Tuesday Toolset, Top 5 Plastic Tip Pens Edition

This list is a peculiar one, and one very near and dear to my heart. Why do I love plastic tip pens (or drawing pens, or felt tip markers, or fineliners - whichever term you like) so much? They make my handwriting look amazing.

That’s one of the two reasons to buy one of these pens. The other is, of course, art. Depending on the model, they can provide features artists need, such as a wide range of point sizes, plenty of color choices, and archival ink properties.

Plastic tip pens aren’t for everybody. Students could use them for marking notes, but they break down too fast for page after page of notes. Same with repeated outdoor work - the tips are easily damaged.

But, if you know how this type of pen can benefit you, it can be the superstar of your arsenal.

Top 5 Plastic Tip Pens

1. Kuretake Zig Cartoonist Mangaka - There will come a point when the lack of color choices will catch up to it, but not here, and not now. (Buy)
2. Sakura Pigma Micron - Seen anywhere and everywhere fineliners are sold. And for good reason. Far more colors and tip sizes than the Kuretake, but not quite on par with performance. (Buy)
3. Staedtler Pigment Liner - Number three on my list, but number one with the artists I follow on Instagram. Especially artists who focus on tiny, detailed drawing. (Buy)
4. Copic Multiliner SP - If it weren’t so damn good I would have taken it off the list during the last price increase. You can buy 4 to 5 of the other pens on this list for every one SP. The standard Multiliner isn’t a good pivot either. (Buy)
5. Paper Mate Flair - I could have gone many different directions in this last spot, but the Flair is a great pen and adds a more utilitarian option to the list. The Ultra Fine Model is great too. (Buy)

(Notes: This is a big category, as seen by solid pens like the Uni Pen, Sharpie Pen, Stabilo 88, and more being left off. )

Tuesday Toolset, Top 5 Fountain Pens Under $50

The Lamy Safari is back on top.

I love the TWSBI ECO, and it is number one on my personal list for this range, but the Safari is a better recommendation if you think of this as the beginner fountain pen section. And, according to my inbox, that is how readers take it.

Cartridges make all of the difference for first time pen buyers. Piston-fillers, and the required ink bottle, are intimidating. I’ve listened to the feedback on this and feel that it is the right change to make. I love the Safari, so it’s not a tough call to put it back up top, where it has been before.

The ECO and Safari swap spots on the list, with the Pilot Metropolitan separating the two. Again, it’s the cartridge. But I will say it is a clear top three, then everything else.

Top 5 Fountain Pens Under $50

1. Lamy Safari - It’s universally great. Yes, the molded grip section could be an issue for some, but I don’t believe it is enough to move it out of the top spot. (Buy)
2. Pilot Metropolitan - A 30% price increase last year slowed down the hype train, but it is the most traditional fountain pen on this list. (Buy)
3. TWSBI ECO - My personal favorite in this range, but the piston filling mechanism is a turn off for new users. If you are fine with it, then this is number one. (Buy)
4. Kaweco Sport - It isn't just a great portable, pocketable fountain pen. It's a great fountain pen period. (Buy)
5. Platinum Preppy - Is there such a thing as a quality fountain pen under $5? Yes. Yes there is. (Buy)

(Notes: The Kaweco Sport is a personal favorite, but an odd pen for a beginner. The Platinum Preppy almost has to make the list strictly from a value perspective. The Pilot Kakuno is always in consideration, along with the Pilot Prera. I need to spend more time with the Platinum Prefounte to see if should be ahead of the Preppy.)

My personal use ranking:

1. TWSBI ECO
2. Kaweco Sport
3. Lamy Safari
4. Pilot Prera
5. Pilot Kakuno

Tuesday Toolset, Top 5 Micro Gel Ink Pens Edition

Lavender Black, my favorite DX ink color.

Micro-tipped gel ink pens are the reason I started The Pen Addict in 2007. Once I discovered that I could get gel ink pens in sub-0.5 mm tip sizes, my mind was blown. I won’t say that I’ve tried them all over the years, but I bet I’ve come close. Needless to say, I have thoughts on the best of the bunch.

1. Uni-Ball Signo DX 0.38 mm - It’s so good that I helped design an upgraded pen barrel for it. What more can I say? (Buy)
2. Zebra Sarasa Clip 0.4 mm - I think you can argue for several pens in the two-spot, but the Sarasa Clip is consistently good, and a joy to use. (Buy)
3. Pilot Juice Up 0.4 mm - The standard Juice has been on this list forever, but the Juice Up is better than the original in every regard. (Buy)
4. Pilot Hi-Tec-C 0.3 mm - If you can put up with frequent inconsistency and finickiness, then the Pilot Hi-Tec-C will provide you the sharpest fine line on this list. (Buy)
5. Uni-ball Signo RT1 0.38 mm - Signo 307 or Signo RT1, that is the question here. I like the 307 barrel better, but the RT1 has many, many more colors available, and that wins out in the end. (Buy)

(Notes: In my dream scenario, Pentel kills off the Slicci lineup, and adds a sub-0.5 mm refill to the EnerGel lineup. Preferably, in the barrel they refer to as the Euro Needle. Do that, and it would be the number two pen in this list I believe.

My personal use ranking:

1. Uni-Ball Signo DX 0.38 mm
2. Pilot Hi-Tec-C 0.3 mm
3. Zebra Sarasa Clip 0.4 mm
4. Uni-ball Signo RT1 0.38 mm
5. Pentel EnerGel Euro Needle 0.35 mm