These are the three big Japanese pen manufacturers, and their quality control at the low end exceeds that of other brands.įineliners are a really good option especially if you like to sketch. I also like fineliners and then rollerballs.įor fountain pens, there are a few choices in the very low end range, but ultimately, I suggest a pen from Pilot, Platinum, or Sailor. You don't have to throw a lot of money on a pen initially, but it won't be cheap like a $0.50 ballpoint. I use fountain pens heavily, for both writing and sketching, and I suggest that. Especially the fine sized ones in black color. They are fairly cheap and available in low cost stores like Walmart yet write quite nicely. Not the markers everyone knows about, but their pens.
Haven't seen it in a brick and mortar store in the US.ĮDIT: I also should mention the Sharpie pens. Harder to get, and you may have to order online, is the Pilot G-Tec-C or Hi-Tec-C. These are more easily available in the US at least, and write much better than a very cheap ballpoint. For rollerball I’m a big fan of the cheap & cheerful Pilot V5 or V7 RT retractable.Īnyway, maybe give us a more specific idea of what kind of writing experience you want-why does the Papermate not serve you? Is it hard to use somehow? Is it ergonomics? Is it the colour or the line it makes? Or do you just want something that looks and feels a little more luxurious?īefore you explore too many options, consider trying to the Pilot G-2 gel pen, especially at the finer sizes, and the Pilot V5 rollerball. But if you just want a nicer pen than a plastic Papermate, a Parker Jotter can take a gel refill as well as the usual (pretty good) included ballpoint, and I think the Schmidt EasyFlow 9000 is an incredibly good hybrid refill that fits the Parker. I do think everyone should try a fountain pen-Platinum Pretty has a good rep and I personally have a couple of Pilot Petit1’s that write very well. If you want to experiment, has a few variety packs for different kinds of pens, different colours, and so on. A lot of people swear by the very low pressure needed to get a flow of ink, and the refillable ones require only ink, not a whole reservoir-and-ball refill like other kinds of pens, so arguably they are the most environmentally friendly. They are a world of their own, with cartridges, converters, piston-fill, vacuum-fill, nibs of steel, gold, or even titanium, ranging from $5 to tens of thousands and more. They can be very smooth.įountain pens can vary a lot, from scratchy, hard-to-start, miserable experiences, to a nearly friction-free bliss of beautiful colours. Hybrids, most famously the Jestream, use some oil, but a thinner formulation than a ball point. Gels will usually have a more lubricated, smooth feel compared to a rollerball or ballpoint. Rollerballs will give you a typically darker, more consistent, clean line, but can bleed through cheaper paper. However they put up more resistance when you write, and often the line can be kind of inconsistent, skipping or leaving an empty space inside the line. “Hybrid” pens like the Jetstream, which are kind of between a gel and a rollerball and finally,īallpoints are very cheap and practical and last a long time per refill (when they can be refilled).
Rollerballs, which use a more liquid ink.