Matthias at Bleistift discovers the Chung Hwa 6903 pencil in Shanghai.

Cheryl at Writer’s Bloc peeks inside the Fabrica Pocket-in-a-Pocket notepad.

Julie at Pens Paper Inks…Whatever offers the DeAtramentis Black Edition for your consideration.

Alex at Economy Pens recommends the Pentel EnerGel X 0.7mm Violet.

Terri at Filofax Fixation confesses her newfound obsession with the Lamy Al-Star.

Yochanan at Multi Pen Dimensions checks out the SK-Sharbo +1 multi-pen.

Dave at Seize the Dave gives good marks to Rohrer and Klingner Verdigris ink.

JJ at Penagerie grouses about the Paper Mate Sharpwriter mechanical pencil.

Rodney at GreaseMonkeyHands receives a Namiki Sterling Dragon as a gift.

PenandPaperHoarder dismantles the PHX-1: Design Tool Set.

OK, we’re understanding people, we really are. But the Guardian has published a piece that puts forth the idea students are so unused to writing by hand that it stresses them out to do so on exams.

C’mon…seriously?

From the Guardian:

For the moment it seems that the pen and paper are here to stay, but examiners are aware of the strain written tests place upon students. Robert Douglas-Fairhurst, English tutor at Oxford University, says: “Inevitably, anxiety is sometimes voiced that students are now so used to typing they can’t cope with a three-hour handwritten exam.”

Students use keyboards almost exclusively for classwork, then are required to use pens and/or pencils on written essays during exam times. Apparently, that makes their hands hurt and slows down their ability to answer questions.

Writer Rebecca Ratcliffe says:

In the run-up to my undergraduate exams, I was advised by tutors to practice speedy handwriting. Some even claimed that candidates can’t write as much these days as their counterparts did in previous years, though no data is available to prove this.

UK school officials have suggested doing away with handwritten portions of tests, while some schools have given students the options of using laptops (although few students seem to take that choice, according to the Guardian).

Yes, writer’s cramp is real. We’ve all experienced it. Usually, it’s a result of practicing the ‘death grip,’ either from bad penmanship habits or from using a cheap ballpoint that doesn’t write smoothly.

And yes, writing by hand does require a bit of a different mental process than keyboarding. Research has consistently shown the two activities engage different areas of the brain.

(Oh, and there may also be a link between good handwriting and better grades.)

But has it really gotten to the point where it’s simply too much to pick up a pen for a few hours of test-taking?

Instead of abandoning a fundamental form of communication – one that is going to persist in one form or another until the end of time – there might be some better solutions. Such as encouraging students to handwrite some work throughout the school year. Or teaching them how to write properly in the first place. Or even just using ergonomic pens.

They’re students, after all. Writing is a basic part of education.

• The LA Times reports that a new device expected out this summer will allow you to write with a pen on paper and transmit everything you write to your iPad in real time, exactly as it appears on paper.

The iNotebook itself really is the combination of an iPad app, the case, a transmitter/recorder and a special pen that connects with it.

How it works is that the transmitter sits above the page and watches you write with the special pen via infrared sensor and records what you write. Then through the app and a Bluetooth connection with your iPad, it shoots over your words — or doodles — in your very own hand almost simultaneously.

The downside: There’s no optical character recognition. So what you write is what you get. As a result, there may be no visual character recognition either, depending on your handwriting.

The $150 device could be useful for saving notes, phone numbers, etc. but no word yet on how well pen writes, or how well it doesn’t.

• Japanese pen maker Sakura put out a press release earlier this month announcing the release of a new one-stop calligraphy pen.

According to Sakura, the Pigma Calligrapher is:

 …a unique, all-in-one, durable lettering art tool that produces crisp edges and sharp hairlines in 3 nib widths and 6 Pigma ink colors. This disposable pen has a hard nylon nib that withstands heavy pressure and constant use, and still provides a reliable, smooth ink flow from edge to edge.

Sakura says the pen is a cost-effective tool for beginning calligraphers because it eliminates the need for refills and multiple nibs.

Interestingly, Sakura started out making crayons nearly 100 years ago and claims to be the first company to have created gel-based ink.

• It’s a common question: Can you poison yourself by writing on your skin with ink?

The answer is not really because the amounts of toxic substances in inks are so small that you would have to ingest large quantities (as in cups full) just to make yourself slightly ill.

However, the student paper at the University of Alaska – Anchorage decided to look into the matter and came to the conclusion that writing on your skin can be quite dangerous.

For instance, a blue gel pen uses a chemical called copper phthalocyanine (I’m glad this is written and I won’t have to try to pronounce that). Its Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) states that it is “hazardous in case of skin contact.” I think that’s straightforward enough.

But wait, that’s just the pigment. What about the solvent? It’s the component of the ink that makes sure all the ingredients stay together and you don’t get one liquid flowing out before another. Gel pens use a solvent called ethylene glycol. Its MSDS is even freakier than copper phthalocyanine’s. Even though its carcinogenic (cancer causing) effects aren’t classifiable for human or animals, its mutagenic effects sure are. And wait, there’s more! They’re specifically mutagenic for mammal’s body cells.

A little, um, over the top…but hey, we’re just glad they’re still interested in writing on something with pens.

• Paper Mate is running an all out marketing campaign to promote its new InkJoy pens, using the gimmick that theirs is the world’s most stolen pen.

According to Media Post:

The effort…includes TV ads on cable channels Bravo, HGTV, Oxygen, TLC and TNT. There is also a digital buy on tap across multiple properties, including Facebook and Twitter, as well as social media and word-of-mouth. There are also in-language websites for each country.

Scott Crist, global director of marketing for Paper Mate, tells Marketing Daily that the last time the company ran TV ads was in January 2010 around the Winter Olympics in limited U.S. markets on select NBC stations.

“Paper Mate has strong brand equity around the world but we’ve been a little lackluster with our advertising and promotion over the last few years,” he says. “The InkJoy launch is helping communicate a new, more modern Paper Mate in step with today’s more value-minded consumer.”

The article also reports that women are the No. 1 buyers of Paper Mate products.

We’ve been picking up some new readers lately, so it seemed like a good time to give our new friends a little idea what they can find on the Tiger Pens Blog.

We’re all about ink pens here, from fountain to ballpoint, and the ways that people use them, whether for writing, office work or creating pieces of art. Occasionally, we’ll touch on notebooks and paper, but there are several excellent blogs that do it so well, we usually leave it to them (we’re looking at you, Notebook Stories, Rhodia Drive and a dozen others).

Our favorite pens are the ones that are relatively inexpensive, reliable and comfortable to use – gels and rollerballs and hybrids from Pentel, Uniball and the like. We’re also fans of novelty pens, or just about any kind of pen that is ‘different.’

In keeping with our love of pens and their uses, we run several regular features on the blog. In no particular order, they are:

Pen Reviews – Fair, honest assessments of the newest disposable and refillable pens, as well as the classics that deserve a new look once in a while. Yes, we probably sell most of them, and, if we like a pen, we’ll tell you…but if we don’t like one, we’ll tell you that, too.

Giveaways – Pens are great fun…and FREE pens are even funner, err, more fun. So, every month, we set aside a special package of pens to give to one of our readers just as our way of saying ‘thanks’ for visiting. If you discovered our blog through one of the giveaways, welcome, and we hope you stay a while.

Totally Random Pen Stuff – This is an occasional feature comprising news about pens coming to market, pen-related stories in the media, and mentions of interesting pen collectors, as well as other miscellaneous pen nuggets of interest.

Conversations About Handwriting – Pens aren’t much good if we don’t use them, and handwriting is one of the most common uses of pens, so naturally we follow the chatter on this topic with great interest. Our occasional handwriting feature collects tidbits of news and opinion on handwriting, from features on handwriting teachers to the handwriting practices of presidents.

Inappropriate Uses of Pens – Some people do the craziest things with their pens…things that pens were clearly not intended to do. Sometimes, they are amusing, other times, mind-boggling. We collect those stories, and once in a while, post them for our readers’ enjoyment.

Penthusiasm! – There is a wonderful, vibrant community of pen enthusiasts online who happily share their endless knowledge of pens through blogs, Twitter and Facebook. Every week, they write dozens of posts about pens, pencils and paper that are, by turns, amusing and fascinating. Each week, we try to round up some of the best ones and share with our readers, in case there is something they’ve missed.

Blog Reviews – Each month, we try to select one pen- or paper-related blog to feature as an outstanding blog. We choose them based on…well, basically, their ‘wow’ factor. If they often have posts that we read, then say, ‘oh wow, that was cool!’ then there’s a good chance we’ll review them at some point.

Guest Posts – We’re continually amazed at the level of expertise or just plain enthusiasm of some in the pen community. When we come across someone who writes brilliant pen posts, whether reviews, anecdotes, or obscure finds, then we invite them to post on our blog, both to help spread the word about them…and to impress our readers with our nifty pen friends.

Tiger Pens News – It’s no secret that we sell pens, but the last thing we want to do is flog our products too much on the blog. This blog is first and foremost about providing our visitors with informative and entertaining posts about pens and pencils. But once in a while, we get in a new product, or have a special deal running that we really want to share with as many people as possible. When that happens, you’ll read about it here. Just not too often.

One thing we’ve been thinking about is adding a regular feature on artists and theworks they create with pen-and-ink and pencil. So many of you seem to be quite talented, and we love seeing the drawings and sketches that you post on your sites and on Twitter. Whether a new visitor or a regular reader, please let us know what you’d think about seeing a regularly featured artist on the blog.

And, if there is anything new or different that any of you would like for us to try, don’t hesitate to leave a comment or send an email using the ‘Contact’ link at the top.

The blog is here for you, so we want it to be exactly what you want.

Nina at Nina Johansson explains why she uses Noodler’s and Platinum inks for drawing.

John at John a Lookin’ Around discovers the Noodler’s Ahab Flex nib fountain pen.

Andrew at Stationery Review loves his first fountain pen, a black Lamy Safari.

MJ at MJ Monaghan reveals his quest to find the perfect pen.

Pencil Talk displays the very tiny World Press Cartoon pencil.

OfficeSupplyGeek shares his buyer’s remorse over the Pilot G6 gel pen.

Heather at A Penchant for Paper offers faint praise for the Pentel Fiesta 0.5 mm mechanical pencil.

George at My Supply Room shows off his set of vintage Lindy pens.

Andrew at Economy Pens unboxes the Retro 51 Hex-O-Matic ballpoint pen.

Leigh at My Life as a Verb thinks the Kaweco Sport Chess Print is cute.

In the UK? Fountain pen lover? Budget conscious?

Good, because you’re gonna like this little bit of news.

Tiger Pens is now carrying the Pilot Prera range of fountain pens in nine awesome colors!

Normally, when someone asks about a good starter fountain pen, we recommend the Lamy Safari for its ease of use, reliability and low cost (about £14). However, some fountain pen newcomers – as well as long-time users – prefer one with a more classical look.

That’s the Pilot Prera.

The barrel is a sleek, simple design vaguely reminiscent of vintage fountain pens. It is made of lightweight resin with chrome-plated trim and accepts either cartridges or a piston converter to fill with bottled ink. The Prera comes with a medium nib, but writes more like a fine point.

The barrel colors range from dark brown to light blue (and include a very elegant model in a shade of ivory).

If you aren’t familiar with the Prera, check out what the connoisseurs at the Fountain Pen Network have to say about them.

Bottom line, they’re all-around solid pens – well constructed, attractive and exceptionally smooth writers. And the best part, they’re relatively inexpensive as far as fountain pens go, selling for about £55.

Check them out, maybe waltz one across a page, then let us know what you think.

Zebra is a company that likes to have fun with its pens, especially the versatile and reliable Z-Grip ballpoint.

Over the years, we’ve seen Z-Grips come in a range of colors, from fuchsia to orange, and in wild animal prints, including cheetah spots and bright tiger stripes. Always with the same sturdy barrel, comfortable grip and smooth writing we’ve come to expect from Zebra pens, even the low-priced ballpoints.

Now, to celebrate the upcoming 2012 Olympics in London, the Japanese pen maker is giving us a limited edition Z-Grip ballpoint pen emblazoned with the Union Jack.

(More on the official flag of the United Kingdom.)

The 1.0 mm pens will have the usual metal clips and soft rubber grips of regular Z-Grips, and come in either white, blue, or red barrels. White barrels have black ink, blues have blue and reds have red.

The Union Jack Zebra Z-Grips are expected to ship in January. We don’t know yet how many will be available or for how long.

But we definitely can’t wait to get our hands on some.

For the last several months, an unidentified street artist has been pasting up drawings of pigeons – and hummingbirds and shopping carts and other objects, too – around downtown Bangor.

From the Bangor Daily News:

The pigeons first appeared in mid-July…four months later, there have been more than 60 examples of pigeon art in downtown Bangor. A pigeon drinking a Budweiser pasted to Leadbetter’s Mini Stop on Ohio Street. A pigeon crying a river of tears pasted to a wall inside the Kenduskeag Stream canals. Picasso-themed pigeons on the side of Domino’s Pizza on Clinton Street and on the doorway of the Main Tavern on Main Street. A connect-the-dots pigeon at the corner of Hammond and Columbia streets.

He draws his artwork on paper and sticks it to walls with wheat paste that makes it easy to remove.

According to the Pigeon’s Facebook page:

Pigeon wants you to think of your downtown as your living room. Pigeon is about living in Bangor and giving a shit!

Shop owners seem to like the Pigeon’s artwork, which varies from simple drawings to cartoons to surrealism, and one enterprising business has even started selling t-shirts with one of his pigeon drawings.

The Daily News caught up to the Pigeon and got him to agree to an interview – as long as the paper agreed to protect his secret identity.

So here’s what we can tell you about the Pigeon. The Pigeon is a he. He lives in Bangor. He was born in Europe and has lived in America for 20 years. He has had other, non-Pigeon artwork displayed in galleries across the state. And he doesn’t consider his work graffiti — rather, as temporary, nondestructive street art.

“The important thing to me is that it is temporary,” said Pigeon…“Spray paint is about aggressively taking a space for yourself. This being temporary is part of the appeal for me. I’m not interested in property damage.”

Pigeon had the idea to try a wheat-pasting street art project in the spring after being inspired by street artist Swoon, who also works with wheat paste, and by the film “Favela Rising” about a community organization in Brazil that uses music and art to combat drugs and violence.

He uses Uniball pens – the paper doesn’t say what kind – for his drawings. A Sharpie can also be seen in one photo of a completed drawing.

He mostly uses his drawings to attract attention to mundane surfaces or objects that would normally go unnoticed, but lately has been venturing into political expression, with some of his art appearing in support of the Occupy movement.

That seems to have irked a few people, but since he isn’t being destructive, is generally appreciated by people in the downtown area and hasn’t run afoul of the police, he’ll likely continue spreading his art in Bangor.

Quinn at QuinnCreative experiments with refilling the versatile Pilot Parallel Pen for artwork.

Mark at Good Kit names the Sharpie Stainless Steel as the best cheap alternative to a tactical self-defense pen.

Rhonda at the Blog of Rhonda Eudaly points out the benefits of the micro Pilot Hi-Tec-C 0.25 mm in editing.

Nancy at Tattered Garden tests out the Pilot FriXion gel for use with quilting.

The Pen Buff gets back to pen reviews with the Pentel RSVP.

Marilyn at The Toymaker’s Journal shares her love of the good ol’ wooden pencil.

Whimsy Whims hilariously confesses her compulsion to steal ink pens.

Alex at Economy Pens combines a TUL with a Zebra refill to come up with a smooth fine-tip pen.

Oksana at Details by Oksana explains how to turn an ordinary gel pen into a special wedding register pen.

Steve at Recording Thoughts explores his return to using a pencil.

Chris at Chris Koehler Art & Illustration demos his favorite Pentel Arts supplies.

Tom at Goldspot Pens reveals the winner of the 2011 Pen of the Year voting: the Edison Collier.

The Pilot FriXion is a nifty little erasable ink pen that has gotten lots of love since it was launched a few years ago. It’s popular with editors, artists, quilters and most every kind of writer, and has consistently received decent reviews.

Except for one common complaint – the positioning of the eraser. The FriXion, until now, has been a stick pen with the friction eraser on the end of the pen. If you write with the cap posted, you have to stop and remove it any time you want to erase.

Not anymore.

The NEW FriXion Clicker is a retractable pen. You press the pocket clip to advance and retract the writing tip. There’s nothing to get in the way of the eraser.

Pilot Pens UK tells us the pen will be available Dec. 1. It will come in a 0.5mm needlepoint and a 0.7mm rollerball. The Clicker will offer all eight FriXion colors currently available in the UK, including light blue, purple, pink and orange, as well as the standard blue, black, red and green.

They can be refilled with standard Frixion 0.5mm and 0.7mm refills.

The pen will continue to use thermo-sensitive ink that disappears when heat is applied through friction. The ink reappears when the writing surface is exposed to extreme cold, such as by putting it in the freezer.

As part of the launch, Pilot is also running a contest in the UK.

From Pilot UK’s marketing manager Alex Sinclair:

“We’ve got four funny video clips which show just how easy it is to fix it with FriXion when you want to quickly correct a mistake…for every clip submitted that we think is as funny, or funnier, we will pay £250 and upload the clip to our site.”

That’s right, £250 for each winning 15 – 30 second video.

You can check out the videos, see the rules and upload your own clips at the Fix it with FriXion site. (The ‘Friar’ video is hilarious.)

The contest will run for “several months” to help promote the additions to the FriXion line of pens.