Is This Really Pen Spinning?

 

This is a topic I briefly touched on at XOAY 2025

During World Tour 25, I noticed several comments saying things like:
“Spinning two pens with constant pauses like that isn’t pen spinning,”
or “Using a string in an Isuk solo shouldn’t count either.”

And honestly - I think they’re right.
This isn’t pen spinning. Because let’s be real: none of these actually look like pens anymore.

Think about it - what kind of pen is loaded with real bullets? Or wrapped entirely in tape until it resembles a primitive weapon? Some of them can’t even write anymore. Some aren’t even made from pens at all. If a pen no longer serves its original purpose - if it can’t write - then what makes it a pen in the first place?

That’s why I believe this culture deserves a different name. A name of its own.
Because pen spinning is no longer an accurate label.

When people hear “pen spinning,” they immediately associate it with a school desk, a classroom habit, something trivial - something only kids do. This is a very real and common perception among Vietnamese parents when they see their children spinning a pen.

But why can’t we have a name of our own, like balisong, yo-yo, or begleri?
Names that don’t immediately tell you what the object is or how it’s played—until you actually see it.(Though let’s be honest, Asian parents would probably still disapprove if it’s not related to studying, haha.)

A proper name could help the thing be viewed more objectively. It could also encourage the organic development of purpose-built “pens”—or tools—designed specifically for this art form, like what Kay or Nope are already doing.

I believe that someday, if someone passionate enough comes along and truly wants to change this, they might rebrand pen spinning entirely - giving it a new identity, a fresh image, and a clearer positioning.
One that still connects to the school environment, but doesn’t limit itself to that space. If that happens, pen spinning - or whatever it becomes - might finally witness a new wave of growth.

Looking back at World Tour, Tripens were accepted. Even rods longer than 25 cm were accepted.
So if we insist on calling this pen spinning, then maybe we should all spin like Aoneko or Ease, right?

That’s why, if we’re serious about naming this hobby differently, I think we should start by looking at two things:

• How it moves

• What tool it uses

Something tied to that captivating rotational motion (spinning) - and a more accurate, standardized term for the object itself (to replace "pen"), or perhaps something else entirely.

For now, though, I’ll still call it pen spinning. Not because I fully agree with the name, but because I don’t yet have the power to change it - or come up with a truly compelling alternative.

Hopefully, this piece gives you another perspective on this fascinating hobby.

“Pen spinning - a rarely seen visual art, built around the hypnotic mystery of the spinning motion, using a tool long seen as a symbol of intellect - The pen.”
— VNPS Spinfest 2025

P.S.
For this piece, ChatGPT didn’t quite capture my thoughts as precisely as in the previous blog - but it’s still acceptable. I wrote this when another side of me just wanted to stir things up a bit. After taking a nap, though, I realized that I’m actually quite okay with things staying the way they are… at least for now.