Anyone else hate the standard "grip" pen?

[Zirngibism]

Arrgh, little rant here.

I wish the grip pen didn't keep coming as a default. It's SO chunky/clunky that it's totally unnatural for most people accustomed to regular pens, pencils, and even most brushes.

My movements with this kind of pen are constrained by trying to hold onto its thickness, (and my fingers are a good bit longer than average). I have a difficult time rotating and arcing with it. The rubber part adds no "comfort" or "luxury" that I can tell.
(The ONLY thing I can see such a chunky pen fitting for is people who are accustomed to using design markers like Copics or Prismacolors.)

And now that I have an Intuos4, the cost of the classic pen has been raised to 70 dollars! I see no reason why the classic pen shouldn't come default to the new tablet box. I mean, if the rubber grip is seen as luxury, why should "luxury" be considered default, and "normal" be a pricey "downgrade"? Doesn't that defeat the purpose of the concept of luxury?

If you're a skeptic about how much better the classic pen is, I invite you to try it. If you're at all used to drawing with a pencil or pen, I would be surprised if you didn't instantly prefer the "classic" one.

(Sorry for complaining on here, but after plunking down 70 dollars for a smaller pen, I feel need to share the pain with others who might agree with me about this.)

[macmcrae]

The smallest bamboo comes with a more traditional width pen without any rubber grip. I noticed after a couple hours of painting with it that my hand ached so bad that I had to stop. The intuos pens have never done that to me. But I agree all of them are way overpriced.

[ikken]

I wish the grip pen didn't keep coming as a default. It's SO chunky/clunky that it's totally unnatural for most people accustomed to regular pens, pencils, and even most brushes.

I have the same trouble is you, I blame it on my hands being smaller than average wacom customer is supposed to have.
I ended up getting a classic pen and a my grip pen doesn't have the side button anymore so it feels more like a broad brush.

and I have a flat intuos 3 art pen to give the tactile feeling of a marker as well.

(and to be honest, I so miss the intuos 2 grip pen design, those were really the best)

[arestocrat]

I like the standard grip pen, but I also have big hands.. and I'm used to big chunky copic marker anyway.. :D
That they are overpriced is no question ...
79€ for the classic pen in the europe shop, wtf.... that's like 1/5th of my whole tablet... for 1 more pen..

[Portus]

The Intuos 4 pen grip isn't so bad, Intuos 3 I can't really stand it due to the large radius, the classic pen is just too slippery, I always have to put a pencil foam sleeve on them. Intuos 2 was indeed the best, shame that the new Wacom are so clueless, just look at their new logo! Ughhhhhh...

[Elsevilla]

any pen works for me, i just dont like them to beextra heavy, but liekd intuos 3 so far. Even the 3d one

[Arshes Nei]

The Intuos 4 pen grip isn't so bad, Intuos 3 I can't really stand it due to the large radius, the classic pen is just too slippery, I always have to put a pencil foam sleeve on them. Intuos 2 was indeed the best, shame that the new Wacom are so clueless, just look at their new logo! Ughhhhhh...

Oddly enough I hated the intuos2 pen because the damn thing felt so cheap. It didn't help the duo switch just kept falling off so easy. Then again I remember people having problems with that particular stylus after so many years because the barrel or insides become loose. In fact, I remember coming here to see the solution because it was one of the hits in google lol.

I like the 4 pen grip better than the three, but I also like the original intuos stylus.

Course you should see the kind of pencils I use traditionally.

http://content.etilize.com/Large/1013237764.jpg
http://content.etilize.com/Large/1013237764.jpg
(I use a .09 lead)

[Portus]

Sure it all depends on your grip, for me I like this type:

http://di1.shopping.com/images1/pi/ec/04/07/20303047-260x260-0-0_Wacom+Intuos2+Grip+Pen+XP+501E.jpg

The Intuos 3 has a very large grip and a sort of tappered brush look:
http://www.gizmomart.com.au/images/Intuos2_Ice_Blue_Grip_Pen.jpg

The Intuos 4 pen is more straight and in my opinion a major improvement over the I3 pen, quite like the balance on the I4, still wish it was thinner:
http://www.carbodydesign.com/archive/2009/04/03-wacom-intuos4/Wacom-Intuos4-Grip-Pen-lg.jpg

[Arshes Nei]

It might be due to my handedness. A left handed person doesn't necessarily hold a pencil the same way a right handed person does. So the intuos2 felt a little more clumsy for me because of how I position my hand for the duo switch.

[LazyKat]

Getting an Intuos3 after my Graphire had given me several good years of service, it was really difficult to get the hang of the new pen. The little rubber bit still has the habit of scrunching up on itself.
I'd still prefer a different pen, but I would begrudge the added cost.

The two things that really bug me are the size and the 'sticky' texture of that rubber.
Oh, and that trying to use the eraser throws it completely offbalance because it's so tip-heavy.
>:|

[ikken]

It might be due to my handedness. A left handed person doesn't necessarily hold a pencil the same way a right handed person does. So the intuos2 felt a little more clumsy for me because of how I position my hand for the duo switch.

I'm left handed too :) still liked the i2 pen a lot.

[macmcrae]

the intuos 2 pen was awesome - but my memories are tainted by the fact that my screw off tip was lost in a starbux in el paso and I used it for three years with the rubber sleeve sliding down the barrel of the pen as I worked. And never mind the fact that it was zip drive purple.

(What's a zip drive?)

[Zirngibism]

I guess the main difference I see is how it "arcs".

When drawing a straight line with the grip pen, I tend to use my elbow and shoulder, but when I ever do a curve, I tend to control it with finger & wrist movement. Its with this that I feel "limited" by a clunky instrument.

[pencilkiller]

I have a question about the classic pen. Can you take off the duo switch on the classic pen like the grip pen? I took off my grip pen one because the switch hurt my fingers.

[ikken]

I wouldn't do that :\
Keep in mind that side switch on classic pen is a tad different, it has smooth corners and doesn't stand out as much as grip pen's one.
I see no way it could be hurting.

[cris_barros]

I just bought the classic pen...wow! What a difference: the grip is way better, the size is perfect and it's lighter too...love it.

[velderia]

It's interesting. I love the grip on the intuos4, but I agree. It's kind of chunky. I noticed it doesn't slip out of my hand as easily as a graphire3.

[Didge]

I've got an old cintiq (intuos 3 grip pen) and have always longed for a thinner pen, when i saw the intuos 4 I was like "ARGH NO A WHOLE NEW SYSTEM FOR A THINNER PEN!! I THINK NOT!" but it doesn't matter now cos two minutes ago i figured out the answer! It's a bit homebrew but it works... take the rubber bit OFF! and the screwey bit! TA DA !! :) thin pen!! maybe a bit of electrical tape to smooth any ridges but that's it, it has completely changed my drawing on my cintiq as up till now my style on paper was massively different and I thought it was down to lack of friction on the screen but it seems that it was mostly the size of what I was holding. Your hands are micro tuned precision instruments we should treat them as such. Hope this helps and don't worry about what your pen looks like it's what your pictures look like that matters :) x S

[inkdrop]

or check out the classic pen.

I3 classic pen (http://www.amazon.com/INTUOS3-Classic-Pen-ZP300E-Gray/dp/B00083Y87U/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1303354413&sr=8-2)
I4 classic pen (http://www.amazon.com/Wacom-KP300E2-INTUOS4-CINTIQ21-Classic/dp/B003JZNZQY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1303354471&sr=8-2)

[AndyCarolan]

Ive just moved up to an Intuos4 from the Bamboo and I like the standard Grip pen although it is rather thick at the grip section