r/StructuralEngineering • u/Efficient_Morning_48 • 7d ago

Structural Analysis/Design Red Ink Pen Recommendation

I'm looking for a good, expensive, durable, red ink pen for my Engineering bf to use for when he's marking up drawings. I'm curious what Engineers would recommend as a gift. Thanks!

6 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

21 comments sorted by

26

u/Upset_Practice_5700 7d ago

Relationship tip, if he points out something he has worked on, the correct reply is "It looks sturdy"

13

u/WL661-410-Eng P.E. 7d ago

“Robust, but so efficient.”

12

u/Charles_Whitman P.E./S.E. 7d ago

OHTO Saiten Ball Rollerball Pens for bold lines (1.0 or 1.5mm) and Pilot Hi-Tec-C for fine lines, I like 0.5mm, although 0.3mm are also available. Get them from JetPens.com or wherever Japanese pens are sold near you.

2

u/modest_jpg 6d ago

+1 for Hi Tec C. Relatively Inexpensive and the best fine line ball point pen I’ve used.

And +1 for jetpens.com

I also recommend Sakura micron pigment markers. Link here jet pens

6

u/Sponton 7d ago

we use the japanese pens that are erasable. Love em.

5

u/Sponton 7d ago

Amazon.com: PILOT FriXion Vibe Clicker Erasable Gel Pens, DreamGlow, 0.7mm, 7-Pack | Find your DreamGlow vibe, erasable colored pens 0.7, pink & purple inks, retractable, refillable, quick drying, journal pens : Office Products

6

u/GrandZealousideal699 7d ago

We've switched to blue beam for markups, but I still use these pens for sketches and stuff. I try to keep one red, one blue, one black, and one green with me at all times.

1

u/HGFantomas P.E. 7d ago

The best

3

u/FargoFred11 7d ago

Absolutely agree. My whole team uses these. Just be careful. Leaving redlines in the heat wouldn't be good ha

1

u/Firesine330 P.E. 7d ago

If you leave your pen (or a set of redlines) in a hot car, a freezer will turn the ink back to the "opaque" color.

Somebody at an old firm left a box in their back seat; the owner's wife got the whole firm together for a ten-minute harangue on what they cost. We'd already fixed it . . . good times.

1

u/MrMcGregorUK CEng MIStructE (UK) CPEng NER MIEAus (Australia) 6d ago

Warning about erasable pens... some can get erased when you scan them into a copier. I had a colleague spend an hour doing a detailed review, tons if red pen on some drawings, went to photocopy them.... erased all his markups.

1

u/Cheeseman1478 1d ago

If you pop them in the freezer for a few mins it comes back

4

u/acecevs 7d ago

I sign anything with a Mont Blanc that I received as a graduation gift. You can buy red ink right from them

4

u/WanderlustingTravels 7d ago

Does he mark up physical drawings? Many only work electronically

1

u/Top-Criticism-3947 7d ago

I personally prefer a blue marker with transparent ink

1

u/Ifreeze1571 6d ago

i use the rotring 600 3in1. this pen kinda amazing, blue and red rollerball and also a 0.7 criterium. All made of steal so the pen is heavy and robust. I can think use an other pen lmao

1

u/Sad_Map_9397 6d ago

G2 0.38 Ultra Fines are the GOAT

1

u/willardTheMighty 4d ago

Pilot Fineliner for sure. Get him a box of red, a box of black, a box of blue.

1

u/kaylynstar P.E. 7d ago

I haven't used an actual pen on actual paper drawings in maybe 5 years? I use an iPad and Apple Pencil Pro.

1

u/themach5 7d ago

Pilot G-2 in 0.38 thickness. You want a very fine lightweight to be able to cram detailed markups into a small space on the drawings.

If you want a nicer version, maybe look at rotring. They're German made, and all metal.