But when I am out and about with my notebook, I don’t use a fountain pen. Those are for desk use at the office, not for scribbling down notes or making sketches at the coffee shop or in the school’s pickup line. For travel note-taking, I use a pencil–usually a Lamy 2000 mechanical pencil with 0.5mm 2B lead.
The benefits of the pencil over the fountain pen, ballpoint, or gel ink stick are numerous. It doesn’t make a mess, it doesn’t bleed through pages, it tolerates airplane travel without leaking (unlike most fountain pens), and it’s quick and easy to refill. In addition, pencil marks–being graphite–are the most durable way to put words on paper. Graphite doesn’t smear when the page gets wet, and it doesn’t fade. Pencil marks are impervious to light or chemicals, and they won’t make the cellulose of the paper deteriorate over time like most inks. The only enemy of pencil writing is the eraser, but I’m way more concerned about fading or moisture than I am about the possibility of some stranger taking an eraser to all my notebooks.
For mechanical pencils, I am a huge fan of the Alvin Draftmatic. Nice weight, smooth mechanism, and not terribly pricey.
As an unsolicited offering, I might recommend the Monteverde Impressa as a next pen. I bought one to celebrate passing the bar, and it has quickly become my preferred instrument.
I prefer a pencil for the sensory feedback. Something which is missing from writing with a ballpoint. Disclaimer – my literary skills are reserved for shopping lists.