UKC

Can anyone recommend a decent pen to write on a lamfold OS map that I can subsequently remove? I'm looking for something fine, that won't wash off with rain but will wipe off with the right solvent and won't absorb into the laminate.

Any ideas?

In reply to Bloodfire:

Would these work?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pilot-Frixion-Erasable-Rollerball-Pack/dp/B002XZLV1...

In reply to Bloodfire:
Fine tip (0.6mm) Staedtler Lumocolor permanent pens http://www.staedtler.com/en/products/markers-refill-ink/universal-pens/lumo... are easily the best option of anything I've used over the last 20+ years. Although they aren't cheap and I always seem to fail in stopping students from 'borrowing' them.

They work great on all the variations of OS laminiated maps and can easily be removed with acetone (i.e. cheap nail polish remover from the pound shop) - PROVIDED you don't wait weeks before removing it. The black is perhaps slightly 'more' permanent than the other colours but is still removable.

That said, most varieties of permanent marker work fairly well if you can remove the markings within the day but equally, you'll struggle to get any of them off again if you leave it over a month. The biggest difference I've found is that compared to other makes (especially cheap ones) the fine tip Staedtler are just much better to write with, don't smudge, don't leak, don't dry out and will last for ages provided you can hang onto them that long...

In reply to Bloodfire:

Chinagraph pencils.

In reply to Firestarter:

+1 on the chinagraph

The problem is that permanent pens don't work when the map surface is wet. They are available in superfine so you can make detailed "information." The information will stay on if it is dry and is difficult to accidentally rub off but you also have to carry a solution to remove it.

Non-permanent pens won't work on a wet surface, you can get them in superfine. The writing rubs off very easily by accident though you don't need a solution to remove it.

A chinagraph is pretty much a crayon in a pencil. It will work in the wet, it can rub off accidentally (less so than a non-permanent pen but not as hardy as permanent). It is fairly to easy to remove (doesn't require a solution). The drawback is that it is not particularly fine.

In reply to Firestarter:


+1

In reply to Bloodfire:

Staedtler permanent - the sort we once used on OHPs. are excellent and can be erased with meths and other solvents easily. 'Fine', works well for detailed annotation. Downside is the need for solvents if you've made a mistake which needs rubbing out. And you need to put the top on again and if it comes off you've pen marks on your clothes.

Chinographs are excellent but the ones i've come across are rather broad. Easy to remove and can be used when its wet.

In reply to Bloodfire:

these http://www.shavenraspberry.com/navigation-accessories/map-pens-pencils

In reply to Dave Perry:
Big tips on chinagraphs when first bought, but can be 'honed down' with a knife very easily to a sharp point. Admittedly they don't stay sharp for long....


Was a bit wary opening a link to 'shaven raspberry' whilst my wife was in the room, but maybe that's just me!!

In reply to Bloodfire:

opening a link is one thing... opening a shaven raspberry whilst your wife is in the room... thats just kinky!

I will experiment with a chinagraph and try a permanent marker on a older lamfold to see how that works. Thanks for the tips guys (excuse the pun). I might even report back on how things get on.