r/pens

I couldn’t help myself. I had to get them. ❤️

- My honest experience summed up as this: They are decent in writing and carrying, but they have nothing special and are kinda dull.

+) After getting a few fountain pens, I notice that there are a also a few ballpoint pens that are highly regarded in the community

+) I decided to buy a few that are generally highly regarded by enthusiasts in the Pic: Uni-ball: Zento <EF and F>, Jetstream light "<F>", One P, and Pilot G2. They all write kinda the same, with a few differences here and there.

+) But I do like some feature in each of these pens: I like the clip design of the Zento and One P, I like the for factor of the One P, The Zento ink are the smoothest in my experience with the <F> size, the Jetstream have the nicest grip section but write like an EF than an F which is strange, It said it's 0.5.

+) Out of all of these, I like the Zento <F> the most as it's the smoothest, and the close second is the One P because of the form.

- When comparing ballpoint and fountain pens, it's kinda like comparing apples and oranges, but the orange is way more interesting and fun for me.

+) I find that the cheapest fountain pen in my collection, which is the Kakuno, writes way more fun than all of these pens, and even though I praise the smoothness of the Zento line, they still are not as smooth as a Western fountain pen <F/M> nib that can be micromeshed to feel like gliding on ice.
And people often praise the ink of the One P as the darkest and most vibrant, but I can think of a few fountain pen inks that are darker and have a more fun effect, like Sheen.

- That said, I think ballpoint pens are decent for their purpose, for writing and bringing to places, and I can give a pen to my coworker and don't have to worry because they borrow mine for 6 months straight.

Feels good to have a great Japanese design ballpoint on the go and in the office in the sea of pens that could be bought for a nickel.

The 600 arrived today, my first somewhat premium mechanical pencil. Initial impressions are that it’s built like a tank compared to the 300, feels much heavier in a great way and looks really sleek in person. Also the knurling is much more abrasive and grippy than that of the 300, probably due to the plastic smoothing out over the years. The 300 has served me for 7 years now, so it will definitely appreciate some rest. Can’t wait to use this one for maany years to come!

On a recommendation I purchased a set of 10 Zebra Sarasa 0.5mm pens in vintage colors. I couldn't be more happy with the way they perform and I can't wait to use them all.

Pens on the right are from Japan trip, while the ones on the left are the pens I already have and use.

From Japan

• Pentel Energel Red, Blue, and Black
  • This replace the Uniball 207 set currently at work
• Uniball Zento Signature - Silver
  • Literally the last one at Sekaido Shinjuku
  • Bought some 0.05 refills
• Sakura Craft Lab 001 and 010
  • Purchased from Ginza Itoya along with some stationary and notepads
  • Also purchased a handfull of refills

Already Owned

• Zebra Sarasa Grand
  • Using blue 0.07 Energel refill
  • Main pain, absolutely love this thing
• Zebra Sarasa Dry
• Rite in the Rain Clicker

You are on a date. THE date. Reservations secured months ago for a table in a room where the air smells like old money and secrets.

The lighting is a curated, expensive amber glow. They meet you in a stunning dark purple outfit so intoxicating it feels like a spiritual awakening.

Gawd.

Nobody has any business looking this good. You steal glances when they aren't paying attention. They lower their eyelids as you pass and look up just in time for your eyes to meet.

But as the appetizers hit, the conversation doesn't just dry up; it calcifies. You are left with nothing but the sound of your own heartbeat and the soul-crushing realization that you are paying for a beautiful stranger's dinner who has absolutely nothing to say to you.

That is the LAMY Safari AL-star in Black Purple.

A gorgeous, anodized 6000-series aluminum houses an EF nib which is a tiny, stainless steel scalpel seemingly designed to harvest fibers from my Clairefontaine. I really disliked how it slices on the upstroke with the clinical indifference of a guillotine. I repeated the same strokes with my other EF pens: a Platinum Prefounte and a Kaweco Brass Sport to see if it was perhaps my technique.

As terrible as my technique was, it wasn't the problem.

I actually even prepared a matching bespoked ink for it, a concoction of Kaweco Summer Purple with a dash of TWSBI Black and a hint of Diamine Writer's Blood for a bit of complementary tint and lubrication. It was a whispered prayer for intimacy, and it responded with the personality of a sidewalk.

I even tried fixing it, taking the nib to 2k-grade sandpaper as if I were an amateur surgeon trying to graft a soul onto a machine. It failed because you can't sand away a fundamental lack of charisma.

But what of the break-in period? Surely that’s why! You didn’t give it a chance!

My Brass Sport, any Perkeo nor Muji.. down to my Kaküno ever needed it.

I wished it was a slam dunk, guys. The Safari AL-star is a stunning yet hollow aluminum monument to a sensory betrayal. 6/10

Hey guys, I have a REALLY important exam coming up in 20 days. I’m told that rollerball pens are quicker to dry and smudge resistant, which is important for me as my answers get scanned and gets sent (apparently temperature can make gel pens smudge). So I bought this pens (uniball signo, pilot juice up, uniball jet stream 0.7. are they good for my exams??

New limited edition 'Kohare'Colours , Wind Poem (green) and Hydrangea Purple.

There are 5 other colours in the range

sunny orange, shadow black, flower pink, peach droplet red, and gentle breeze blue.

Hi, I'm from the Philippines... and i have a very limited pen called TWSBI Golden Horse Film Festival Limited Edition pen. And i'm just wondering, how rare is this pen? I'm not a pen expert, so... clearly i do not know what this pen is and how rare it is. I had it since 2020, and it was sent to me by my Aunt from abroad (Taiwan Specifically). Any thoughts or information?

Hello pennies! I've tried a numbers of pens and I was thrilled when I picked up a Pilot Evolt in Japan but no matter how functional it is, I find it extremely uncomfortable and don't like how it writes. I always find myself reaching for the cheap but reliable Pilot Precise V5 RT. The texture of the Staedtler mechanical pencils is decent but I don't love it. My hands/finger are probably small to medium for a guy. I want something narrow and writes similar to the Percise but still comfortable and has a good build quality but definitely less than $100USD.

So my wife collects these metal barrel sharpies and specifically used the red one at work. She lost it some time ago and it was her favorite one. She task me with trying to find in again and I've exhausted my searches. I've tried ebay, mercari, Facebook, etc. Searched for pen lots/bundles and everything else you can imagine. Anyone else have any other ideas? I know it's been discontinued for some time but there has to be thousands of them in the wild somewhere!

I saw this on an asmr video but i cant find the pen brand on it. THis was the clearest photo i could find. Looks like a ballpoint but Im not sure which, thank you!

Is this a nice pen? I just found this pen for 2$ in a thrift store. What do you think about its authenticity and value?

they only gave us one per person but it very quickly became one of my favorite pens, problem is i'm too scared to use it because i'll be too sad when it dies. anyone know what kind of pen this is?