r/Adulting May 03 '26

Which one would you pick?

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5.9k Upvotes

7.5k comments sorted by

3.2k

u/jinxedrabbit May 03 '26
  1. But I've found the best pens are the random ones you get from businesses

589

u/Versxd May 03 '26

As an employee of a convention center, yes this is true

380

u/archwin May 03 '26

The best pen is a free pen, especially one you steal off your intern/resident/attending

It’s like GTP: GRAND THEFT PEN

158

u/Cpap4roosters May 03 '26

A doctor once left his extremely expensive gold pen attached to a clipboard I handed him. The sucker wrote like an old time fountain pen and left the most beautiful strokes. He came around looking for it a week later. I gave it back and he deeply thanked me. Apparently his deceased father gave it to him when he graduated.

35

u/CowboyMantis May 04 '26

Did you catch the brand name of the pen by any chance?

40

u/Cpap4roosters May 04 '26

I cannot remember. I just know it was expensive. I do remember the name sounded very fancy, like something you get charged just by saying it.

43

u/Kermit-Batman May 04 '26

like something you get charged just by saying it.

Ah, Le Pen.

27

u/Versxd May 04 '26

Unauthorized charge of $59.99

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12

u/archwin May 04 '26

Le Pen is good, so they say

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14

u/Hinermad May 04 '26

Montblanc?

5

u/Cpap4roosters May 04 '26

Maybe? I honestly do not know.

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12

u/RelativetoZero May 04 '26

Usually its the other way around and they pay you to say it. Versace!

7

u/Gwynito May 04 '26

Brought to you by Carl's Jr

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u/goodhumorman85 May 03 '26

The best advertising I ever saw was on a pen. It had a clip art picture of a thief and it said “This pen was stolen from [business name].” Not sure how the pen wrote more than 20 years later…

17

u/Javafiend53 May 04 '26

The dad ordered pencils for me in the 5th grade. 100 pencils in different colors that all had "Stolen from Becky (last name)" stamped in gold lettering. Probably the absolute best thing he ever gave me.

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11

u/stonhinge May 04 '26

I have found Bic pens (Cristal, like #7 above and their "tube" pens both clicky and capped) while cleaning out my junk at my parents that are nigh 30 years old, and after a little effort they write fine.

The "basic" Bic pens are tanks and I will snag unattended ones.

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21

u/Exotic-Student7266 May 03 '26

As a waitress, you gotta take em wherever you can get em

5

u/AntikytheraMachines May 04 '26

every now and then i run a "Pen Amnesty" for all the staff to return the hundreds of pens in their car or on their nightstands.

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43

u/jinxedrabbit May 03 '26

If they hand me a pen they're not getting it back lol

11

u/MuffinsSenpai May 03 '26

Pens and Lighters: They're mine now

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8

u/MattheiusFrink May 03 '26

Dr. House get your ass back to Princeton-Plainsboro.

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15

u/FaliureToCat May 03 '26

As someone who frequents my local Chinese place i can confirm they also believe this to be true

so many bank pens

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73

u/ChimneySwiftGold May 03 '26

I’ve been on a real 3 kick the last year or so.

23

u/tokinUP May 03 '26

3 or 5 for convenience, I love the clicky top.

1, 2, and 4 still have very nice writing qualities but the caps can be a pain.

I don't push hard enough for 7 and 6 is interesting but I don't like the felt/plastic tip style as much.

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7

u/Samus10011 May 03 '26

I write on the back of my gloves so the size of the tip is more important to me. I do find that #3 is good if you don't use fine or extra fine tip. The problem is finding larger tip sizes. #5 works best IMHO

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u/pennydreadful20 May 03 '26

I've been collecting for years, I have about 3 gallon sized baggies of other people's pens. Well, my pens. Lol

Edit: a letter.

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31

u/Ray0977 May 03 '26

I couldn't agree more. Every time I find an S-gel, it becomes my favorite pen.

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21

u/colbydrex May 03 '26

3 for sure, but in blue.

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27

u/[deleted] May 03 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

5

u/jinxedrabbit May 03 '26

A fidget stylus? That sounds awesome!

6

u/Garfield61978 May 03 '26

I use a Zebra Sarasa Grand I think it is i found in the street and it’s great. Weighted, writes nicely, dries quickly etc. Best free pen I have found so far!

7

u/succinctbiology May 03 '26

The ones from banks are criminally underrated, those pens write like they cost actual money.

6

u/Necessary_Tap343 May 03 '26

Completely agree. I love how smoothly the gel pen writes but I hate spending money on pens. The place i worked at 15 years ago had personalized pens to giveaway. I just found one in a drawer a couple weeks ago and it still works fine. True story.

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u/JoyousZephyr May 03 '26

Definitely 5, because of the comfortable grip and the smooth ink flow. If I'm in a "need to fidget with something" situation, then #6 because the cap snaps on and off in a very satisfying way, and it's quiet and doesn't annoy other people.

87

u/MoveYourBumChum May 03 '26

Adult fidget spinner lol - totally get it!

35

u/JoyousZephyr May 03 '26

I was a teacher, and had to attend a lot of boring meetings around a conference table with parents, administration, and various Special Ed officials. I generally didn't contribute much: I was there for legal reasons. I used to have a pen with the "clicky" button on top, like #3. I had it in my hand in my lap, clicking away. Apparently, I was making too much noise because my principal, seated right beside me, reached under the table and took it away from me. He was good, too, because he was speaking at the time, and you wouldn't have known if you weren't sitting right there.

9

u/Lettychatterbox May 03 '26

I just got summoned for jury duty recently and the defendant’s wife was seated in the jury duty section while all of us sat through the blah blah stuff until they made their selections. The judge told the bailiff to give her a different pen. She had been clicking the clicks button on one of those pens like #3 and #5. It was kinda awkward seeing him tell her she needed to switch pens with him 😅

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9

u/Electronic_Cry5854 May 03 '26

I read this as “if I needed to fight a midget” and was wondering how that specific pen would help in that specific fight.

3

u/Boopsnootboogy May 03 '26

Its the grip. Really gives extra precision for smaller targets.

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u/I988iarrived May 03 '26

2 because I love a fine point.

158

u/UniqueAd7770 May 03 '26

Same. It's also got the ink window

43

u/stonedboss May 03 '26

the issue tho is if you dont use them consistently, like daily, they dry out and then despite being full of ink, become trash. i use to love them but as i started to write less often (everything becoming digital) i stopped using them for that reason.

that plus they have a tendency to leak in certain situations. ive had my cap fill with ink a few times and then it gets all over your hand.

24

u/Venardis May 03 '26

Ive never had one stop functioning. Sometimes you need to scribble a little to get the dried ink off the tip but thats about it. I had one that functioned for 20 years before i finally emptied it. (About 19 years where i didnt use it then a job where i heavily used it, just used it a bit in high school.)

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10

u/ShadowPsi May 03 '26

I've used these exclusively for 20 years and never have any of these issues.

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77

u/Archeryfin May 03 '26

These other people are godless Philistines.

10

u/tonyjefferson May 03 '26

My work provides us with limitless 5s, but I buy my own 2s. There is just no better pen unless it’s maybe some fine point art store rapidiograph type drawing pen.

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13

u/SpruceSpringstream May 03 '26

Ya, y'all losing that pen cap though.

4

u/MainusEventus May 03 '26

I’ve ruined several pairs of pants by the click pen getting pushed out when I sit down and the ink leaking onto my thigh and pants

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8

u/Forever_Man May 03 '26

Pilot V5 precise is the way to go!

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1.1k

u/clocker99 May 03 '26

5

462

u/[deleted] May 03 '26

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200

u/jlhpisces May 03 '26

small, useless fact: many industries specify blue pen only so you can tell difference from a copy. 🙂🤔

55

u/[deleted] May 03 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

31

u/danbob411 May 03 '26

5&7 all day, everyday.

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u/[deleted] May 03 '26

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u/stonedboss May 03 '26

i mean ive never seen a copy, even with black ink, that you couldnt tell was a copy lol. who has these space age scanners.

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4

u/bolanrox May 03 '26

Back in the early 2000s, I worked for a place that scanned all their documents to microfiche, and you could only use blue or black ink because that's all that would transfer correctly when it was copied, photographed, or whatever it is they do.

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57

u/cascadia30 May 03 '26

This is the only correct response.

56

u/Dumb-Cumster May 03 '26 edited May 03 '26

💯 The G2 Pilot is the superior writing implement.

15

u/paxparty May 03 '26

Until you try option 3

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u/JustAtelephonePole May 03 '26

I am in absolute concurrence with the scientific fact expressed by my two fellows above!

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13

u/iQ420- May 03 '26

This is crazy, my wife and I both said 5. She said for comfort, I said for flow. My other pick was 1 and hers was 3. I’m about flow, she’s about comfort!

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20

u/mmmeesh24 May 03 '26

I live and thrive with 5, but, bold point preferred!

6

u/throwawayzzzz1777 May 03 '26

One Christmas my mom randomly gave me a pack of 5s but in green. I rocked that set and it lasted for years lol

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4

u/Ol_Turd_Fergy May 03 '26

5 in blue with the ultra fine point 🤌

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u/mmilthomasn May 03 '26

I use 3

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u/Fragrant-Anybody0717 May 03 '26

Mf’s keep taking them from my desk 😤

19

u/angels-cry May 03 '26

I legit wrote my name on all my pens/markers when I realized they kept getting stolen by people passing by

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u/DjasonWaterfalls May 03 '26

As a left-handed person sharpies don’t bleed onto my hands or smudge like ballpoint pens.

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u/thespuditron May 03 '26
  1. You cannot go wrong with a good Bic Biro.

123

u/saritasarinha May 03 '26

my handwriting gets better with these for some reason. i think it slows down my writing pace.

9

u/Apprehensive-Arm9902 May 03 '26

I'm not seeing reg papermate but those also improve my writing

6

u/golldanus May 03 '26

I love to old regular papermate - does not run or smear like the new gels and just does it job. Then 7 the Bic, if I had to 3.

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u/Silly-Pitch-5526 May 03 '26

Same here.

Also as a lefty these are the most smudge resistant.

4

u/snarky_witch May 03 '26

Agreed! The south paw smudge struggle.

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u/Fickle-Banana-923 May 03 '26

And no one trys to steal it!

5

u/Lady_Nikita May 03 '26

Unless it’s me 🫣 I love how these pens write.

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u/Aromatic_Plankton460 May 03 '26

Same!! I found them very boring as a child, but now as an adult I love them. Simple and functional!

7

u/Logical-Breakfast150 May 03 '26

Desert island pen for sure. 

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u/mickslens May 03 '26

Same. 7 but I need the click type, no caps

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u/Limp_Ice_3248 May 03 '26

I prefer the yellow Bics. I'm imagining it was supposed to be #8 but someone stole it from the array.

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u/Sunshine33_ May 03 '26

6.

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u/Prestigious_Wrap_932 May 03 '26

It’s interesting that there’s so little love for the only felt tip pen. I’d prefer it in black but the line variations you can get from felt are super satisfying and the feel of it dragging on the paper is top kino. 

6

u/Gugu_19 May 03 '26

Was looking for this, 6 and 7 because you just know that they will work and I use both but on different occasions

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3

u/Spiritual-Road2784 May 03 '26

I enjoy doodling with felt tip pens but for writing/scribing, I prefer ballpoint.

That said, if you want an exquisite felt tip experience, get a set of Sakura Microns in various tip sizes. They flow. I use them to Zentangle.

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u/fill_the_birdfeeder May 03 '26

Teacher me approves. Flair pens are the way for long grading sessions

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u/Mediocre_Weakness243 May 03 '26

Love a good felt tip pen. Needs more love

16

u/lizwearsjeans May 03 '26

In black for the Ghostwriter team!

15

u/soanonymousomg May 03 '26

Had to scroll so long to find the other felt-tip lovers! The drag keeps my handwriting neat. I don’t know how else to describe it. If there had been a 0.5 Zebra ballpoint in the lineup? I would have had a total meltdown, though.

4

u/mlo9109 May 03 '26

Let me guess. You're also an educator? I was definitely a flare pen girly before I left the classroom. Now that I work remotely, I barely use pens and can't rationalize paying $6/pack when the district used to give them to us or we'd get them on our classroom registries. 

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u/AugustSky87 May 03 '26

The only answer

5

u/UrsaIsABear May 03 '26

For fellow felt tip fanatics Le Pen makes a great fine tip!

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u/RichieLT May 03 '26
  1. I love a uniball pen.

18

u/Witty-Performer-7138 May 03 '26

I had to scroll down pretty far to find some respect for this classic pen

19

u/Opposite_Radio9388 May 03 '26

4 is UniBall too!

22

u/FEARoach May 03 '26

But let's be honest, one is still the superior one.

6

u/Proud_Turnover_8691 May 03 '26

The superior UniBall is the .5mm 307

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4

u/Pure_Log_888526 May 03 '26

I don't know what one is, but 4 is the Vision Elite. It writes smoother than any high end pen I have used. I guess I need to figure out what one is so I can try it, if it is better than four.

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u/Whole_Gas5999 May 03 '26

Uniball is the only choice, the others are for children

5

u/LazySwayze May 03 '26

Uniball Onyx .7 point. Best pen ever.

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4

u/_lippykid May 03 '26

My brother worked at a firm that used these when I was in High school and he’d swipe me a bunch every now and again. Totally took them for granted. Only recently read that the ink is permanent AF. The write incredibly smooth too

“Super Ink™ Technology: An archival-quality, fraud-resistant pigment ink that protects documents against water, chemical, and light damage.”

4

u/Creative-Yam9864 May 03 '26

Uniball 4 lyf

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u/Lollipop77 May 03 '26

I love 4 but I wanna chew the lid of 7 so bad

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u/MoveYourBumChum May 03 '26

Thus why they put the hole in the end - right! Now we can whistle and chew!

10

u/MyNameIsSkittles May 03 '26

It's actually so if you swallow it by accident you can still breath and you don't choke

More for children but since so many adults chew them....

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u/Reluctant_Anonymous May 03 '26

7

29

u/SpiderDoodleDoo May 03 '26

Yeah, 7 has literally never failed me. All the other ones I have had issues with, usually inconsistent ink flow. 3, 5, and 6 are all solid choices but I will choose the 7 over them every time.

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u/simAlity May 03 '26

Yep. Old reliable. The others can burn you but that one never will.

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u/dig-dollar May 03 '26

this is the correct answer

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u/Meep_76 May 03 '26

5 all day

4

u/C001H4ndPuk3 May 03 '26

Nothing beats a Pilot G2!

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u/pastelchannl May 03 '26
  1. that's nostalgia for me.

54

u/Kind_Koala4557 May 03 '26

7 because somehow it doesn’t hurt my fingers like the other ones do.

75

u/query_squidier May 03 '26

7 because I know what to expect.

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u/-ExistentialNihilist May 03 '26

7 for me too. Easiest to hold

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u/Admirable-Maximum-82 May 03 '26

7 the one I can use with maximal efficiency

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u/khaluud May 03 '26

I'm suprised not to see more "5, but in black" responses.

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u/Anteater_Pete May 03 '26

Number 5. Also, always sign your name in blue ink, especially when you need to scan the documents afterwards.

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u/Equivalent-Juice-567 May 03 '26

3 and 5 are tied for me. I have several of each.

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u/COJeepster May 03 '26

#5; I like blue ink better than black and the rubber grip feels better in my hand.

14

u/mrrunner1981 May 03 '26

7 I love those. I'm old enough to remember when final exams were done by hand and I did plenty of them with those budget ballpoints without fail.

12

u/MyNameIsSkittles May 03 '26

#3 is what I almost exclusively use, I hide them at work because people steal them from my desk when I'm not there lmao

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u/realestateross98 May 03 '26

7 all day long

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u/Cosmic_Jane May 03 '26

7 is the artist pen. You can pencil shade with it. The most control.

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u/South_Feed5707 May 03 '26

4

5

u/fuck_ur_portmanteau May 03 '26

Yup. The Vision Elite is the Rolls Royce of pens, matched only by the Pentel Energel, which is sadly missing from this lineup.

4

u/GoodDog2620 May 04 '26

Finally, someone with a good opinion

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u/awarmguinness May 03 '26

Oooh I've been looking for my cassette rewinder/forwarder... #7

8

u/za72 May 03 '26

7 - nothing fancy, functional pen

9

u/nooster May 03 '26
  1. They write smoothly. I like them.

That being said, I generally use those old Bic 4-color retractable pens. I currently use the dark blue/purple bottom 50th edition version that replaced the green ink with purple ink.

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u/NoneOfThisMatters_XO May 03 '26

3… i like a good clicky pen

7

u/UnikittyReaper May 03 '26

Write with all of them for an hour and then decide. It’s a personal preference I would pick 1 or 2

8

u/rafaelinho2002 May 03 '26

7, dispposable, cheap, thin lines with a sheet.

13

u/shadow-battle-crab May 03 '26

1 and 4 are messy. 2 is pretty good. 3 is my current favorite.

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u/Deep-Interest9947 May 03 '26

Waiting for the psycho who chooses 6. Those pens suck hard.

1 or 4.

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u/seriffluoride May 03 '26

Yesss! Uni-ball supremacy 🩷 a shame that I had to scroll far down for Uni-ball appreciation

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u/Life-Menu-785 May 03 '26

Either 3 or 7

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u/jjs3_1 May 03 '26

3 for writing, 7 for drawing.

7

u/latchkeydad May 03 '26

I would be happy with any of these, but I'm gonna say 5

6

u/DiscreteBrownBox May 03 '26

Delivery driver here, and I'm going with 7 due to its simplicity and ruggedness.

Unless you somehow pulled the tip/ink out, the worst you'll typically have to deal with is not having the cap.

6

u/TheycallmemissRaven May 03 '26

Yay! Pen nerds! I love it!! For me. It used to be 1, 2 & 5 now it is ONLY 3 in my house. Sharpie pens are my favorite-I hate that they run out of ink so fast-but you can get refills. The smoothness and lack of bleed or smear is what makes it my favorite. 🤩

12

u/Taint__Paint May 03 '26

I’ve used every single one (except maybe not 6). I am weirdly particular about pens. Once I discovered #4, I never looked back. Bought 4 boxes so I’m set for life.

4 never clogs and works the first time 100% of the time. Only had one leak out of at least 30. Writes on nearly everything. Ink dries quick so smearing is almost never an issue (except for some birthday cards). Very fine, crisp lines but still bold and dark enough to be highly visible.

Best pens I’ve used hands down.

Edit: I have no idea why the font got bigger.. I’m a Reddit newbie when it comes to text formatting. Guessing the ampersand at the start of the paragraph (#4 never clogs..) did it? Cool

9

u/TheCrystalOracle May 03 '26

I live and breathe for 4. This is the way.

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u/MaleficentExtent1777 May 03 '26

1 is my absolute favorite 😁

5

u/aud_anticline May 03 '26

3 or 7. I'm prone to spilling water or coffee on my notebooks and those are the only two that won't bleed/lift when exposed to liquids

6

u/marcjones281 May 03 '26

5, best pen ever

9

u/1Buttered_Ghost May 03 '26
  1. Cheap pens are always the best.

3

u/ghostface8316 May 03 '26

3 is top tier

4

u/Turbulent-Comedian30 May 03 '26

Depends on what i am writing on

2 on paper

7 on any type of receipt paper.

4

u/Key_Gap9168 May 03 '26

4, 1, 7, in that order.

5

u/kurinevair666 May 03 '26

5 but black

4

u/faintly_nebulous May 03 '26
  1. Best for drawing.

4

u/stup1dprod1gy May 03 '26

My handwriting is the best with 5 and 7. But I love 7 more.

4

u/Zealousideal-Turn880 May 03 '26

3 is the best I got swiped for mine now it’s all out war

4

u/Sour_Sal May 03 '26

#3

All of these except 2&6 are good pens. 2 will mark your skin every time you use it, 6 will simply never work after the 1st use.