Best Pens for 2022: Gel, Ballpoint, Rollerball, and Fountain Pens | Hacker News Reader

Best Pens for 2022: Gel, Ballpoint, Rollerball, and Fountain Pens

jetpens.com

459 pointsbeermonster245 comments

Jetpens is truly a treasure of a website. I've gotten interested in plotter art in the last year and there's a whole lot to learn about how pens work and perform. Jetpens is the essential source for a lot of that information. Some good articles they've written:

https://www.jetpens.com/blog/Types-of-Pens-How-to-Pick-a-Pen...

https://www.jetpens.com/blog/The-Best-Technical-Drawing-Pens...

Yeah I stumbled upon them years ago just looking to get a nice drafting pencil. Then I got sucked into all sorts of pens, watercolors, and wooden pencils. Maybe I’ll try out some fancy paper next (I’ll take recommendations), but I never figured I could get so nerded out in writing utensils… their marketing is on point…. It’s the write ups like this that do it.

> I've gotten interested in plotter art [...]

At first I thought it was just a typo, but there indeed something called "Plotter Art" (not to be confused with "Blotter Art", which I just confused it for).

Do you have any displays of what you were able to do?

I have been eyeing plotters for a very long time, but have yet to dive in.

A lot of uncertainty around what plotter might work for me, and what pens it would support, etc.

Look at #plottertwitter on Twitter for inspiration.

The AxiDraw V3 is a good small plotter for experimentation. It will support any pen with a vaguely normal shape. The biggest limitation of most plotters is they don't control pen pressure; it's fine for normal pens but won't work with a calligraphy pen that gives variable width strokes.

Thanks for that tag. Looks like I will just have to pick one up and experiment with pens I've laying around.

I wonder if some way to add weight along the the pen arm is possible to adjust pressure exists.

I practice calligraphy regularly and use a fountain pen and a mechanical pencil for all my daily notes.

I used a Waterman expert for a long time till a "friend" dropped it and destroyed it. Since then, I bought a Noodlers Ahab. The company had a quirky sense of humour and with a black ink called "heart of darkness", who can resist? I bought it primarily because the nib is flexible and you can use it for pseudo Copperplate and Spencerian scripts (which I use for headings). https://www.amazon.in/Noodlers-Ahab-Flex-Nib-Fountain/dp/B00...

The mechanical pencil I use is a Pentel Graphgear 1000. It's easily the Mercedes Benz of mechanical pencils. Pentel is generally good at this but the Gg 1000 takes it to the next level. It's very well balanced, comfortable to hold and has a few small features that protect the delicate parts quite well. https://www.amazon.in/Pentel-Graphgear-1000-Drafting-Pencil/...

Love love love me a Graphgear 1000, I keep buying them so I can have one in every car, one in every desk, one in workbench, one in my pockets - bought three for my daughter for Christmas so she'd quit borrowing mine.

Protip: The pencil has a long enough moment arm to snap 0.5 mm lead easily - 0.7mm diamond lead is WAY stronger than 0.5mm.

You can normally find Pentel Twist-Erase pencils in office supply stores; they aren't as well balanced as the Graphgear but I prefer them because they come with the equivalent of ~10 pencil erasers attached, and I do a lot of erasing because I produce bad ideas almost as frequently as I produce good ideas :)

I bought https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B00006IFB4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_... to refill the erasers as they run out. I don't usually use them. I prefer a regular one but I wear them out when on the road.

Does the Pentel have a mechanism to rotate the lead? I use a Kuru Toga for that reason, and quite like it, though the machining tolerance could be a bit better, i might try a Pentel for that reason but worry about the lead getting flat on one side as I write.

Good question. I used to used cheap ones back in the day and developed a habit of manually rotating as I write. It's become instinct and part of my muscle memory so I don't need this as a feature though I see its value.

No. Unfortunately this is where Kuru Toga shines. It's the only pencil I have for this reason.

Only the Kuru Toga have this system. You might want to try the Pentel Orenz which is another approach, with the (retractable) metal sleeve following the lead. Both features seem to me to "get inbetween" me and the pencil while drawing, that control over sharpness is nice, even with 0.5 leads. So ultimately I prefer to go with the Graphgear or the Pentel 120 A3DX (cheap, light, comfortable, reliable, but no retractable tip).

I am kurutoga fan as well. Love the rotating lead and consistent writing due to that. Sadly I keep losing the eraser cap and can't seem to find it online. Any suggestion?

I'm still searching for my holy grail felt-tip pen which would be a small-nib (.5mm or less?) chisel point (or equivalent.) Any suggestions? Most of the calligraphy markers I've tried aren't suitable for small writing.

I believe that there are no such pens, because I have also searched without success.

For large writing, with chisel point width of 1.0 mm or larger, there are many felt-tip pens from at least 4 or 5 manufacturers, and also fountain pens with wide nibs suitable for variable-width lines, e.g. Pilot Parallel pens or Rotring Art pens.

For small writing with variable-width lines caused by nib shape, like you want, I have seen only dip pen nibs, which are inconvenient for casual usage.

No idea. I don't use felt tip markers for calligraphy. I use pilot parallel pens https://www.amazon.in/Pilot-Parallel-Pen-3-8-Cartridge/dp/B0... for quick drafts and a proper dip pen set for serious work.

I can see that, it's pretty much the standard progression for flat edge pen work.

Felt tips -> Pilot Parallels -> Flat metal nibs with specific inks.

Cut a 1mm nib with a sharp knife?

Noodler's Ink is at https://noodlersink.com

Pentel is at https://www.pentel.co.uk

I use fountain pens for my daily notes, and a mechanical pencil where a fountain pen isn't practical.

Fountain pens in "rotation" at the moment:

    * TWSBI Vac Mini, EF
    * Pilot Stargazer, F
    * Sheaffer Snorkel, F
    * Pilot Resin Falcon, SEF
    * Pilot Vanishing Point, 0.7mm stub
    * Noodler's Boston Safety Pen, with a vintage Parker flexible gold nib
    * Sheaffer Legacy Heritage II, custom 0.4mm "smoothed" stub

I have around 200 more fountain pens in a china hutch next to my desk, so there is no lacking in options if I want a chance of pace. The ones I listed above get >80% of my use, remain inked, and are in descending order of how often I use them. The rest are either parts of my long-term collection or I've purchased to repair and resell online.

I have two mechanical pencils that I use religiously - a Rotring 800 that I carry with me, and a Uni-ball Kuru Toga that I keep on my desk.

I really don't get why using fineliners [0] for writing is so unpopular outside of a few European countries. You get consistent line thickness. You don't need to push the tip into the paper, just letting it hover on top. There is barely any friction/resistance. The ink won't escape if you stop the pen for a second... I switched to using them over a decade ago, and using any regular pen now feels like stone age tech.

[0] https://www.staedtler.com/intl/en/products/products-for-colo...

I like them too, but I will say that:

a) on very smooth paper, it will smear. Needs time to dry

b) on rougher paper, I found it to "spread out" like a small inkblot. As if the paper "sucks" the ink in a bit.

Perfectly fine for regular paper

in the fountain pen world we call the "spread out" effect "feathering" I always thought it was a cool name :)

In France we call the fountain pen Stylo Plume. Which literally stands for Feather Pen. And the part from which the ink flow is called the plume (feather).

In this context, “plume” would probably be translated to “quill” rather than “feather” (or “nib”, for the metal bit that touches the paper). It’s ambiguous in French, because if is the same word for the bird thing and the writing instrument.

Same in Spanish with “pluma” for the writing tool and the bird-thing.

Don't the nubs on those wear down or the pens dry out? Those Staedtler ones may be better quality, but I recall using fineliner-type pens occasionally when I was a kid, and didn't really like them.

> You get consistent line thickness.

Isn't that also true of various kinds of rollerball pens/gel pens?

> You don't need to push the tip into the paper, just letting it hover on top. There is barely any friction/resistance.

That seems like it'd feel unnatural.

I've had those Staedtler 'pigment liner' pens that are in the parent comment's link, deeply disappointing. They dried out very quickly, and I do really try to take care of my pens.

My go-to fine-liners, as someone who sketches/inks, are the Sakura Pigma Micron pens. They used to be much harder to find but nowadays I see them all over, in most art supply shops, they're pretty popular.

> are the Sakura Pigma Micron pens

Plus they're pigment based, so the ink is durable and long lasting. I actually have a few for some that I'd like to last a long time. However, I'm not a huge fan of how they fell. It's like writing with a marker.

I understand gel ink pens are pigment based too, but archival stability doesn't seem to be as much of a selling point for them, so I don't know if they're as suitable/stable. I tend to use them for day to day stuff.

I draw, and my main complaint about Sakura micron: the lids get loose. If I'm buying disposables, I like to buy Shinhan Touch Liners. I'm going to guess that the pigment liners cap wasn't as tight as some of the other brands. I've had the Staedtler in the parent comment, but I wasn't as disappointed, probably because I figured they were used up.

I recently got some technical pens - basically refillable fineliners - by Staedtler, actually - and am enjoying those though.

I recently switched to a Micron pen for my diary (i.e. bullet journal) after years of using a pencil (favorites include the Musgrave Tennessee Red and the Blackwing 602). I like the extra precision they afford, but I did need to get used to the drying time.

They are widely available at most office supply stores, too, in the drafting/drawing aisle.

I find that the square end of the tip on a fineliner isn't a joy to write with.

I don't find them comfortable to write with because of their high friction.

I don't like how fineliners flow (or rather, how they don't). If I'm using ink instead of graphite for writing, I'm doing it because I want to write quickly and fluidly.

A housemate recently suggested a similar pen: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006IFJN/

They replaced all my other favorite pens, my handwriting looks good, so little effort, it's a miracle

I used to work as an architect, and these are the most common pens people used for sketching on trace paper. Nice and cheap, I love that they sell them by the box.

I really like these exact pens as a lefty who holds the pen a little oddly. They write best straight vertical, and that happens to be how I hold the pen. It just feels so right, and it makes my handwriting look great, which it normally doesn't.

I tried one of those fineliners for a year. Turns out I can't write as fast with one of those as I can with a ballpoint/gel pen.

Muji sells cheap 0.5 and 0.7mm gel pens with a really satisfying click mechanism. Good enough for me.

I think it’s purely a cultural thing. In France, the fountain pen is the norm at school (probably because most inks are erasable, and maybe it changed, after all, I’m getting old).

Not anymore :)

A lot of fineliners have bad ergonomy. I also don't like that they feel cheap and disposable. I ocassionally use Marvy fineliners for writing, and the friction of the head sime low enough with 0.5mm+ nibs, and they seem to last quite long, but the above drawbacks still apply.

I draw with fineliners, but I don't enjoy writing with them. I honestly didn't realize that folks regularly wrote with fineliners as I've only seen them with art supplies - which would explain why they aren't common writing tools. Most folks aren't seeing them with the stationary at their store.

If you like fineliners, I suggest refillables. I recently recieved these as a gift and have enjoyed them. [1]

[1] https://www.cultpens.com/i/q/SD03714/staedtler-mars-matic-te...

I use fineliners too, Satedler and Stabilo are my favorites. The only “drawback” if when someone borrows them and pushes hard to the paper with them, destroying the tip :’(

You have to write very gently, else the tip gets damage and you need a new one.

Most people use ballpoint pen for writing, cause you can misuse them however you like and they won't break. They are also cheap, so you don't mind loosing them. Plus, they roll faster with less friction.

Surprising to see that this article has snubbed Chinese FP manufacturers. I own over 20 FPs and some of my favorites are ones made by Jinhao and WingSung. One might even say that the WingSung 300x [1] is better made than the pens that it is a copy of, i.e., TWSBI's Eco and Diamond. The Eco's body is made out of cheap plastic that decomposes when it comes to contact with many household chemicals (e.g., isopropyl alcohol). The Diamond's body is ostensibly better made, but IMHO it's still not worth the price. In comparison, I've used a <$5 WingSung 300x for over 3 years now and it's one of the best pens I've used hands down.

[1]: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=wingsung+piston

Chinese manufacturers have a great value but the output quality is not 100% reliable. Couple it with difficult returns on Aliexpress and you get the picture. I watch FP vlogs and saw people get 5 Jinhaos and only 3 would have a nib with aligned tines. Sure, getting 3 good pens for the cost of 5 Jinhaos is still a steal but if you order one and get one of the remaining two. Well, it’s a perfect opportunity to learn how to do nibwork :)

The super cheap Chinese pens like Jinhaos have large variations from one pen to the other, but if you go for pricier brands like PenBBS[0] you'll get good quality.

[0] https://www.etsy.com/shop/PENBBSOfficialStore?ref=simple-sho...

Jinhaos seem to have leakage problems. I bought 3 because they’re beautiful but I couldn’t use any of them. All of them leaked.

From reading pen forums, most people buy Jinhaos for their aesthetics but replace the nibs with third party ones.

I have several Jinhao and WingSung pens. Although, they invariably fail, however, they are generally good when you find a working one. There is no comparison with TWSBI Eco/T or Diamond range, at least not when it comes to the nibs and/or the choice available i.e. F/M/B/Stub/1.1, notwithstanding the ability to work with different kinds of ink and the amount a reservoir can hold. Also, they work nicely with most good quality paper e.g. Rhodia (Clairefontaine), Tomoe River et al. I have also tried the TWSBI 'clone' Lanbitou, which can only be found in F nib -- it was scratchy af and as cheap as it was, it was a waste. I have been thinking of getting some Jowo nibs to try out in one of the failed Jinhao pens, to see how they behave.

> Surprising to see that this article has snubbed Chinese FP manufacturers.

Two likely reasons:

1. They don't sell them at Jetpens.

2 (more likely): A lot of Chinese designs are copies of fairly expensive pens. Those manufacturers have asked online retailers[1] not to promote them. Although I doubt the Chinese manufacturers are breaking any laws (patents, etc), it's seen by many as poor class to mass copy and sell cheap. A lot of these online retailers rely on the goodwill of the more expensive brands, so they accommodate them.

As an example, compare the Lamy Safari with the Jinhao 599 or the Wingsung 6359 or the Hero 359:

https://www.amazon.com/Lamy-Safari-Fountain-Pen-Charcoal/dp/...

https://www.amazon.com/Jinhao-Fountain-Diversity-Transparent...

https://www.amazon.com/FidgetGear-Coffee-Metal-Fountain-0-38...

https://www.amazon.com/Singularity-design-fountain-purple-co...

[1] I know they did with Goulet Pens.

Are the nibs of Hero and Wing Sung compatible with the Lamy Safari?

No idea.

Exactly. Moonman T5 is a bomb, highly recommended. Many other manufacturers are also very good. Ignore people trying to convince you a pen should cost $400.

Used to be a fountain pen fan and have used WinSung about 35 years ago and have very pleasant memories of the writing coming out of it. Wasn't cheap by Indian standard but the other pens mentioned here were unavailable to masses back then.

Chinese pens are hit and miss for me.

Some, like all of the <$20 Jinhaos, I simply hate. I've never laid hands on one that I'd even consider "usable".

Others have some models that are excellent and some that aren't. Some of the Chinese Parker 51 clones are not only very good, I'd actually consider them both more practical and more true to the original than the very expensive modern Parker 51 re-issues.

Oh - and Chinese "brands" aren't the same thing as "companies". "Shanghai Green Stationery Co., Ltd" makes some amazingly great pens around $20-50 that are in all respects better than >$100 European pens. They're usually sold under the "Wing Sung" brand.

They make the Wing Sung 698, which in my opinion is one of the best "budget" fountain pens out there. They're not super fancy, but but they feel substantial and hold up very well to carrying in a backpack (or even a pocket). I've torture tested some of mine in the past by leaving it inked for over a year, and not only did it survive - it wrote instantly without issue when I used it again.

On the other hand, the Wing Sung 659 is pretty much just a sub-standard clone of the Pilot 78g. Their cheap Parker 45 and 51 clones are just bad, and feel like the stamped sheet metal and weak plastic they're made of.

If anyone reads this submission and wants to buy a Pilot Metropolitan, do note that Japanese pens like Pilot tend to be finer than their European counterparts. So a Pilot Medium nib is like a Fine nib in other brands. I've use both a Pilot medium and fine - both produce good output, but the fine nib will definitely feel scratchy compared to the medium.

The Pilot Metropolitan was my favorite for a number years - I liked it more than more expensive pens that I had bought. What finally dethroned it was PenBBS[0] 309[1]. Their nibs are fairly good, although I did eventually replace it with a Goulet nib[2]. On top of that, I smoothened the nib with a micromesh and it's super smooth!

She had stopped shipping to the US because of long shipping times due to COVID and too many customers complained - I don't see the notice on the page any more so she may have resumed shipping to the US. Do expect long shipping times, though.

For those looking to get into fountain pens: The choice of paper will matter as much as the pen! If your city has a Japanese store (e.g. Kinokuniya) you'll get a good selection of notebooks/paper there - fountain pens are quite commonly used in Japan, so their papers are designed to handle them well.

[0] https://www.etsy.com/shop/PENBBSOfficialStore?ref=simple-sho...

[1] Note that almost all the PenBBS pens use the same feed/nib, so the choice of model is mostly about the filling mechanism and external design. At the moment, it seems they don't have my particular 309 model, so you may want to try some other model.

[2] https://www.gouletpens.com/collections/goulet-nibs

> Japanese pens like Pilot tend to be finer than their European counterparts

... except the Vanishing Point (and variants that use the same nib unit, like the Decimo). Those are pretty much use the European scale.

> Note that almost all the PenBBS pens use the same feed/nib

Yes, but it's a standard size - a #5 or #6, I believe. The few PenBBS pens I have mostly have Jowo nibs fitted to them.

Most are #6, I believe. Be careful when swapping - some of the pen's caps are not long enough to accommodate 3rd party #6 nibs. You have to Google to see if yours can.

I saw this post and came to ask for left-handers' recommendations. I'm glad this article actually has a section for it! Certain pens perform very poorly for me, like the ink stoping and starting.

Pens are the only left-handed designed product I've ever found I really needed. Aside from scissors or computer mice maybe, but I grew up using my right hand for those activities.

I'm a lefty, and I've tried an awful lot of pens. I agree with the Energel recommendation (and primarily use Energel refills) but I'd put Zebra Sarasa gel pens alongside them.

There are other good options out there in terms of quick-drying ink, but Energel and Sarasa work especially well for me because I'm an under-writer, keeping my hand fully below the line, which lowers the angle at which the pen meets the page. Many pens don't tolerate the low angle.

Something like the Uni-ball 0.7 or 0.8 ?

used to be a pilot g-2 user but switched to zebra sarasa about a decade ago. so much better (no smearing). cobalt blue is my fave, though i have all the colors. i’ve tried energel but wasn’t as enthused by it.

My go-to has been the Pilot Precise for many years.

Something about the stick rollerball means that whatever weird angle I attack the page, it writes. Ink dries instantly as well, difficult to smear it even on the cheapest paper.

As a leftie and a fountain pen user, I think the choice (matching) of paper is often overlooked. Earlier I was after “the right pen” and now I know which pens will work well on which kinds of paper.

Sadly, it means that Rhodia premium paper is off limits for me except of EF nibs and dry inks.

Uni tank ballpoints, on the other hand, pair with any kind of paper and even write upside down.

Hello left handed friend! I don't have anything useful to add, only wanted to share my experience being left handed. I use a right handed mouse with my left hand, which makes me hold it quite strangely and the buttons are still for right handed, so I use them backwards.

You should be able to change the button settings. At least you used to be able to. My mom has hers set up that way; she mouses left.

I'm just so used to it the wrong way now!

I'm primarily left handed, but "switch hit" for a lot of things, including mice. I've never had any problem with the position of the buttons in either hand, though when using a mouse with my left hand my hand posture is at about a 45 degree angle to the mouse so that my index finger is still resting on the left button. I then rotate my hand to move my index finger onto the right button when I want to use it. When I'm using the mouse as intended in the right hand, I use two fingers. I find either approach works fine for me.

The only thing I've consciously forced myself to learn to use right handed are firearms. Left handed firearms are hard to find, and using right-handed ones with your left hand creates a lot of hardships.

> at about a 45 degree angle to the mouse so that my index finger is still resting on the left button

Yes that's what I do too!

Just because it's not on the left-hander list (but is elsewhere in TFA), my daughter is a leftie and likes the sarasa dry, so that might be one to try as well.

Lamy does a really nice (and easy to replace) left-handed medium fountain pen nib.

https://blog.gouletpens.com/2017/09/lamy-oblique-and-left-ha...

JetPens actually has a guide for this, too: https://www.jetpens.com/blog/The-Best-Lefty-Friendly-Pens-an...

You could always write in reverse like Leonardo da Vinci.

TIL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonardo_da_Vinci#cite_ref-Pol...

Try a fast dry ink like the Noodler's Polar blue ink, you'll need a good paper and maybe a F nib as it has a tendancy to bleed through the paper as it's a really fast dry ink, but it won't smear.

My daughter is left hand and has no problem writing with it with the occasional bleed with a M nib. It's like magic.

I'm a leftie. Using rollerball pens with fast-drying ink (as others recommended). I think it's a good compromise.

Have a look at a Yoropen. I've been using the executive zII for years now and the executive pencil is my everyday 'beater'. In fact I like the pencil so much I've got two.

The old pens are hard to find refills for nowadays. But the newer pens have refills all over ebay.

No one has mentioned the masterful interlinking to both existing sharable content (that may also rank for frequently searched queries) and product detail pages. They 100% understand SEO and do it correctly by providing objectively useful content.

If you like TWSBI Eco fountain pens, the Pilot Prera is similar in styling with Pilot's great quality. The lid's sealing vacuum like feel and click is one of the neatest of any pen I've had.

I’ve spent way too much money on fountain pens, and these are the ones I like the best: https://www.muji.us/products/aluminum-fountain-pen-e5a2 - less than $16 bucks too. Only Muji sells them so you won’t find them on the list here. But do buy ink and paper from jet pens.

Muji notebooks are amazing. Get a nice cover and enjoy them, especially if you use fountain pen like me, but other pens work just as fine because paper is awesome.

  > Description:  WARNING: Cancer

From an aluminium product? Or is it the ink?

I saw that too. Who knows where the risk is from? In CA they have really strict rules around cancer labels so basically everything and every plance has them now.

I really enjoyed reading the cancer sign on the LinkedIn building in SF, I think they should put this warning on the website too.

Because of shipping shortages, and the realization that we need to make more of our own stuff, I recently decided to switch to “made in the USA” writing tools. I’m using a Fisher Space Pen and a homemade pocket notebook that is similar to the Field Notes brand (which is also made in the US). I’ve been surprisingly happy with the fisher space pen and I keep it in my pocket 24/7.

There is no substitute for the Space Pen (I personally use the bullet style pocket size). It uses a pressurized gasket to push the ink in any position so will writ upside down all day long. It has a great backstory as being an unsolicited proposal to NASA to write in zero gravity [1]. The very best pen gift for any Engineer.

[1] https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fact-or-fiction-n...

I hated the Space Pen because the ink always felt sticky and it wrote poorly.

Schmidt 4889 is a substitute pressurized refill that is compatible with the Space Pen, although I have not tried it yet.

Well over a decade ago, I spent an afternoon in a stationery store trying out as many pens as I could. I fell in love with the Pentel EnerGel NV 0.5mm (smooth, dark, consistent, feels nice in the hand) and haven't looked back since. I'm glad to see that this website has a high opinion of it too.

Somebody in a previous HN threat recommended the Pentel EnerGel .7mm pens and I picked some up at WalMart. Best pens I've ever used and they're like $1.50 each.

Two of my favourite pens are here: the Twisbi ECO and the Zebra Sarasa.

If you're a regular, gel pen user, I'd really encourage you to check out Zebra Sarasa pens. Some folks think they're a bit scratchy, but they're way less scratchy than the Muji pens I've tried and they write consistently and smoothly.

I started using fountain pens in an effort to reduce plastic waste (and because they're cool), and of the many, many pens I've tried, the Twisbi ECO is heads and shoulders over the rest. It also is quite affordable.

Word to the wise though, skip the TWISBI GO, it looks similar to the ECO and is cheaper, but I've found it to be a disproportionately worse experience.

Twisbi ECO is great, but for me the medium nib gushes and the next finer nib down is slightly starved. They need something in between.

I have both the Twsbi ECO M and ECO F, and the sweet spot is the ECO F. You just have to gently press the nib on a piece of paper a few times (deforming it ever so slightly to slightly separate out the tines), and the flow will be between the M and F.

I wish there was a bit more overlap between US and UK writing supplies. For some reason, certain Japanese pen companies will sell Pen A in the US only, while having Pen B for European markets. Eg. Pilot C4 0.25, you can still only find it from one small boutique seller in the UK (at one point I thought I bought all of their stock of 025).

I had to order notebooks with Tomoe River 52g paper (well, “had to”…) from JetPens some years ago, as no one in the UK had them. (The situation has improved somewhat in recent years, on both fronts)

I switched back to foutain pens a year ago, wanting to reduce the crazy amount of ball pens I had laying around. I did not wanted it to be another rabbit hole niche hobby and after passing way too much time reading and watching stuff about it, I decided to go the pratical road :

* 1 TWSBI Go with an Extra-Fine nib

* 2 Lamy Safary with a Fine and Bold nib (and two extra nibs Extra Fine and Medium)

The Lamy are nib-swappable. All are in transparent plastic (demo pen) because I liked it. For the inks, I picked the Diamine brand that is a good balance between choice, quality and affordable. It was the affordable, low-maintenance and pragmatic road.

If someone wanted just a more fancy foutain pen, I would advise to look at the Lamy Studio. It use the same nibs than the Safari and are also nib-swappable.

This journey made me realize that Moleskine notebook paper is from perfect to meh with a high-variability in quality. I think my next step would be to pick my next notebook either from Rhodia or Leuchtturm or something with Tomoe River paper (probably Rhodia, simply because it is easier to find).

The best site I found showcasing and reviewing ink is https://mountainofink.com/ I always check the feedback there to pick up my inks even if I focused on one brand by convenience.

EDIT: I also draw a little bit with my pens.

This has been my experience with notebooks as well, both Moleskin and Leuchttrum (much less) cause feathering with fountain ink pens. I've been using Rhodia web notebooks for a couple of years and they have been great consistently. The only thing I find lacking in Rhodia is a pen loop, so I buy adhesive pen loops separately.

I have a Rhodia with a pen loop so might be worth checking again as they may have extended their range

Moleskine paper is horrible which is a shame as the rest of the product is good. Sadly that’s one of the most important parts for me - especially if using a fountain pen or rollerball

If you lose pens a lot like me, I just buy the 10 or 20 packs of Pilot G3 gel pens from Costco and roll through them. If I'm down to 3 spares or so, next trip I purchase another pack.

They cost a fraction of what they cost in retail stores.

Oddly, if I buy an expensive pen I seem to look after it a lot more than a generic cheep one…

I don't. Hence, the procedure I mention above. There is much less guilt involved. I feel you, though.

I tried that but paradoxically found that it worked better when I did the opposite: just get one gel pen and always know where it is like my keys, cell-phone, wallet, etc. These days it's more common for me to replace a pen because it's run out of ink than because I've lost it.

Even pre-pandemic I'd always carry it with me for signing receipts and the like. (Since I found using a public pen by a register kind of squicky.) I learned quickly that a pen with a cap was a must for my daily carry; retractables are just too easy to accidentally engage in my pocket.

I do this as well. My current pen sits next to notebook, Leatherman, wallet, and keys on dresser. But stuff falls out of pockets (I have to spelunk through buildings alot in job), or I leave it on some desk, etc.

FWIW, my current pack of pens has lasted me well over 8 months now.

I'd like to add a bit of love for the timeless classic, the Bic Cristal. Reliable and consistent, and sufficiently cheap you can have them scattered all over home and office so there's one nearby when you need it. Apparently ~5 billion are sold each year.

Thinking about it now makes me a little sad that I've switched entirely onto an iPad instead of paper and pen.

Totally agree, I love living in a sparse cloud of Bics. Favouring a tool because of its ubiquity should be called the "bic/vim strategy".

That's a great description.

I too have switched from my big hardcover Leuchtturm1917 A4 to using "just" Emacs and org-mode for all my notes and TODO items.

I used to have a really nice system for writing bullet points that described the item: dot for new item, arrow for pushed to next day, check/tick for done, star for important, cross for cancelled, etc etc. I just really wish all that stuff would appear automagically in my Emacs org-journal folder. I haven't tried an iPad pro for writing, I just have the 10.4" normal iPad and don't like trying to write on that. It's compounded by my preference for super-fine pens, so tablet-based writing just feels so clunky.

I'm not sure what point I was trying to make there. Maybe my need for more coffee this morning?

Sounds like you moved from one nice system to another!

I pretty much moved over to a 12.9" iPad Pro + Pencil when they first came out. It replaced my "system" of doing derivations on the blank side of the leftover cover pages from the department printer. They were then "filed" into a giant pile in the corner of my desk.

Some part of the chaos of this system was deliberate - unbound sheets that you only write on one side of are great for derivations as you can lay out many of them on a desk to see what you wrote a few pages ago. Still the iPad is a vast improvement for me, even if you can't see everything at once.

Also I don't think the iPad Pro would improve things for you, it's great if you're used to the wonderful Bic Cristal, but you definitely won't get the precision of a super fine pen, though maybe the newer generation is better on that front.

You'll have to prise my Parker Vector fountain pen out of my grasp.

Writes beautifully, never leaks, choice of ink colour, simple and pleasing design. And dirt cheap. Absolute icon of 20th century design.

They remind me of my school years, I had a bunch of them over the years, and they are great little pens.

I wonder if I would find them too narrow these days. I usually write with a cross Century II, and have a Century I as well, which I do find a little narrow.

The Parker 51, to me, is the icon.

I was looking if anyone will mention Parker Vector here. I've been writing with these daily since forever. I've tried some much (much) more expensive fountain pens and none came close to the comfort of writing with the Vector. Might be just me being so used to it at this point though.

"Never leaks" is maybe pushing a bit in my experience. I certainly had these leak ink sometimes. I also think that the design could be nicer. Many other pens are more comfortable to hold. The nib however is just perfect.

I got back into fountain pens recently, and one of the slightly humbling things about it is having to re-learn to write. It had been so long since I wrote much beyond "Happy Christmas, lots of love" and my name, that my writing, which wasn't great to start with, had become an almost unreadable scrawl.

The first pen I bought was a Kaweco Sport and I really enjoy writing with it. For nostalgia's sake I then bought a Lamy Safari (they were all the rage at school), but found that, unlike the Kaweco Sport, it dried out pretty quickly because I still don't write that much. After reading through this I've just bought the clear TWSBI Eco-T Fountain Pen - one downside of the Sport is that its small size means that you don't get much ink in one fill (I prefer to use piston fillers to reduce the plastic waste of disposable cartridges).

I love the Pilot vanishing point fountain pen that has been my daily driver for the last three years. It writes beautifully and is 'clickable' like most ball point pens. I don't have to worry about buying refills and seems like the ink pot will last me a decade.

https://www.jetpens.com/Pilot-Vanishing-Point-Fountain-Pens/...

I don't particularly enjoy handwriting, but have learned to enjoy it somewhat more through Caran D'ache, I was gifted a Ecridor Chevron and it's really a fantastic pen to use (+they look cool). This guy does a good review of an EDC Caran D'ache https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvXpqaX1ul8

Having a "best pens" article and not mentioning the Caran d'Ache 849 either Fountain or the famous ballpoint pen somehow invalidates the article for me.

For technical staff in the field as well as in the office, a Caran d'Ache 849 ballpoint can be used for years and years, as refill tubes are available for decades.

No Lamy either. A pen list without Lamy is weird imo.

A bit off topic but, I handwrite so little that after more than a sentence and a half my hand starts hurting and I have to take a break. Is that something that can be improved by one of these pens? I've only ever used the cheapest ones I can find.

You're likely pressing too hard. Look for pens that don't require force to dispense ink, such as a fineliner. Crummy ballpoint pens would be what you want to avoid if this indeed is the cause.

Try writing with a pencil?

If you find that your hand hurts even when writing with a pencil, maybe you're gripping it too tight.

Anecdotally, I did go through a a few months of not writing anything by hand, and it did feel weird when I wrote again. Using a regular HB pencil for a while helped.

What @mellow said plus you (a) may need a bit of practice and (b) get a pen with a better grip.

I usually write 2-3 A5 pages a day, so writing 5+ would make my hand a bit stiff. If you write less than a page a day, you may want to take it easy at the beginning. For example, try a 5 minute journaling practice.

Grip is very important (saying as a leftie who uses fountain pens). You may want to look at a pen like Lamy Safari that has a grip that forces you to hold the pen correctly. Don’t use thin pens like Parker Jotter unless you have really petite hands.

As @mellow suggested, using a pen that flows well is necessary but not sufficient to ease the pressure on the page. If you are a heavy writer, it will take some effort to break the habit.

I had similar problems and my doctor recommended using a very thick pen. That helped me a lot.

Others have mentioned you are probably pushing too hard. My 2 suggestions as someone with the same problem:

1. Before getting a new pen, you need to train yourself to write lighter. I would suggest practicing with a 0.5mm mechanical pencil; the lead will break if you push hard. When I first did this, I broke the lead at least once per sentence.

2. Try a few gel and/or rollerball pens. They tend to lay down ink with less pressure than ballpoints. Fountain pens do so as well, but tend to be more expensive and require more maintenance. I bought maybe a dozen different recommended rollerball and gel pens that were under $5 each, tried them out myself and then loaned them all to friends. We each liked different ones the best but liked all of them better than a cheap ballpoint.

If it's similar to what I had problems with, it may be you're holding the pen with too much pressure.

as others have said, holding the pen in the correct way, with the correct pressure should help

larger pens/ pencils seemed to help

No love for the old Pilot G2? There is obviously a whole world of pen goodness that I'm missing out on.

I used to use the G2 and I liked it, but I think the Uni-ball Signo DX (the UM-151 the article endorses) is a better pen in the same vein. It’s smoother and doesn’t skip, and I can still get a fine, dark line that makes my handwriting legible. (I like 0.38mm tips in both pens, personally.)

There is, we just out here getting work done. Keep trying new pens and come back to old faithful (G2 0.7mm) every time. Writes well, spins well, cheap by the box. A real pen for the working man.

The Pentel EnerGel Alloy, at $5 a pop, is by far my favorite of the accessible pens. They write smoother than anything else I've tried, which is the most important factor in my mind. The silver barrel ones (combination of aluminum and plastic) are by far classier than any other $5 pen, but they're also $5, which means you never have to stress about losing one or giving them out. They're also sold at Walmart and the refills are plain old Pentel EnerGels, so very easy to use. Absolute 10/10 pens.

To be honest, $5 per pen is above the range where I wouldn't stress about losing one or giving them out. My opinion is, that's an expensive pen!

Well, I don't lose them very often, can't remember the last time, but losing a $5 pen isn't the worst thing in the world, while losing a $100 pen (several pens mentioned in this thread are above that) would be painful.

Also, I don't just give them out to strangers, I've just given maybe three out over the years (to writer and artist friends.) It's true that they're pricier than a Bic, but they have a beautiful feel when writing that I feel is worth the extra few bucks.

If you want to save a few bucks, you can also get the non-metal ones, the plastic EnerGels are $9.97 for a pack of 8 at Walmart, but I lose them so infrequently that it would work out to maybe a couple bucks a year tops to write with the metal ones.

Surprisingly not many people know about the classic Tombow Zoom 505 series: Mechanical Pencil (0.5mm & 0.9mm), Rollerball Pen, Ballpoint Pen and Multifunction Pen - https://www.tombow.com/en/products/zoom_505/ and https://www.tombow.com/en/press/180312/

I am shocked and disappointed that there isn't even a mention of the TUL GL1, which is far and away the best gel pen ever made.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0096ENBP2/

If you read the reviews, you'll see that the only negative ones relate to particular experiences (missing pens from the shipment, pens were used and had low ink, etc.) rather than the product itself.

I love these pens (TUL). I was also surprised that they weren’t mentioned.

my current go-to pen is the Zebra G-402 [0] because I like the durability and heft of a stainless steel pen. they're $3.50 a pop if you buy them in bulk on Amazon [1].

but, the real "where has this been all my life?" game-changer for me was finding that Zebra also makes permanent markers that are stainless steel and refillable [2, 3]. I can never go back to regular Sharpies.

0: https://www.zebrapen.com/product/g-402-retractable-gel/

1: https://amazon.com/gp/product/B0771YTM9C/

2: https://www.zebrapen.com/product/pm-701-permanent-marker/

3: https://amazon.com/gp/product/B079NR6HFJ/

I love the zebra F-701. It has a heft to it that makes it feel durable.

Have you tried the new G-450 or G-750? Both are 0.7mm gel, rather than ballpoints.

The G-750 has a metal knurled grip, like the 701s. But for what it's worth, I find myself preferring the lesser weight of the G-450. Its harder plastic grip doesn't pick up lint or melt like the older G-series pens.

Have you tried the newish G-450? I like it very much.

I don't write a lot with pen these days but when I do, I always reach out to Pilot Juice up 04 [0]. It's incredibly smooth at 0.4mm. Can't recommend it enough for daily writing.

[0]: https://www.jetpens.com/Pilot-Juice-Up-Gel-Pen-0.4-mm-Black/...

For those who consider buying a fountainpen and need advice I recommend r/fountainpens on Reddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/

Not only is the subreddit very helpful, the hive mind also has a vast knowledge of fountainpens, nibs, inks, papers, …

I have discovered during my undergraduate studies that I learn better when I write down what I am trying to understand. I need not read back what I have written. Just the act of putting it to paper will drill it in my brain.

For this purpose, I need a pen that can keep up with my thoughts. And the only kind of pens that can do that are ball pens. They last forever, they write from any angle, you don't have to worry about tilting it, just scratch away. I must have used ball pens by the dozen.

However, now later in life, I find that ball pens are unpleasant to write with. I would much rather use a gel pen or whatever type is the pilot pen. I can actually read back what I wrote (slower speed means I take the time to properly form the letters) and it does not feel like I am scratching the paper.

I have exactly the same experience and daily practice. I use gel pens for comfort. I keep four journals for topics. My writing is terrible, but I have to keep up with thoughts.

I've been completely addicted to Pilot Frixion pens. Perfect for sketching UIs or drawing charts (when like me you need several tries to get them right!). Not always reliable and ink not lasting long, but the ability to erase proper ink (black AND colors) is a godsend.

Interesting. I tried them multiple times in my life and I don’t know if I misuse them but they always rapidly felt like they are drying and not providing enough ink, if sometimes, at all.

It’s sad because I really want to love them.

I love the Frixion pens. I use a lighter to erase larger amounts of ink or when I feel like showing off :) You just need to move quickly so you don't burn the paper

I'm using a Kaweco Sport which came out of a subscription box my wife gave me last Christmas. I'm very happy with it and since it looks complicated and "basic" no one has walked off with it.

I had bought a bunch of different pens a year ago. Different brands and different models. My goal was to find a good pen for notetaking and basic diagram drawing.

The first thing I learned was that most of the fancy pens are more suitable for drawing, not writing. One I liked that may work for me is Micron 03. But in the end, I stopped with Pentel Hybrid Technica 0.5. It's more like a high-quality mechanical pen that is comfortable to handle and smooth to write, without dirty marks on paper, etc.

Aw jeez. Every time a thread like this hits the front page, another increasingly expensive gets added to my collection. This time, Tactile Turn Bolt. If past is any indication, I will be fascinated by it for a month and then it will just travel alongside everything else, with my 10 other pens and pencils and 3 notebooks (all 5% filled and then forgotten).

Oh well. Whoever receives my inheritance will have an interesting time with all these. I hope they don't just immediately discard them.

Fisher Space Pen [1]

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Pen

With 50+ tabs open it's hard to be sure, but as soon as I opened that webpage my browser (Firefox 95, Kubuntu 20.04) locked up. After maybe 15 seconds I was then prompted to choose a location to save to. I didn't save, so I don't know what would have been saved.

Maybe the incident had nothing to do with this site, but the incident happened as the page was loading.

Since you're on Firefox, may I suggest using vertical/tree/nested tabs at the side of the Firefox window?

"Tree Style Tab" is the extension I use. Here's a quick screenshot showing its organizational capabilities: https://imgur.com/gallery/wsHSfSt

Mine uses a user style CSS so looks a little different to the default install, but I highly recommend it! If you want to see my CSS, I can share it, just let me know!

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/tree-style-ta...

https://github.com/piroor/treestyletab

I do use Tree Style Tab. That and Vimperator are what keep me on Firefox - well that and the fact that I don't want to see another browser monopoly. But thank you for suggesting it, TST is a wonderful tool.

Excellent! I feel like an itinerant evangelist, always trying to convert people to the Tree Style Tab way ;)

The "Pentel Kerry" is an excellent mechanical pencil. Anyone who wants good ol' erasable lead probably should go for the Pentel Kerry.

Its not a "Pen", but Jetpens does sell it and did recommend it.

The one downside is that Pentel's mechanical-pencil erasers are tiny. They are good quality rubber though and work well, but their small size wears out incredibly quickly.

+1 for Kerry. It feels extremely smooth and it's probably the best mechanical pencil I've used.

I always favored the Twist-Erase III for exactly that reason. Not what anyone would call elegant, but extremely serviceable, and elegance seems more fitting a concern for pens in any case.

Ah, the big eraser looks like just the thing for me. And you can get them with 0.9 mm lead. I'm such a clumsy writer, and have pretty much given up on pens. We're not required to use them for lab notebooks any more.

If you want to improve your hand, I've found fountain pens good for that - the way they work makes it easier to write well than poorly. A Pilot Metropolitan is inexpensive, handsome, pleasant to use, and steel-nibbed to hold up to inexperienced use; as a starter pen it's unmatched, and might be worth a try if you're not quite ready to give up on pens altogether.

I'm always torn between the Kerry and the Uni Kurutoga. I have both, and they are both a pleasure to use.

The Kuro Toga is hard to beat. On the Advance, the lead rotation makes it effectively a lead size smaller and the sliding sleeve prevents lead breakage.

Where do people try out pens? I'm on the lookout for fine tip ballpoint pens but not sure how to look for them.

Kinokuniya (the Japanese bookstore) usually has a pen section where you can sample pens/other writing utensils.

Thanks! I'll check them out. Any recommendations for pens?

[gestures Khabe Lamely at entire comment thread and article]

Hah. Sorry there's no guarantee that the pens in the article could be sold at that store.

I really like the uniball signo 207 for a smooth every day pen.

The thing I miss about university is that the bookstore had an excellent selection of pens that you could try in the store. But as I type that, I realize that I'm a scant few miles from a university.

JetPens have a number of sampler packs: https://www.jetpens.com/search?q=sample&v=2

As klyrs mentioned, university bookstores typically have a section for writing implements where one can try out pens. Additionally, every decent art supply store I've been in has had a section for pens with paper to try them out on. Art stores don't usually carry cheaper mass market office pens, but I do see some of the Staedtler, Pentel, and other pens recommended. I've even found pens I like that Jet Pens doesn't carry.

In the US, craft stores like Michael's and Hobby Lobby usually have a section for drawing that has a pretty good pen selection.

I love the Uniball Signo .38 mm gel pens. They are smooth and doesn’t gum up at the tip.

https://www.jetpens.com/Uni-ball-Signo-UM-151-Gel-Pen-0.38-m...

PaperMate InkJoy 300RT 1.0M is my favorite (https://www.amazon.com/Paper-Mate-1945925-Retractable-Ballpo...)

The best ballpoint pen ime is Parker. https://www.jetpens.com/Parker-Jotter-Ballpoint-Pens/ct/2052

For those interested in fountain pens, inks, and papers, I’ve found Fountain Pen Network to be a great resource.

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/

I've tried different pens and even learnt calligraphy. I was quite good at it, to the extent that people didn't believe I did it. But I don't enjoy writing quickly with pens with no friction.

My preferred writing implement is a pencil. But if I'm going to use a pen, my favourite has always been a simple Bic ballpoint. When I come across any other type of pen, it is a gamble whether it will work properly or not. When I come across a Bic, wherever it might be, I would put money on it working first time with no fuss at all.

I really enjoy my TWSBI ECO.

Interesting list. 2021 brought back a desire of using fountain pens. It also found me splurging. I like heft in pens. I have a Cross and a german brand - from my ex-father-in-law. That got expanded. I prefer the german one (can't recall brand at the moment, as it's in my truck) for day to day use. I picked up two Visconti pens. The Homo Sapiens is amazing. My other one was a "oh I did actually order that" over the top pen. It's beautiful, but super austentatious and thankfully was well below cost.

Lamy? I have a Safari and like it.

There's also Kaweco, Schneider, Pelikan, and a few other German FP brands. Hard to guess :)

They seem to really like the Uni-Ball pens, which I've used a lot and are OK, but I've switched very happily to the Inc R2 Rollerball [1]. Really dark and even line, very light pressure, and low friction. Just a very comfortable pen, cheap enough to have around the house by the dozen but feels like a high-quality pen.

[1] https://www.amazon.com/ROLLERBALL-Comfort-Flowing-Writing-Pr...

Schneider One Business [0] is one of the best rollerballs I've ever used. It has a saturated blue color. It has low friction with enough tactile feedback and a nice grip. I wish it had more consistency between units. I had lemons, ink of which doesn't flow well or flow too much resulting in thicker lines.

[0] https://schneiderpen.com/en_us/rollerballs/one-business-blue...

I use the Platinum Preppy 02 pen. Bought it when I went to Japan. Kicking myself now because can't find it here in India.

I love the pen because, writing with the nib in normal position gives a smooth writing experience and a great smooth flow. Flipping it allows me to write razor thin lines, perfect for my drawings / notes / etc. (But flip side is a lot more rougher). Also, the flip side of the nib allows me to write on paper that blots.

I am from India. Any info on where I can buy quality fountain pens online?

Check out this article https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-55314701

Depends what you mean by quality. Unfortunately, PenBBS[0] has suspended shipments to India temporarily due to COVID, but for their price they are quite good. You may want to keep an eye on the page to see when they will resume.

In the US, there are sites like Goulet Pens, but that probably won't help someone in India.

As someone else pointed out, India does make some decent pens. Fountain Pen Revolution[1] has gotten quite popular for their flex nibs (much cheaper than other good flex nibs), and is very likely a relabeled Indian pen (they are manufactured in India). You can Google to find the manufacturer in India - they have their own line of pens sold locally. I'm not sure I would recommend FPR for non-flex nibs, and you probably don't want to use a flex nib for daily writing.

[0] https://www.etsy.com/shop/PENBBSOfficialStore?ref=simple-sho...

[1] https://fprevolutionusa.com/

Amazon and William Penn are my gotos for pens. Tata Cliq Luxury has some, but most of them are from William Penn anyways.

Try https://makoba.com/ for one. They have a decent selection of quality fountain pens. You get fountain-pen friendly stationery there as well.

I use:

https://www.cultpens.com/i/q/PL00019/pilot-g2-07-gel-ink-rol...

Perfect for my scrappy always-upper-case chicken scratch. I've tried so many other types of rollerball pens (as a leftie with dyslexia, fountain pens are completely off the menu), and how found these to be the only type of pen I can actually write with.

Glad to see my favorite everyday pen on here, the jetstream.

I like the Jetstreams, but had a few black refills that I had acquired over a few years in 0.5 and 0.7 prematurely stop flowing. The black cartridges in the newest Jetstream pens I've purchased have been fine. Not sure if they had a few bad batches that took a while to clear out of the market, but it was disappointing.

I had this same problem. About half my cartridges I throw away probably 10% empty.

The Jetstream has been my favorite for years.

I had a phase where I bought a ton of pens to actually find some I like so I'll list some here in no order:

S-Gel Sharpie / Uni-Ball Signo 307 / G2 Pilot / Pentel RSVP 0.5-0.7mm (I get these for the office, also good balance for pen spinning)

If you're into pencils these are my personal favorites:

Uni Alpha Gel (shake for lead to come out, most gel cushion) / Any Rotring / Graphgear 1000 / Uni-Ball Air Micro / Zebra DelGuard

Personally I find the Uni-Ball Vision Elite overrated, and favour the simpler and more understated Uni-Ball Eye over it. They're also better to chew on.

Have been using uni-ball eye for over 10y. As a left handed, this is the best pen I have ever used. Many other pens "scratch" on the paper or result in inconsistent line thicknesses.

Writing with this is a pleasure. Also dries quickly enough on normal paper.

Yup, they're great. At work they've become almost legendary. Usually one can only find bic pens and the like, but occasionally these make their way to a cupboard somewhere and once word gets out it is immediately raided. I even bought green (colour not found in the office) ones once with my own money just to be able to swagger off with. Very well spent money indeed.

Airplane cabin safety can mean a lot if you travel that way. I also find the broader Vision Elite 0.8mm doesn't collect ink around the rollerball, as the Vision/Eye 0.7mm does.

Nothing wrong with the classic Vision/Eye pen. Or Pilot's V5 or V7, for that matter.

Slightly offtopic:

How is the state of art for digital pens and hardware?

Are they slowly about to get to the level of real pens?

Because I would much rather prefer doing straight digital notes, but the combinations I tried out(some time ago), were not really satisfying. Which is why I also still am using a real pen. But with the right tech, I might switch, even though I am aware, that the real feel of a pen on a paper will likely not be achievable.

https://remarkable.com/ is there in my opinion. It feels very similar.

I'd like to get to the point where I can ocr and index my notes. The software is not there yet but there is a hacker community around the device and they do provide ssh access at least.

There's some backlash recently because they switched to a subscription model for some features.

When I ordered a year ago they had a generous return policy. I kept mine after trying it. If they still have that policy, I'd suggest at least giving it a try to see if you like it.

This could possibly be the right comment thread: when I was a kid I went to school in the UK for 6 months while my mum worked there, and I found a reasonably thin fountain pen. They didn't seem super uncommon then/there, but I haven't ever found anything similar in stores in NZ or the US.

Does anyone have any suggestions of what brands/models I should look at nowadays?

Shoutout to a very niche Subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/mechanicalheadpens/

That's a subreddit for people who like mechanical keyboards, headphones, and pens. :D

I haven't yet posted there, but only because I need to clean my desk to properly display everything!

Had a Kaweco Sport for all of university and several years after until it finally broke. I now have a Sailor Pro Gear Slim that I'm very fond of. I use Sailor Seiboku ink but my favourite is Pilot Tsuki-Yo.

If you do a significant amount of hand writing, do yourself a favour and buy a good pen. It turns the otherwise thoughtless physical act of writing into something pleasurable.

Mildly OT, but does anyone know of a good source for pen hardware for pen turning that is any good? I have discovered that turning wooden pens on my lathe is a good "easy win" project on days that I don't feel like doing larger woodworking projects.

Unfortunately, I've found that most of the pen kits are mediocre from a writing perspective.

I still have my beloved Parker 45s but the squeeze reservoirs perished.

I tried quite a few screw and pull piston reservoirs but all have the problem of not venting or something so the ink only runs for a short while then is held back by vacuum (or something).

Has anyone found a source of Parker 45 reservoirs that work?

The best pen is the Muji gel. 0.38, 0.5 and 0.7mm, about £1, multiple colours, refills sold separately.

My handwriting is absolutely horrible so I'm not a "writing enthusiast". Still, I love rollerballs so much. Water-based ink IMHO looks much nicer and is easier to write with.

I do buy cheap Schneiders off Amazon. Not sure if getting anything more expensive makes any sense.

I picked up a Sheaffer Agio (yellow, nickel trim) on ebay recently, new in box, 10 bucks. I have some Parker Quink (blueblack) in it. It writes better than anything else I have, including a $550 Delta I picked up in Venice years ago. I highly recommend it if you can find it.

So many great products on that list.

Since I started making my own pens I have a lot more respect for what’s involved.

If this was my personal choice it would probably consist of Nakaya and Yard-O-Led models.

I can’t really offer any supporting evidence except that both brands look like works of art to me.

I am in camp Uni-ball Signo 0.5mm. Its ink doesn't smudge or "cut out" intermittently with left-hand writing, both of which I experience with ballpoint and other gel pens.

A year or so back I bought just a bunch of decently recommeded pens to try them out. I ended up with my favorite being the Pilot Hi-tec-c Maica 0.4. It's cheap enough, they last, it writes real nice and dries quick enough for me.

I did the same and ended up with the Stabilo Worker+ 0.3 Only issue is that it bleeds through on thinner papers.

Pen choice does seem to depend way more on which paper you prefer than I would have guessed before trying it.

The only good pen for me is a pressurized pen, either rite in the rain, fischer, or similar.

No other pen stands up to being left unused as long as I leave them in between actually needing a pen, and still is ready for action instantly.

Does anyone know any good sites for pencil reviews? Or great pencils in general?

Uh, OG, Ticonderogas?

This same site has recommendations on pencils. If you're looking for mechanical pencils I'm a huge fan of the Uni Kuru Toga Roulette, which came in second [1]. I like it because it rotates the lead as you write. Some people find the little bit of squish it has off-putting but I can't use other pencils without snapping the lead constantly.

1: https://www.jetpens.com/blog/The-Best-Mechanical-Pencils/pt/...

The Blackwing 602’s are pricey but I like them. Good lead, doesn’t squeak or smudge, really. Not too hard but not too soft.

-Mitsubishi Hi-Unis in H/2H are wonderful for writing in my experience; lead is almost unbreakable, holds its point for a long time, very smooth to write with even for lefties like me.

I am a fan of the Musgrave Tennessee Reds. Dark graphic that doesn't require a lot of pressure, and a fine looking pencil. Be warned, however: Musgrave hexagonal pencils have a very crisp shape, and some people find them uncomfortable. The Musgrave 600 News is a unique pencil (and has a round barrel) that lays down a heavy, dark line.

I picked up a box of Blackwing 602s a few months ago (thanks to a gift card). They are more comfortable in the hand than the Musgraves, but I prefer the graphite in the Tennessee Reds. I may try one of the darker/softer Blackwing models in the future.

As for review sites, I've really found the Polar Pencil Pusher to be helpful (https://polarpencilpusher.home.blog/).

Rotring is a great pencil brand I can recommend.

My grandfather has a couple that lasted over 30 years.

I am a chronic pen twirler so the weight of the pen and the distribution of said weight makes a big difference to me as well. Pens that are too light feel too flippy (technical term) when you twirl them.

Wow, a fellow twirler! I too strongly consider the weight distribution and "twirl-ability" of my pens. In fact, I have my favourite writing pens, but I always keep a Pilot G2 because it's been my favourite twirling pen for many years.

Just 8 days ago a story on HN about jetpens:

Japan's Paper Culture (156 comments)

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29709551

$59 after and now I’m making another order … sigh

That was about Japan’s Paper Culture but was very well written and liked.

Regarding JetPens, they’re great at mixing valuable information with a superb product line and customer service - very rare in 2022. It’s I used to like going to brick and mortar shops in the first place. I find it’s becoming less and less common to find a salesperson that knows anything about the products they’re selling (outside of niche shops). Which means although I do try to use local shops where possible, to support them, inevitably I end up doing my own research and shopping online/elsewhere.

Isn't ballpoint generally the least fragile?

Although I often have ballpoints that "dry" out, and I never know how to fix them: should I heat them? Put the tip in water?

Ballpoint pens use an oil-based ink. So I’d think that warm soapy water would do the trick. Or a solvent like acetone.

Not particularly scientific, mind you, but often works:

1) heat the refill slightly (NO flames, NO heat gun, some friction rolling it in your hands or a hair drier or run some hot water on it) you want around 40° or maybe 50° C, not more

2) try writing on your shoes (rubber) sole or on one of those largish rubber bands or even on the side of your car wheel (the idea is that there is more friction on rubber and the ball will start rotating again)

Acetone and similar solvents risk to affect the plastics (if any) in case you want to try with a liquid (immerging just the tip in it for a few minutes), alcohol might do it.

I discovered the Unipin fine line pens recently and am really digging how dense the black is. Better than the Pilot ones I've used before.

I think it's really creative that the Pilot FriXion Gel Pen basically just uses disappearing ink.

My goto is still the Rotring 600.

Are the Xiaomi pens any good? For 0.40 Euros per pen they seem quite economical.

I'm so happy I stockpiled a bunch of Pilot Execugel pens about a decade ago.

Does anyone have a list like this but for pencils?

Jet Pens to the rescue https://www.jetpens.com/blog/The-22-Best-Pencils-for-2021-Wo...

If you intend to use them for writing, my go-to writing pencil for years has been the Mitsubishi Hi-Uni in H or 2H; the lead is virtually unbreakable, it holds its point for a decent amount of time and is smoother to write with than just about any 2H pencil I've ever used.

I'm a leftie, but the Hi-Unis aren't as prone to digging into the paper when pushed across the paper as most other pencils I've tried - despite the excellent point!

Get a KUM sharpener, too, while you're at it, and chances are you'll never look back.

(Anecdotally, all the kids in my son's class (2nd grade/7yo) now use Hi-Unis after his teacher realized that his handwriting was more legible than most because of the consistent, fine line -and that she hardly ever needed to help him sharpen his pencil; the wood in the Hi-Unis is very dense and well assembled, so it doesn't catch in the sharpener like a lot of cheaper pencils does.)

Get a KUM sharpener, too, while you're at it, and chances are you'll never look back.

This. You can spend a lot of money on a sharpener, but the KUMs are more affordable and work very well.

I love the pilot pen for many years

I really like the SKB pens.

anyone use the pentel orenz? i’ve used the kuru for a while and love it

I have all models of the Orenz and the sliding sleeve mechanism works very well. It is particularly useful for colored leads, which are typically much more fragile than graphite leads.

This is a marketing blogspam toplist.

How did it get upvoted?

"best pens for 2022" is a BOLD claim for an article dated 4 January 2022.

The preposition “for” as opposed to “of” makes the meaning distinct and correct as it implies something you might get to use during 2022.

Imagine if it’s “best calendars for 2022.” You’re not going to be interested in them at the end of the year.

but I can buy a pen in 2022 that was released in 2022... being released in the middle of 2022 doesn't make it an invalid pen...

pens aren't calendars; pens don't have a window of applicability. The article does.

not only that, it proclaims to know the best pens released in this year or before, on the 4th day of the year.

it won't be long before we see "best of" lists weeks before that year begins.

I mean just admit that the article is a commercial, already. it's an ad. and that's fine, just don't try to hide it or pretend it's something else.

You seem to be having delusions, since nowhere did anyone "pretend" this was something other than a piece of marketing produced by a pen retailer.

I was only addressing the grammar of the statement and the fact that "x for 2022" is a future looking statement, so it isn't wrong just because it is early in the year - which your complaint seemed to be directed at. The calendar sentence was to point out a more clearer example of this. I don't care to address whether it is reasonable to rate things for the coming year or not - that seems to bother you quite a bit.

> it proclaims to know the best pens released in this year

No, not at all. Did you misread the headline?

> being released in the middle of 2022 doesn't make it an invalid pen...

Yes it does. This article is about what you might want to buy right now to start into the year 2022. Unless you give me a time machine your hypothetical pen is an invalid choice.

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