AMA: Pencils & Pens

Brad F. asks: I know you’ve spoken about this before, but what are your favourite pen and pencil? Do you use a mechanical pencil at all?

I rediscovered the joy and majesty of pencils during lockdown. There is something about writing with a pencil that is incredibly calming and satisfying. I think it reminds me of all my childhood gaming. When I journal, I journal with a pencil. Anyway, I digress.

I love Blackwing pencils, and I’m a sucker for their limited edition releases. I like the 602s (with firm and smooth graphite) and the Natural pencils (which has extra hard graphite). Recently, my wife got me some of the Volume 20 release, designed to celebrate gaming, along with the d6 point guards which I am enjoying very much!

I have thought about getting a mechanical pencil but never gotten around to it. Part of the fun of using a pencil is sharpening it (at least for me) in pursuit of the perfect point. As I understand it, that's tricky to do with a mechanical pencil.

I rarely write with a pen these days. That said, I’ve always got a space pen about my person—they are really handy for on-the-go jottings. If I’m writing something “posh” or which has “weight” to it, I break out my Waterman fountain pen. I've had it for decades, and it serves me very well!

AMA

This is an AMA post. Curious about an aspect of my campaign or design process? Got a question about Raging Swan Press? Leave a comment, and I’ll do my best to answer your question.