If you lend someone a pen and they gnaw on it, do you really want it back?

Question

I'm looking for ways to get more pens, but I don't really want to gnaw on one unless I can really keep it.

Answer 1

The answer to 'do I really want my pen back' is the result of a trade-off between the value the pen has to me, and the amount by which I am revolted by your gnawing.

A cheap throwaway pen would need little, or even no, gnawing before I would happily give it to you.

An expensive pen may be so valuable to me that I would never give it to you no matter how much you gnawed it. Indeed, if you did enough damage I may even look to you to replace or repair it, which would defeat the object of 'winning' the pen.

For the purposes of increasing your pen collection, therefore, you should probably target low-to-medium value pens, and give them a moderate gnawing.

Leaving bits of chewed food on the end may help to increase your chances of getting to keep the pen.

As a final warning, make sure that your pen-gnawing antics are not carried out on the same group of people - you will quickly get a reputation as a pen-gnawer and people will stop lending their pens to you.

Answer 2

You know as a teacher, my students are always borrowing my pens, and then quite frequently, they drop them in the halls or my classroom, so if they gnaw on it, they can keep it. I'll eventually find one in the classroom, in the hall or at the bottom of my purse or in the back of my cushion of a chair or sofa at home. Plus, at $1.00 for a pack of 10 at the dollar store, I always have pens and I ask my students to supply me with either a dollar amount for general supplies or give them a list for the class at the beginning of the year. The parents love the idea because I only ask about $10 worth at the beginning of the year and never ask for supplies again the whole year. Plus, since in Texas, you can request but not require that they buy supplies (it's a financial thing that they have going in the state) I give them extra points toward their final grade. If you're not a teacher, maybe you know someone who is and you can go visit them at their school and watch the floor on the way to the classroom. You are bound to find at least a couple of pens. Kids are pretty careless.

Answer 3

if i lend someone a pen and they gnaw on it, i really don't want it back. but if you're looking for a way to get more pens, then just go to the store and buy some instead on gnawing on other peoples.

Answer 4

I wouldn't want it back, but that is a really gross way to get more pens. And by the way, I gnaw on my pens all the time, so if you gnaw on a pen that I give you, you're gnawing what I've already gnawed on.

Answer 5

well there is some tricks to gettin some pens one is borrow and then quietly slip away when the person wants it back another is keep a good eye on the ground , you wouldn't belive how many pens it can yield and lastly chewing on the pen and pencap and then keeping it. The person will take one look at the pen and say forget it , although you probably won't one be able to borrow from that person again.

Answer 6

Good question.

I think it's an effective ploy, but you never know where it's been before it got your mouth (perhaps they used the cap to remove earwax? I've done that before!)

I use the reverse ploy - all my pens are pre-gnawed (by me) as a defensive mechanism... (actually, no I just like to chew pens).

Answer 7

Normally if you loan a pen they have enough class not to gnaw on it. But if they do have such bad manners and are looking to steal my pen such as yourself I will still take it back...... they don't deserve my pen. In fact my inside voice might be pondering using it to pierce their eyeball until reaching brain tissue.

Answer 8

LOL WOW!! that is HORRIBLE!!! depends on the pen.. i might just take the cap off if you didn't gnaw on the pen itself.. watch out for your health b/c i'd rub mine in dirt before I gave it to you.. or raw chicken juices!!! haha j/k!!! I don't think i would take it though

Answer 9

yes,i would say that gnawing on a pen would be the same as a dog peeing on a tree to claim the tree as his territory.

Answer 10

Weird...when I lend pens, they are already gnawed on....people don't like to borrow from me.