There's something deeply satisfying about writing with a good pen. As a person with sensory preferences, using a pen that feels good encourages me to write more things by hand as well as practice and improve my handwriting. I even find myself using handwritten notes as a mindfulness practice. But what does a "good pen" look like?
To answer this question, I decided to conduct an experiment with some of my coworkers at Arapahoe Libraries. I gathered up some of my favorite pens, some high-quality paper and brought them to a meeting. As a team, we experimented with different pens, writing styles and even different colors of the same pens. We worked together to come up with criteria for testing all of the pens so we could measure them equitably. Overall, there were a couple team favorites, but part of the fun was experimenting with the different options and talking about what we liked or didn't like about each pen type. Not only did this make for a fun team project, but it was a different style of ice breaker.
Which pens were tested
| Pen Name | Type of Pen (gel, ballpoint, felt tip) | Pen Tip Size | Colors Tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| PaperMate Flair | Felt tip | Medium | Dark blue, purple, magenta |
| Pentel Hybrid Technica | Gel pen | 0.8 and 0.6 (medium) | Black |
| Zebra Sarasa Clip | Gel pen | 0.5 (medium fine) | Grey, dark green, plum |
| Stabilo Point 88 | Felt tip | 0.4 (fine) | Art. No. 88/22 (Prussian Blue) |
| Sakura Gelly Roll Metallic | Gel pen | 1.0 (bold) | Purple #524 |
| Sakura Glaze | Gel pen, mild 3D texture | 0.8 (medium) | Gloss pink #820 |
| Zenith ZS12 StarTraveler | Gel pen | 0.5 (fine) | Black |
| Kaco Retractable Gel Pens | Gel pen | 0.5 (fine) | Green |
Questions to ask yourself
In the end, the finding a good pen depends on how you want to use it, opens a new window.
- What are you using the pen for?
- Different pens work for different projects.
- For example, the Sakura Glaze adds a nice, embossed feel to your writing, but if looking for an everyday pen then it might not be the best option.
- Is it important to have multiple color options?
- Many of the pens come in black or blue, but if you're looking for a variety of colors then felt tip pens are going to offer you more options.
- Are you left or right-handed?
- This can impact how quickly you want a pen to dry. Gel pens can be notoriously difficult for left-handed writers because they smear before drying.
- Does the pen smear when you use a highlighter on it?
- If you're taking notes and want to be able to highlight them, it's important to know that the liquid in the highlighter can rehydrate dried ink and cause it to smear.
- The Zebra Sarasa pens have a slightly different ink formula that reduces smearing even after the highlighter is added.
- How easy or difficult is it to find these pens?
- You can find many of these pens online, which makes them more accessible, but finding a local retailer such as Meininger, opens a new window or Guiry's, opens a new window will give you the option to try the different pens before committing to them.
- Large retailers such as Michael's and Office Depot also often have dedicated pen sections where you can test some of the pens they have for sale.
Which pen was the overall winner?
After trying out the different pens, the overall favorite for general use was the Stabilo Point 88, opens a new window. It wrote smoothly, didn't smear for left-handed writers and was a nice thickness for readability. This pen will smear if you use a highlighter over it, but with the variety of colors available and how easy they were to find, this pen was the crowd favorite.
Do you agree with our assessment? Share your pen suggestions in the comments below!
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