The Pen Is Mightier... James Bond's Choice
It has been called mightier than the sword. Its use can be attributed to the loss of millions of dollars, the death of millions of people, and the start of millions of dreams. One of the often overlooked accessories that is truly essential to the stylish man is a simple one: the pen. How many times have we had to borrow a cheap Bic Roundstic in order to sign off on a document of great importance, degrading the stylish natures of our signatures, which can be just as recognizable as our faces and may be the simplest testaments of our creativity? I'm sure that the best answer to this question would be "too many."
Carrying one's own pen, loaded with smoothly flowing jet black ink can add ample points to one's cool factor. It can up the appeal of your print, and can be the difference between getting hired for a job and having your application thrown away without a glance. When I was in charge of hiring for a previous employer, I provided a red pen to anyone who asked to borrow one when applying for a job. Applications written in red were not even considered. The long and short of all of this? Carrying your own pen will at some point prove to be the difference between your being taken seriously and being disregarded.
Now, that being said... what kind of pen should you carry? Mont Blanc pens are lovely yet very expensive, but are unarguably one of the most recognizable manufacturers of writing instruments. Their trademark white star prominently adorns the caps of their wares, spurring an instantaneous thought in the minds of those who see it. That thought may easily be, "Hey, nice pen." It may also be "How utterly pretentious." Not worth the risk if you ask me. I want to be taken seriously. I don't want my pen to tell people that I'm a jerk. They should be able to find that out on their own!
All joking aside, here's what I carry: the Parker Jotter (photo 1) . Undergoing very little change since its release in 1954, the Jotter is sleek and it looks professional. It shows that you put thought in carrying a pen with you, but not that you want everyone to know how much your pen set you back. It can be outfitted with gel or rollerball cartridges, and with its brushed stainless steel exterior oozes cool, minimalist style. The Jotter is reliable, doesn't leak, and it isn't bulky.
And the coolest thing about the Parker Jotter (other than its $10.99 price tag)? In 1995's GoldenEye (photo 2) , Peirce Brosnan's James Bond carries one in the pocket of his Brioni suits, proving that a man's stylish pen doesn't have to be proportionate in cost to a man's stylish threads. Now, Bond's pen actually doubled as a class 4 grenade and was a hell of a lot mightier than a sword, so I'm not saying all who carry a Parker Jotter possess the negotiating power of James Bond, but my point is this; Q Branch outfitted Bond with a pen that was functional, befitting of a well-dressed gentleman, and that did not draw unnecessary attention to itself. It is precisely that, gentlemen, that you're looking for.
Until next time,
Cheers!
-Paul
Labels:
accessories,
details,
minimalism,
staple,
writing instruments
4 comments:
I've been meaning to get me some Parker pens. A pencil and a pen. It's only right I follow in my father's footsteps.
I am actually hoping on finding them on my next trip to Johannesburg. They are quite inexpensive too. Gotta love that.
While it is a nice touch to carry a pen, dismissing someone out of hand for a job for failing to do so seems a bit over the top.
John, I appreciate your reading and commenting. But I disagree. I was taught from a very young age that when one is applying for a job, one should bring his own writing instrument with which to fill out an application. It signifies preparedness and makes a good impression on the potential employer. And when receiving scores of applications for the same position, lack of perparedness is a fast way to weed out at least half of the applications. I didn't hire folks who came in looking like they got dressed in the dark, either.
P.S.
"Dismissing" someone for a job implies that they had the job in the first place. "Disqualifying" someone for a job shows that they lacked something that the position required... such as being serious enough about the job to come prepared. I'm not saying that someone should have a pen on them at all times. I do believe, however, that there are times when it should be considered necessary. Thanks for your consideration.
-Paul
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