Choosing a pen can definitely be a much more difficult process than you would like to believe. I’ve come to think that just about every pen will eventually let you down. This is true, but only to a short extent. Some pens are much more reliable than others. The more reliable pens also have very limiting features though, too.
In choosing a pen, you must first decide which type of ink you would like.
Ball Point Pens: Tend to be somewhat smooth; about the lowest quality of smoothness though.
-Much more reliable, very rarely will skip, based on brand.
-Definitely cheaper than gel and roller ball pens.
Gel Pens: Tend to be quite smooth; and are somewhat reliable. In some brands, you will experience excessive skipping.
-Ink supply tends to be more limited than ball point pens.
-Relatively cheap.
Roller Ball Pens: These pens use liquid ink, for the smoothest possible writing quality.
-Tend to skip after time, based on usage and brand.
-Ink supply is most limited, and the pens tend to be the most expensive.
Based on your personal preferences, everyone is going to have a different type of ink. My personal favorite is gel. Gel pens tend to be quite reliable, write very smooth, and are relatively cheap. They are also very easy to find and buy refills for, saving some money. However, it’s all preferences. Some people may only be interested in the price aspect of buying pens, and only buy cheaper pens. Some people may enjoy the intense smoothness (and sometimes such excessive smoothness that it causes bleeding through the paper) of a roller ball pen. There are many factors to buying a pen, however the main three are price, smoothness, and reliability.
My personal recommendations for:
Ball Point Pens:
-Bic Round Stic: Very reliable pens, extremely cheap, decent design, and somewhat smooth. Ink flow lasts for a LONG time.
-Bic Round Stic Ulta Grip: Very smooth pen, quite cheap, some skipping may be experienced.
-Fisher Space Pens: These pens are morely meant for design, however the writing quality is still decent, and the price is considerably higher.
Gel Pens:
-Pilot G-2: My personally favorite pen of all time. Extremely smooth writing performance, relatively long-lasting ink, and very rare skipping.
-Pilot V7 RT: Great pen, very smooth, needle tip, and possesses all of the great qualities of G-2 pens.
-Both pens are extremely easy to find, and the ink can be used from either in either pen. The G-2 is the world’s #1 top selling gel pen.
Roller Ball Pens:
-Pilot Vball Grip: Tend to be very bold in the fine point, I’d recommend the extra fine point. Writes smooth, increases writing speed. Ink lasts a long time. Skipping can occur frequently, however. Price is decent, when the longevity of the ink is taken into account.
-Uniball Jetstream: This pen falls under the category of roller ball, however the ink is similar to ball point. The writing flow is extremely smooth, and very difficult to smear. These pens are check-safe, and easy to find. However, skipping may occasionally occur. More reliable than typical roller ball pen.
The pens listed above are the pens I’ve found to be best in all of the categories. These may not fit to your preferences, however, if you have a difficult time finding the perfect pen for yourself, try the ones above… I’ve tried hundreds of thousands of pens and these are by far the best quality!
Good luck choosing your favorite pen, there’s a whole world of them out there!
