My productivity system is mainly paper, so pens are very important to me. My two pens are a Pilot Dr. Grip with a Mont Blanc insert and an Inka pen. The Inka pen is good while I am out and about, while the Dr. Grip is excellent when I’m at home.

Here are the two pens that I use most often. On the top is my Dr. Grip, which I prefer to use when I am at home and need to write something. On the bottom is the Inka pen, which I have attached to my key chain, so I have a pen at all times.

Why These Two Pens

First, I am left handed, so I needed a pen that does not smear as I write. Unfortunately, this means most gel pens are out. The Dr. Grip pen was originally a gel pen, so either I needed a different pen or I needed to modify the pen. Luckily, I read an article on Lifehacker on converting a regular pen into a Mont Blanc ballpoint pen.

For you at home, if you decided to go ahead with converting your pen into a Mont Blanc ballpoint pen, be aware that there are different size refills. Apparently, I was supposed to buy the one with a large plastic end, but I bought the smaller one (fine tip) which only had about 1/8″ of plastic on the end. This actually works out better because I made an adapter for the cartridge, which is reusable and does not require me to modify the cartridge itself.

I purchased my Inka pen after wanting access to a pen at all times. I originally became aware of Inka pen when David Seah got one first. I needed a travel pen and the Inka pen seemed pretty cool, being made of stainless steel and carbon fiber, with a pressurized ink cartridge that can write at any altitude and even underwater!

Comparisons

Here are writing samples from my Dr. Grip, a Bic ballpoint pen, the Inka pen, and a gel pen.

Conclusions

• Dr. Grip – I love this pen! The Dr. Grip is ergonomic in my hand and the Mont Blanc ink cartridge writes evenly, precisely, and effortlessly. My only complaint is I wish the ink was as dark as a gel pen.
• Inka Pen – Despite all the hype around this pen, I am less excited about it than my Dr. Grip. It does not write as smoothly as the Dr. Grip and has a quality only slightly higher than a Bic pen. My biggest problem is that I often have to scribble first to get the ink flowing. Despite the average writing quality, it still is very convenient to carry around in my pocket.