to like it and it's been in the family for ages). Any other may be used for calligraphy, depending on the result.
43. Should the pen have decoration or patterns on it? I don't care. As I told you, mine are usually disposable. Patterns I would really care for may be hard to find.
44. Does your pen have a cap? Usually YES / NO for the one with my name on it.
45. Does it need a lot of force to pull/push the cap into position? NO. Then again, us males are strong .

46. Do you ever need to carry your pen with you ? YES (don't know if I need, but I do anyway).
47. If yes, where do you carry your pen? Inside pocket of my coat.
48. Does your pen have a clip? Ah that's the name of the aforementioned thing! So YES my pens usually have until I break it.
49. Are you worried that the clip may break off? but I'm careful with the one I carry upon me.
50. Would you use a pen that could be hung around your neck? sure, why not?

51. Would the cord get in the way when you write? No, I wouldn't let it: if the pen had a cap, the cord would still hang around my neck and I'd put it into my shirt. If not, I'd find a way to tame the cord somehow.
52. Would you buy a calligraphy pen? too late!
53. How much would you pay for it? Don't know, it was a gift (several gifts actually) and I didn't have to bother about it afterwards. Depends on what's inside as well. Depends on my mood.

1. Do you have an interest in calligraphy? YES / NO: Yes (but small)

2. Are you left-handed? YES / NO: Both

3. Different people look at pens in different ways. It would be helpful if you could indicate below whether you are male or female. MALE / FEMALE: Male

4. Which of these types of pens have you used?
BRUSH PEN / STYLUS / QUILL / CALLIGRAPHY PEN / FOUNTAIN PEN / BALLPOINT PEN / FELT-PEN / FINE-LINER / HIGHLIGHTER / ROLLER BALL / ERASABLE PEN / DIGITAL PEN: brushpen, stylius, calligraphy pen, fountain pen, ballpoint, felt pen, fine liner, highliner, didgital pen

5. For every pen that you have used, what are the advantages and/or disadvantages to writing with it?
brush pen flowes the best but is easyer top blot, the stylious is diffacult to use (or it was for me) same with the caligraphy pen, fountian pens I love flowes well dosent blot as easally as the brush pens I carnt really think of a problem with it, ballpoints I dont like writing with, felt penns go throuigh the papper, fine liners I like, highlighters are hard to write with but good for there perpious, the didatal pens I have no real problem with eather.

6. If you have used a pen with a metal nib, do you prefer it to be made from gold or stainless steel? GOLD / STAINLESS STEEL: stainless steel

7. Why? the metal is stronger

8. What size of nib do you normally use? FINE / MEDIUM / BROAD medium

9. Why?I prefer thinner lines

10. Which of these types of nibs have you used?
OBLIQUE / REVERSE / OBLIQUE / ITALIC / STUB: all.

11. Does using a nib give you any problems? YES / NO: no

12. If so, what type of problems does the nib present?N/A

13. Have you ever broken a pen? YES / NO: Yes

14. How did the pen break? it was stood on

15. Is it important to you that you can write fast? YES / NO: not to me but it is for my job

16. Would you say that you had a small size of hand or large size of hand? SMALL / LARGE: small

17. Does the pen that you use suit the size of your hand? YES / NO: yes

18. If not, what would you do to improve it?

19. How would you describe the shape of your pen, e.g. thick, thin, long, short, etc.? If you prefer, you could draw it. Long and tapering, thick by the nib shoort at the end.

20. Is the pen the right shape for your hand? YES / NO: yes

21. If not, why not?

22. Which weight of pen do you prefer? HEAVY / MEDIUM / LIGHTWEIGHT: Lighweight

23. Is the pen the right length and width for your hand? YES / NO: yes

24. If not, how would you improve it?

25. Is your hand, finger or thumb under any strain when you write with the pen? YES / NO: no

26. What would you do to the pen to make it more comfortable to hold and write with? I did take off a rubber grip that the manufactuer put on.

27. Do you need to use a lot of force to write with your pen? YES / NO
No
28. If yes, why?

29. Do you prefer the pen to have a grip? YES / NO: No

30. Why? I dont like the way they feel

31. Is your pen safe to use? YES / NO: yes

32. If not, why not?

33. Has your pen ever not worked properly? YES / NO: yes

34. How?its a fountain pen and ran out of ink, when I changed the cartradge there was a block in the nib

35. Can you refill your pen? YES / NO: yes

36. If not, do you think this is a disadvantage? YES / NO: no

37. Which of these materials would you prefer the pen casing to be made from?
WOOD / METAL / PLASTIC / GLASS: metal

38. Why? I prefer the way it feels and the waight

39. Are you allergic to nickel, which is found in stainless steel? YES / NO:no

40. Of these materials, which would you least prefer to use?
WOOD / METAL / PLASTIC / GLASS: Glass

41. Why?I wouldent use it incase it broke

42. What colour(s) of pen would appeal to you and why?couller of the ink or casing the casing should be matalic silver and the ink should be black, I just prefer it that way not shure why

43. Should the pen have decoration or patterns on it? YES / NO: no

44. Does your pen have a cap? YES / NO: yes

45. Does it need a lot of force to pull/push the cap into position? YES / NO: no

46. Do you ever need to carry your pen with you ? YES / NO: Yes

47. If yes, where do you carry your pen? in work

48. Does your pen have a clip? YES / NO: yes

49. Are you worried that the clip may break off? YES / NO
: no
50. Would you use a pen that could be hung around your neck? YES / NO: no

51. Would the cord get in the way when you write? YES / NO: yes

52. Would you buy a calligraphy pen? YES / NO: i have got one

53. How much would you pay for it? I paide 45 puonds

Hey - this is Market Research - pure and simple!! I expect at least a and some in return! That's what I usually get when I go to Market Research groups (it's a bit of a hobby) - I usually get some free samples too. So what are you offering in return for people taking time out of their busy days to answer all these questions?

She tells them what a good laugh she had at how well the idea of making them believe her brother wanted them to fill in a questionnaire worked.

As she seems not to be in right now, may I offer you something instead? Just help yourself.

Misread No 16 as to how large my handwriting is...I've got quite big hands for a girl (span of 21cm/10inches)

1. YES (Mildly)

2. NO (+t any more)

3. MALE

4. BRUSH PEN / QUILL / CALLIGRAPHY PEN / FOUNTAIN PEN / BALLPOINT PEN / FELT-PEN / FINE-LINER / HIGHLIGHTER / ROLLER BALL / ERASABLE PEN / DIGITAL PEN

5. BRUSH PEN - nice, free strokes, difficult to read my writing with it though
QUILL - absolute to control, poorly balanced, runsout of ink very quickly
CALLIGRAPHY PEN - Nice for doing calligraphy
FOUNTAIN PEN - beautiful, use whenever possible, I tend to get through a lot though (see pen breaking question)
BALLPOINT PEN - undoubtedly handy, I find my skin's too greasy and by the time I get half way down a page the thing refuses to write on the paper anymore
FELT-PEN - Get high on the smell (professional solvent based felt pens at least
FINE-LINER - an absolute pig, I love them, get lines sooooo thin
HIGHLIGHTER - bright as a bright thing
ROLLER BALL - A nice compromise between fountain and ballpoint comprising the worst points of each
ERASABLE PEN - alwaya good for a laugh and never quite, totally, erasable
DIGITAL PEN - once you get over the lag and the watching the screen rather than the pen nib, FANTASTIC!

6. GOLD

7. Smoother, more flexible, who cares if it wears out?

8. FINE

9. With writing my small and scrawny, you need to

10. OBLIQUE / ITALIC

11. YES

12. See 13. & 14.

13. YES

14. I'm forever dropping fountain pens nib first onto something hard, the floor, the desk, the wall (done it once!), the cat...

15. YES

16. SMALL

17. YES

18. N/A

19. Slightly thicker than normal, about average length

20. YES (to my mind)

21. N/A

22. HEAVY

23. YES

24. N/A

25. NO

26. A rubber grip is nice, but not shaped ergonomically

27. NO

28. N/A

29. Not a shaped one, but a soft rubber one is nice

30. Helps to get the balance right

31. NO

32. I know techniques that could turn it into a lethal weapon

33. YES

34. Bent nibs

35. YES

36. N/A

37. WOOD / METAL / GLASS

38. Weight, adapts slightly to shape of hand, natural resources

39. NO

40. PLASTIC

41. Breaks too easilly, had too many barrels crack on me in the past

42. Depends on what mood I'm in when I buy it or what I intend to write with it

43. See 42.

44. YES

45. Medium

46. Yes (rarely)

47. Chest pocket in shirt/jacket is best

48. YES

49. YES

50. Don't Know

51. I'd take it off first!

52. YES

53. GBP 25

You're welcome

I will shout (caps) in order to highlight my answers

1. Do you have an interest in calligraphy?
YES

2. Are you left-handed?
YES

3. Different people look at pens in different ways. It would be helpful if you could indicate below whether you are male or female. FEMALE

4. Which of these types of pens have you used?
BRUSH PEN / STYLUS / QUILL / CALLIGRAPHY PEN / FOUNTAIN PEN / BALLPOINT PEN / FELT-PEN / FINE-LINER / HIGHLIGHTER / ROLLER BALL / ERASABLE PEN

(I.E. HAVEN'T USED DIGITAL)

5. For every pen that you have used, what are the advantages and/or disadvantages to writing with it?
BRUSH - FLOWING, BEAUTIFUL LINES. TOO WET, I MAKE A MESS.
STYLUS - THIS WAS WITH A SLATE, AND IT WAS SCRATCHY.
QUILL - DIDN'T BALANCE WELL, BUT I DID LIKE THE OLDE FASHIONED FEELING
CALLIGRAPHY PEN - MY FATHER BOUGHT ME A RIGHTY ONE, SO IT SCRATCHES LIKE ANYTHING. CAN'T AFFORD LEFTY BUT HAVE TRIED OUT IN A LEFTY SHOP AND THEY WROTE BEAUTIFULLY.
FOUNTAIN - MY HANDWRITING IS NEATER THAN USUAL, BUT IT IS VERY SLOW AND I GET INK ON MY HAND
BALLPOINT - ASSUMING YOU MEAN BIRO - I WRITE VERY FAST AND IT DOESN'T SMUDGE BUT NO-ONE CAN READ IT
FELT - USELESS FOR WRITING WITH AS I PRESS TOO HARD, BUT GOOD FOR COLOURING IN AS I AM LIGHTER
HIGHLIGHTER - USUALLY TOO NARROW FOR THE LINES I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT, AND I CAN'T USE THEM STRAIGHT. HOWEVER I HAVE 8 DIFFERENT COLOURS AND AM USING THEM A LOT FOR WRITING MY THESIS AND READING PAPERS.
ROLLER BALL - ASSUMING STICKY INK PEN - THEY SMUDGE BUT FEEL NICE TO WRITE WITH.
ERASABLE - HMM I ASSUME YOU MEAN USING WATER SOLUBLE INK THEN USING A PEN ERASER. USEFUL WHILE AT SCHOOL, HAVEN'T USED SINCE.

6. If you have used a pen with a metal nib, do you prefer it to be made from gold or stainless steel? GOLD / STAINLESS STEEL
HAVEN'T TRIED GOLD SO NO OPINION.

7. Why?

8. What size of nib do you normally use? FINE / MEDIUM / BROAD
MEDIUM

9. Why?
PARKER PENS COME WITH MEDIUM BY DEFAULT

10. Which of these types of nibs have you used?
STUB AND REVERSE

11. Does using a nib give you any problems?
YES

12. If so, what type of problems does the nib present?
OFTEN WRONG ANGLE, CAN SPLIT THE NIB. CAN'T USE SOMEONE ELSE'S AS THEY "LEARN" YOUR STYLE AND A RIGHTY STYLE AND A LEFTY STYLE ARE SO DIFFERENT THAT RIGHTY PENS SPLIT OR SCRATCH.

13. Have you ever broken a pen?
YES

14. How did the pen break?
TWO SIDES OF THE NIB MOVED APART

15. Is it important to you that you can write fast?
YES - USUALLY FOR LECTURES, BUT THEN IT IS ILLEGIBLE

16. Would you say that you had a small size of hand or large size of hand?
VERY SMALL

17. Does the pen that you use suit the size of your hand?
MOST DON'T REALLY, I AM CAREFUL ABOUT SIZE OVER OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

18. If not, what would you do to improve it?
SLIGHTLY NARROWER AND SHORTER

19. How would you describe the shape of your pen, e.g. thick, thin, long, short, etc.? If you prefer, you could draw it.
THIN ENOUGH TO SUIT, BUT NOT TOO THIN, LONG ENOUGH TO BALANCE CORRECTLY IN MY HAND BUT NOT TOO LONG.

20. Is the pen the right shape for your hand? YES / NO
21. If not, why not?
I'M USED TO IT NOW, SO I COULDN'T REALLY SAY. A LITTLE FAT I THINK. I'VE HAD TO WORK WITH WHAT I CAN GET.

22. Which weight of pen do you prefer? HEAVY / MEDIUM / LIGHTWEIGHT
MEDIUM

23. Is the pen the right length and width for your hand? YES / NO
NOT QUITE

24. If not, how would you improve it?
SEE ABOVE

25. Is your hand, finger or thumb under any strain when you write with the pen? YES / NO
YES

26. What would you do to the pen to make it more comfortable to hold and write with?
YOU'RE ASKING THE SAME QUESTION A LOT

27. Do you need to use a lot of force to write with your pen? YES / NO
SOMETIMES

28. If yes, why?
IF THE NIB IS SCRATCHY

29. Do you prefer the pen to have a grip? YES / NO
NO

30. Why?
MAKES IT THICKER

31. Is your pen safe to use? YES / NO
SAFE?
YES

32. If not, why not?

33. Has your pen ever not worked properly? YES / NO
YES

34. How?
NIB SPLIT, GOT REPLACED.

35. Can you refill your pen? YES / NO
YES

37. Which of these materials would you prefer the pen casing to be made from?
PLASTIC OR WOOD

38. Why?
METAL IS COLD, GLASS CAN BREAK, WOOD IS WARM AND PLASTIC WASHABLE.

39. Are you allergic to nickel, which is found in stainless steel? Y
NO

40. Of these materials, which would you least prefer to use?
GLASS

41. Why?
BREAKABILITY

42. What colour(s) of pen would appeal to you and why?
NAVY OR DARK GREEN
THEY ARE MY FAVOURITE COLOURS

43. Should the pen have decoration or patterns on it? YES / NO
NO

44. Does your pen have a cap? YES / NO
YES

45. Does it need a lot of force to pull/push the cap into position?
NO BUT IT HAS A SATISFYING CLICK

46. Do you ever need to carry your pen with you ?
YES

47. If yes, where do you carry your pen?
TO THE BANK - ALL THE PENS THEY PROVIDE ARE ON CHAINS ON THE RIGHT

48. Does your pen have a clip? YES / NO
YES

49. Are you worried that the clip may break off? YES / NO
YES

50. Would you use a pen that could be hung around your neck? YES / NO
NO

51. Would the cord get in the way when you write? YES / NO
YES

52. Would you buy a calligraphy pen? YES / NO
YES

53. How much would you pay for it?
QUITE A BIT BECAUSE I WOULD GET A RARER LEFTY ONE

1. Do you have an interest in calligraphy? YES / NO
Y

2. Are you left-handed? YES / NO
N

3. Different people look at pens in different ways. It would be helpful if you could indicate below whether you
are male or female. MALE / FEMALE
F

4. Which of these types of pens have you used?
BRUSH PEN / STYLUS / QUILL / CALLIGRAPHY PEN / FOUNTAIN PEN / BALLPOINT PEN / FELT-PEN /
FINE-LINER / HIGHLIGHTER / ROLLER BALL / ERASABLE PEN / DIGITAL PEN
Quill
Calligraphy
Fountain
ball
Felt
Fine
High
Roller
erase

5. For every pen that you have used, what are the advantages and/or disadvantages to writing with it?
Quill - oh come on, it's a dead bit of bird and it's fgot a wroking life of about 20 minutes, you need a degree to even make the damn things!
Calligraphy - I assume you mean a 'proper' one, not a chisel tipped over-priced felt tip? Can be messy, a little tempramental, only ued for specific things - you can't use pick it up to take a telephone message - v bad for it. But it does a specific job very well
Fountain - cane be messy, problems of remembering to fill up, tempramental. Makes your writing very distinctive, and in my case, neater
All other modern types are much the same. Fibre tips tend to mush if you press to hard (I do) and balls tend to pop out (very annoying)

6. If you have used a pen with a metal nib, do you prefer it to be made from gold or stainless steel? GOLD /
STAINLESS STEEL
Gold

7. Why?
Snob value I think - I'm no metallurgist

8. What size of nib do you normally use? FINE / MEDIUM / BROAD
Medium/broad

9. Why?
Because I can - I have big loopy handwritng )influenced by years of calligraphy)

10. Which of these types of nibs have you used?
OBLIQUE / REVERSE / OBLIQUE / ITALIC / STUB
Italic mostly

11. Does using a nib give you any problems? YES / NO
N

12. If so, what type of problems does the nib present?

13. Have you ever broken a pen? YES / NO
More times than I care to mention

14. How did the pen break?
Sat on it, dropped it, caught the nib in the paper and snapped it....

15. Is it important to you that you can write fast? YES / NO
Y

16. Would you say that you had a small size of hand or large size of hand? SMALL / LARGE
L

17. Does the pen that you use suit the size of your hand? YES / NO
Usually

18. If not, what would you do to improve it?
It's sometimes just a case of what pen I find in the drawer!

19. How would you describe the shape of your pen, e.g. thick, thin, long, short, etc.? If you prefer, you could
draw it.
Reasonably thick, bot too roidgy

20. Is the pen the right shape for your hand? YES / NO
Y

21. If not, why not?

22. Which weight of pen do you prefer? HEAVY / MEDIUM / LIGHTWEIGHT
M

23. Is the pen the right length and width for your hand? YES / NO
Y

24. If not, how would you improve it?

25. Is your hand, finger or thumb under any strain when you write with the pen? YES / NO
Y

26. What would you do to the pen to make it more comfortable to hold and write with?
Soft grippy bits that don't make the pen bulky

27. Do you need to use a lot of force to write with your pen? YES / NO
N

28. If yes, why?

29. Do you prefer the pen to have a grip? YES / NO
As long as it's not bulky

30. Why?
Easier on the callous

31. Is your pen safe to use? YES / NO
What do you mean safe? Is it going to kill me? No it's not

32. If not, why not?

33. Has your pen ever not worked properly? YES / NO
Negative ios a bit confusing - yes it's not worked

34. How?
Ink doesn't come out, have to squeeze the reservoir (fountain pen)

35. Can you refill your pen? YES / NO
Y

36. If not, do you think this is a disadvantage? YES / NO


37. Which of these materials would you prefer the pen casing to be made from?
WOOD / METAL / PLASTIC / GLASS
Plastic

38. Why?
Light, durable

39. Are you allergic to nickel, which is found in stainless steel? YES / NO
N

40. Of these materials, which would you least prefer to use?
WOOD / METAL / PLASTIC / GLASS
Glass

41. Why?
breakage

42. What colour(s) of pen would appeal to you and why?
Do you mean the barrel or the ink? If you mean the barrel, I'd like it to be distinctive so I can find it easily

43. Should the pen have decoration or patterns on it? YES / NO
Don't care

44. Does your pen have a cap? YES / NO
Y

45. Does it need a lot of force to pull/push the cap into position? YES / NO
N

46. Do you ever need to carry your pen with you ? YES / NO
Y

47. If yes, where do you carry your pen?
Pencil case

48. Does your pen have a clip? YES / NO
Y

49. Are you worried that the clip may break off? YES / NO
N

50. Would you use a pen that could be hung around your neck? YES / NO
No!!!!!

51. Would the cord get in the way when you write? YES / NO
No - because I'd have binned it!

52. Would you buy a calligraphy pen? YES / NO
Y

53. How much would you pay for it?

Depends on the use - up to £20 I guess

1. No
2. No
3. Male
4. Fountain pen, ballpoint, felt, highlighter, roller ball
5. Ballpoint and roller ball are simply convenient, so are felt pens though they often seem to help to give a more flowing script to the handwriting. Fountain pens have the disadvantages of having to be refilled with either ink or cartridges, of being prone to blotting, of being expensive if you want a good one, but if you find the right one for you it seems to enhance your handwriting.
6. Gold
7. It writes more smoothly
8. Broad
9. I like the look of the writing that comes from a broad nib
10. Oblique, italic
11. No
12.
13. No
14.
15. No
16. Medium
17. Yes
18.
19. Thick
20. Yes
21.
22. Heavy
23. Yes
24.
25. No
26.
27. No
28.
29. No
30. They usually get in the way
31.
32.
33. Yes
34. The ink sometimes doesn't flow properly through the nib
35. Yes
36.
37. Plastic
38. It's the most comfortable
39. Not to my knowledge
40. Wood
41. I think it would be too lightweight
42. It's not important
43. It's not important
44. Yes
45. No
46. Well, that's hard to say - how do I know that I'm going to *need* my pen?
47. In a bag.
48. Yes
49. No
50. Maybe
51. Probably
52. No
53.

1. I used to be interested about 20 years ago, but I got bored.
2. No.
3. Male.
4. Brush Pen (disposable), Calligraphy pen (various nibs), fountain pen, felt pen (more specifically "fibre tip"), fine-liner, rollerball, digital stylus on graphic tablet.
5. Sod that. They made the kind of mark I wanted to make, or I would have used something else.
6. I've only ever used stainless steel, although some were gold plated. It didn't seem to make a difference - my handwriting is still illegible.
7. Why not?
8. Fine.
9. I doodle diagrams a lot.
10. Standard and oblique. Why do you list oblique twice?
11. Yes.
12. I have bad circulation, and I get hand cramps. I switched to extra-fine black fibre-tips many years ago.
13. Frequently.
14. Usually during cleaning/refilling; occasionally by strpping on them.
15. It's better than writing slowly.
16. Large.
17. Not relavent with the pens I use.
18. n/a
19. Cylindrical, tubular, round, whatever...
20. Why do you keep asking me that?
21. n/a
22. Medium to heavy. I don't have as much feeling in my fingers as I used to.
23. WILL YOU STOP ASKING THAT!?!
24. By making it the right length and width for my hand, stupid!
25. Oh, yes.
26. A non-slip area near the tip always helps.
27. No. I buy them specifically for that characteristic.
28. n/a
29. See answer 26.
30. Lack of feeling in my fingers - a rubberised barrel makes me less likely to drop it.
31. I'm safe, but I could do some damage with the pointy end if someone repeated themselves often enough.
32.
33. I have more than one pen. Some have dripped after refilling. Some have stopped writing. One rollerball lost its ball. How far back do you expect me to go?
34. See (33) above.
35. Most of them, even though they're not designed that way.
36. I'm easy. I just happen to have a huge tank of black inkjet ink that works well in my pens of choice. I'd just as soon replace them; they're cheap, but I'm just too lazy to head out of the house to buy a replacement.
37. Metal, but glass sounds pretty cool too.
38. For the added weight.
39. No.
40. Use for what? You've already asked which of them I'd like my pen made of... Or are you repeating yourself again?
41. Why the hell not?!?!?!?
42. Plain and dark, so they don't look gaudy in my suit pocket.
43. No.
44. All of them do, apart from the ones where I've lost it.
45. Generally, no.
46. Yes.
47. Inside jacket pocket, or jeans pocket if not wearing a jacket.
48. Most do, all had clips originally, apart from the "Fisher Space Pen".
49. The ones that haven't broken yet probably won't. Plastic clips are a pain - metal ones are much preferable.
50. Probably not. Anyhow, any pen with a clip can be hung on a lanyard if necessary.
51. Only if the designer was *REALLY DENSE*. The cord attaches to the lid, which stays there when you're using the pen.
52. Not nowadays, except perhaps as a cheap gift.
53. £3 (The price of a pen and six nibs at "Bargain Books")

Re: 40, apologies, I misread the question. (I didn't see the "least" in the middle )

Least preferable would be wood.

1. Do you have an interest in calligraphy? YES / NO

yes

2. Are you left-handed? YES / NO

no

3. Different people look at pens in different ways. It would be helpful if you could indicate below whether you are male or female. MALE / FEMALE

female

4. Which of these types of pens have you used?
BRUSH PEN / STYLUS / QUILL / CALLIGRAPHY PEN / FOUNTAIN PEN / BALLPOINT PEN / FELT-PEN / FINE-LINER / HIGHLIGHTER / ROLLER BALL / ERASABLE PEN / DIGITAL PEN

calligraphy pen, fountain pen, ballpoint pen, felt pen, highlighter, erasable pen

5. For every pen that you have used, what are the advantages and/or disadvantages to writing with it?

calligraphy pens can make a mess as can fountain pens (in my experience), ballpoint pens are good but tend to not work if used on a vertical surface, felt pens dry out as do highlighters, and erasable pen quality is normally pretty nasty.

6. If you have used a pen with a metal nib, do you prefer it to be made from gold or stainless steel? GOLD / STAINLESS STEEL

stainless steel

7. Why?

never used gold before.

8. What size of nib do you normally use? FINE / MEDIUM / BROAD

medium

9. Why?

happened to have it on hand - it's an old pen.

10. Which of these types of nibs have you used?
OBLIQUE / REVERSE / OBLIQUE / ITALIC / STUB

italic

11. Does using a nib give you any problems? YES / NO

no

12. If so, what type of problems does the nib present?

n/a

13. Have you ever broken a pen? YES / NO

no

14. How did the pen break?

n/a

15. Is it important to you that you can write fast? YES / NO

n/a

16. Would you say that you had a small size of hand or large size of hand? SMALL / LARGE

medium. large for a woman.

17. Does the pen that you use suit the size of your hand? YES / NO

yes.

18. If not, what would you do to improve it?

n/a

19. How would you describe the shape of your pen, e.g. thick, thin, long, short, etc.? If you prefer, you could draw it.

thick and shorter.

20. Is the pen the right shape for your hand? YES / NO

yes.

21. If not, why not?

n/a

22. Which weight of pen do you prefer? HEAVY / MEDIUM / LIGHTWEIGHT

medium

23. Is the pen the right length and width for your hand? YES / NO

yes.

24. If not, how would you improve it?

n/a

25. Is your hand, finger or thumb under any strain when you write with the pen? YES / NO

thumb, a little

26. What would you do to the pen to make it more comfortable to hold and write with?

add a grippy thing so my fingers don't slide

27. Do you need to use a lot of force to write with your pen? YES / NO

a bit.

28. If yes, why?

hard for me to write lightly in general.

29. Do you prefer the pen to have a grip? YES / NO

depends.

30. Why?

see #26

31. Is your pen safe to use? YES / NO

yes.

32. If not, why not?

n/a

33. Has your pen ever not worked properly? YES / NO

no

34. How?

n/a

35. Can you refill your pen? YES / NO

yes

36. If not, do you think this is a disadvantage? YES / NO

n/a

37. Which of these materials would you prefer the pen casing to be made from?
WOOD / METAL / PLASTIC / GLASS

plastic.

38. Why?

most durable.

39. Are you allergic to nickel, which is found in stainless steel? YES / NO
no

40. Of these materials, which would you least prefer to use?
WOOD / METAL / PLASTIC / GLASS

glass

41. Why?

might shatter.

42. What colour(s) of pen would appeal to you and why?

green, blue, brown.

43. Should the pen have decoration or patterns on it? YES / NO

no

44. Does your pen have a cap? YES / NO

yes.

45. Does it need a lot of force to pull/push the cap into position? YES / NO

no

46. Do you ever need to carry your pen with you ? YES / NO

no

47. If yes, where do you carry your pen?

n/a

48. Does your pen have a clip? YES / NO

yes

49. Are you worried that the clip may break off? YES / NO

no

50. Would you use a pen that could be hung around your neck? YES / NO

yeah

51. Would the cord get in the way when you write? YES / NO

maybe

52. Would you buy a calligraphy pen? YES / NO

yes, have

53. How much would you pay for it?

couple of dollars. not over $10.