A pen is a pen until you’ve found one that makes your heart sing. This guide reviews some of the best pens, from fountain and calligraphy to rollerball and gel.

The best pens feel natural in your hand, with ink that flows smoothly without feathering, blotting, or smudging. There are pens to suit each purpose, and everyone has their favorite. In each category, there are some standout performers that glide and move with delicate precision.   This list of pens contains some top picks for specific tasks like bullet journaling and calligraphy, as well as different pen types, like felt tip, gel, and ballpoint.   1.              BEST OVERALL: PILOT Precise V5 Stick Liquid Ink Rolling Ball Pens 2.              BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: PILOT G2 Premium Refillable Rolling Ball Gel Pens 3.              BEST FELT-TIP PEN: Paper Mate Flair Felt Tip Pens 4.              BEST GEL PEN: Uni-Ball 1790895 Signo 207 Retractable Gel Pen 5.              BEST FOUNTAIN PEN: Asvine Matte Black Forest Fountain Pen 6.              BEST FOR BULLET JOURNALS: Sakura Pigma 30062 Micron Blister Card Ink Pen Set 7.              BEST CALLIGRAPHY PEN: Pilot Parallel Calligraphy Pen Set 8.              BEST BALLPOINT PEN: Cross Classic Century Lustrous Chrome Ballpoint Pen 9.              BEST ERASABLE PEN: PILOT FriXion Clicker Erasable Gel Ink Pens 10.          BEST BRUSH PEN: Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pens

 

Types of Pens

Different types of pens produce different results. Some inks dry almost instantly, while others soak into the paper. Sometimes a bright, sharp edge might be your goal, while in other cases, you’d rather let the ink fade into the background for a subtle stroke. How you use the pen has a lot to do with the type that’s best for you. Keep reading for more details on the most common pen types and the best uses for each kind.  

Ballpoint Pens

Ballpoint pens’ popular design and thick, oil-based ink distinguish them from other pen types. Ink flows over the ballpoint, a metal ball at the tip of the pen. Usually made of steel, tungsten carbide, or brass, the ball prevents ink from leaking out of the pen when it’s not in use. This is the most widely used type of pen because it’s cleaner, less expensive, and easier to use than other types of pens.   Oil-based ink resists drying better than water-based inks, and it’s less likely to soak and fade into the paper or feather. Oil-based ink is viable much longer than water-based ink, which is why ballpoint pens can be tossed aside and forgotten but still work well when you pick them up again. The problem with oil-based ink is that it’s more likely to leave blots, which can then smudge.  

Rollerball Pens

A rollerball pen’s design is similar to that of a ballpoint pen, with ink released through the pen’s end via the ball. Rollerballs require less pressure than ballpoint pens to release ink, which means less hand fatigue for the user.   Rollerballs typically have tips with small, sharp points. The major difference between rollerball and ballpoint pens is that rollerball pens use water-based liquid ink. Water-based inks tend to soak into the paper more than oil-based inks, creating a well-defined line. The brightness of the line varies, depending on whether the ink includes pigment or dye.   Pigment liquid inks, even water-based types, contain beds of pigment that don’t soak into the paper as much as dye inks. This is why rollerball pens with pigment ink can make lines that are almost as defined as those of a ballpoint pen.   The upside to using a rollerball pen with water-based ink is that you won’t leave as many blots or smudges as you would using a ballpoint pen. The downside of writing with a rollerball is that the ink can fade over time. These pens tend to dry out faster, too, sometimes before you have a chance to use all of the ink.  

Gel Pens

Gel pens are actually a type of rollerball pen. They contain water-based ink with pigments and come in a wide array of colors. Gel ink flows well, but is more prone to skipping and blotting than liquid rollerball pens. The gel ink also takes slightly longer to dry, creating plenty of opportunity for you to rub the side of your palm in your writing and smudge it.   Because they come in such fun, bright colors, gel pens are widely used for artwork and bullet journaling. Gel-pen aficionados who work in office settings can, of course, find conservative blue- and black-ink versions of their favorite pens.  

Felt-Tip Pens

Felt-tip pens are made with one of two tip types. The first is a thin, plastic nib surrounded by metal. It dries quickly and creates an even, smooth line with little bleeding. The other nib type is soft and cone-shaped, allowing the user to write with the nib’s tip or its side.   Felt-tip nibs vary in size, but 0.5 mm or 0.7 mm are the most common for everyday use. Because these tips grab the paper slightly as you write, using them feels somewhat like writing with a marker. Whatever your favorite type of ink, there’s a felt-tip pen out there for you: There are felt-tip pens with water-based, oil-based, alcohol-based, acid-free, and permanent ink on the market today.  

Fountain Pens

Fountain pens have a pointed, metal nib connected to an ink cartridge, internal reservoir, or converter. Models with an internal reservoir and converter require bottled ink to refill the pen. Pens with ink cartridges are easier to refill, but the ink is more costly in the long run. High-quality fountain pens are still popular in the business world for their professional, styled appearance. Many of them have refillable ink wells, so you can invest a little more in the pen itself.  

What to Consider When Buying Pens

The biggest factors in choosing a pen are how you want it to feel in your hand and how you want the pen strokes to look. Some pens have a wider barrel and are made of chrome, making them heavy in the hand, while other pens are slim and lightweight. Your preference determines which kind of pen is right for you. Before you go shopping, however, consider these other features, too.  

Smoothness

Smoothness has to do with how easily the ink flows from the pen. Water-based inks produce a smoother stroke than thicker, oil-based inks. An ink’s other characteristics, like whether it’s acid-free or permanent, can also affect its thickness and, therefore, its smoothness.   Smoothness also has to do with how ink is applied to paper. Fountain pens can produce a beautifully smooth stroke, but knowing how much pressure to apply while keeping the pen moving at a consistent rate is an acquired skill. Liquid-ink rollerball pens tend to have more smoothness because of their fine tips and water-based inks. Gel pens rank a close second because they’re similar in design, but put out thicker ink that often skips or smudges.  

Smudging

Smudges happen when the ink comes out too fast, or you slow your stroke and the ink keeps flowing, leaving a blot on the paper. Smudges are more common when using a pen with an oil-based ink because these inks take longer to dry, leaving time for your arm or hand to land in wet ink. Because gel ink also takes time to dry, gel pens are also prone to smudging.  

Design

Everyday pens don’t typically need to be fancy or expensive. You just need them to write consistently. On the other end of the design spectrum are fountain pens, which remain popular because of their sleek, professional appearance. A stainless-steel fountain pen with a gold tip makes quite an impression in a professional setting.   Many pens have design features that make them more comfortable to write with, including easy-to-grip textures or rubber grip pads on the end of the pen. If you write a lot, these features can help you maintain control as your hand gets tired. They’re also a nice feature for those who struggle with hand strength.  

Bleed-Through

Bleed-through, or ghosting, is when the ink absorbs into the paper and is visible on the other side. It’s more common with water-based liquid inks because these inks quickly soak through the paper. If bleed-through makes you crazy, opt for a ballpoint pen with oil-based ink.  

Our Top Picks

Ten pens made our list of top pick, based on their reliability, quality construction, and extra design features that make them fun—and comfortable—to write with.

FAQs About Pens

  Pens are an everyday tool, and you may not think about them much until you realize you have to buy new ones. When learning about pens, there are a few common questions.  

Q. How do erasable pens work?

  Erasable pens have thermochromic ink that turns clear when heated by the friction created by the eraser.

Q. How do you recycle pens?

  Pens contain metal and ink that cannot go through the regular recycling channels. Some companies like TerraCycle recycle mechanical pencils, highlighters, markers, and pens. They sometimes partner with retailers to set up drop-off sites. Other companies, like Crayola, recycle their products. Check with the manufacturer or look for a recycling center near you that accepts pens.  

Q. How do you refill fountain pens?

  It depends on the type of fountain pen you have. Fountain pens either contain a piston converter, cartridge, or ink bladder. Ink bladders and converters have to be refilled with bottled ink. Cartridges are self-contained and can be thrown away when empty. With this type of fountain pen, you simply insert a new cartridge.   If the fountain pen has a converter, you must take off the barrel and place the tip in a bottle of ink. You then turn the converter counterclockwise to force air out and draw ink into the converter.   To fill a fountain pen with a bladder, you place the nib in a bottle of ink and deflate the bladder. As you slowly release the bladder, it pulls ink into the pen.

SOLVE, Portland Business Alliance, and Portland Lodging Alliance with the support of Ethos Commercial Advisors held their last Downtown Volunteer Litter Cleanup Day of 2020 on Friday.   More than 226 volunteers attended the event, and many brought warm clothing to donate to Transition Projects’ ‘Keep Portland Warm’ winter clothing drive, adding to the spirit of giving back. In total, more than 3,100 pounds of litter and debris was removed from city sidewalks, parks, and business fronts.   The totals from Friday add to the already impressive results from the last three Downtown Portland Volunteer Litter Cleanup Days. With today’s event being the last of the year, SOLVE is happy to report that more than 1,200 volunteers have removed over 13,000 pounds of litter from downtown Portland since these monthly events began in early September.   The popularity of these events shows that Portlanders have a sincere pride in where they call home and are willing to come together as a community take care of it through the simple act of picking up litter. Volunteers who attended today’s event also were given “Here for Portland” stickers, a campaign that supports shopping small and local this holiday season. With so many people working from home, many Portlanders do not visit downtown as frequently as they used to. The Downtown Portland Volunteer Litter Cleanup Day helps to bring community together in a place that has been hit hard economically by COVID-19.   During the event, volunteers received heavy duty garbage bags, vinyl gloves, a safety vest, and a litter grabber before spreading out to clean the Rose City. Common items found include cigarette butts, disposable masks, and take-out containers. The cigarette butts collected at this event are recycled by Terracycle, and in-part due to the popularity of these events, SOLVE was able to reach more than half a million cigarette butts recycled with Terracycle.   The next Downtown Portland Volunteer Litter Cleanup Day will be held on January 18, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Anyone who is interested in joining SOLVE’s cleanup efforts should visit www.solveoregon.org to learn more and get involved. Disposal for the Downtown Portland Volunteer Litter Cleanup Days is donated by Central City Concern.

  Good to know, in partnership with Fromagerie Bel - Babybel, in partnership with the company TerraCycle, have undertaken to recycle all the packaging components of the Babybel mini. For more information, visit minibabybel.ca .

Há campanhas maravilhosas, como a #meiasdobem, da Puket, que já arrecadou mais de 1 milhão de meias usadas em todo o país. Processadas, trituradas e compactadas, elas viram cobertores para pessoas populações carentes, incluindo moradores de rua. Com isso, 30 toneladas de refugos deixaram de poluir a natureza. E 300 mil pessoas foram impactadas com a campanha. Outra iniciativa interessante é a coleta de esponjas, aquelas que servem para lavar prato e que levam centenas de anos para se degradar na natureza. Juntas, a Scotch-Brite e a Terra Cycle, criaram brigadas de esponjas que rendem  dinheiro para escolas públicas. A ação, claro, também poupa o meio ambiente.

Company identifies major accomplishments toward sustainability

  Despite the challenges, Open Farm Pet is reflecting on the positives and the role our pets have played to bring us companionship and joy - this year more than ever The premium pet food brand is raising the bar on the way we feed our pets and has garnered major accomplishments toward sustainability efforts and ethical and transparent sourcing, thus, we’re excited to share a Year in Review at Open Farm Pet:   · 1^st pet food brand with reusable packaging   · 75,000+ meals donated to shelters in need   · 306,000+ pet food bags recycled through TerraCycle (as of Oct 2020)   · 2.89 million pounds of Certified Humane and Global Animal Partnership meat was sourced by Open Farm in 2020. Not only does this result in happier and healthier farm animals, it raises the demand for ethical treatment of animals in the industry, and leads to a higher quality of meat for our pets.   · 21.1K pet parents visited Open Farm’s online traceability tool to trace the origins of the ingredients in each recipes   · $54.7K USD in donations to better the community (The Center for Addiction & Mental Health, Daily Bread Food Bank, etc.)   Looking ahead to 2021, Open Farm is leading the pack within the pet food space to deliver the highest quality nutrition and is trailblazing when it comes to 2021 trends -- think ultimate transparency in ingredients, customization for your pet, and supplements!    Open Farm’s 2021 Pet Food Trends:   · Transparency is Key - Open Farm believes that what goes into your pets’ bodies shouldn’t be a mystery. Using the lot code on their Open Farm bag, pet parents have the ability to instantly trace the origin of each ingredient in their recipes. Furthermore, from farm to bowl, Open Farm recipes feature only humanely raised meats and functional ingredients such as non GMO leafy greens, carrots, chicory root, turmeric and other superfoods with no artificial flavors, preservatives or fillers.   · Customization (for all ages & life stages) - Open Farm continues to see the rise of pet parents wanting to provide customized, personalized diets for their pets. Both in terms of variety and experience, but most importantly from a nutritional perspective, pet parents are becoming more educated and curious about how their pet’s diet impacts their overall health and happiness. Open Farm has always looked to meet this need for pet parents, by offering a diverse product assortment that meets a wide variety of consumer needs including nutrient-dense recipes for dogs and cats from premium Dry Food, Freeze Dried Raw and Gently Cooked Recipes to Rustic Stews and Blends, Bone Broth, Kefir and more.   · Bone Broth Isn’t Bougie, Your Pet Should Be Scarfing Supplements -  Treat your dog or cat to a nutritious and delicious boost with Open Farm Pet’s Bone Broth. A super soup for your dogs or cats and packed with healthy nutrients, this bone broth can easily be added as a flavorful topper to your pet’s favorite wet or dry dish or to re-hydrate Open Farm’s Freeze Dried Raw recipes. Available in Grass-Fed Beef, Homestead Turkey, and Harvest Chicken, using ethically raised protein (free of antibiotics or growth hormones), the bone broth uses 100% human-grade ingredients and is formulated with slowly simmered bones for maximum health benefits.

The University of Illinois Facilities & Services (F&S) Waste Management department provides campus-wide recycling and waste hauling, with an aim to continuously reduce total the volume of waste being sent to a landfill. The Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP) sets a vision of Zero Waste for campus, and the State Waste Reduction Plan provides a five year plan for continuing to reduce total landfill waste.   F&S collaborated with TerraCycle this semester to recycle disposable masks across campus. The program is free to university departments and units thanks to Student Sustainability Committee support.

O Parque Ecológico de São Carlos “Dr. Antônio Teixeira Vianna” realizou na tarde da última quarta-feira (16/12), a premiação das escolas com maior índice de coleta de esponjas de limpeza (dupla face) que participaram em 2019 da Campanha Nacional de Reciclagem Brigada de Esponjas Scotch Brite. A escola mais conectada, ou seja, que mais fez postagem em redes sociais e a escola que usou a criatividade para aumentar a coleta também foram premiadas.

O Parque Ecológico de São Carlos “Dr. Antônio Teixeira Vianna” realizou na tarde da última quarta-feira (16/12), a premiação das escolas com maior índice de coleta de esponjas de limpeza (dupla face) que participaram em 2019 da Campanha Nacional de Reciclagem Brigada de Esponjas Scotch Brite. A escola mais conectada, ou seja, que mais fez postagem em redes sociais e a escola que usou a criatividade para aumentar a coleta também foram premiadas.

O Parque Ecológico de São Carlos “Dr. Antônio Teixeira Vianna” realizou na tarde da última quarta-feira (16/12), a premiação das escolas com maior índice de coleta de esponjas de limpeza (dupla face) que participaram em 2019 da Campanha Nacional de Reciclagem Brigada de Esponjas Scotch Brite. A escola mais conectada, ou seja, que mais fez postagem em redes sociais e a escola que usou a criatividade para aumentar a coleta também foram premiadas.

Rodan + Fields announced an expansion to its Rodan + Fields Recycling Program through its partnership with international recycling leader TerraCycle. Rodan + Fields has made a commitment to make 75 percent of all packaging refillable, reusable or recyclable by 2025.

To take part in this recycling initiative, consultants and customers can sign up on the TerraCycle page and mail in the empty product packaging using a prepaid shipping label to be cleaned, melted and recycled into new products. “There’s an unquestionable need to reduce waste and ensure our products are designed for a sustainable future,” says Kari Hayden Pendoley, Rodan + Fields Senior Director of Social Impact and Environmental Social Governance (ESG). “We are thrilled to expand our partnership with TerraCycle to empower our consultants, customers and employees globally to be a part of the solution and take the guesswork out of recycling.” This partnership with TerraCycle is part of the company’s larger commitment to support its community and the planet through the sustainability of its products and supply chain. “TerraCycle’s mission has always been to ‘Eliminate the Idea of Waste’ and, in turn, be kind to the planet,” says Tom Szaky, TerraCycle Founder and Chief Executive Officer. “By joining in the Rodan + Fields Recycling Program, participants have a unique opportunity to demonstrate their respect for the environment by diverting packaging waste from landfills, as well as through the products that they choose to include in their personal care routines.”