# On favorite pens.  When I was growing up, my father always carried six things with him: a fat wallet, a small coin purse, his keys, a Swiss Army knife, a small stack of notes, and a pen. But he didn’t carry just any pen. He always carried a black Pentel Sign Pen (“The Original Fiber Tipped Pen!”), first released in 1968. I still remember that satisfying ‘click’ the cap would make when you placed it over the tip. Little did I realize at the time that I, too, would eventually have an everyday carry: a slim wallet, a [[the rambler|Swiss Army knife]], a small notebook, and a pen. And similarly, I don’t carry just any pen. I always carry a 0.5mm black Uni-Ball VISION ELITE Micro pen (“Designed to compensate for rapid changes in air pressure, the VISION ELITE is the ultimate rollerball choice for the frequently-flying business person or artist.”). Blood runs deep. ∎