Pens and pencils are a favourite topic of mine. Since the article is mostly about cheap mass market ballpoints, I'll take the liberty to mention some of my favo

Pens and pencils are a favourite topic of mine. Since the article is mostly about cheap mass market ballpoints, I'll take the liberty to mention some of my favourites too. * Uni-Ball Jetstream: Just about perfect as far as I'm concerned. Comfortable, ubiquitous and works every time. Stylish, yet unassuming. * Ballograf Epoca: Very common in the Nordics. My favourite specimen has a light metal barrel (aluminium, I assume) with what seems like a rosewood grip and button. Most ones are plainer with plastic barrels in retro colours. A design classic with refills easily available in craft and hardware stores. * Parker Insignia: A slightly fancier one, though not really a true luxury pen. I inherited a couple of these from my grandma who always had a good eye for stationery. One is a half of a matching set with a mechanical pencil, in aluminium and brass. The other is branded paraphernalia for a facility maintenance company she was doing printing work for. * UNIX Ballpoint: The only one of these I don't have on my desk at the moment. Nothing really notable about this one but hey, it's made by Unix. How could I not like a Unix pen?