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There are entire sites dedicated to everyday carry (EDC) with some sites focused on flashlights, knives, Atwood tools, etc. You can spend a lot of time and money on EDC "research" :-)

Front pocket (in approx. order of use)

• Cell phone with $20 behind cover
• ---
• Burt's Bees lip balm with a keyring cap
• Victorinox Swiss Army Manager Pocket Knife w/ toothpick on a McGizmo Nano clip (20mm #1)
• Olight i3S EOS LED flaslight with lithium AAA battery
• some inch-wide Gorilla Tape and elecrical tape wrapped around a black Sharpie Mini
• 64 GB USB 3.0 flash drive (Kanguru for write-protect switch; FlashBlu30 but considering SS3) on split ring and metal #0 Nite Ize S-biner
• silicon ear plugs and half a Q-tip in a key fob (approx. same diamater as lip balm, slightly shorter)
• $20 bill wrapped around BIC Mini lighter on a Keeep-It holder
• all connected with other split rings and clips on an older Munroe Mega Dangler
• -

Other front pocket (in approx order of use)

• white LED Photon freedom with car keys on the snap ring
• True Utility TU245 key shackle with 3 keys, #2 Phillips key, grocery card, and Uncle Bill's Sliver Gripper Tweezer
• house key cut on green KeyLights on clip that came with True Utility key shackle
• $20 wrapped around a 0.5 oz (15 mL) Purell hand sanitizer in jelly wrap holder
• all connected with a split ring
• ---
• leather billfold with slots for six cards; cash $1s/5s/10s/20s, bandaids, a hair pin, and Plop Boot Manager on a credit-card sized CD-R
• -

Shirt pocket--you *always* have a shirt pocket, right?

• Zebra Clip-On four-color pen + 0.5 mm pencil
• Monteverde Stylus Tool Pen with ruler, level, and screwdriver
• a handkercheif wrapped around a small (2.5" x 4") Moleskine book

Ball points just don't work for me, gel pens are barely tolerable, felt tips and markers are okay, but the only writing tools which I really enjoy and am pleased to use are fountain pens (preferrably with italic nibs).

My fountain pen has a Comic Sans nib.

Perhaps you should patent such an exotic thing. The fairly mundane italic nib is quite well known to afficionados of fountain pen nibs.

i'm skeptical about the spelling and grammar checker, but as for the pressure...

pens have already been developed which don't require noticeable pressure in the first place.

there are even some for children.

aren't they messy? not if you use cartridges. also, blue fountain pen ink is usually easily washable, unless you specifically get a variety which isn't.

won't the dumb kid lose his $20 fountain pen? well, i guess this might be a problem (although somehow we managed before), but i'm sure this accelerometer/vibrator pen would cost a lot more anyway.

the ergonomics are another advantage. making the pen easier to hold can only improve handwriting.

Warning: not an engineer, please read comment accordingly.

I have to agree on the Sakura. I've used a Micron, and the non-technical Gelly Roll, and they've both been wonderful: the ink has been smooth, with never a blob, smear, or dry spot, and the pen itself writes quite smoothly.

I'll also put in a recommendation for the Zebra Sarasa Clip. I use the 0.4 mm tip, and it can feel a little bit scratchy, but I naturally write quite small, so the precision of the fine tip works well for me. The ink is very consistent, with no blobbing whatsoever. Once in a great while I do hit a dry spot, though. It's also light and comfortable in my hand.

I don't know that you can actually get that model of Zebra here in the States, but I use JetPens. They have a good selection of different writing tools (mostly from Japan), and they're very speedy: I've yet to place an order using regular mail that has taken more than 3 business days to get to me.

...ugh, now I feel like a salesman. Which is slightly mitigated by the fact that I'm being a pen salesman.

http://www.jetpens.com/Uni-ball-Signo-DX-UM-151-Gel-Ink-Pen-0.38-mm-Black/pd/306

I picked up a box of both the 0.18 and the 0.28 gel pens... wow! I was taking notes in between the lines of a single spaced page. Great stuff! A bit rough on super fibrous paper, but worth a shot.

That reminds me - I should look about getting a refill order.

Uni-ball Signo Bit UM-201 Gel Ink Pen - 0.18 mm - Black

Uni-ball Signo (DX) UM-151 Gel Ink Pen - 0.28 mm - Black

I picked up a box of both the 0.18 and the 0.28 gel pens... wow! I was taking notes in between the lines of a single spaced page. Great stuff! A bit rough on super fibrous paper, but worth a shot.

That reminds me - I should look about getting a refill order.

Uni-ball Signo Bit UM-201 Gel Ink Pen - 0.18 mm - Black

Uni-ball Signo (DX) UM-151 Gel Ink Pen - 0.28 mm - Black

I like the Uniball Signo DX, 0.38mm. I find it more comfortable to hold than the Hi-Tec-C, and get even, smooth lines every time. Also try the Zebra Sarasa 0.4mm.

I like the Uniball Signo DX, 0.38mm. I find it more comfortable to hold than the Hi-Tec-C, and get even, smooth lines every time. Also try the Zebra Sarasa 0.4mm.

If you want a very fine-tip pen, you need to start looking into Japanese imports. In the US, you spend about $5 on a several pens. In Japan, you spend that much on one. As such, Japan has a thriving pen/pencil market--very high quality pens and pencils, the latest technology, great materials, and fairly cheap prices. I've seen pens in Japan with writing sizes as small as 0.18mm. As some people have mentioned above, JetPens is a great site to purchase them for cheap.

Hi-Tec-C or their international variant G-Tec-C, using http://www.jetpens.com/Pilot-G-Tec-C-Gel-Ink-Pen-0.4-mm-Black/pd/4558

I prefer the Uni-ball Signo Bit 0.28mm but they also have a 0.18mm and 0.38mm version. They also have the 0.38mm in a click version

I was on a quest for a small writing pen until I discovered these. Most pens that advertise a small bit still manage to write thick 0.5-0.7mm lines. These are the real deal, I have been using them for about 7 years.

I prefer the Uni-ball Signo Bit 0.28mm but they also have a 0.18mm and 0.38mm version. They also have the 0.38mm in a click version

I was on a quest for a small writing pen until I discovered these. Most pens that advertise a small bit still manage to write thick 0.5-0.7mm lines. These are the real deal, I have been using them for about 7 years.

I prefer the Uni-ball Signo Bit 0.28mm but they also have a 0.18mm and 0.38mm version. They also have the 0.38mm in a click version

I was on a quest for a small writing pen until I discovered these. Most pens that advertise a small bit still manage to write thick 0.5-0.7mm lines. These are the real deal, I have been using them for about 7 years.

I prefer the Uni-ball Signo Bit 0.28mm but they also have a 0.18mm and 0.38mm version. They also have the 0.38mm in a click version

I was on a quest for a small writing pen until I discovered these. Most pens that advertise a small bit still manage to write thick 0.5-0.7mm lines. These are the real deal, I have been using them for about 7 years.

JetPens is the ultimate source for Japanese writing instruments, including the Pentel Slicci:

http://www.jetpens.com/Pentel-Slicci-Gel-Pens/ct/342

sorry, that misses a few. use this too: http://www.jetpens.com/search?q=pigment+liner

if you can't find it in this or another search of the same site, i think you're out of luck: http://www.jetpens.com/search?q=pigment+ink

i don't know exactly what the difference is between a fiber-tip pen and a "pigment ink liner," but the latter go down to 0.05mm (that's not a typo, i really mean 1/20th of a millimeter). they are fiber pens, so they don't have a ball feed, which should be good news for your other requirements.

i stole a 0.1mm a few months ago and apparently destroyed the tip just by writing delicately (and i do have some experience with extremely fine pens), so you'll have plenty of use for that light touch of yours.

if you want something more artistic in your off-time, i've heard that experienced chinese calligraphers can control their brush pens to where they can write essentially with a single hair. might be a fun hobby.

These pens are fantastic. They come in a variety of thicknesses (.25mm and up), are super smooth, don't bleed, and are relatively affordable. Highly recommended. Pilot Hi-Tec-C Pens

Try these, thank me later: Pilot Hi-Tec-C Pens

What's not to like (other than a current lack of an official ubuntu theme)?

I have just the solution. Bring the official ubuntu theme around with you anywhere.