Pen spinning

Pen spinning is a form of object manipulation built around deftly rotating, flipping and balancing an ordinary writing instrument such as a pen or pencil across and between the fingers without dropping it. Most practitioners describe it as a form of casual self entertainment picked up in school or office settings during idle moments, using whatever pen happens to be at hand, but it has also grown a dedicated competitive side, with multinational meetings and competitions bringing together practitioners who perform choreographed sequences called combos and are judged on trick difficulty, cleanliness of execution and originality. Reference works and hobbyist communities group it alongside other close up object manipulation disciplines such as contact juggling and other physical activity and dexterity toys, reflecting its status as a low cost, equipment light skill practice that blends improvisation with codified named tricks passed between practitioners largely through video sharing rather than formal instruction.