# Preferred Ink Pen Brand?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-ink-pen-brand/704410
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [November 12, 2014, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-ink-pen-brand/704410 "2014-11-12T03:09:38Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 4
### Author:  [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2014, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-ink-pen-brand/704410/61 "2014-11-13T20:34:06Z")
My Papermates wander off _and I don’t care_. BWHAHAHAHAHA.
I see the Pilot G2 is a little over a buck though, which is an affordable luxury. What color ink? Fine, Ultrafine or what?
I use the blue medium point Papermate. Sometimes you can get them for 10 cents each. The knockoff at Office Depot is even better, but I can’t promise they won’t change their supplier on a whim.
---
### Author:  [@GrizzRich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrizzRich)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2014, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-ink-pen-brand/704410/62 "2014-11-13T21:18:37Z")
Bic Cristal.
When I moved to Florida to start this job six years ago, I bought two ten-packs of Bic Cristal pens; one package each of blue and black. I’ve used half of them.
They’re reliable, inexpensive and don’t walk off.
---
### Author:  [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2014, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-ink-pen-brand/704410/63 "2014-11-14T03:21:51Z")
> [@Count\_Blucher](#):
>
> I still like my Jotter from Parker. It never runs dry.
>
> Yes, sometimes a bad cartridge can leak, but its the only pen I’d take the trouble to disassemble, soak in a tin can of gas, rinse off, and then spritz with WD-40 to clean.
I carry a Parker Jotter with me everywhere. It’s basically indestructible, so having it kick around in my pocket with keys and change doesn’t hurt it, and it won’t bend or leak if you sit down wrong on it.
It’s a real pen, not a disposable, so nobody will just walk away with it, and it is a lot more professional than a throw-away. The best part is that they’re cheap enough (~$7-8) that you don’t get bent out of shape when one goes missing.
---
### Author:  [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2014, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-ink-pen-brand/704410/64 "2014-11-14T04:43:26Z")
I don’t think they make the Uniball kind I used to love. Lately I enjoy the thin Sharpies that came out a few years ago
> **[Sharpie® Ultra Fine Markers - Black S-19421BL - Uline](http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/S-19421BL/Industrial-Markers/Sharpie-Ultra-Fine-Markers-Black?pricode=WY641&gadtype=pla&id=S-19421BL&gclid=CL7sxJSk-cECFTAV7Aod-EIA2w&gclsrc=aw.ds)**
>
> Durable fine tip perfect for marking on shipping labels, plastic or corrugated. Heat and water resistant, smear-proof permanent ink. For precise marking.ULINE offers over 41,000 boxes, plastic poly bags, mailing tubes, warehouse supplies and bubble...
because they write smooth and dark. Good for crossword puzzles. But they do bleed through a little bit.
---
### Author:  [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2014, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-ink-pen-brand/704410/65 "2014-11-14T04:54:25Z")
pilot Precise V5 or V7. They are very consistent and the ink dries very fast. One of the very few liquid ink pens that left handers can use because the tip doesn’t mush in.
---
### Author:  [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2014, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-ink-pen-brand/704410/66 "2014-11-14T05:27:35Z")
Favorite that I use all the time is my Caran D’ache ballpoint (medium, black). Second favorite is a Zebra G301. The ones that I have sitting on my desk, that people ALWAYS comment about - “what kind of pen is this? this is great!” - are cheapo, Target house brand blue ballpoints. [These things.](http://www.target.com/p/up-up-50ct-blue-ballpoint-stick-pen/-/A-13285502) Seriously, 50 pens for $4 and they write really nicely.
---
### Author:  [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2014, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-ink-pen-brand/704410/67 "2014-11-14T05:46:30Z")
I have a handful of these pens that I don’t like. They are Pentel Wow! Gel, Papermate Profile and a Pilot G-2. They have a black rubber grip and click mechanism. Since so many people have vouched for the Pilot G-2, I’ll give it another try although my main pen will remain the basic Bic. I also have a Papermate InkJoy and Uni Jetstream.
---
### Author:  [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2014, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-ink-pen-brand/704410/68 "2014-11-14T06:03:46Z")
Uniball Uniball Uniball. There are no other pens.
Failing that, any liquid ink will do. I hold my pen in (what I am told is) a “left-handed” grip, despite being quite right-handed; the result is that I drag my hand across the page when I write. Liquid ink dries, unlike ballpoint. Also, ballpoint ink smells foul and leaves blobs of ink on the paper. The fact that liquid ink doesn’t dry fast enough for me to, say, take small notes and move on without blotting the paper is not enough for me to give it up compared to having to huff ballpoint fumes and look at those horrible blobs and get the knife-edge of my hand all filthy. Yech.
Uniball, uniball, uniball. My only sadness is that you pretty much can’t get the green ink that was my favorite any more. But liquid ink or nothing.
---
### Author:  [@Kyrie\_Eleison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyrie_Eleison)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2014, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-ink-pen-brand/704410/69 "2014-11-14T06:21:29Z")
Another vote for the Uni-ball line. I got hooked on the Roller Deluxe years ago, but have since moved on to the blue-black Vision Elite. Like everything about them: the way they feel in my hand, the smoothness as they flow over the paper, and the look of my finished scribblings.
---
### Author:  [@Tapiotar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapiotar)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2014, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-ink-pen-brand/704410/70 "2014-11-14T14:03:03Z")
> [@Mr\_Downtown](#):
>
> I’m very keen on Reform pens with their iridium nibs, though unfortunately they’re no longer made. I don’t really have a favorite brand of ink, though I’m currently pretty happy with a bottle of Private Reserve.
I love my Reform pen I bought 25 years ago, but my current favorite is a Pilot Custom 74, with a push button rather than piston filling system.
Love Private Reserve inks, my currents favoristes are Electric Blue and Black Magic Blue, with Tanzanite coming in close. Iroshizuku’s Asa-gao is also rather nice.
---
### Author:  [@Tapiotar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapiotar)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2014, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-ink-pen-brand/704410/71 "2014-11-14T14:06:15Z")
> [@Scumpup](#):
>
> I have several Chinese-made pens that are beautiful, smooth writers. I favor Noodlers ink.
I have a Jin-Hao, the gold-colored dragon design, and it’s a nice pen.
---
### Author:  [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2014, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-ink-pen-brand/704410/72 "2014-11-14T14:33:35Z")
> [@Tapiotar](#):
>
> I have a Jin-Hao, the gold-colored dragon design, and it’s a nice pen.
One of mine is a fat, heavy Jinhao gold dragon pen. I had to adjust the nib slightly for for a wetter line, which took only a few seconds. It is one of my favorite pens. I use it at work where my students are fascinated by it.
---
### Author:  [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2014, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-ink-pen-brand/704410/73 "2014-11-14T14:45:45Z")
Another surprising performer is my Schrade Tactical Fountain Pen. A co-worker gave it to me as a gag gift, but it turned out to have a high quality nib and writes beautifully. It took a little shopping around and then modifying it slightly once I found one to feed it from a converter, though. Haven’t used it as a weapon to comment on that.
---
### Author:  [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2014, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-ink-pen-brand/704410/74 "2014-11-14T15:19:21Z")
My favorite pen is anything that doesn’t smear or transfer ink to my hand when I write with it (I’m left-handed, and this issue is an enormous pain in the ass). Zebra seems to be the brand that works the best for me.
---
### Author:  [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2014, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-ink-pen-brand/704410/75 "2014-11-14T16:10:46Z")
When I came to my new job, I brought the last couple Pilot Precise V5 Ultra-fine pens I had from my last job with me. By the time they were used up, half the office had converted and they’re a regular part of the supply closet now.
---
### Author:  [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2014, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-ink-pen-brand/704410/76 "2014-11-14T16:25:36Z")
I prefer to use fountain pens, but when I can’t use one, I like gel pens—the ones with a thick, smooth, dark flow, and some degree of resistance when the point of the pen moves against the paper without having to press down. Ordinary stick pens or ball point pens require you to press down and don’t offer any resistance and it makes your handwriting worse.
---
### Author:  [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2014, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-ink-pen-brand/704410/77 "2014-11-14T17:35:25Z")
> [@missred](#):
>
> My go to pen is the Zebra F-301. I discovered them back in the days of handwritten receipts in triplicate. The write smoothly and all three copies came out clear.
Finally! Someone else shows up who exhibits excellent aesthetics and a sensible practicality. Finally!
---
### Author:  [@Beelzebubba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beelzebubba)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2014, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-ink-pen-brand/704410/78 "2014-11-15T06:50:24Z")
I have been hooked on the Uni-ball Signo Gelstick pens for about 10 years now. I don’t find them in stores anymore, so I order them online and pay $12-14 for a box of 12. Everyone who uses one of them comments on how well they write…and they usually end up stealing it! I order several boxes at a time.
---
### Author:  [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)
#### Post date: [November 16, 2014, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-ink-pen-brand/704410/79 "2014-11-16T14:37:31Z")
Skilcraft and Zebra.
---
### Author:  [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2014, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-ink-pen-brand/704410/80 "2014-11-21T13:12:11Z")
I take back what I said about TUL. I went for a pen run yesterday and they’ve changed the design on their gel pens. The design I used to like was sleeker, more steel-oriented than the new design, which has a thicker (and frankly, too-bright to the point of almost gaudiness) grip.
As a result of this thread, though, I just tried the Zebra pens and I’m a convert.
[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-ink-pen-brand/704410.md?page=3)
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-ink-pen-brand/704410.md?page=5)