I’m also a random scribbler.

I wonder if this tendency is related to another one I’ve noticed pen users tend to ‘do’ or ‘not do’ and that’s to use the pen to ‘doodle’ during periods when they aren’t writing. Do ‘scribblers’ also ‘doodle’ and ‘writers’ only ‘write’???

In terms of testing a pen, though, I’d say there are some other attributes I include that make a particular (even if cheap) pen either more or less desirable. For me, for example, I prefer to be able to ‘see’ how much ink I’m getting/have left so a transparent case is useful – and I would usually choose a pen that allows the nib to be covered (retraction or cap) as this can help prevent ink-related accidents in pockets. Although not ‘tests’ as such, this sort of checking functionality can be as valuable as knowing the ink flows. And then there are the finer details of flow rate, how the pen feels to use, what colour the ink is……… deary me someone could write a thesis on the selection of pens……