Best pen to use with a dark bat?
 

I am far from an autographed bat expert.

I have a dark barreled bat that I want to get signed. My gut says a “silver sharpie” but instead of leaving it up to the promoter, I was going to send in the pen I want along with the bat.

Is there a particular brand, style, thickness, etc that I should purchase?

Thanks for opinions/recommedations

If the bat is black, I believe that a regular thickness (Fine point) silver Sharpie is the best.

It's too bad you will not be there in person to physically hand your marker to the player. Just remember that if anything bad happens with the autograph, you should be able remove the silver ink with ease. I would just talk to the promoter first about that and make sure a do-over can happen if you experience any smearing, use of wrong marker, etc.

Some people really like paint pens for this purpose. I feel that the chances of the paint smearing, blotching, etc. are greater than with the good old silver Sharpie. My other major concern is because they are paint-based, the paint will be resting upon the varnished surface of the bat. Over time, and with any sort of accidental mishandling, I would worry about the paint flaking/chipping.

You are wise to provide your own fresh Sharpie even if the promoter has some of their own. My only concern would be if they just opted to use theirs because they already have them in stock, so be extremely adamant that yours is the one to be used. The metallic Sharpies are more prone to wearing out/drying at a faster rate than the regular versions. Do the proper research on the promoter before sending in. If there have been problems in the past, do not give him your business.

If the bat is dark brown, you may wish to consider gold or bronze Sharpie, but that's all a matter of taste.

Thank you for that info!

If it wasn’t literally on the other side of the country, I would absolutely be doing this in person. I’m not dealing in either a very expensive bar or an expensive autograph…but it has a great deal of sentimental value so I sure want it right!

But you bring up a good point about the promoter

I have not transacted with them before but they seem ok. Maybe you or others on here will know them.

The OC Dugout in Anaheim…and they are having a signing at the Burbank show at the end of August with bill madlock. All seem legit to me

I have one of the All-Star game presentation bats they give the players. They are black and Wade Boggs signed it with a gold regular sharpie and I think it looks nice. If you want I can add a pic of it.

Would love to see a picture Ben.

How have you been by the way?

Yes, I know of that company but have never dealt with them. No red flags are sticking out in my mind, but it's still always best to research anyone beforehand.

Remember, Madlock does lots of signings, so if there's anything not sitting well with you, just keep doing your research before deciding to whom you'll entrust your item.

Check your PMs in a few minutes!

Doing awesome. Going to Colorado in 2 weeks to sit in Row 1 Seat 1 on the floor for The Strongest Man on Earth contest. Should be fun watching those monsters pick up insanely heavy stuff.

Wade got this for playing in the Celebrity game the year after he retired. I have not seen one from his playing career come up for sale. This was the Sharpie Metallic Gold marker.

My preference is to match the pen color choice to the color of the engraved lettering on the bat. So if the lettering on the bat is silver, I would definitely go with silver Sharpie. If the lettering on your bat is gold, then I would consider using gold. But perhaps that's just my OCD talking, lol.

The OC Dugout is a reputable company. They do private signings all the time, and have done quite a bit with Mike Trout. I got my signed 16x20 Rick Monday saving the flag photo from them, and love it.

Thanks Mike! Glad to know you have worked with them. They seemed legit but always good to hear other experiences