I Love a Good Pen – Here Are My Favorites

This list will evolve. New pens keep coming out and I keep discovering old ones. First off, I should say I love technical line drawings. I look for pens that can handle tight consistent even flow line work. Some handle smooth and painted surfaces better than others so I’ll create a category for those.

The blue circles indicate where I tested a water wash over the ink to test it’s “proof”:

Best All-Around Writing and Drawing Pen

(1) Pilot Precise v5 & v7

Rolling ball
(v5 is extra-fine / v7 is fine) Both are great
It’s called “precise” because this pen has a rolling tungsten carbide ball for dependability. Its large liquid ink reservoir holds twice as much ink as regular disposables, and there is a convenient window to view how much is left. Comes in various colors. Unfortunately, it’s not waterproof so will bleed if watercoloring over it.

Best Waterproof Pens

Uni-Ball Signo UM-153
Pigma Micron
Copic Multiliner SP
Sharpie Industrial Extra Fine

Best Permanent Marker

Sharpie, no question. But which sharpie? Have you tried a Sharpie Professional. They are a very large pen but hold up to the elements well in my initial tests. I tried writing on glass and putting it through the dishwasher. It survived. Scary, actually. I use it for outdoor and tricky surfaces that are slick, damp, or tricky.

Best White Ink Pen

Uni-Ball Signo UM-153
Love this pen! It’s very opaque and go over painted surfaces like watercolor or mixed media. Helps to lay down a layer of matte medium if the surface gets too glossy/smooth.

(2) Pentel EnerGel
Similar to above but not quite as consistent and durable. Seems to jam up a little easier.

best technical pen
Rotring rapidograph

anyone tried this one?
Pentel Arts Hybrid Technica 0.3 mm Pen