UPSB v3
Pen Modifications / Looks vs. Performance
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Date: Mon, Dec 31 2007 18:13:11
For modding a pen, would you go for better looks or a better performance?
I know that I wouldn't spin an ugly pen.
I use Eriror's MSXA mod.
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Date: Mon, Dec 31 2007 18:16:19
well wen u spin a pen, u can't really see its fine details, only distinct colors that are visible.
i'd say performance -
Date: Mon, Dec 31 2007 18:18:54
But when you stop, and show it off, you don't want to look like you're spinning a hideous contraption. D:
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Date: Mon, Dec 31 2007 18:21:37
lawl, wen ppl end a combo, they dont just stop and show off ther pen(well atleast i haven't seen any1 do that...)
i see ppl just put it down, or wen the person ends with an aerial, it stays in ther hand. So, unless they have a really good camera with uber good quality, i still say performance is better -
Date: Mon, Dec 31 2007 18:24:58
What about spinning in the public?
I certainly don't bring my Com.ssa mod outside of my house!
That double end stuff always confuses the hell out of people. -
Date: Mon, Dec 31 2007 18:25:18
Argh...why can't I vote in any poll!??!
Oh well, I would go for looks. -
Date: Mon, Dec 31 2007 18:29:03
well if you wer in public, i think if u had a really good performance and a bad looking pen, i think it would even out.
but if u had a really nice looking pen and a bad performance, that wouldn't work out -
Date: Mon, Dec 31 2007 18:36:33
True, but if spinning ability were kept constant, it'd be different.
Let's say someone is just a great spinner, X.
Then X's hot MX^2 would look better in public than his bictory.
But if you suck, it doesn't matter what pen you have, really. -
Date: Mon, Dec 31 2007 18:37:02QUOTE (Skittles @ Dec 31 2007, 10:25 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Argh...why can't I vote in any poll!??!
Oh well, I would go for looks.
you need 20+ posts -
Date: Mon, Dec 31 2007 18:40:45QUOTE (CalhounSpinner @ Dec 31 2007, 10:36 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>True, but if spinning ability were kept constant, it'd be different.
Let's say someone is just a great spinner, X.
Then X's hot MX^2 would look better in public than his bictory.
But if you suck, it doesn't matter what pen you have, really.
i wouldn't really care if the person had an mx^2 or a bictory. As long as they're a good spinner, they have my respect.
and if u make a hot mod but u suck, i just laugh
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Date: Mon, Dec 31 2007 18:51:49
I would say a bit of both really, I mean, I spin a MX, so it's an ok look and if I give a good performance there is no problem
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Date: Mon, Dec 31 2007 18:53:53
both i guess. i wouldnt pick a pen just for its looks or just for its performance
and does performance count as how it can be used? (pen/mech.pencil) -
Date: Mon, Dec 31 2007 18:55:26
Heh. I wonder if I'm the only person who doesn't like the look of the MX^2, it usually has way too many stripes of colors with all the varying grip peices. >_<
The whole point of a pen mod is to increase performance, so a decent pen mod should be focused on helping you spin.
I would suggest simply having something nice-looking. For a while now, I spin in public using very simple-looking pen mods. I don't care to draw attention simply by spinning something real flashy or colorful. As long as your pen mod is not too beat up, you should be fine. IMO, the pen mod shouldn't distratct from the spinning, and shouldn't look like shit when not being spun. -
Date: Mon, Dec 31 2007 18:59:09
well i don't find too much difference between spinning my msxa or my comssa so i end up choosing my msxa cause it looks nicer
and i agree with calhoun, if it is kept constant, it would look better with a better mod
good spinner with nice looking mod=good performance
good spinner with ugly looking/ better mod=slightly better performance
bad spinner with good looking mod=bad performance
bad spinner with ugly looking/ better mod=still a bad performance
so if you're bad, it really doesn't matter if you use a nice lookign or better performing mod, cause in this end, it's still gonna be bad
but if you're good, although the better mod may give a better performance, the public probably couldn't pick out the differences between a person spinnign with that and the same person spinning with a different better looking mod--but they will realize that the second mod looks better
so the public would be attracted to the better lookign pen being spun because of their lack of knowledge of penspinning and the minor differences of spinning better
when i spin with my comssa during school, i get
"what is that o.0...?" even if i do a nice combo
when i spin with my msxa during school, i get
"0.0 that's awesome" even if i do a slightly poorer combo -
Date: Mon, Dec 31 2007 19:03:38
Oh yeah, especially when people stop to ask "WTF?" it's easier for them to get their mind around stuff if it's an MX rather than a comssa. Trust me, I've been there. e____e
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Date: Mon, Dec 31 2007 22:08:49
I think it all realy depends. If you're filming it, looks are the last thing that are needed because most of the time it won't capture the fine details, but in public I'd go for a better looking mod that isn't like a "WTF is that" kind of pen
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Date: Mon, Dec 31 2007 22:20:20
In public i think looks matter more because people who see you spin wont appreciate the skill as much as the cool spinning effect or the cool look of the pen.
In the ps'ing community though i would say performance is more important since people are a lot more critical on the skill. Looks are still important too but it sort of becomes a personal preference....what looks good to some people may not be seem as attractive to othersQUOTEbad spinner with good looking mod=bad performance
lawl, story of my life. My K-MF mod looks nice and spins nice but my own skill drags it down. Oh well, i'll slowly make progress... -
Date: Tue, Jan 1 2008 00:07:03QUOTE (K4S @ Dec 31 2007, 02:20 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>lawl, story of my life. My KMF mod looks nice and spins nice but my own skill drags it down. Oh well, i'll slowly make progress...
???????? KMF mod? -
Date: Tue, Jan 1 2008 02:40:06
it is a well balance between the two imo
somehow to me.. a nice looking pen makes you more motivated to spin. thus increasing performance..
however some may think that great performance covers up the looks. -
Date: Tue, Jan 1 2008 03:35:55
Definitely looks. When you mod a pen, you are already trying to make it perform better than what the normal pen would do before modding. So, the performance part of the pen is already taken care of. Furthermore, a good looking pen (mod) doesn't necessarily means that it spins bad.
Back to the "pen" discussion again. I would prefer to spin a pen that looks like a pen, than a double-sided pen that layman would more likely identify it as a stick/magic wand. -
Date: Tue, Jan 1 2008 04:08:39QUOTE (TayYH89 @ Dec 31 2007, 10:35 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Definitely looks. When you mod a pen, you are already trying to make it perform better than what the normal pen would do before modding. So, the performance part of the pen is already taken care of. Furthermore, a good looking pen (mod) doesn't necessarily means that it spins bad.
Back to the "pen" discussion again. I would prefer to spin a pen that looks like a pen, than a double-sided pen that layman would more likely identify it as a stick/magic wand.
well, the performance of a modded pen that looks good may not be as good as the performance of a ugly pen, but yet the performance is still enhanced in both cases
so when you say that a good looking pen can still spin good, fine, but is it as good as an uglier mod that spins better?
the question is not if the good looking pen's performance is increased; it's whether or not a good lookign mod beats an uglier looking mod even if the good looking mod spins worse than an uglier mod just cause it looks nicer
but i agree with you, i prefer better looking pens myself just didn't agree with your reasoning
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Date: Tue, Jan 1 2008 04:28:51
Hard choice =O.
Out in public, not many people have actually seen good pen spinning so... If you just did sonic rise/fall, thumbaround harmonic, etc... All that basic stuff, they'd still be like... WHOA. HOW'D HE/SHE DO THAT?!
But if you was spinning a double capped mod, people wouldn't think that the spinning is impressive since balancing the pen makes spinning easier supposedly.
To people in public, I think people think...
Single capped mods > Double capped in terms of difficulty and looks.
RSVP MX > Metallic Comssa for example.
But then for me, I would spin a double capped mod in public rather than a single capped mod since it's easier for me, so... I guess performance is more important to me? -
Date: Tue, Jan 1 2008 04:34:54
that brings up another point...
if you spin a double capped pen in public, people will instantly think...that's easy for him to do, he has a pen made especially for it since it doesn't look like a normal pen
but if you spin a single capped pen (which imo looks nicer, in most cases), then they'll be more amazed because although they'll know that it's a modded pen after looking at it, they won't think that it's as balanced as a double capped one (and in most cases, it isn't...but it's still easier to spin with that than a normal unmodded pen)
so an uglier pen (aka double capped ) will give the effect to the public that it's the pen that's doign the work and not the spinner as opposed to the better looking pen (aka single capped) which makes it seem like it's the spinner's skill doign the work sicne the pen seems normal
Edit:this applies to only in public since online, we know that it's really the spinner's skill who is doign the work even if it is a double capped pen -
Date: Tue, Jan 1 2008 04:38:45
Who says a good-looking mod can't spin well? The essence of improving a pen/mod suitability for spinning comes from increasing the length and mass. That's basically what we do when making mods. As for the appearance compared to performance, I don't think a ugly mod will have a significant advantage compared to a decent-looking one as it's not a simple task to improve the performance of a pen after a point.
On the other hand, simple actions like adding an insert greatly improves the appearance of a mod without compromising performance. Even with mods like Comssa and Dr.KT, the performance is improved with appearance in mind (using stripped grips instead of some random mass at the ends). -
Date: Tue, Jan 1 2008 04:44:13
you need performance first then looks
if a pen spinner can spin a crappy looking pen really well.. he's a good spinner
if a pen spinner can spin a good looking pen badly..he's a crappy spinner.. -
Date: Tue, Jan 1 2008 04:45:55QUOTE (yxTay @ Dec 31 2007, 11:38 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Who says a good-looking mod can't spin well? The essence of improving a pen/mod suitability for spinning comes from increasing the length and mass. That's basically what we do when making mods. As for the appearance compared to performance, I don't think a ugly mod will have a significant advantage compared to a decent-looking one as it's not a simple task to improve the performance of a pen after a point.
omg...nobody's saying that good pens can't spin well, we all know that they do spin better than normal pens because they are longer and heavier
and that's true, ugly mods, imo, dont' have a significant advantage over good looking ones
but i think that we have to define who our audience is
is it nonpenspinners or is it penspinners
to both, i'd use a good lookign one just cause in front of nonpenspiners-well, i gave all my reasons in my other posts
and when performing in front of penspinners, i still feel that i would spin better wiht a better lookign mod just cause i'm more comfortable with that one and that's teh one that i always use
@white fang-you need to establish a constant
if a bad spinner spins an ugly pen-wouldn't that still be bad anyway
and if a good spinner spins a nice pen-wouldn't that still be good too? -
Date: Tue, Jan 1 2008 13:22:41
I prefer good looking... but it should be well balanced too. So kind of the middle of both...xD
A mod almost looking like a normal pen has a bigger (do say so?) show-effect than a mod looking like a...stick?! Grip Aviare, Fratmx, etc
So a RSVP MX is a good compromise...imo. -
Date: Tue, Jan 1 2008 16:40:23
well i happen to think that comssas both look cool and spin well
but looks are more important to me -
Date: Tue, Jan 1 2008 17:08:11
My view is performance, because I think others would be more amazed by your skills rather than how cool your pen looks.
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Date: Tue, Jan 1 2008 17:17:39
does pens good for performance = double capped, ugly, heavy, long etc.?not IMO,
RSVP MX is good for performace. yes, its looks good, not double capped, but Kam first made it because he couldn't find any pens that are good for spinning not because he couldn't find any pretty pens. yeah.. i know people make MX using cool color combination for looks (eg. skyblue/pink but) But what's the main reason people make MX?? if MX was really good looking but sucked for spinning i don't think people would still use it.QUOTE@white fang-you need to establish a constant
lol.. agreed..yea i fucked that bit up -
Date: Tue, Jan 1 2008 18:36:05
My first mod was a RSVP MX.
Actually I should be the type which goes for look. I started off pen spinning by watching Eso's tutorial, and find that MX is way nicer than a lot other mods. So I made one my own.
Performance wise, so far I have BallSign, Japanese pencil mod and a MX. I still find MX performance the best so far.
Hmm... If I were being asked this question, "When will you use good performance mod but bad looks and when would you use a mod with good look?" My answer will be, I would use good performance mod but a bad look during tournaments(if to me my best spinning pen is a ugly mod), and those nice looking mods will be on own solo videos or collabs. -
Date: Wed, Jan 2 2008 02:55:58QUOTE (WhiteFang @ Jan 2 2008, 01:17 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>does pens good for performance = double capped, ugly, heavy, long etc.?not IMO,
No.
But "double capped, ugly, heavy, long etc." pens are usually created solely for performance purposes without regard to the pen's look.
On the other hand, pen mods like the RSVP MX are created to enhance it's spinning performance, while it's appearance are taken into account too. IMO, a good looking pen mod (like the RSVP MX) wouldn't have a significant difference in performance as compared to the former mods.
So, why spin with an ugly "pen", when you can spin one that looks good, like a pen, and still spins well enough? -
Date: Wed, Jan 2 2008 13:30:25
I wouldn't spin a mod I didn't find good looking, but I neither would I spin it if it wasn't good. I'll go for looks before performance though, since I can pretty much adjust to any pen.
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Date: Wed, Jan 2 2008 14:35:58QUOTEBut "double capped, ugly, heavy, long etc." pens are usually created solely for performance purposes without regard to the pen's look.
created solely for performance purposes only? ever considered why people don't just use random grips for comssa? -
Date: Wed, Jan 2 2008 15:14:58
i can't vote
but if i can, i would say performance.maybe in the future looking may be important but for now, performance... 
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Date: Wed, Jan 2 2008 15:21:45
Hello, and a wonderfull (whatever daytime you might be reading this....)
If I might add my unimportant opinion about that... and I am completely new to Penspinning, stumbled over it 4 month's ago, one week before Bonkura passed away (I still hope peacefully, R.I.P.), so my opinion might be the one of "public audience...
I always am amazed of the looks and different tricks a person can do with a pen-mod. I prefer watching if it looks more like a real pencil, for an Example MX's, because of the optics, not because of the skills.
Double-Sided Mods without tip more look like a Tambourine stick in miniature.
Tambourine, I am not sure whether this term can be used in english.... the long silver sticks about 50 cm / 24" long, with two, normally grey or white tips, used in parades to swing, mostly by short skirted girls....
But I always know, that it needs a lot of skills and work, to be good. It's like with drawing.. it's 10 percent of Talent and 90% of hard word, blood, sweat and training....
Nonetheless, I prefer penlike modifications and spinning instruments.
But this is personal preferation. I always think "Man, is that ugly!" again, when I see mods like "Comssas" and even "Dr.KT", since they just do nopt look like a pen.
Especially two-tipped pens always make me wonder "Why having this, if not at least one side is working?"
Don't bget this wrong, I have a lot of double-sides pens, after all my ain working instruments are .too Copic Layout Markers, which are double sided, but both sides do work.
If I mod a pen, it's mostly about looks. I I look for tutorials, it's all about looks, when I customize my main pen's for working (drawing and writing), it's all about looks, individualize them....not spinning.
Maybe because I am collector for 20 years, interested in spinning just a short percentage of this time.
It's to enlarge my collection.
Looks is always a problem. You can never get the specific taste of everybody, it depends on whom you want to reach (I made my diploma in commercial psychology, graphic design and drawing, it is very hard, impossible nearly, believe me.) But if a person does the exact same show with two different pens, doing the same tricks, twith the same fluidness, each one would do different ratings because of which pen he liked more.
And when it comes to showing off, it's mostly about looks, not performance.. pitifully, but that's the normality...
TheHOINK -
Date: Wed, Jan 2 2008 19:30:06
for me, I guess I'ts performance>looks, Hell, I spin a plastic magic wand XD
But I must say I'll try to avoid spinning ugly-ass pens in public if I can, unless I can spin them really well. -
Date: Wed, Jan 2 2008 19:46:47
for performance i definitely say USE WHATEVER YOU WANT. Who cares how many pieces of grip you can stack on top of each other or stripes. Spinning is just for the sake of amusement/enjoyment, wtf else, no offense to anyone, but ITS NOT A MASS MARKETED HOBBY! Just something for us to kill time with. In that note, i could care less how it looks. W/E works comfortably
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Date: Wed, Jan 2 2008 20:02:15QUOTE (WhiteFang @ Jan 1 2008, 12:17 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>does pens good for performance = double capped, ugly, heavy, long etc.?not IMO,
well this is all just personal preference
like my friend loves the comssa mod, while i hate it because it's double sided
but if you find a double capped mod to be nice looking and since those are made to spin better imo than single sided mods, then you're lucky to feel that way --it's just that the public may not feel the same way (although us penspinners dont' really look at the pen as much during videos)QUOTE (TheHOINK @ Jan 2 2008, 10:21 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Double-Sided Mods without tip more look like a Tambourine stick in miniature.
Tambourine, I am not sure whether this term can be used in english.... the long silver sticks about 50 cm / 24" long, with two, normally grey or white tips, used in parades to swing, mostly by short skirted girls....
mhmm...a baton? i pretty sure that's what you meanQUOTE (QuestionMark @ Jan 2 2008, 02:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>for me, I guess I'ts performance>looks, Hell, I spin a plastic magic wand XD
haha, i had a plastic magic wand that i used when learnign the shadow
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Date: Thu, Jan 3 2008 11:35:42
of course Performance is important..than looks..
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Date: Thu, Jan 3 2008 14:28:49
For me, it's all about the looks. Make the pen decent, but make bloody sure you make it look AMAZING.
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Date: Thu, Jan 3 2008 15:10:14
In casual spinning, I don't really care what it looks like... as long as it has a feel that's suited to my preference.
I wouldn't spin a fugly pen in videos, though.
-Arcturus -
Date: Thu, Jan 3 2008 15:18:05
i'm pretty well known for spinning the ugly pen. like, the couple of pens i picked up in english that happen to make a nice spinning mod that look like trash.
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Date: Sun, Jan 6 2008 03:13:35
A combination of both, it has to look good, be functional and have a perfect CoB, or I wont use it.
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Date: Sun, Jan 6 2008 05:03:50
performance
people won't care how awesome my pen is if i suck -
Date: Sun, Jan 6 2008 06:09:49
I got for both for sure.
it has to spin well or else...wtf am i going to do with it?...
but if its an ugly pen that spins fantastic...perfect example......the Banz mod lol
s777 can do sooooo many great tricks with that pen. its a fantastic pen to spin with but
it looks horrible...wayyyy fuggin long, one grip in the middle, 2 huge grips on each end.
looks like a stick with grips. i wouldn't want to spin with that pen.
i use comssas in public and ppl just ask me.."is that made specificly for spinning?" thats mostly what i get with a comssa
with an mx^2, i usually never get that question.
50 50 for me
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Date: Sun, Jan 6 2008 20:04:39QUOTE (Mats @ Jan 3 2008, 03:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Make the pen decent, but make bloody sure you make it look AMAZING.
Awesomely phrased.
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Date: Mon, Jan 7 2008 10:36:38
performance.
and result is 50:50 now -
Date: Tue, Jan 15 2008 05:01:39
Why can't we have both? XD
I vote performance over looks anyway. Nice paint and seal on plastic part fixes the appearance. Besides, it's humorous when people can't figure out how to use your pen!
Oh, and also, the pen still has to have INK and be usable for WRITING XD or it's a stick with rubber and shiz. -
Date: Tue, Jan 15 2008 07:20:07
I voted for looks, but it really is not that simple. I find my motivation to be very scarce if I spin an ugly pen, but on the other hand, I need the pen to be good as well.
An example: I bought ballsigns yesterday to make the ballsign mod since I thought it looks good. I found it to be too light, even though it was cool in terms of looks. Now I have a ballsign - comssa - kt hybrid pen.. That kinda sums it up for me.
Looks 60 %, performance 40 %. -
Date: Sun, Dec 7 2008 03:39:04
Would it be asking too much for both?
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Date: Sun, Dec 7 2008 21:05:36
Performance;
I <3 Namae -
Date: Sun, Dec 7 2008 21:07:03
for training performance
for vids looks ^^ -
Date: Sun, Dec 7 2008 21:07:10
Both, straight up.
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Date: Sun, Dec 7 2008 21:10:23
performance... its what pen spinning is about, not how beautiful your pen is
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Date: Sun, Dec 7 2008 21:58:43
performance
i'd rather it be easier to spin then look sicker -
Date: Mon, Dec 8 2008 01:35:15QUOTE (TEK @ Jan 6 2008, 01:09 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I got for both for sure.
it has to spin well or else...wtf am i going to do with it?...
but if its an ugly pen that spins fantastic...perfect example......the Banz mod lol
s777 can do sooooo many great tricks with that pen. its a fantastic pen to spin with but
it looks horrible...wayyyy fuggin long, one grip in the middle, 2 huge grips on each end.
looks like a stick with grips. i wouldn't want to spin with that pen.
i use comssas in public and ppl just ask me.."is that made specificly for spinning?" thats mostly what i get with a comssa
with an mx^2, i usually never get that question.
50 50 for me
Definitely agreed. Is it too much to ask for both?? -
Date: Mon, Dec 8 2008 03:16:07
Performance for me although I still wouldn't want to spin an ugly pen.
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Date: Mon, Dec 8 2008 03:18:47QUOTE (I'm Confuzzled @ Dec 6 2008, 10:39 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Would it be asking too much for both?QUOTE (Mr.Squekers @ Dec 7 2008, 04:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Both, straight up.QUOTE (hu-man @ Dec 7 2008, 08:35 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Definitely agreed. Is it too much to ask for both??
The question is asking, which would you choose if you were forced to choose one or the other. There are manyy mods out there that can be made to look good and spin well, but this is just a "what if" kind of question.
And what is with this thread revive... this thread's almost a year old... -
Date: Wed, Dec 10 2008 06:41:06
Performance.
I don't care about the pen, always respect the spinner but it eats a little bit of my respect if the person is spinning a woodstick.