The Jotted Line

Rollerball vs ballpoint: what's the difference? You've likely used the Pilot G-2, the Uni-ball Vision, or the Pentel Rolling Writer without realizing their type.  In this article, I'll answer the question what is a rollerball pen, how it works, and its pros and cons. Starting from the top! What is a Rollerball Pen? A rollerball pen is a writing instrument that uses a ball-and-socket mechanism to transfer liquid ink from a cartridge to a writing surface.       A rollerball pen combines aspects of both the fountain pen and the ballpoint pen in one simple design. This is due to the rollerball ink being liquid-based as a fountain pen, while using the same writing mechanism as a ballpoint pen. Let's get into the details of how rollerball pens work and what makes them a useful writing instrument.   How Does a Rollerball Pen Work?   Similar to a ballpoint pen, a rollerball uses a small rotating ball in the tip of the pen to dispense ink onto your paper when you’re writing. The ball is usually made of steel or Tungsten carbide. It’s secured within a socket that is, in turn, connected to the ink reservoir within your pen’s barrel. As the pen's metal ball rotates, the ink is transferred onto your paper surface. Rollerball pens use water-based ink that has a low viscosity. As a result, the ink flows from the internal ink reservoir quickly with little resistance, resulting in a smoother writing line. So what makes the rollerball pen different from a ballpoint pen? Rollerball vs Ballpoint: What Are the Differences and Similarities? The only major difference between the ballpoint pen vs rollerball pen lies in the type of ink used in the pen; ballpoint pens use thick oil based ink, while rollerball pens use liquid-based ink. High viscous inks like ballpoint ink significantly impact the difference between writing with ballpoint pens vs rollerball pens, especially in the amount of pressure you need to apply while writing. Ballpoint pen ink requires a significant pressure to transfer the thick oil based ink from the ball to the paper, while liquid ink requires less pressure as the ink flow rate is higher and the paper draws on the ink. However, aside from the ballpoint pen ink, a user will find rollerball pens share a shocking number of similarities to ballpoint pens. The Writing Mechanism As has been touched on, the biggest commonality between the ballpoint pen and the rollerball pen is the small revolving ball mechanism that transfers viscous ink to paper.       Whether the pen types specify oil based ink, gel based ink, or water based liquid ink, they all still use the same medium to write. Low Maintenance Ballpoint and rollerball pens both minimal to no upkeep. Indeed as far as writing instruments go, you simply need to uncap or eject the point to write. Tip Consistency Like a ballpoint pen, the fixed ball at the tip of a rollerball pen always remains round. This means the width stays the same when you write. Convenience Rollerball pens are either refillable or disposable. A disposable rollerball pen will offer a single use experience similar to a standard ballpoint pen like the Stic Bic. Refillable rollerball pens are very common (even the Pilot G-2 is a refillable pen). In this instance, when the pen's ink flow stops the ink cartridge can be replaced and the barrel of the pen reused. There are no extra complicated steps you need to take to refill your pen. Discover More: 20 Best Rollerball Pens to Give as Gifts   Just like you can't talk about rollerball pens without talking about ballpoints, so too the connection between the rollerball and the fountain pen must be discussed. What Are the Differences and Similarities Between Rollerball Pens and Fountain Pens? The major difference is of course the tip of the writing instruments; the fountain pen has a pointed nib, while the rollerball has a roller ball point.       Though the differences are obvious, the similarities are pivotal to what makes a rollerball pen unique. Water-Based Ink Rollerball pens use water-based that originated from fountain pens. The main advantages of water-based liquid rollerball ink include: More ink flows onto the paper. This allows for more defined colors and, in turn, better contrast. Smooth writing experience. Because of the ease of flow, less pressure is required when writing. Liquid ink comes in a wide range of colors. This is made possible by the huge variety of water-soluble pigments and dyes. The smooth flow of water-based inks makes them ideal for writing fine and tight-knit lines. Different Tip Sizes Unlike ballpoint pens that are predominately the same tip size, rollerball pens specialize in varying tip sizes just like fountain pens. This is a defining characteristic of the rollerball pen and the fountain pen as point size or nib size as can be seen when purchasing either pen types. Whether a buyer is looking for a rollerball pen or a fountain pen, the point size will always be specified on the packaging. Rollerball pens tend to use millimeters to distinguish point size, while fountain pens will state fine, medium, or broad. Rollerball sizes range from 0.2mm to 1.5mm. To help you figure the different dimensions, remember this: Extra fine tips are 0.2mm to 0.4mm. Fine indicates a tip size in the province of 0.5mm to 0.7mm. Medium tips are around 0.8mm to 1mm. Broad or thick tips are anything more than 1mm. A fine tip is great if: you have small handwriting your project requires you to include tiny details writing symbolic scripts. Examples include hanzi (Chinese), kanji (Japanese), or hanja (Korean). A medium or fine tip is more useful where: no intricate details are required in your writing you have a big handwriting. Use a broad point to: produce thicker lines for drawing signing documents     Wider Variety of Inks Rollerball pens can be refilled with different colors and types of ink. Ink manufacturers provide a wide variety from which to choose. Most rollerball pens take cartridge refills. Although you can find rollerball pen converters that enable you to refill your pen with bottled ink. That last part - bottled ink - will offer the greatest variety in ink pen types. Smooth Writing Experience Water-based inks used in rollerball pens and fountain pens have very low viscosity which means the ink will flow faster through the pen. However, pressure is seldom needed to make the ink flow from the pen to the paper. Just hold your pen upright, glide it gently across your paper, and the pen writes smoothly. A rollerball pen, like a fountain pen, lets the user write faster and reduce hand cramps because it required less stress during writing. If your hands usually tire quickly, you'll find a rollerball more comfortable.  Shop Now: Luxury Rollerball Pens and Pen Sets From Dayspring Pens Is a Gel Pen Different From a Rollerball Pen? A small side note: Gel pens are technically a subset of rollerball pens. Gel ink pens use a gel instead of water to suspend the pigment in the pen. This means gel ink has a higher viscosity than water based liquid ink.       The benefit of gel inks is the gel can hold heavier pigments and greater amounts of the pigments or dyes so the colors of gel refills are exceedingly vibrant. When buying a rollerball, be sure to check the kind of ink in the refill. All gel pens are rollerball pens, but not all rollerball pens are gel pens. Difficulties of a Rollerball Pen What are the difficulties or drawbacks of a rollerball pen? Dry Time The major drawback is the ink dry time necessary for the pen. Because liquid ink is used, the ink needs time to absorb into the paper. Unlike ballpoint pen ink which adheres to the surface of the paper, rollerball pen ink soaks into the fibers of the paper. This means roller ball pens can be tricky to left handed people. If their hand drags over the writing line before the ink dries, it will smear. Need a Porous Writing Surface Rollerball pens cannot write on any surface like ballpoint pens can. For example glossed surfaces have nothing for the ink to soak into and will require the ink to dry to the surface in the same way that a liquid will dry on a counter given enough time. Ink Bleed and Feathering The ink in rollerball pens have the potential to bleed through or feather on low quality paper. High quality paper (like stationary) has densely pressed fibers that absorb ink quickly, but low quality paper (like printer paper) has a looser fiber count. This means that the paper fibers may absorb all the liquid they can without soaking up all the liquid the pen released. This potentially causes two different things: bleed through and feathering. Bleed through happens when the extra liquid seeps out of the opposite side of the paper. For example: you have two sheets of paper on top of one another while writing. When you lift the top sheet, the ink has also soaked into the bottom sheet. Feathering happens when the ink soaks into fibers outside the writing line. The fibers pull the liquid to the surrounding paper fibers causing less distinction between letters. The best solution to avoiding this problem is to use the same quality paper recommended for fountain pens and using a quality rollerball pen. In the following table I summarize the differences between rollerball pens and ballpoints: Characteristic Rollerball Pens Ballpoint Pens Ink type Liquid Oil-based Writing experience Smooth Less fluid Line width Finer, more precise Wide lines, less precision Dry time Slow Fast Tip size Available with finer tip points Limited standard tip sizes   So what are the best rollerball pens to use? What Are the Best Rollerball Pens? The best brands of rollerball pens are Pilot (like the Pilot G-2), Uni-ball (can't go wrong with the Vision), Ohto (try the Dude or the Horizon), and Waterman (the Hemisphere). This spread of brands offers varying price points and finishes from daily throwaways to heirloom pens. To find an in depth list of the best rollerball pens on the market right now, check out this article. Related Reading: The 5 Best Parker Rollerball Pens     At the end of the day, a rollerball pen is a ballpoint pen with liquid ink. When it comes down to it, rollerball pens take the upper hand. Merging the convenience and flexibility benefits of the ballpoint pen and the fountain pen, rollerballs offer a far smoother writing experience than ballpoints. If you love rollerball pens, drop a comment below, we’d like to hear your perspective. We Have the Perfect Custom Rollerball Pen for You! At Dayspring Pens, we understand the importance of using a great pen. One that serves its purpose and looks fantastic while at it. Don't miss out on our selection of name brand rollerballs, custom engraved for you. Sam Di Nardo is an author for Dayspring Pens, where she has honed her expertise in ballpoint, rollerball, gel and fountain pens since joining the team in 2018. From her initial role as an Engraver to becoming the Production Manager, Sam's journey has been marked by her passion for the history, manufacturing, and the unique value of gifted writing instruments. A graduate of Regent University with a degree in English Literature and a special interest in Old Norse literature, dive deeper into Sam's world and discover why she's your trusted guide in the realm of gift pens. Follow Sam on LinkedIn.

If you have ever wondered what goes into making the most common writing instrument in the world, the ballpoint pen, you are not alone. Consequently, this article will break down how manufacturers make ballpoint pens. From a basic overview, to the raw materials, and the step-by-step manufacturing process. Firstly, let's take a look at the basics.. How are ballpoint pens made: The Basic Process Manufacturers make ballpoint pens through a relatively simple process. They clamp a small metal ball into a chamber, ensuring its loose enough to roll and move but not tight enough to fall out. One end opens into the ink reservoir, and the other end exposes the ball. Next, they fill the ink reservoir with oil-based ink. Finally, they place a barrel and grip around the ball-and-socket mechanism and ink reservoir making the ballpoint pen ready to write. Related Reading: Who Invented the Ballpoint Pen?: A Brief History   Next up: what raw material is necessary for the process? Raw Materials The raw materials for a ballpoint pen vary greatly and depend on the material of the barrel, but manufacturers generally use the following: Tungsten Carbide Brass Steel Aluminum Iron PPC (small pellets of plastic heated and molded into the needed shapes) Ballpoint ink is a little harder to pinpoint down to specific raw ingredients since every manufacturer has a different proprietary formula. The general components of the ink are as follows: Pigment or dye: carbon, eosin, crystal violet, phthalocyanine blue, etc. Vehicle: Kerosine, linseed oil, rosin, etc. Lubricant: fatty acids like oleic acid Thickener: Tripropylene Glycol Methyl Ether, Glycol TPM, etc. Surfactant: polyoxyethylene alkylamine, polyoxyethylene alkylamide, alkylalkanolamide, etc. Common materials used in ballpoint pens Some of the other materials that you can come across in ballpoint pens include: Rubber Gold Silver Copper Lacquer Resin These materials are all most often used on the barrel or clip. Luxury pens will use precious metals or rare materials. Manufacturers use different materials to make novelty pens that might include a flashlight or multifunction capabilities. Further Reading:  What are the Best Ballpoint Pen Brands How Are Pens Made? A Look at the Manufacturing Process Now let's break down the manufacturing process that goes into how pens are made. The Ink Each manufacturer adds raw ingredients to a batch tank and mixes them following proprietary formulas. If some materials need to reach a certain temperature for ideal cohesion, they add the ingredients at specific times and increments. Batch mixers may have automatic controls that release the materials at computerized intervals. Computerized batch mixers will also vary mixing times as necessary and inject the right pigments to create whatever color ink is being made. Before finalizing, quality control tests are done on each batch of ink in the process to ensure proper ink flow and measure the effectiveness of the ink.  Discover More: How Do Ballpoint Pens Work The Plastic Components The plastic components of pens are made with PPC pellets (or sometimes powder) that are measured and poured into a hopper. Depending on the part being made and the manufacturer, the PPC pellets either move through an extruder or into an injection molder. Both extrusion and injection molding have a similar methodology. But one of the major differences is that one heats the PPC to the consistency of putty while the other turns the pellets into a liquid. For an extruder: the pellets move through a large spiral screw that heats the PPC into a thick putty-like substance. Then, the high viscosity mass is pushed into a die where it cools to the desired shape, cut, and expelled. Extruders are typically used only for simple shapes such as the barrels or refill cartridge. However, for injection molding: the pellets are heated into a low viscosity liquid and injected into a mold where it cools and is ejected in the shape desired. Injection molding is used in more complex shapes like the clip, cap, or pieces of a click mechanism. The Metal Components The metal components of a ballpoint generally consist of the ball, the tip that holds the ball, the spring and sometimes the body. The balls of the pen are tungsten carbide balls that are purchased already made by the manufacturer. An aside: the tungsten carbide ball is not actually a smooth round ball. The surface of the ball contains numerous divots and the ball itself is sometimes hollow, all so that the ball holds onto the ink better as it transfers it from the ink reservoir to the writing surface. As for the rest of the metal components, the casting of the metal pieces is not unlike the extruding process for the plastic parts. Small discs of metal (often brass, steel, or aluminum) are heated till they are malleable. The discs are then moved into a compression chamber corresponding to the shape desired. A steel rod rams the metal into the chamber, thereby forcing a spring backed ejector plunger to retract and pushing the metal disc into the die cast mold. Then, as the steel ram and the ejector plunger move back to their original positions, excess metal is removed and recycled and consequently, the die molded part is produced. The Filling Process Next, the ink refill barrel needs to be filled with ink. There are two different methods for this process. Method 1: The plastic refill body and the metal ballpoint tip are joined. Ink is then injected into the refill through the tip. Method 2: Workers fill the plastic barrel with ink and join it to the metal tip. They then place the refill in a centrifuge, which spins the ink cartridge forcefully, making the ink move to the tip of the pen. Finally, they inject silicon ink into the hole to refill it.  How is a Pen made: step by step assembly The pen is assembled once all parts have been manufactured. Capped Ballpoint Pens Capped ballpoints like Cristal Bic Pens are the simplest when it comes to assemble. Step 1: Press the ballpoints to the stamped metal tips/refill cartridge. Step 2: Place this inside the barrel and seal it. Step 3: Cap the point and add any additional seals, finishes, or decorations. Click-Action Ballpoint Pens Step 1: Drop the plastic push button into the barrel, followed by the thrust device (also called the rotor). Step 2: Insert the ink cartridge tip side up. Step 3: Place a steel ring over the cartridge tip to provide resistance for the push mechanism. Step 4: Join the barrel-grip section to the topside of the barrel, sealing it. Step 5: Undertake quality control testing on the click mechanism to make sure the metal tips eject and recede properly. Twist-Action Ballpoint Pens Twist-action ballpoints follow a similar assembly line process to the click-action ballpoint. The only difference in the assembly line is that they insert the thrust device into the cap, so when you twist it, the writing tip ejects. Cost of making a ballpoint pen In his incredibly informative article on the cost of manufacturing a ballpoint pen, Christoph Roser found pens, when bought in bulk from a manufacturer in China, available for a whopping $.035. Roser estimates the cost of material and production at around $.0201 for the most entry level click-action ballpoint. Component Weight (g) Material Material Cost ($) Production Cost ($) Barrel 3.519 Polypropylene 0.0035 0.0033 Rear Cap 0.826 Polypropylene 0.00083 0.0033 Spring 0.175 Steel 0.00011 (n/a) Mine Assembly 0.731 (assembly) n/a 0.00047 Ball 0.0003 Steel 0.00000018 0.00064 Ball Socket 0.159 Steel 0.000095 0.0032 Ink 0.098 Pixie Dust? 0.00098 n/a Reservoir 0.474 Polypropylene? 0.00047 0.0034 Total 5.2513 0.0051 0.015 Chart courtesy of Christoph Roser   Now for higher end luxury ballpoints, there really is no set price for expensive pens. Luxury goods, precious metals, and craftsman labor all significantly impact the cost of making luxury goods. What Are the Different Types of Ballpoint Pens? What makes a ballpoint pen is the writing point (the ball-and-socket). Also, the oil-based ink that dispenses fast drying, paste ink which can write on most surfaces. However, within that category, there is a wide range of different types of ballpoint pens available by desired specifications. By Color Ink The most common ink colors are blue and black, but manufacturers can produce ink in any color. Some manufacturers even offer custom colors if customers buy in bulk. By Mechanism The main ballpoint mechanisms are: Capped - Remove the pen cap to write Click-action - Place a button in the cap or along the barrel that ejects the nib to write.  Twist-action - Twist the pencap clockwise until it locks into place ejecting the writing point and counter-clockwise to retract the nib By Finishes Ballpoint pens can be found with plastic, metal, or wood finishes. In general, people dispose plastic pens, while they can replace the ink cartridge in metal and wood-finished pens as needed. Price point has the biggest impact on the finish of the pen. A plastic pen is often at the lowest end of the price range, sometimes costing only a few cents, while metal finished pens like gold, silver, or metal coated in high-quality lacquer can make a ballpoint pen cost hundreds of dollars. By Multifunction Multifunction ballpoint pens will include some other kind of tool or functionality in addition to a ballpoint pen. This may be as simple as a ballpoint pen that alternates between different colored ballpoint inks, or it can be as complex as a ballpoint that is also a multi-tool such as a USB drive, a clock, or a pocket-knife. By Novelty Manufacturers make a novelty pen with some sort of fun or unique feature. The entire pen might have the shape of a car or an animal, or the barrel of the pen might light up or glow in the dark. A novelty pen typically has some sort of gimmick and are wood or plastic pens although you may find some luxury finishes in novelty pens. What Did They Make a Pen Out of 1,000 Years Ago? People made pens out of whittled reeds or swan feathers, cut into quills 1,000 years ago. Pens couldn't hold much ink, so they cut a naturally occurring hollow tube into a point with a slit down the center to channel the ink. Writers dipped the pen into ink repeatedly during the writing process to refill the hollow chamber. The dip pen was eventually, though briefly, replaced with the fountain pen, but fountain pens had a short life as the most popular writing instrument due to the rise in manufacturing and the invention of ballpoint pens. The rise of the ballpoint pen goes hand in hand with the rise of manufacturing. Interestingly, the first mass-manufactured pens that were easily accessible and cheap were BIC pens. Now when you think of an average pen, ballpoint pens, not fountain pens or quills, come to mind. Conclusion Precision manufacturing equipment makes ballpoint pen manufacturing a straightforward process. By molding and forming the right parts into the right shapes, and mixing the ink with a tried and true formula, manufacturers produce thousands of ballpoints every day that enhance the quality of writing. What part of the manufacturing process did you find the most interesting? Leave a comment or a question below. And be sure to check out some of my other informative articles on ballpoint pens: How Do Fountain Pens Work? How to Remove Ballpoint Pen Ink Stains What Are The Best Brands of Fountain Pen? Sam Di Nardo is an author for Dayspring Pens, where she has honed her expertise in ballpoint, rollerball, gel and fountain pens since joining the team in 2018. From her initial role as an Engraver to becoming the Production Manager, Sam's journey has been marked by her passion for the history, manufacturing, and the unique value of gifted writing instruments. A graduate of Regent University with a degree in English Literature and a special interest in Old Norse literature, dive deeper into Sam's world and discover why she's your trusted guide in the realm of gift pens. Follow Sam on LinkedIn.

I used to think that I hated fountain pens. When I came across my first one as a wee lass, I thought it was the coolest pen I had ever seen aside from my footlong pink flamingo pen complete with feathers coming out of the top. Then I wrote with said fountain pen… My letters fused together into one amorphous blob, I smeared constantly, and when I did flip over the page to write on the back I couldn’t because all the letters had bled through to the other side. Years later, I started working for a pen company and, once again, became enamored with fountain pens. But this time, I learned what was truly at fault for my disastrous early encounter…it was the PAPER. Hence, this article. I will explain which fountain pen paper brands are the best, why fountain pens need special paper, and give you some tips to enjoy writing with your fountain pen. Now onto the main question of the day, what is the best paper for fountain pens?   SEE THE DIFFERENCE OF QUALITY PAPER   What are the Top Brands of Fountain Pen Friendly Papers? There are numerous brands offering fountain pen friendly papers, and choosing the high quality paper that matches your needs and budget can be challenging. In this section, I’ll go through some of the best brands of paper for fountain pens to help make your selection process easier. Tomoe River Paper Rhodia Clairefontaine Dayspring Pens Midori Maruman Mnemosyne Leuchtturm1917 Tomoe River Paper A favorite among fountain pen users, Tomoe River Paper (called TRP for short) is the best fountain pen-friendly paper brand. It is thin and lightweight paper. Notebooks made of TRP have a low profile, even with hundreds of pages. This makes TRP notebooks incredibly lighter than other notebooks with similar page counts. Despite its weight, TRP is highly resistant to bleeding. Thanks to a special smooth coating on both sides of the paper, ink sits on the surface instead of being quickly absorbed into the page. This means TRP has a slow drying time, but that’s a small price to pay for the beautiful results once the ink dries. Tomoe River Paper is especially great for shading inks because it brings out the subtle color gradations as you lay down the ink on paper. Sheening inks also take well to TRP, since pools of color will sit on the surface of the paper, creating the reflective effect favored by many fountain pen users when the ink dries. As long as you remember to let the ink fully dry on the page, you won’t experience any smudging. Old Vs New Tomoe River Paper There are two kinds of Tomoe River Paper: the ‘old’ and the ‘new’ Sanzen paper. Here’s a bit of background about how this came to be. In late 2020, Tomoegawa, the company that makes TRP, announced that it was about to cease production of Tomoe River Paper by shutting down machine #7. ‘New’ TRP would be made through machine #9 until the end of October 2021, after which there would be no more paper. This brought uncertainty in the fountain pen world. Sanzen Paper company soon took over by buying the rights to Tomoe River, and continues to produce the new TRP to this day. You might be wondering whether there are any differences between the two Tomoe River Paper versions apart from being made by different companies. Yes, the old and new varieties are significantly different. Let’s look at how they vary: New TRP dries faster than the old, meaning reduced smudging. New TRP runs slightly thicker than the old when stacked up. Some inks show up slightly differently in color on the old vs the new. Old TRP has crispier edges compared to the new. The increased thickness of the new TRP results in less ghosting. New TRP has more ‘tooth’ (texture) than the old. Some users have reported their fountain pen inks with a vivid amount of sheen appearing ‘flat’ on the new TRP. Old TRP is more crinkly than the new. Whether you choose the old or new TRP, it still gives superior results compared to non-fountain pen-friendly paper. If you’ve tried both versions of TRP, I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments. Rhodia Rhodia is actually my go-to daily writing paper. Rhodia paper is smooth in texture, making it ideal for fountain pens since the nib won’t snag on the fibers. Despite being smooth, it balances drying time with being bleed-through and show-through resistant. Rhodia paper handles ink well no matter the nib/ink combination you use. Being acid free and pH neutral, this paper remains stable for years when exposed to light or heat. This means your fountain pen colors retain their true hues without fading quickly. Highlight: Rhodia and its parent company Clairefontaine are sustainably produced. They have a certification from the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), a non-governmental organization which promotes sustainable forest management. Rhodia provides different sheet styles to suit various uses: blank, lined, graph, and dot grid. If you find the page ruling of your paper is a brown or dark gray color instead of the typical pale violet color, don’t be alarmed. The color of the ruling varies depending on the product line. If you need fountain pen-friendly paper readily accessible without having to lug around a notebook, then you’ll love Rhodia’s notepads. They allow you to remove individual sheets easily without damaging the pads. These notepads come in several styles: Rhodia Notepads Rhodia DotPad Notepads Rhodia R Premium Notepads Rhodia Ice Pads Rhodia ColoR Premium Pads Rhodia notepads vary in weight, cover color, and ruling color to accommodate different preferences. Clairefontaine Clairefontaine’s top selling point is its ability to handle liquid ink exceptionally well. This more absorbent paper holds up to wet pens and inks without warping, feathering, or bleeding through. Also, fountain pen ink color appears vibrant and true to color on Clairefontaine paper. The smooth, satin surface finish of this paper reduces friction on the nib and provides a controlled ink flow, offering a comfortable writing experience. Despite being smooth on the surface, Clairefontaine allows ink to dry relatively quickly compared to other smooth papers such as Tomoe River. This means you’re far less likely to smudge or accidentally transfer ink when you close your notebook or turn the page. If you are doing some sketching or drawing, this fountain pen paper is excellent. The acid-free and archival quality of this paper is great for preserving your notes and sketches in true color for years, as the paper doesn't fade quickly when exposed to light. Clairefontaine paper is available in a variety of formats such as notebooks, notepads, loose leaf papers, and journals. This makes it easy for you to find the perfect paper format for your needs whether it is good paper for journaling or letter writing paper. If you’re just getting started with fountain pen writing, you might be concerned about the cost of using Clairefontaine since this hobby isn’t necessarily cheap. Clairefontaine is one of the more reasonably priced fountain pen-friendly paper available on the market, allowing you to get the hang of using fountain pens without worrying about emptying your wallet. Dayspring Pens The 40-page notepad that comes with the Dayspring Pens Leather Padfolio is great for fountain pens. It features heavy 100 GSM dot paper that handles liquid ink incredibly well with no feathering, bleed-through, or ghosting. This is actually one of my favorite papers. Its perforations enable easy tearing and make the notepad suitable for any writing modality, be it to-do lists, notes, or reminders. If you use fountain pens on work documents, the Dayspring Pens padfolio is a great choice. It’s perfect for organizing your documents in one place, keeping them secured with two brass snaps. There’s also enough space for a tablet and a cutout to hold your fountain pen to keep it from getting misplaced. What’s more, you can personalize the padfolio with your name or a special quote and make it truly unique to your taste. Midori When shopping for Midori paper, you’ll come across two types: Midori Cotton Midori MD Midori Cotton causes a lot of feathering with wet nibs, so it’s best to skip this variety. On the other hand, Midori MD is highly rated among fountain pen enthusiasts for several reasons relating to how it handles fountain pen ink excellently. With Midori MD, there’s no bleeding or feathering, which allows you to use a variety of nibs and write on both sides of the page. Ghosting/show-through is average, nothing crazy that could ruin your writing experience. When it comes to sheening, Midori MD sheens well though not as much as Tomoe River Paper. Smudging isn’t an issue with this paper due to its decent dry time and left-handed people will find it particularly helpful. Midori MD also doesn’t absorb much oil from your hand as you move it across the page, meaning that both the paper and the inks retain the appearance of their colors. If you prefer a little feedback while writing, Midori MD is right up your alley. It provides the perfect balance between smoothness and a little resistance, giving it a tactile writing experience. The cream color of the paper does affect the appearance of inks a little. If this is something you’re sensitive about, Midori MD might not be the choice for you. Midori MD is available in notebook, journal, and diary formats with different ruling styles. So whatever you want to use this paper for, you’ll find something that matches your needs. Below is a table comparing the features of the top 5 fountain pen-friendly papers: Paper Brand Tomoe River Paper Rhodia Clairefontaine Midori Dayspring Pens Paper Weight (GSM) 52, 68 80-90 90-120 80 100 Texture Ultra-smooth Smooth Smooth Soft Smooth Bleed-resistance Good Excellent Excellent Good Good Feathering-resistance Excellent Excellent Excellent Good Excellent Absorption Rate Slow Minimal Minimal Moderate Minimal Opacity Low High High Moderate Moderate Page Styles Lined, Dot Grid, Blank Lined, Dot Grid, Graph, Blank Lined, Dot Grid, Blank Lined, Blank Dot   FIND YOUR FOUNTAIN PEN TODAY   Maruman Mnemosyne Maruman Mnemosyne paper is beautifully smooth, making writing on it with fountain pens easy and enjoyable. It’s also bleeding and feathering resistant, though you might experience a bit of show-through especially with wet nibs. The paper has good dry time and its gentle off-white color is easy on the eyes. It’s available in different notebook formats from three product lines: Basic Style - For everyday regular note taking Creative Style - Landscape format notebooks best suited for designers and other creative professionals who do lots of sketching Speedy Style - Ideal for quick notes at your desk or on the go Maruman Mnemosyne is a fantastic option for those looking for affordable pen-friendly papers. Leuchtturm1917 Among fountain pen users, Leuchtturm1917 is well loved as an affordable alternative to premium fountain pen-friendly papers. Leuchtturm1917 notebooks have impressive build and paper quality, considering that they’re significantly less expensive than similar notebooks. They also feature other cool details such as: Numbered pages A table of contents Back pockets Stickers for labeling the binding The Notebook Classic in particular is designed to be fountain pen-friendly. Its 80 GSM paper is archival-safe and acid-free, keeping fountain pen ink looking great for years. It’s also smooth, but not super smooth like Rhodia, and lacks a coating that would slow down ink absorption. Why It Matters: Coatings that slow down ink absorptions are critical when using wetter inks as they prevent feathering and bleedthrough. It means slower try times, but less problems with a wetter ink or a fountain pen that releases more ink when writing (like broad tips or italics). These qualities plus its good bleed-through resistance make the Notebook Classic a popular choice among fountain pen enthusiasts. Do fountain pens need special paper? At the end of the day, fountain pens will work on any regular paper that is not glossy, so you technically do not need special paper to use a fountain pen. Will using special paper drastically change your experience using a fountain pen? Yes. For you to get the best experience while using fountain pens, it’s important to use top-notch paper specially designed for fountain pens. It’s like pairing comfy shocks with your shoes. Necessary? Maybe not. Incredibly impactful to your day? Definitely. Carefully selecting the paper you use with your fountain pen gives you a pleasant writing experience that ordinary paper won’t. Problems you will experience when using paper that’s not suitable for fountain pens include: Feathering This occurs when ink gets absorbed by the fibers of the paper and spreads outwards like a feather from where it’s laid down, resulting in uneven, ragged edges. Ghosting/Show-through Ghosting refers to when a shadow is visible on the other side of the page of what you’ve written. The level of show-through depends on the thickness of the paper, with thicker paper giving less show-through. Bleed-through When a paper is too thin or highly absorbent, ink seeps through the paper to the other side of the page, sometimes all the way through to another page. Dry Time Papers with less absorbency allow the ink to sit on the surface for long before it dries, meaning they have a slow dry time. While such paper resists bleeding and feathering, the ink is highly prone to smudging. Do fountain pens work on notebook paper? Technically, yes. Notebook paper gets the job done, but with mediocre results. Like wearing sandals in a snowstorm, it’s uncomfortable and likely to leave you with the mess I mentioned in my epic saga above. For all the issues that can arise using notebook paper, see the above both in story and in technical details. What makes fountain pen friendly paper? Fountain pen-friendly paper is specially designed to eliminate the problems we looked at earlier like feathering and ghosting. Let’s take a look at paper characteristics that affect the quality of writing when using fountain pens. Paper weight - Measured in grams per square meter (GSM), this determines the thickness and sturdiness of the paper. Heavier paper (80GSM and above) is resistant to ink bleed-through and feathering (more on that in the next section). Texture/smoothness - For fountain pens, a paper with smooth or satin finish works best since it minimizes friction between the paper and the nib. It also enables smooth writing because it enhances ink flow. Opacity - This refers to how much light passes through the paper. High opacity paper prevents ink from showing through from the other side of the page. Color/shade - White and soft off-white paper allows fountain pen inks to show their true colors. Absorbency - Highly absorbent paper enables fountain pen ink to dry quickly. However, such paper tends to cause feathering as the ink seeps into the paper fibers and spreads out. Fountain pen-friendly paper balances absorption rate with dry time. Acid-Free - Normal paper is made of unrefined wood pulp which is naturally acidic and causes the paper to turn yellow and become brittle. Acid-free paper (also known as archival paper) can last more than 1,000 years while retaining its structure and color, and maintaining the true hues of fountain pen inks. Binding and Layout - Fountain pen paper comes in various forms like notebooks, loose sheets, and notepads. The layouts also vary from blank, line to grid, graph, and dot lined. These formats allow you to match the paper to appropriate applications, such as a blank sheet for sketching or dot lined paper for artistic lettering. What is the best paper thickness for a fountain pen? Paper thickness refers to the measure of the weight and sturdiness of paper. In general, thicker paper gives good results when using fountain pens because it handles liquid ink without causing bleeding or feathering. What is the best paper weight for fountain pens? Paper weight is synonymous with thickness, and it’s measured in GSM (grams per square meter). Medium to high GSM paper starting from 60 GSM up to 90 GSM guarantees you excellent results when using fountain pens since it is thick enough to resist bleeding and feathering. Fine nibs produce less ink since they have incredibly thin writing lines and so work great with lower GSM paper, while broad nibs need higher GSM paper because they lay down more ink.  Learn More: What Are the Different Types of Fountain Pen Nibs?   Tips for Choosing the Right Paper for Fountain Pen Users If you are having trouble with any of the major pitfalls of low-quality paper, here is a breakdown of how to avoid these problems. How To Stop Feathering To reduce feathering, you can use nibs with finer points or dryer flow. Such nibs produce less ink so you’ll have fewer chances of it spreading through the paper. Writing with dryer inks like Pelikan 4001, R&K Salix Scabiosa or feather-resisting inks like Waterman Mysterious Blue, or Noodler's X-Feather will also help. How To Stop Bleedthrough Use a thick paper which doesn’t allow ink to soak through. This means a paper with higher GSM.   If you do not want to use a thicker paper, try spraying your paper with a permanent matte fixative. The fixative creates a non-absorbent layer on the paper’s surface, ensuring the ink stays in place when you write. This will impact dry-time though so be aware. How To Avoid Dry Time The key to dry-time is absorbency. The faster the paper absorbs the less smudging. In my opinion the best papers balance dry times and bleedthrough. If you’re left-handed, paper with fast dry time will prevent smudging as your hand moves across the page. Great options for fast-drying paper include Kokuyo KB Paper, ClaireFontaine My Essential journals, and Maruman Mnemosyne paper. Tip for Lefties: When you need fast dry times, the type of ink you use is critical. Look for fast-drying inks like Noodler’s Brevity and Polar lines or Pilot’s Iroshizuku.   Paper Format Fountain pen-friendly paper comes in different formats such as dot grid, ruled, or blank. If you do lots of note-taking, letter writing, or calligraphy, you might want to go for ruled paper, whereas bullet journaling does better with dot grid paper. Blank paper is ideal for doing pen drawing. Nib Size Not all papers will work well with all fountain pens, despite being designed specifically for that purpose. For instance, if you use broad-nibbed fountain pens that lay down a lot of ink, a low absorbency fountain pen paper will leave the ink sitting on the surface for long before it dries. A fine nib, on the other hand, may not lay down enough ink on more absorbent papers, resulting in a scratchy or dry writing experience. Adjusting the fountain pen nib size to match the paper enables you to achieve optimal ink flow and line width for a consistent writing experience. Reputable Brands Brands with a long history of producing high quality paper will give you the best value for money. Tomoe River, Leuchtturm1917, Rhodia, and Clairefontaine are some reliable brands to consider when purchasing paper to use with your fountain pens. Ultimately, the choice of fountain pen paper boils down to personal preference. Your friend favorite papers may not work for you. It’s important to sample different papers until you find those that match your taste. Once you come across the perfect fit, your fountain pen writing experience will become even more enjoyable. Bonus: Some companies like Goulet Pens sell sample packs of small notebooks from different paper brands. This is the easiest way to try different types of paper without buying large scale paper or notebooks. Conclusion When it comes to fountain pens, not any type of paper will give you visually appealing results. And even with fountain pen-friendly paper, you need to pair it with the correct nib and ink for the best writing experience. Like selecting an outfit that perfectly suits an event you’ve been invited to, finding papers that meet your needs for fountain pen writing can take some time. It’s okay to experiment until you find those that match your taste. What’s your favorite fountain pen paper? Please share in the comment section below or tag us on Instagram or Facebook. Sam Di Nardo is an author for Dayspring Pens, where she has honed her expertise in ballpoint, rollerball, gel and fountain pens since joining the team in 2018. From her initial role as an Engraver to becoming the Production Manager, Sam's journey has been marked by her passion for the history, manufacturing, and the unique value of gifted writing instruments. A graduate of Regent University with a degree in English Literature and a special interest in Old Norse literature, dive deeper into Sam's world and discover why she's your trusted guide in the realm of gift pens. Follow Sam on LinkedIn.

You aren't alone if you have ever wondered what fountain pen lingo such as filling systems or nibs mean. Even if you know what a filling system is, the variety can boggle the mind. In this article, I'll break down each ink filling system and what the different nibs are. To start, here is a list of all the different types of fountain pens by filling systems and nib: Cartridge Converter Piston The Mystery Filler Fountain Pen Magnetic Filler Vacuum Fountain Pen Pump/Vacumatic Bladder Sac/Rubber Sac Fountain Pen Lever Aerometric Crescent Pneumatic/Touchdown Snorkel Eyedropper Style Fountain Pen Japanese Eyedropper Safety Fountain Pen Bulkfiller Fountain Pen Pen Nib Material Stainless Steel Gold Titanium Palladium Iridium Pen Nib Style Round Tip Nib Italic Nib Stub Nib Flex Nib Pen Nib Size Fine Medium Broad   Starting with the filling system: This refers to the way that ink is put into the fountain pen.  Let's start at the top and work down the list of the different types of fountain pens. What Is A Cartridge Fountain Pen? This type of pen uses a prefilled plastic ink cartridge to hold the ink. For users, this means they must install a cartridge to fill a pen with ink. When the pen runs out of ink, they discard the cartridge and insert a new one. Different brands require different, specific ink cartridges. Some brands have proprietary ink cartridge sizes, while others use the standard international ink cartridge sizing. For a full list of what brands take which ink cartridges, check out this PDF. How to Fill a Cartridge Pen Unscrew the barrel from the section (grip) of the pen and locate the opening in the top of the section. Place the tapered end of the ink cartridge into the opening. Then, push firmly until you feel the cartridge puncture and lock into place. This will most likely feel like a snap. It's pivotal to puncture and secure so that the ink flows through the pen and doesn't leak into the barrel. Best Cartridge Fountain Pen The best entry level cartridge pen is the Pilot Metropolitan. Affordable, easy to use, and heralded by beginner fountain pen users and enthusiasts alike, the Metropolitan is one of the best go-to pens out there. Luckily, a large majority of fountain pens take cartridges. As a result,  your options are near endless to find a cartridge pen that you like at any price point.  Truly any...like from $4 on to $4000... What Is A Converter Fountain Pen? You can refill this type of pen with an ink converter, which you insert into the same slot as a cartridge. However, this lets you draw ink into the converter, turning it into an ink reservoir. Cartridge pens and converter pens are more often than not the same pens. Converter pens allow the user to fill directly from an ink bottle instead of simply using a disposable ink cartridge. Converters themselves can come with many different types of ink filling systems such as: Piston converters use a threaded twist action mechanism to depress a plunger that draws ink into the ink chamber. Squeeze converters work by using fingers to squeeze the air out of the rubber ink chamber. When fingers are released ink is draws into the reservoir. Plunger Converters are a form of piston converter, where the plunger is physically pushed down and pulled up to draw in ink. Push Button Converters create pressure inside the converter when the button is pushed. As a result, liquid ink is drawn into the converter when the button is released. How to Fill a Converter Pen The converter should be snugly inserted in the pen and the entire nib submerged up to the section in an ink bottle. Activate the converter with whichever method it requires until the ink reservoir is full.     Best Converter Fountain Pen The best converter pen is the Waterman Expert. Finding the best converter fountain pen comes down to taste and preference within the fountain pen world. However, it is hard to come across a company with the history of Waterman. Waterman’s Expert offers the same portability, elegance, and precision that made Waterman's Ideal a household pen. Here is a quick list of other converter pen brands that will not disappoint: Pilot Kaweco Lamy Franklin-Cristoph Platinum Visconti What Is A Piston Fountain Pen? This type of pen has a piston filling system built into the pen barrel itself. When you engage the piston mechanism (the mechanism will be proprietary to the brand), the piston plunger lowers in the pen and pushes out all the air. Then you re-engage the piston and pull it back up in the pen's barrel. Piston pens, as well as all the following filling systems, use the entire barrel of the pen to store ink instead of storing it in a separate attachment. One benefit is that the barrel holds a greater volume of ink than a cartridge or converter. How to Fill a Piston Fountain Pen To fill a piston fountain pen, submerge the entire nib in bottled ink and turn the knob at the back of the pen until the plunger descends and the knob stops turning. Turn the knob to pull the fountain pen ink back into the pen until the knob locks in place. Use a paper towel to dry any excess ink off the top side of the nib and around the grip. Best Piston Fountain Pen The best piston fountain pen is the TWSBI Eco. It is exceedingly affordable at around $32 and is a precision writing instrument. I love the TWSBI Eco pretty intensely for a couple of key reasons. TWSBI uses a lot of redundancy in this pen like a double layered cap that seals the nib to prevent dry out and two rubber gaskets around the plunger to prevent any leaking. The demonstrator body (meaning you can see the ink inside the pen) tells you just how much ink you have left. A springy, reliable nib in a variety of sizes. The Mystery Filler Fountain Pen These pens use a push button at the top of the pen to unlock the piston filler. Press the button, unlock the piston, and twist the top of the pen to send the plunger down.This expels air, and retracts to draw ink into the pen. Press the push button again to lock the piston into place. The Pineider Mystery Filler Fountain Pen currently has the unique Mystery Filler system. What is a Magnetic Filler Fountain Pen? These pens use a powerful magnet in the cap of the pen to manually lower and raise a plunger with a magnet inside the barrel of the pen. The magnet pushes out air as it descends. As it ascends, it draws up ink into the barrel. How to Fill a Magnetic Filler Fountain Pen Unscrew the cap from the top of the pen Place the magnet at the top of the cap against the magnet inside the barrel of the pen to engage. Slowly drag the cap down towards the nib of the pen, pulling the magnet inside the pen (and depressing the plunger) to the section end of the pen. Insert the nib in ink up to the section and slowly move the cap back up to the top of the pen. This will draw fountain pen ink into the reservoir. Once the magnet inside the pen reaches the top of the barrel, disengage the magnet in the cap, and the pen is ready to write. PenBBS Magnet Filler in action (please excuse the inky fingers!)by u/cursiveandcaffeine in fountainpens Best Magnetic Filler Fountain Pen The best magnetic filler fountain pen is the PENBBS 487 Fountain Pen. To be honest...I think it is the only magnetic filler fountain pen available. What is a Vacuum Fountain Pen? Vacuum filler fountain pens create an airless vacuum inside the ink chamber of the pen that, when released, draws ink into the chamber. How this happens looks a little different and explaining how it works also explains how to fill vacuum fountain pens. A vacuum fountain pen has a steel rod inside the pen attached to a plunger. Unscrew the blind cap at the end of the barrel to unlock the rod. Pull the rod out of the barrel as far as it goes. Insert the nib into the liquid up to a section, and then depress the rod back into the pen. When the plunger rod reaches the bottom of the barrel, ink fills into the space around the rod, and the pen is ready to write.     Now, the inside of the barrel where the rod and plunger are located is not uniform. Most of the barrel is a tight, sealing fit around the plunger. But close to where the ink chamber and the section come together on the pen, the diameter of the internal barrel widens. When the plunger hits the wider part of the barrel, the vacuum seal is broken. What does that have to do with getting ink into the pen? If the plunger stays tight inside the barrel the entire time, the pen works like a piston fountain pen, simply removing air from the chamber and drawing it back in as you twist the piston up. Instead, the vacuum filler breaks the air vacuum inside the pen. The plunger entering the wider area of the barrel draws the liquid into the barrel, behind the plunger (around the rod), thus creating equilibrium inside the pen. Best Vacuum Filler Fountain Pen Two great options exist for vacuum fillers: The TWSBI VAC700r at under $100 and the Pilot Custom 823 at over $100. Pump Filler/Vacumatic Filler Underneath the category of vacuum fillers are pump and vacumatic fillers. Pump fillers and vacumatic fillers use a rubber diaphragm instead of a plunger to create the vacuum pressure that sucks ink into the chamber. How this works: The top of the barrel attaches a spring-loaded plunger to a rubber sac diaphragm. (They generally store the plunger behind a blind-cap). When you depress the plunger, it stretches the diaphragm, pushing air out of the ink chamber and creating a vacuum. The spring releases and relaxes the diaphragm, and this action sucks ink into the barrel. A small breather hole here prevents each depression from pushing the ink back out of the barrel.     Multiple depressions or pumps are necessary to fill the barrel. Best Pump and Vacumatic Filler For around $17 the Wing Sung 601 is a modern pump filler that has created a lot of buzz for being a really decent pump filler fountain pen. The name "vacumatic" actually comes from the pen that uses it the Parker Vacumatic, which you can only find as a vintage fountain pen. What Is A Bladder/Rubber Sac Fountain Pen? Technically, bladder sac fountain pens are fountain pens that store the ink in a rubber sac inside the barrel of the pen. Now, the question “what is a bladder sac fountain pen” is a little confusing because if you google bladder sac fountain pen...you will not get any useful information. Any fountain pen that uses a permanent rubber bladder as the ink chamber is a bladder sac fountain pen. But, no fountain pen that uses a bladder sac uses that name. Why? Fountain pens get their names from how you fill them, not how they store the ink. As a result, there are a ton of different ways to fill a rubber sac. Engineers have designed beautiful mechanisms to fill fountain pens with a bladder sac. Bladder sac fill systems include: Lever Aerometric Crescent Pneumatic/Touchdown Snorkel What is a Lever Fountain Pen? A lever fountain pen uses a lever on the outside of the pen to push a pressure bar inside the pen. The pressure bar depresses the rubber sac in the barrel, pushing all air out of the sac. When the lever is released, the bar disengages from the sac, and the sac reinflates with ink. Modern lever fountain pens do not exist, but a large majority of vintage fountain pens used some sort of lever bar system like Swan Fountain Pens. What is an Aerometric Fountain Pen? An aerometric fountain pen uses a metal pressure bar around the rubber sac like a pair of tongs. Manually pinch the metal bar with fingers to depress the sac. When you release the pinch, the pen draws in the ink. The aerometric system is essentially a built in version of the CONB squeeze converter that Pilot uses. The Parker 51 was famously an aerometric pen. The modern iteration of the Parker 51 is a standard cartridge/converter pen.      What Is A Crescent Fountain Pen? The crescent fountain pen is an earlier model of the lever fountain pen but it has a crescent shaped metal bar protruding from the side of the barrel. The pen attaches the crescent to the pressure bar inside, and when you push the crescent, it depresses the sac inside, deflating it. When you release the crescent, the sac refills with liquid. Since the crescent always sticks out from the pen, the manufacturers placed a dial lock mechanism under the crescent to stop accidental depressions. To fill the pen, you must twist the dial lock to align a slot opening for the crescent lever. Conklin  invented the crescent filling mechanism and remains the only seller of crescent pens to this day. You can find crescent fountain pens in the vintage market or newly manufactured by Conklin. What is a Pneumatic/Touchdown Filler Fountain Pen? Pneumatic/Touchdown fountain pens work by creating air pressure around the rubber sac to compress it. Breaking the pressure vacuum around the sac causes the sac to expand and fill with fountain pen ink.     Most often, the pressure is created by using a finger to close the breather hole at the top of the blind cap and pulling the metal cylinder around the sac up to create an air vacuum that compresses the sac.  When the finger is released from the breather hole, air flows back into the barrel, releasing the pressure and reinflating the sac with ink.  Once the sac reinflates, the cylinder can be slid down around the sac, and the blind cap twisted closed. The pen is ready to write. The most notable modern pneumatic fountain pens are Edison Pen Company's Beaumont Pneumatic Fillers. What is a Snorkel Fountain Pen? A snorkel fountain pen is a touchdown fountain pen with a filler tube that descends out of the feed of the pen when the blind cap is unscrewed. This means that instead of submerging the entire fountain pen nib up to the section in fountain pen ink, just the filler tube (aka snorkel) needs to be submerged in ink to fill the pen.     Snorkel fountain pens are no longer in production, but are still a mainstay for vintage fountain pens. To snag one, look for a Sheaffer Snorkel or a Sheaffer PFM. The pen may need to be refurbished before use. What Is An Eyedropper Fountain Pen? Eyedropper fountain pens are fountain pens that use the entire barrel as the ink reservoir and are filled by unscrewing the barrel, using an eyedropper to fill the barrel with fountain pen ink, and then screwing the barrel back onto the section. Eyedropper fountain pens are incredibly straightforward and generally offer the largest volume of ink since there is no space taken up in the barrel by the filling system. Some pens are specifically made to be eyedropper style fountain pens, but almost any converter/cartridge fountain pen can be turned into an eyedropper fountain pen. All that is needed to convert cartridge fountain pens into these types of fountain pens is some sort of sealant like silicon grease and/or an o-ring rubber gasket. For example, the Platinum Preppy is often turned into an eyedropper pen by removing the fountain pen ink cartridge, sliding an O-ring to the base of the threads, filling the entire barrel with ink using an eyedropper or syringe, applying a thin layer of silicon grease to the threads of the section, and screwing the barrel and section carefully back together. Eyedropper pens do have a flaw that can deter users. The downside of the eyedropper pen...it burps. What is burping and how does it happen? Burping refers to a fountain pen expelling a glob of ink out of the nib. This can happen when a fountain pen experiences a change in atmospheric pressure. Since converted eyedroppers are a sealed system, they can leak ink into the cap when atmospheric pressure changes like a change in altitudes or drastic temperature variation occurs (think of flying in a plane or going from a hot car in the middle of summer to a chilly air conditioned room). When you write with an eyedropper (any pen actually), you use the ink and air replaces the space created by ink leaving the chamber. When the air inside the ink chamber experiences atmospheric changes, such as the heat from a hand warming the air inside the pen, that air creates pressure that pushes on the liquid ink causing it to burp out of the pen (like popping a bubble). The air wants to equalize, the ink is in the way of it equalizing, the air pushes the ink to move it out of the way so it can equalize…out comes an ink blob. This issue by no means deters all users, but some pen designers wanted to figure out a solution. Japanese Eyedropper Fountain Pen Japanese eyedropper fountain pens are exactly the same as standard eyedropper pens with the exception of an additional valve system that prevents the pen from leaking (burping) when not in use. This valve system essentially creates two ink chambers, one small one around the section of the pen and one large one around the barrel. When the valve is unscrewed and opened, ink flows from the large chamber into the smaller, supplying the pen with continuous fountain pen ink. When the valve is closed, the large chamber is sealed. Only the ink around the section can flow out of the pen. With the valve closed, the writer has a short term amount of ink for writing until the small chamber needs to be refilled. This matters when storing the pen. Since the large ink chamber can be sealed off from the pen, it cannot leak with atmospheric changes. No burping can happen. Best Japanese Style Eyedropper Fountain Pen With a demonstrator body, a large barrel that holds 3.5ml of ink, and a JoWo nib, the Opus 88 Omar Fountain Pen offers a great user experience in a pen that will take you a lot of writing before you even begin to think about refilling it. Safety Fountain Pens These pens are eyedropper style fountain pens with a nib that retracts into the barrel of the pen. Safety fountain pens are actually a very old style of fountain pen that is regaining popularity with Noodler's Boston Safety Pen. How does it work? Safety pens were designed to combat that same problem of ink leaking when the pen is not in use. Instead of dividing the pen into two chambers like the Japanese eyedropper pen, the safety pen makes the entire pen one single ink chamber. To do this, the entire nib retracts into the inkwell (submerging it in ink) and caps the pen at the reservoir so it is a single, sealed tube. To write with the pen, uncapped the pen with the nib pointed up. Push and slowly twist the back of the pen until the nib emerges from the ink chamber and locks into place. Once the nib is locked in, the pen is ready to write.     Since the nib sits in the ink before writing, there is no start up time necessary to get the ink flowing. The nib is wet from the start. How to Fill a Safety Pen Uncap the pen vertically, nib pointing upward and retracted. Fill the barrel of the pen with an eye dropper or syringe of ink (about 1ml). Extend the pen nib and write. Special note with Safety Pens: You must ensure the nib end of the pen points upward when you remove the cap. Because the nib is submerged, removing the cap eliminates the the ink's seal. If you uncap the pen horizontally or upside down, all the ink will spill out. To snag your own, get a Noddler’s Boston Safety Pen. Bulkfiller Fountain Pen Bulkfiller fountain pens use a hybrid filling system that is part piston filler part vacuum filler to maximize the amount of ink drawn into the pen by the filling system. Like a vacuum filler, a metal rod sits in the reservoir. When the knob on the blind cap is twisted, the rod unlocks and is pulled out of the pen. Keep twisting the knob with the rod pulled out to lock it into the piston plunger at the top of the barrel. Push the rod/plunger down ( just like piston fountain pens) to expel the air from the chamber and pull it back up to draw fountain pen ink into the pen. Then, turn the knob in the opposite direction to detach the rod from the plunger. Push the rod back into the pen, and the knob until you tighten the blind cap. What is great about a bulkfiller is it leaves almost no wasted space in the barrel (like an eyedropper style fountain pen). Currently only one company makes the bulkfiller system, Conid. To try one of these out, you will need to get your hands on a Conid pen like the Minimalistica. That brings me to the end of the different types of fountain pen ink filling systems, let's talk about the different types of fountain pen nibs. What Are the Different Types of Fountain Pen Nibs? The fountain pen nib is the other distinguishing factor of the fountain pen. Nibs ultimately have three distinctive features: their material, their style, and their size. Nib Material Stainless Steel Nib Stainless steel nibs are the most common form of nib material due to its resilience, its durability, and its affordability. Until the modern fountain pen, the nib material was a major source of trouble for fountain pens due to the corrosive nature of early fountain pen inks. Fountain pen inks had a history of eating away most metals (like the iron nib pen) with the exception of gold. Modern stainless steel has by and large solved the corrosive issue. Stainless steel nibs are incredibly resilient. I'll discuss this more when we talk about gold nibs, but steel is generally less flexible.  This means you will see less distinctive line variation in fountain pens, but they withstand the wear and tear of daily writing. Lastly, stainless steel is the most common of the types of fountain pen nibs...because it is much cheaper than precious metals. Gold used to be the standard for fountain pen nibs, but when the cost of gold went up, stainless steel became an affordable alternative.  Developers created different alloys to address historic steel problems, and by adjusting the thinness of the nib, they added some springiness to the steel nib giving it more writing character. Gold Nib People still consider gold nibs as premium nib material because of the cost of gold, its anti-corrosive nature, and the flexibility it provides. As previously mentioned, gold nibs were the historic solution to the corrosive nature of fountain pen ink. On top of that, gold is a soft metal which means it bends and flexes as the user writes. This gave the fountain pen nib a unique line variation that is a defining feature of the writing instrument. The nib's flexibility increases with the karat of gold used to make it. 14k nibs are relatively "stiff" compared to 18k or 23k nibs. One common practice is to have a gold-plated nib instead of just a solid gold nib pen. In this case the fountain pen nib will be stainless steel plated with gold. Titanium Nib Titanium nibs seek to find a middle ground between gold and steel. They are not particularly common, but titanium is cheaper than gold and resilient like steel, while offering a surprisingly tactile writing experience. Palladium Nib These are currently only used by Visconti on their high end pens. Palladium offers a similar user experience to gold with a springiness and flexibility that offers a little line variation, but with a particularly wet writing line. A wetter writing line means more ink is transferred to the page, leaving a darker, more defined line. Iridium You must mention this material when discussing nib material because many fountain pens commonly have an iridium tip, specifically the small ball you see at the end of round fountain pen nibs. Iridium is a very hard, anti-corrosive metal. The tip uses it to extend the nib's writing life while still maintaining the flexibility and springiness of the metal forming the nibs body. Nib Style The nib style is the shape of the nib and the nib point. Round Nib Round tip nibs are the most common nib style on fountain pens today. They are distinguished by the small round ball on the end that splits with the nib tines. Most people use round tips for everyday writing because they provide a more uniform writing line, and the extra metal(usually iridium) on the tip resists wear and tear.     How a user holds the pen, the orientation of the paper, angle of the nib...all these things have a much smaller impact on a round nib, meaning anyone can pick one up and use it. They are also a smoother writing experience since the tip mirrors a ball (like a ballpoint pen or a rollerball pen), and  allows the writer to write quickly without scratching the paper. Italic Nib These have a square nib point that is flat across the top with square edges. Italic nibs are famous for giving a huge amount of line variation all by changing the angle of the pen.  When you are thinking of how great your handwriting will look when you start using a fountain pen...you are probably imagining yourself with an italic nib. Italic nibs have a stiffer writing experience because of the squared edges. Using the pen nib at the wrong angle can tear into the paper or bend the tines because it puts stress on the wrong part of the nib. Time and practice are needed to build the technique of writing with an italic nib. Italic nibs also use more ink since they release more ink in each stroke. Stub Nib They have a square nib point that is flat across the top with rounded edges. Stub nibs are in between a round nib and an italic nib and have a popular following because they offer greater line variation with their flat tip, but do not require as much special attention to writing angle and hand position due to the rounded edges. (Neil deGrasse Tyson is a big stub nib fan). Stub nibs use ink more quickly than round nibs because they are wetter.  Flex Nib Flex nibs spread the tines easily when you apply pressure. This is done to create line variation like the italic nib. Where the italic nib is highly dependent on the size of the nib for the width of the variation, the flex nib is primarily dependent on the pressure of the strokes. Flex nibs are wetter since the amount of ink they release varies, and they do require some time to acquire the knack for using them. Flex along with italic and stub are often used in calligraphy writing. Shawn Buckles of the One Pen Show has an even more intricate breakdown of different nib shapes so for more information, check out his article. Nib Sizes Nib sizes are pretty straight forward. The smaller the nib size, the smaller the writing line. Nib sizes get very technical very quickly, grading up and down by millimeters, but as a general rule fine, medium, and broad are the go-to sizes. Fine These nibs are around 0.6mm in width and are ideal for quick writing, small font writing, and fine-line drawing. Fine nibs are more about precision than variation. If a person writes with their letters close together or very small, a fine point is the best option. Medium Medium point nibs have average width of 0.8mm in width and most users consider them the standard writing point. Standard handwriting size, daily writing...these are the kind of tasks where a medium nib is ideal. Broad Broad point nibs are around 1.0mm in width. This will have the best results for larger writing and signatures. The larger the point, the more ink it releases, and thus, i produces a wetter line. So if a writer tries to use a broad nib but has to write in a small window, the ink can run together and look like a blob. Whatever nib style and size you choose, remember to use the best ink for fountain pens to avoid issues such as a clogged nib. Conclusion That ends this article on the types of fountain pens available from different types of fountain pen filling systems to the different types of fountain pen nibs. What's your favorite fountain pen to use? Leave a comment below! And if I didn't mention your favorite filling system or nib type, let me know, and I will add it to the list. For more informative articles on pens, check out some of the Jotted Lines other articles: Who Invented the Ballpoint Pen: A Brief History How to Choose the Right Fountain Pen Ink The Top 11 Everyday Carry Pens: #1 Is James Bond's Pen Sam Di Nardo is an author for Dayspring Pens, where she has honed her expertise in ballpoint, rollerball, gel and fountain pens since joining the team in 2018. From her initial role as an Engraver to becoming the Production Manager, Sam's journey has been marked by her passion for the history, manufacturing, and the unique value of gifted writing instruments. A graduate of Regent University with a degree in English Literature and a special interest in Old Norse literature, dive deeper into Sam's world and discover why she's your trusted guide in the realm of gift pens. Follow Sam on LinkedIn.

In this article, I'm simply going to list our 13 best-selling personalized pens and offer short overviews of each one. You'll get a look at the best features of each personalized pen, variations within each pen line, writing styles, and reasons why people choose each one over the others. Personalized pens are some of the best kinds of customized gifts available on the internet, especially for business gifts. We hope this list is representative of some of the best pens for writing out there and can help you find the right one for you! 1.) Cross Calais The Calais from A.T. Cross pens is our #1 best-selling personalized pen and our Best Cross Pen at Dayspring Pens, and it's easy to see why.  The Calais is easily the most affordable (starting from $28.34), best designed, and reliable luxury pens on the market. The most popular versions of the Calais are: The Cross Calais Chrome Ballpoint (pictured above) The Cross Calais Blue Lacquer Ballpoint The Cross Calais Chrome and Blue Double Pen Set (A Dayspring Pens Exclusive) and the Cross Calais Chrome Graduation Emblem Ballpoint The engraving on these personalized pens looks really clear, so it makes a really great base for a meaningful gift pen. It's got a mid-sized barrel; that means it's great for logo engraving for promotional gifts and merchandise. 2.) Parker Jotter The Jotter from Parker pens is one of the best personalized pens out there with the most bang per buck. Starting at only $23.09, the Jotter has a minimal design and construction but the maximum in solid durability. It comes standard as a smooth-writing gel pen. The most popular models of the Jotter are: The Parker Jotter Chrome Gel Pen with Gold Trim (pictured above) The Parker Jotter Chrome Gel Pen and the Parker Jotter Gel Pen in Waterloo Blue The engraving comes out similar to the Classic Century from Cross Pens. This one is sure to please; it's my preferred pen. And you don't need to just take my word for it. Bryan Collins author of Yes, You Can Write points out the strength of the Parker Jotter in his informative article on the Best Pens for Writing in 2022. Plus, it's got the best click feeling ever. 3.) Dayspring Pens Monroe Pen and Pencil Set The Monroe Pen and Pencil Set is one of the best pen sets available on our website, and it's one of the most affordable gold pens on the internet. A solid construction, rubber grip, and high-quality ballpoint cartridge make this pen as reliable and easy-to-use as a Cross pen, but for an even lower price point. The best value deal for the Monroe is definitely the personalized pen and pencil set which includes a click pen and mechanical pencil. The other Monroe models include: The Monroe Black Pen and Pencil Set The Monroe Single Black Pen Ballpoint The Monroe Blue Pen and Pencil Set The Monroe Red Pen and Pencil Set Any length of engraving looks great on Monroe personalized pens. It's taller barrel means that it can accommodate longer engravings without looking overpacked. 4.) Cross Classic Century This slender, professional Cross Pen is just as reliable as the Calais, but marks a step up in stand-out design, luxury, and elegance. These personalized pens have historically been given to graduates with many peoples keeping (and using) the Classic Century for over 40 years. The most popular models of the Classic Century are: The Cross Classic Century Chrome Ballpoint The Cross Classic Century 23kt Gold Pen Ballpoint The Cross Classic Century Chrome Pen and Pencil Set (Pictured Above) The Cross Classic Century Medalist Ballpoint and The Cross Classic Century Black and Gold Pen Ballpoint The engraving texture on the Classic Century is a little more subtle than the Calais, especially on the chrome and gold pen versions—but it really pops in bright gold on the black models—making it the perfect graduation gift pen. 5.) Waterman Hemisphere The Hemisphere is one of the best Waterman pens available. It's a favorite personalized pen with both our customers and our staff. With the Hemisphere, Waterman have crafted an incredibly smooth pen in each of its pen writing styles, and it stands in a much higher pedigree of luxury than its Cross pens counterparts. The Hemisphere has a slimmer barrel; however, it does not lose anything in solidity. It's even got a nice weight to it—not too heavy, but enough weight to give it a nice sense of purpose. These personalized pens just take the cake as far as writing experience. The best selling Hemispheres styles available from Dayspring Pens are: The Waterman Hemisphere Black and Gold Ballpoint Pen (pictured above) The Waterman Hemisphere Stainless Steel and Gold Ballpoint Pen The Waterman Hemisphere Black and Gold Rollerball Pen The Waterman Hemisphere Stainless and Gold Rollerball Pen There are also some Waterman pen sets available exclusively from Dayspring pens. 6.) Cross Coventry       The entry level Cross pen, the Coventry is a ballpoint pen that maintains all the classical elements of a luxury pen, all metal construction, fine lacquer finishes, precision mechanisms, in a pen that starts in the low $30s. What is great about this pen is that it is a thoughtful, uniquely customizable pen that can be given out without the need for a big occasion or a high ticket buy. I see them most commonly given as gifts for coworkers, corporate gifts, and friends who want to share a nice present. The color options available for the Coventry are: Black Coventry Ballpoint Blue Coventry Ballpoint (Pictured above) Red Coventry Ballpoint Chrome Coventry Ballpoint Chrome Coventry Ballpoint and Pencil Set The Coventry is a no stress gift option when looking for a gift for things like the office Secret Santa or a team present at the start of a project. 7.) Waterman Expert The Waterman Expert Black and Gold Pen Ballpoint (pictured above) is one of our best professional pens. The cigar-shaped medium barrel design makes it a comfortable options for both men and women. The accents give it a classic look perfect for the professional world. Its larger cap and solid construction have made it the luxury pen of choice for logo engraved gifts to executives and for career milestones. Aside from the ballpoint, here's our Waterman Expert selection: The Waterman Expert Stainless Gold Trim Ballpoint The Waterman Expert Black and Chrome Trim Ballpoint The Waterman Expert Stainless Chrome Ballpoint Pen The Waterman Expert Black Fountain and Ballpoint Pen Set Each style has the Waterman guarantee for excellent, smooth writing, which makes finding the best Expert a matter of preference over objectivity.     8.) Dayspring Pens Alexandria The Alexandria Blue Fountain Pen seen above is a best seller for two reasons: 1.) because it is a great entry level fountain pen and 2.) because of its wide barrel. We constantly hear from beginners and fountain pen buffs how solid the nib of the Alexandria Fountain pen is and starting at $31.49 it can be a great option for trying out different kinds of fountain pen ink without worrying about mucking up a more expensive pen. The wide barrel on these personalized pens is also perfect for larger hands. The popular Alexandria options include:  Alexandria Red Fountain Pen Alexandria Blue Fountain Pen and Rollerball Set Alexandria Black Ballpoint Alexandria Blue Rollerball Each Alexandria Fountain Pen includes an ink converter and two free black universal ink cartridges. 9.) Cross Bailey The Cross Bailey line is the perfect example of the professional line of AT Cross pens. Recognizably Cross, the Bailey features a medium barrel, etched banding, and an incredible clip that is large enough for an easy slide in and out of pockets and portfolios. A step up from the Cross Calais, the Bailey is a business pen. The ballpoint is great for constant note-taking, the fountain pen for signing, and the rollerball for just about everything else. The best selling Baileys and colors are: Bailey Medalist Ballpoint (pictured above) Bailey Black Lacquer Fountain Pen Bailey Medalist Ballpoint and Rollerball Set (Exclusive to Dayspring Pens) Bailey Blue Lacquer Rollerball Bailey Red Lacquer Ballpoint Plenty of space on the cap for engraving makes this a popular pen for logo and two line engravings. 10.) Parker IM Glossy black lacquer and the icon Parker arrow clip with polished gold accessories highlight the Parker IM Rollerball seen above. Designed to be modern, comfortable, and professional, the Parker IM is a go-to gift for graduations and celebratory office gifts. The Parker IM offers the only click-action ballpoint pens in the professional lines of our luxury pens starting at $33.59. Available in black or blue lacquer with gold or silver appointments, the best of the Parker IMs are as follows: Parker IM Black Gold Trim Ballpoint Parker IM Blue Silver Trim Rollerball Parker IM Blue Silver Trim Ballpoint The perfect barrel size for logos and signature engravings, the Parker IM engravings match the trims for a stand out personalization. If you are a Parker Pen fan, the IM is a must try. 11.) Cross Century II The ideal blend of the Cross Classic Century and the Cross Townsend, the Century II shows the best that Cross has to offer. Where some of the more premium Cross pen lines can become self-indulgent or unwieldy, the Century II nails the classic elegance and functional design that has made Cross a household name. It's a sharp-looking pen with quality construction. Even the twist of the ballpoint and the snap of the capped models feel expensive. What are the top Century II contenders? Century II Black Lacquer with Gold Trim Ballpoint Century II Black lacquer with Gold Trim Rollerball Pen Century II Medalist Ballpoint Pen 12.) Dayspring Pens Abingdon Pen A staff favorite, the Abingdon gives a luxury writing experience in a pen designed to highlight a custom engraving. This affordable pen is one of the smoothest sets from both the ballpoint to the rollerball available at Dayspring. A twist-action ballpoint and capped rollerball, the Abingdon writes so well I regularly dig through our test pen bucket for any extras. The Abingdon has a lustrous chrome barrel with a wide cap that can handle longer names and messages like a champ. The pen options available for the Abingdon are: Abingdon Chrome Ballpoint Pen Abingdon Chrome Rollerball Pen (Pictured Above) Abingdon Blue Ballpoint Pen Abingdon Blue Rollerball Pen The Abingdon pens are hands down one of Dayspring Pens greatest deals and best kept secrets. 13.) Dayspring Pens Woodmark Pen and Pencil Set Our only selection that is entirely wood except for the mechanical elements and appointments, the Woodmark pen and pencil sets are one of a kind since no two pieces of wood are the same. Showing off the natural grains of rosewood, the warm finish of these personalized pens make them an excellent accessory to a desk. An affordable option for promotional gifting, the case offers a large medium for both logo and text engravings. There is also versatility in how the custom pens sets are customized with the option to engrave the case and the writing instruments differently. The most popular of the Woodmark line ranks: The Deluxe Woodmark Rosewood Pen and Pencil Case Woodmark Rosewood Pen and Case Medical Themed Doctor Gift Pen and Case Graduation Themed Rosewood Gift Pen and Case Each rosewood ballpoint is also compatible with Cross brand ink refills making it a convenient for refilling. What's included with a Dayspring Pen? Every Dayspring pen comes with a free single line of custom engraving and free standard shipping in the US. Each one includes ink and comes gift-ready in a gift box with a personal gift note available. All personalized pens also come with a varying warranty against mechanical issues from the manufacturers. People Also Ask... How do you put your name on a pen? Easy! Get your pen laser engraved. Engraving usually costs about $5-$15, but it's free from Dayspring Pens. How much do personalized pens cost? Personalized pens cost about as much as any other kind of luxury pen: they can range in price from $5 to $1,500 or more, depending on the quality of the pen. How long does it take to get personalized pens? Dayspring Pens ships your personalized pen in one business day! That means that, depending where you live, you can get it in 3-6 business days. What is the smoothest pen? There's a lot of high-quality pens out there that claim to write the smoothest. Not to mention, what one means by "smoothest" differs between writers. However, fountain pens are arguably the smoothest writing pens available on the market.  Have a look at the Waterman Hemisphere fountain pen or our very own Alexandria fountain pen. These high-quality pens write incredibly smoothly. Conclusion I hope this list helps you find the right pen for you from the Dayspring Pens Best Sellers. We pride ourselves on giving maximum help in navigating the big world of luxury pens to every customer. If you want to stay up to date with our best sellers, new products, and special discounts, consider subscribing to our Dayspring Pens newsletter at the bottom of this page. Let us know which of these fine writing instruments is your favorite in the comments below! Sam Di Nardo is an author for Dayspring Pens, where she has honed her expertise in ballpoint, rollerball, gel and fountain pens since joining the team in 2018. From her initial role as an Engraver to becoming the Production Manager, Sam's journey has been marked by her passion for the history, manufacturing, and the unique value of gifted writing instruments. A graduate of Regent University with a degree in English Literature and a special interest in Old Norse literature, dive deeper into Sam's world and discover why she's your trusted guide in the realm of gift pens. Follow Sam on LinkedIn.

When it comes to shopping for a luxury gold pen, there are a lot of options out there. That doesn't mean all the options are good. Additionally, finding a great gold pen doesn't just mean the pen is loaded with 23k gold. In the search for the best gold pen, the key is finding a pen that writes as sharp as it looks.  Also, it is surprisingly difficult to find gold-plated pens. Not brass pens that look gold. Actual gold pens.  This article is going to talk about the top best gold pens that deliver quality writing as well as quality style in a variety of prices to help you shop for the pen that works best for you. 10.) Dayspring Pens Monroe Gold Pen Set 9.) Cross Townsend 8.) Pilot Metropolitan 7.) Dayspring Pen Braxton Set 6.) Cross Century II 5.) Caran d'Ache Madison Cisele  4.) Cross Tech3+ 3.) Parker Jotter XL 2.) Santos de Cartier Ballpoint Pen 1.) Cross Classic Century   So here we go! 10.) Dayspring Pens Monroe Gold Pen Set The Dayspring Pens Monroe gold set is an 18k gold plated ballpoint and mechanical pencil set that comes with a free line of custom engraving.     Both writing instruments are click action with an ergonomic rubber grip, medium black ink, and 0.7mm lead. Priced around $31.00, the Monroe is a great entry level gold set that is all about functionality and simplicity. 9.) The Cross Townsend Gold Pen The Townsend "Pen of Presidents" is famous for its role as the official pen of multiple American president administrations. Medium barreled, nicely weighted, and perfectly balanced, the Townsends is now available in 10k rolled gold finish as a ballpoint, rollerball, or fountain pen. Indeed this pen is known for being the mark of the professional so its great for making impressions in the business world. 8.) Pilot Metropolitan On the opposite end of the spectrum from the Peerless, the Pilot Metropolitan in gold is a whopping $28.31 fountain pen. The level and quality of gold in this pen is significantly lower. However, I have this pen on the list because it is hands down the best entry level fountain pen on the market and which just so happens to come in gold too! It is an incredible fountain pen for the price. Not only great for quick signatures but also long writing stints. Additionally, it comes with a fine point nib and is super easy to fill with ink, making it a no brainer for trying out different color inks and styles. 7.) Dayspring Pens Braxton Set 18k gold plated barrels and appointments are marked by colored lacquer caps in either red, blue, or green in this ballpoint and rollerball set. A Dayspring Pens staff favorite, the Braxton may be the smoothest writing combination on this list. 6.) Cross Century II Golden Pen The Cross Century II takes the storied Classic Century (we'll get to this pen) and adds a little more body and modern design to it. It is a lustrous 10k gold pen that can be found as a ballpoint, rollerball, and fountain pen. The Century II is a slimmer medium barrel pen that I recommend as a rollerball for the easy glide of the gel ink as well as the snap of the cap which speaks to the craftsmanship of design.  Further Reading: Fountain Pen Review: The Cross Century II 5.) Caran d'Ache Madison Cisele 18k gold with the writing perfection of a pen company that is known for delivering Swiss quality to writing and art materials.  A slender, round barrel, the Madison Cisele has a jointed clip and fine barrel etching.  It is a pen that exemplifies gold with its elegant simplicity that does not need elaborate embellishments. 4.) Cross Tech3+ This 23k gold pen is a black ink ballpoint, a red ballpoint, and a 0.7 mm lead pencil complete with a stylus for electronic devices and an eraser under the cap.     I personally think this twist-action pen is one of the best pens made by the Cross brand. The fine tip gives a particularly nice writing line and has little to no skipping. As multifunction pens go, this is the best a customer can find, especially in gold. 3.) Parker Jotter XL Ballpoint Gold Pen I love the Jotter. It's been around for over 60 years for a reason - mainly the durable construction, slim portable design, and the satisfying click. The fact that Parker decided to make a gold finish is a sweet bonus. This affordable offering has Parker's famous Quink that is quite an admirable ballpoint, but for an extra great experience swap the ballpoint refill for the Quink gel pen refill. You will not regret it.  Related Reading: The Parker Jotter: The Pen You See in Every Movie 2.) Santos de Cartier Golden Ballpoint Pen The Santos de Cartier ballpoint pen is a gold plated ballpoint pen that carries all the high fashion designer distinction that has made Cartier famous. Luxury that is unquestionable, the ballpoint pen has a gadroon motif etched into the barrel of the pen. This pen is perfect for name brand luxury aficionados, both as a writing instrument and as a collector's item.  1.) Cross Classic Century The old tried and true Cross Classic Century comes in at number one. Cross has manufactured its slim, iconic design since 1940s, emphasizing the Classic Century's consistency. Subtle, incise patterning in the gold gives added elegance to the best gold pen Cross has to offer. The Classic Century has durability on top of great presentation, which makes it a great writing tool for any task. A traditional graduation gift, the Classic Century comes both in 23k gold and is available as a pen and pencil set as well as a ballpoint, rollerball, and fountain pen. The 10 Best Gold Pens Today That's it for the latest results on the top 10 gold pens by the leading brands. I hope this will help as you do your shopping! If you are looking for more help or are curious about other luxury pens, check out some of my other articles on the best pens currently on the market. What is your favorite pen? Let me know in the comments below and if it's not on my list I'd be happy to give it a try! Sam Di Nardo is an author for Dayspring Pens, where she has honed her expertise in ballpoint, rollerball, gel and fountain pens since joining the team in 2018. From her initial role as an Engraver to becoming the Production Manager, Sam's journey has been marked by her passion for the history, manufacturing, and the unique value of gifted writing instruments. A graduate of Regent University with a degree in English Literature and a special interest in Old Norse literature, dive deeper into Sam's world and discover why she's your trusted guide in the realm of gift pens. Follow Sam on LinkedIn.

The Dayspring Pens office was abuzz when we received the first submissions for the inaugural Dayspring Pens Scholarship Program. Now months later and over 700 applications submitted, we are proud to announce the finalists and winners of the Scholarship Program.  In this article, you can find out all about the requirements, the scholarship selection process, and read the incredible work submitted by one of our finalists and the winner. Let's start with the scholarship requirements.     What were the scholarship requirements? The Dayspring Pens Scholarship Program states that anyone interested in applying for the scholarship must be a US resident or student visa holder, 18 years or older. The applicant must also be enrolled in any undergraduate or graduate program at an accredited US college or university. This scholarship was open to both undergrad and graduate students attending any accredited university within the United States, as well as high school seniors who have been accepted into a university program in the coming Fall semester. Each applicant was required to submit: Full name Address Phone number Date of birth School name Major Expected graduation date (for high school seniors only) Proof of eligibility Write a 500-word essay about the following prompt: Name a fictional character that you connected with in the last year and describe how they have made a lasting impact on your life. Applications were submitted by the deadline of January 9, 2023 What were we looking for? Beyond meeting the preliminary submission requirements, we were looking for essays that showed a thoughtful analysis of the fictional character chosen and an introspective discussion on the connection the character had on the essayist's life. We wanted to see submissions that showed how interacting with a fictional character made an impact beyond simple enjoyment of a storyline- how the character brought value to their lives and caused the essayists to reflect more deeply on their lives or their view of the world. We also were looking for submissions that were properly formatted grammatically and fell within 100 words plus or minus the 500 word count requirement.     What was the voting process? First, all submissions that did not meet submission requirements of naming a fictional character and being between 450-550 words were removed. Then, each submission was read looking specifically for correct formatting and grammar and for the essayist's ability to share a personal reflection on the fictional character with whom the writer was impacted. This included the applicant's analysis of the character and the ability of the applicant to synthesize personal thoughts on the character's nature or experience in relation to the individual's life. Once the submissions were narrowed down to the top twenty essays, the entire office staff read each essay and voted in two rounds that left a near unanimous vote for our winner and finalists. What the Finalists and Winner received Our two finalists received an engraved Dayspring Pens A5 Leather Padfolio and engraved pen.       Our winner received the aforementioned padfolio and pen in addition to a one-time award of $1000.00 to offset the costs of tuition, books, computers, room, or any other education-related expense. The Applications We received over 700 applications with fictional characters selected from film, television, books, and manga, ranging from Spongebob to Atticus Finch. The Finalists We selected two finalists to receive an engraved padfolio and pen. Our first finalist is Avanless Peterson. To read Avanless's wonderful essay on Dalinar of Brandon Sanderson's The Way of Kings and a journey toward authenticity and integrity, click here. Our second finalist wished to remain anonymous. The Winner We are proud to announce the Winner of the Dayspring Pens Scholarship for 2023 is Hannah Oman. To read Hannah's exceptional essay on Katara of Avatar: The Last Airbender and the power and beauty of forgiveness, click here. Conclusion Thank you very much to Hannah Oman, Avanless Peterson, our second finalist, and all the applicants who submitted essays for the scholarship. It was a joy and an honor to read each individual's work. For more information on the Dayspring Pens 2024 Scholarship or to make a submission for the upcoming school year see our Scholarship Program page. Sam Di Nardo is an author for Dayspring Pens, where she has honed her expertise in ballpoint, rollerball, gel and fountain pens since joining the team in 2018. From her initial role as an Engraver to becoming the Production Manager, Sam's journey has been marked by her passion for the history, manufacturing, and the unique value of gifted writing instruments. A graduate of Regent University with a degree in English Literature and a special interest in Old Norse literature, dive deeper into Sam's world and discover why she's your trusted guide in the realm of gift pens. Follow Sam on LinkedIn.

The world of fountain pens is vast and full of tons of boutique makers who make some truly excellent pens. But navigating which brands will give you a great writing experience and the aesthetic you want can be a little tricky. This especially true when entry level pen price points start around $20. Today, I'll familiarize you with the fountain pen brands you need to know. Additionally, I'll give you the best cheap and luxury options. Let's start with what to look for when buying a fountain pen. What to Look for When Buying Fountain Pens  The ideal fountain pen: Is quick to write a smooth line Has no scratching or skipping Feels comfortable to hold and use Has an enjoyable look Leaking ink, a scratchy nib that skips, and a pen that is difficult to maintain can kill any joy at using a fountain pen. It is always good to ask yourself these questions when you are shopping for a fountain pen. What kind of writing am I looking to do? Am I doing daily notetaking and letter writing? Am I drawing? What level of work am I interested in? Do I want something quick and easy, low maintenance? Do I want something hands-on and customizable? What kind of nib do I need? Am I writing for aesthetics or practicality? Does how it looks match my tastes? With those questions in mind, I am going to start by listing some brands that are a must know. Firstly, I will break down the brands. Then, I will talk about the best , beginner fountain pens all in the $30 or under category. These can easily be found online or through a local stationary shop. Lastly, I will talk about a good place to start for a luxury brand. Pen Brands You Need to Know Waterman Easily the most historic brand on the list, Waterman is responsible for (sort of) inventing the fountain pen. And unlike other historic brands, the Waterman name still holds true to creating a great fountain pen. They also excel at luxury. Each Waterman pen will come with fine finishes and precious metals. TWSBI Known for their demonstrator pens (meaning the barrel is clear so you can see the ink inside the pen), TWSBI is the new kid on the block, but do not let that fool you. After working in the manufacturing process for 50 years, TaShin Precision decided to make its own brand of fountain pens. Interestingly, the brand they created has quickly become one of the most impressive writing brands on the market. With entry level pens like the ECO, TWSBI pens offer a hands on fountain pen experience. This you can't find without going to a real boutique brand or attending a Pen Show. Pilot A powerhouse on my Best Ballpoint Pens Brands list, what Pilot makes, Pilot dominates. A staple of Japanese pen making, Pilot originally began as a fountain pen company under the name Namiki Manufacturing Company. Despite expanding to include ballpoint pens and rollerballs (all hail the G-2), they have never ceased to produce remarkable fountain pens in every tier. They have beginner pens like the Metropolitan as well as luxury pens like the Custom (a favorite of Neil Gaiman). LAMY You'll be hard pressed to find a list of top fountain pens (or top pens in general) without finding at least one LAMY fountain pen on there. A German brand, LAMY pens are known for their resin based, lightweight bodies and their special tripod grip. The LAMY Safari is constantly tussling with the likes of the Pilot Metropolitan and the Preppy Platinum for best beginner pen on the market. Kaweco Another German brand, Kaweco fountain pens thrive on melding nostalgic designs with modern technology. Kaweco fountain pens have lightweight, collapsible bodies that require you to post the cap to get a full sized writing pen. So if you are looking for a fountain pen to stick in your pocket or travel with, start here. Visconti Italian luxury at its finest, Visconti fountain pens are the best of Italian craftsmanship. With no entry level pens in sight, Visconti are made for someone who is looking for an excellent fountain pen and knows how to use them. Visconti pens are works of art and worth every penny. Sailor One of the historic Japanese pen brands, Sailor Pens' big claim to fame is their use of solid gold nibs (caveat: not all their pens automatically come with gold nibs nowadays). Sailor nibs are so popular that other brands will order Sailor nibs for their premium pens. A household name in Japan, Sailor has made quite a name for itself in the US and the Pro Gear regularly pops up as a must try high end fountain pen. With the brand introductions out of the way, let's talk about what writing instruments are best. Cheap Best Fountain Pens There are a lot of great affordable fountain pens for beginners out there. Notably, some of these pens are good enough that you can use them your whole fountain pen life and be an incredibly happy writer. What brand of pen is the best? The best brand of fountain pen is Pilot. Pilot takes the cake for quite a few reasons but in particular for their ability to create an excellent fountain pen at every price point from disposable and entry level to high end luxury. Whether manufacturing in bulk or handcrafting individual pens, Pilot delivers an exquisite nib that feels adaptive and responsive when writing. I tried multiple Pilot fountain pens (the Varsity, Metropolitan, and Vanishing Point to be precise) and found each one to offer a comfortable, easy grip on a reasonably sized pen. The ink flowed consistently with no trailing or skipping and the refillable pens were easy to refill. Speaking specifically to the cheaper Pilot Pens, the Pilot Metropolitan is remarkable at its under $20 price range. Beginners and fountain pen enthusiasts have long heralded as a favorite pen.   FIND YOUR PILOT PEN TODAY   Related Topic: How to Clean a Fountain Pen The fountain pen best for daily use When it comes to pens for daily fountain pen users, the TWSBI Eco offers a high quality writing experience in a solid barrel that holds quite a bit of ink. The Eco is a demonstrator pen which means it does not take cartridges. Instead, the entire barrel of the pen acts as a converter in this piston filling fountain pen. The TWSBI Eco has a double cap (a cap inside the cap) that ensures a tighter seal when the pen is stored, meaning the nib is still wet and ready to write even after days or weeks of not using the pen. (I once spent my entire maternity leave not using my Eco Twist. Uncapped it, and it started writing immediately). Full disclosure, the TWSBI Eco is my daily writer and is a personal favorite for all the reasons I listed. This is my most recommended pen. The most ergonomic fountain pen The most ergonomic fountain pen is the LAMY Safari. Light weight and larger barreled, the LAMY Safari was designed to offer the easy, near pressureless writing that comes with a weighted pen without the strain needed to hold a heavier pen. However, the Safari also offers the well known LAMY triangular or tripod grip that means less strain on your fingers as you hold the pen. The LAMY 2000 is also a good option for an ergonomic pen at a more luxury price point.  Discover: How to Refill a Fountain Pen: The Beginner's Guide What is the best fountain pen to draw with? The best entry level pen to draw with is the Pilot Kakuno fine nib and for high quality pens the Pelikan M200. This is a tough category to talk about without veering into calligraphy pens, which are a beautiful breed of their own. (Calligraphy pens are also more often than not dip pens which are not technically fountain pens). What makes a fountain pen good for drawing or sketching is a flexible nib, large ink supply, and generally a precision nib size (fine or extra fine). Both the Kakuno and the M200 offer a ready ink supply and the flexible nib that give the writing line some variation depending on the pressure applied while writing. The Kakuno starts around $10 and is worth getting to try out drawing with a fountain pen. The Pelikan M200 boasts a gold nib which can offer greater flexibility while maintaining its point, but it starts in the $200 price range. Which brand of pen lasts the longest? The fountain pen that lasts the longest will be the pen with a high ink capacity; ie: generally fountain pens that use the eyedropper filling system. Eyedropper fountain pens use the entire barrel of the fountain pen as the ink reservoir. This means no wasted space in the reservoir. The larger the barrel of the fountain pen, the larger the ink capacity and the longer it will last. Pens like the Opus 88 Omar are particularly known for holding up to 3.5ml of ink. Honorable Mention for Cheap Fountain Pens: Platinum Preppy I did not include Platinum in my list of brands, but the Platinum Preppy is a wonder of a fountain pen at under $10. A touch scratchy, but a great fountain pen to keep on your desk or bag that is ready to write even after prolonged periods unused. Learn More: How To Store a Fountain Pen Properly   Best Luxury Brand Fountain Pens Also taking the prize for the best luxury fountain pens is Pilot Pens. The higher end Pilot fountain pens amplify the smooth lines and steady flow writing experience of the entry level Pilots, while offering premium finishes, precious metals, and innovations to the writing instruments. The Vanishing Point is known as the world's first capless fountain pen. (That's right. It's a retractable fountain pen.) It's a really cool great pen. And also, the Pilot E95 and the Custom are vintage inspired, beautiful, and truly excellent in the fountain pen world. Namiki Pens I could not place Pilot as the best of the luxury brand fountain pens without mentioning Namiki Pens. Owned by Pilot, Namiki Pens are handmade in Japan with maki-e and urushi lacquer finishes that are one of a kind. Each pen is an individual work of art and delivers the same exquisite quality writing as the craftsmanship. Namiki pens start around $750 and go into the $1000s easily, so they are ultra luxury fountain pens. Best Affordable Fountain Pens The best affordable luxury fountain pens are the Conklin All American and the Kaweco AL Sport. Conklin The Conklin All American is a large barrel pen that is surprisingly delightful to use. The steady flow of the pen feels buttery against paper and it handles really well for being such a big pen. Each pen has vintage inspired resin bodies and is lightweight so there is very little strain on the hand while using. Kaweco The Kaweco AL Sport is a pocket pen meaning it collapses into a short pen when the cap is not posted on the end. Lightweight but exceedingly durable with its aluminum body, the AL Sport fine point nib releases an ample amount of ink, making the pen feel very wet without compromising the thin fine line of the fountain pen nib size. Capped the pen is a whopping 4.25 inches and feels like a new take on a retro pen. You can find the Kaweco AL Sport in a variety of different finishes and bright colors, and the Kaweco packaging is an experience. Best Luxury Fountain Pen The best high end luxury fountain pen brand is the Florence based Visconti Pens. Visconti Using a Visconti pen feels about as great as walking down the streets of Florence on crisp fall day. From the weight to the quality of the finishes to the spring loaded clip and the magnetic cap, every piece of the pen exudes the robust beauty and technical excellence of the country it was made in.   The Visconti Van Gogh fine point nib is springy and super responsive, leaving a unique variation to the writing line that gives a unique character to every handwriting. Visconti makes a writing instrument to be proud of and I would be remiss if I did not say that the depth of movement and color they achieve in their resin finishes is a testament to the fountain pen industry. Honorable Mention for Best Luxury Pen: The Franklin-Christoph Model 20 (Marietta) A completely new brand to me, I was quite frankly blown away by the Franklin-Christoph Marietta. The hand ground, italic stub nib is the most remarkable nib I have ever used. The design of the pen is very vintage and may not make a statement in how it looks compared to the fine finishes of brands like Visconti and Waterman, but the writing of this pen was so exquisite I had to include it. Best Fountain Pen for Gifts Waterman and Dayspring Pens rank as the best brands to give as gifts.  Waterman As said in the Ballpoint Pen Brands article, Waterman pens are just downright excellent pens. Every element of a Waterman Pen feels intentional and well made. And as the "inventor" (sort of) of the fountain pen, the popular models the Hemisphere and the Carene both feature a gold nib and the pride of being one of the oldest brands of fountain pen. Craftsmen still make Waterman pens in France and, the personal touch of custom engraving makes them a perfect high end gift. And don't sleep on Waterman's entry level fountain pen, the Allure. I was delightfully surprised at what a good beginner fountain pen it was at a price comparable to a Metropolitan or a Safari.  Further Reading: The Story of How Waterman Came to Define Fountain Pen Elegance Dayspring Pens A new company to manufacturing pens, Dayspring Pens has long been a company that focused on gifting pens and custom engravings. Designers created the Alexandria fountain pen to be a great gift pen. Affordable, large barreled, and finished with 23k gold, the pen has a classic understated aesthetic that draws the eye to the custom engraving on the cap. With a responsive, medium point nib and a free line of custom engraving with the pen, the Alexandria is an easy gift to give at around $30. Are Sailor Pens Worth It? In researching for this article, I knew that Sailor is considered one of the top fountain pen brands regularly compared to Pilot or Waterman. Also a Japanese brand Sailor Pens are often cited as better in the community, largely commented on for the quality of their fountain pen nib. The Sailor gold nib is even sold to other pen companies like AT Cross who include them as a selling point for their top of the line pens like the Peerless. I ordered a Sailor Pro Gear to try the brand and ultimately I have to agree with some of the critiques I have seen online about Sailor. The pen felt overpriced for the quality of the writing experience. The gold nib was very stiff with very little flex and in regards to the construction of the pen, the resin barrel felt like a less durable plastic than a sturdy resin. The Pro Gear was by no means a bad pen, but I was ultimately underwhelmed, especially when tested against the price comparable Visconti or some Pilot pens. As an aside on the price point: In Japan, Sailor pens have a mid-range price point, but their import status in the West increases it. I want to now touch on some questions I see a lot in regards to finding a good fountain pen. Best Fountain Pens for Beginners I agree with experts who say the perfect first pen is the Pilot Metropolitan or the Platinum Preppy. Both these pens are under $20s, come with an ink cartridge, and allow you to choose your nib size. As a rule of thumb: Fine or Extra Fine Nib if your writing style is small letters and close together Medium Nib for a larger handwriting Broad Nib for signing and hand lettering Make sure to snag some higher quality writing paper like Dayspring Pens or Rhodia while you are at it. If you start with your first fountain pen and some regular notebook paper or printer paper, you might get a negative writing experience. This is because the low grade paper can rip when the wet nib writes against it. It will also feather quite a bit and can make your letters bleed together, which is a pretty big letdown. If you are looking to start off with one that is a more of a hands on writing instrument, start out with a TWSBI Eco. You will need to purchase an ink bottle since it does not take cartridges, but that is part of the fun of a fountain pen. Some of the brands that make the best ink for fountain pens include: Noodlers : all about making good quality affordable ink Diamine : Give the Sheening Inks a try for something really fun Jacques Herbes : Fancy Ink...some are scented How do I know which style of fountain pen is best for me? The best style for you is the one that: Feels the most comfortable when you hold it Writes easily without undue hand strain You enjoy writing with the most. Nib size will affect your writing pretty drastically so take a look at the descriptor above when choosing your nib. I always recommend starting with the entry level writing instrument that matches your personal preference stylistically. Try different ink in the pen and using it for a few days to get a feel for it. If you like using fountain pens from that experience, try one of the more medium price point pens. However, always consider if you like a heavier or lightweight one or the barrel size of thick or thin pens. Do you want a daily writer that is a workhorse or a status symbol to impress in a meeting? Use this guide to browse around and ultimately go with the pen that you like looking at the most. Aesthetics matter. How much does a good fountain pen cost? Ultimately, a good fountain pen will cost anywhere between $30-$60 with an exceptional nod to the $20 Pilot Metropolitan. This price range will give you: a quality instrument with a solid nib that offers an admirable writing performance a pen that can either be cartridge filled or converter filled Conclusion In conclusion, each brand offers something unique to the world of fountain pens. Which brands and fountain pens do you like to use the most? Leave a comment below! And check out my other articles to learn more about the world of writing instruments. How to Store a Fountain Pen Properly How do Ballpoint Pens Work 20 Best Rollerballs to Give as Gifts Sam Di Nardo is an author for Dayspring Pens, where she has honed her expertise in ballpoint, rollerball, gel and fountain pens since joining the team in 2018. From her initial role as an Engraver to becoming the Production Manager, Sam's journey has been marked by her passion for the history, manufacturing, and the unique value of gifted writing instruments. A graduate of Regent University with a degree in English Literature and a special interest in Old Norse literature, dive deeper into Sam's world and discover why she's your trusted guide in the realm of gift pens. Follow Sam on LinkedIn.

At Dayspring Pens, we're here to help you decide which pen is the best cheap go-to, or the best ballpoint luxury pen money can buy. My name is Sam Di Nardo, and I have been researching and investigating pens for years. I am going to break this down into three sections. Feel free to jump to the one best for you.  Section 1: The Best Ballpoint Brands You Need to Know Section 2: Best Cheap Ballpoint Pens Section 3: Best Luxury Ballpoint Pens Winner for 2024: Waterman Expert Black Gold Trim Ballpoint A stunning writing instrument that combines the brilliance of high gloss black lacquer with 23k gold-plated accents. It's well-balanced, comfortable, and striking, making it a perfect gift for the wordsmith in your life. Check Price What to Look for When Buying Ballpoint Pens? When looking for a ballpoint pen, the ideal ballpoint writes instantly. Additionally, it does not skip or leave ink blots, and is comfortable to use. Really, you want to avoid classic ballpoint pen problems...leaking ink...the pen drying out and having to draw circles on the back of your receipt for forever to get it going again...the writing line skipping...leaving little clots on the page. A great ballpoint will avoid all of these standard ballpoint problems. But to find the perfect pen for you, you will want to ask yourself a few questions: What level of comfort do I want? Ergonomic rubber grip for long periods of use? Something well-balanced but not catered to grip? How will I use the ballpoint pen? Do I need a durable pen that can survive the bottom of a backpack? Is the pen sitting on a desk making a statement when not in use? How much do I want to pay for my perfect ballpoint pen? Am I looking for the best pens to buy in bulk? Am I looking for my favorite pens to give as gifts? With those in mind, I have a list of the best ballpoint pens by brand in all the categories you need to find your perfect pen. Related Reading: How to Get a Ballpoint Pen to Start Writing Again   Browse All Ballpoint Pens 6 Ballpoint Brands You Need to Know Parker One of the first manufacturers of the ballpoint, Parker hit it big in the movies with the Jotter and has made it ever since. People are brand loyal to Parker ballpoints for the sturdy design of the pens themselves (which are "luxury" with all-metal builds and precious metal materials), and the Parker Quink that is durable and paste-y. Parker Pens are all refillable so no tossing the pen when the ink runs out, just get some refills. Waterman Luxury, Parisian, and smooth, if you have never touched a luxury ballpoint pen before, a Waterman will make it hard to go back to anything else. BIC This brand is the reason the ballpoint is the most used writing utensil in history. BIC took the original patent for the ballpoint and created the most recognizable ballpoint in the world: the BIC Cristal. If you haven't used a BIC in your life (whether the Cristal, Round Stic, 4-Color, etc.), you either grew up in a hippie commune that makes their own quills or you are from a wealthy Russian oligarch's family that only touches things made of 23k gold. Indeed, BIC is the bread and butter of ballpoints, and not surprisingly, they are incredibly good at making a decent ballpoint. Fun Fact: The BIC ballpoint pen was invented by Marcel Bich in 1950. Pilot Most known for their rollerballs like the G-2 and their fountain pens (which are incredible), Pilot rocks a real solid ballpoint in the cheap category. Their ink tends towards a low viscosity, which makes it silky smooth for a more rollerball ink feel. Uni Ball Ultimately, you can't think of Uni Ball as a brand without thinking of the Uni Ball Jetstream Ballpoint. We will talk about it more later, but as a whole, Uni Ball delivers low viscosity ballpoint ink that dries almost instantly and bonds to the paper so it won't smear. Caran D'Ache Swiss craftsmanship that is a tier below Montblanc. Their designs range from fresh and modern to artistic and subtle. Caran D'Ache tops lists of ballpoints for their seamless designs (the 849 literally has no seams) and the ink is dark, dependable, and smooth.   Cheap Pens Under $35 Cheap Best Ballpoint Pens The best cheap brand for a ballpoint pen is the Uni Ball Pens. In particular, the Uni Ball Jetstream is the best of the ballpoint pens. Pen enthusiasts and casual users all agree, and it really is impossible to compare ballpoint pens with this one. It's not just a good pen. Its fluid ink flow is entirely dedicated to the jetstream ink which has a low viscosity for a really fluid flow, yet somehow manages to still dry almost instantly and has a special patent that bonds the ink to the paper. They have to remain the best of the cheap ballpoints since there is nothing luxury about this pen except the smooth lines. Except! The Uni Jetstream Prime. All the joy of the Jetstream in a durable, refillable, metal body that honestly looks great. It is my absolute favorite ballpoint of all time. Consider this little hack:  Uni Ball makes the Jetstream ink refill in a special size: SXR-600-07. The SXR-600-07 Uni Ball Jetstream refill is comparable in size to the Parker-style G2 refill which fits in anything from Parker, Caran d'Ache 849 Ballograf, Zebra, etc...it is actually what is installed in the Jetstream Prime. So you can always find a more luxury bodied pen that the refill fits in and turn them into the best ballpoint pens. Best Everyday Ballpoint Pen Brand The best everyday carry ballpoint pen is the Parker Jotter. I guarantee you will not come across any pen aficionados who do not have at least one Parker Jotter in their collection. It has been a staple in writing households since Parker released it in the 1950s and revolutionized the ballpoint world. What makes it such a good everyday pen? The slim-barrel pen body is portable and constructed of stainless steel, making it an incredibly durable pen. The click is snappy and efficient. The ink inside (Parker's patented Quink) dries fast and is ready to write. (The Parker IM Ballpoint isn't too shabby either...) There are no everyday writing tasks the Jotter can't handle. It's why it's a staple of pen lovers. Most Ergonomic Ballpoint Pen Brand The best ergonomic ballpoint pen is the Pilot Dr. Grip Ballpoint pen. Ergonomic pens are focused on alleviating stress and pain in the hand while writing and gripping a pen. That pain can be from a medical condition such as carpal tunnel or arthritis, or it can be from a bad grip. And how ergonomic pens alleviate that stress is through altering how you grip the pen. That can be by making sure the weight, grip, and ink are adaptable to different hand holds, or by changing the shape of the pen entirely. The Pilot Dr. Grip Ballpoint falls into the first category resulting in a ballpoint that is not only a great pen for anyone with a medical condition, but also for anyone who happens to use one. The grip has a special double layer of a firmer overcoat with a soft rubber underneath that allows for an easy hold without tension. The pen is weighted towards the tip so less pressure is required to write. The ink is low viscosity, which means it will flow more like a liquid ink than an oily one. It also is the ink inside the ballpoint versions of the Pilot Metropolitan. The Pilot Dr. Grip is also the recommended pen for ease of use by the Arthritis Foundation. TRY A PILOT BALLPOINT TODAY Best Ballpoint Pen to Draw With The best ballpoint pen to draw with is the Bic 4-Color. Ballpoint artists have long favored Bic as their writing utensil of choice due to its accessibility, the fineness of the point, and the oiliness of the ink. The Bic 4-Color delivers not only the pasty, oily ink of BIC, it also has four refills of different colors (black, blue, red, and green) perfect for any ballpoint artwork. Pen Brand that Lasts the Longest The brands of pen that last the longest are Uni Ball, Pilot, and BIC. Really, this one is a hard one to gauge since how much you write is the major factor. Ultimately, how long a pen lasts will vary. Best Luxury Brand Ballpoint Pens The best all around luxury brand of ballpoint pen is Waterman.  One of the perks of the job is that I have tried Waterman pens on every level from their most basic to their most expense (I swoon over the Exception). With that I can say, I have yet to encounter a luxury pen brand that delivers as beautifully on all levels for ballpoints.  The intentionality behind the internal mechanism, the quality of the finishes, the durability of the barrels, and, lastly, the tacky, oily consistency of the ink all add together to take the cake on best luxury brand.  Try Your Own Waterman Ballpoint   Shop Now: Custom Luxury Ballpoints From Dayspring Pens Best Ballpoint Pen for Gifts The best ballpoint brands to give as gifts are Dayspring Pens, Waterman, and AT Cross. Dayspring Pens Dayspring Pens kicks off my list of best giftable ballpoint brands because it is truly the intersection of everything you want in gifting: beautiful writing, intentional design, personalized touch.     As a company that started in the business custom engraving luxury pens, Dayspring Pens took their time translating everything they learned customizing, writing with, and selling top brands into designing their own products.  This means that every pen designed by Dayspring is meant to highlight the customization as well as be a pen they user is actually happy to write with first and foremost. (We have all been in the awful situation of having a pen that looks really cool and writes like a contestant on the Amazing Race who didn't learn to drive a stick shift before they went on the show.) Each pen comes with a three year warranty and the customer service to answer any questions and help through any part of the pen user's needs. With a variety of finishes and ballpoint styles, Dayspring Pens offers an ample selection that all come down to pleasant, easy writing. For an addictive click button and a budget conscious pen, go with the Monroe.  To showcase a larger engraving, try the Abingdon. Explore Dayspring Pens Here  Waterman Waterman pens are just downright excellent. Often compared to Montblanc, Waterman highlights Parisian excellence and design where Montblanc hallmarks Swiss. The Waterman Hemisphere in particular is the best gift pen for its attention to detail and refinement. It also engraves beautifully, making it ideal for personalization. With the trademark Mysterious Blue ink, the Hemisphere is one of the best pens for any writer. See All Waterman Pens Offers AT Cross Synonymous with American pen design, Cross pens offer the perfect range of price point for gifting a luxury ballpoint pen.     From the art deco Calais to the Presidential Townsend, each Cross pen comes with a Lifetime Guarantee and free custom engraving, which means security in your gifting. Find Your Next Cross Pen Today Best Affordable Ballpoint Pens The best affordable ballpoint pens are the Caran D'Ache, Ohto Horizon Needlepoint Ballpoint pen and the LAMY Safari. Caran D'Ache 849 Ballpoint Pen Caran D’Ache is the great for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, the quality of the refill inside offers smooth lines and consistent ink flow that will always win out. The other reason is that Caran D’Ache offers a luxury ballpoint from as entry level and affordable as the 849 at under $25 to something as refined as Varius. You always feel like you get your money's worth...or better. Ohto Horizon Needlepoint Ballpoint Pen Credited as inventing the "rollerball", Ohto's Horizon Ballpoint writes deceptively like a gel pen. The hexagonal body makes it easy to grip, and the click feels cool and modern. It's a unique ballpoint with a very fine point (hence the needlepoint title) so if you prefer a fine-point pen, it's hard to beat. LAMY Safari Ballpoint Pen LAMY, like Caran D’Ache, pops up across the board as an excellent high end ballpoint at its entry level and most expensive. The Safari is sleek with the signature LAMY clip and tripod grip. The accordion style click is interactive and fun to use and the plastic body feels surprisingly substantial. It also has a wide variety of finishes and clip colors with limited editions always being released for a unique take on this new classic. Best Gold Ballpoint Pen The best gold ballpoint pen is the Cartier's Santos de Cartier Ballpoint Pen. Masters of fine jewelry and watches, it shouldn't be a surprise that Cartier also puts its time and attention into making a sublime, Swiss-crafted gold ballpoint. Best Luxury Ballpoint Pen Montegrappa has been handcrafting pens since 1912 in a small mountain town in Italy. All the romance you can conjure up in your imagination in that small story pretty much captures the beauty and excellence of these pens. A Montegrappa ballpoint pen is an heirloom piece that writes exquisitely. My recommendation is the Elmo. The table below compares some common ballpoint pen brands: Brand Price Range Budget-Friendly Options Premium Collections Parker $20-$320 Jotter, IM Sonnet, Duofold Pilot $2.24-$10 EasyTouch, Acroball Dr. Grip Caran D'Ache $20-$1,000 849 Varius Cross $19.99-$135 Bailey, Calais ATX, Century II LAMY $20-$125 Safari Accent Montegrappa $180-$867.64 Armonia, Elmo Fifa Classics, Barbie Are Montblanc Pens Worth It? When I originally wrote this article, I had every intention of using Montblanc in my list of high end luxury ballpoints. All my research told me they are one of the greatest luxury brands in the world. Montblanc pens have long been heralded as a status symbol of prestige and professionalism. I purchased a Montblanc Meisterstuck for the article, and I have to say I was really disappointed in what I received. I'll start with what I liked about the pen first. It does write well. The ink glides smoothly with a moderate amount of pressure and leaves a fine, but very dark line on the page. The design is classic. I will always be a sucker for black glossy lacquer against a soft yellow gold. Sadly, that is where my likes end. I want to be fair, and I am very open to a new experience with Montblanc and changing my opinion. However, I would like to point out a few details that I found unpleasant in a pen with this pedigree. I also should comment that I know Montblanc is one of the most knocked off brands in the world and I did my best to verify that my pen was not a fake. The pen itself was much lighter than expected and the mechanism for the twist-action did not glide smoothly open and closed. Montblanc's signature resin barrel seemed to be brittle, and I do have a concern about the durability of the pen and how much usage it will be able to withstand. For these reasons, I have left Montblanc off my list of best brands, opting for brands like Montegrappa and Waterman as alternatives. How do I know which style of pen is best for me? The best style of ballpoint pen for you will be the one that: Feels the most comfortable when you hold it Writes easily with your grip You enjoy writing with the most Start by trying the cheap brands of ballpoint pens. Which one has smooth writing? Could you use it for everyday writing tasks? Does it feel like a durable pen? Once you have a favorite cheap ballpoint, try some of the more affordable, entry-level luxury pens. I would gravitate towards whichever brand best fits your personal style. And remember, many ballpoint pens have interchangeable refills. Therefore, if you find a fluid ink flow you love, match it with the barrel of your favorite pens. Conclusion That's all for the best brands of ballpoint pens. From the cheap easy users to the high end luxury ballpoint pens. What are your favorite ballpoint pens to use? Leave a comment below! Sam Di Nardo is an author for Dayspring Pens, where she has honed her expertise in ballpoint, rollerball, gel and fountain pens since joining the team in 2018. From her initial role as an Engraver to becoming the Production Manager, Sam's journey has been marked by her passion for the history, manufacturing, and the unique value of gifted writing instruments. A graduate of Regent University with a degree in English Literature and a special interest in Old Norse literature, dive deeper into Sam's world and discover why she's your trusted guide in the realm of gift pens. Follow Sam on LinkedIn.

Today, we are going to tackle the interesting story that brought us one of the most commonplace, necessary items we use everyday: the ballpoint pen. In this article, we are going to talk about ballpoint history - the who, the when, and the why of the ballpoint pen (or as it is also called, the Biro). Who Invented the Ballpoint? László Bíró patented what is considered the first ballpoint pen in 1938, though he had been developing it for almost a decade beforehand with his brother György. Born to a Jewish family in Hungary, Laszlo was a newspaper man and journalist by trade, while György was a dentist.  Frustrated with the writing tools of their day, Laszlo and György invented a special ink made with a paste instead of water that made the ballpoint possible. But while Bíró is considered the original inventor, another man laid the foundation for the modern ballpoint pen. When Was the Ballpoint Pen Invented? John J. Loud obtained what is technically the first patent for a ballpoint pen, US #392,046, on 30th October 1888.   A leather tanner, Harvard-educated lawyer, and inventor, Loud was born on November 2, 1844. While tanning leather, he often needed to mark a point to cut. A pencil would be too faint and using a fountain pen made this process quite messy. In frustration Loud wracked his brain for an alternative. He designed a writing tool that had a small rotating metal ball clutched in a socket.  Think of a roll-on bottle. A large ball sits inside a cylinder, clutched against the end by a socket that allows it to spin freely. This mechanism allowed the ball to cycle ink from the reservoir inside the pen to the surface as the ball spun around in its socket. Loud described the writing instrument as follows: “My invention consists of an improved reservoir or fountain pen, especially useful, among other purposes, for marking on rough surfaces such as wood, coarse wrapping-paper, and other articles where an ordinary pen could not be used.” Loud’s first ballpoint pen was great when used on leather, but unfortunately it was too rough on paper. The patent lapsed, paving way for better iterations. Why Was the Ballpoint Pen Invented? Despite the annals of incredible literature composed with feather quills and fountain pens, they were only reliable in the hands of skilled writers. However, the pace of life quickened with modern technology and literacy rates increased; demand arose for pens that didn’t require so much time, attention, and care. Drawbacks to the ol’ quill and ink bottle (or even the early versions of the fountain pen) included: Ink needed to dry, requiring time or else the use something like sand to speed up the process Pens only worked on a paper writing surface They required hands on maintenance; from cutting a feather into shape, sharpening it, and keeping it clean They were really, really messy Great skill was needed to write consistently The more literacy grew, the greater the demand for a writing tool that could handle writing on the go on any surface.  Related Reading: How Do Ballpoint Pens Work It was quite a long journey to modern ballpoints. Years passed, patents increased in number. One flawed prototype after another became the order of the day. Enter Laszlo Biro. Biro faced a particular problem, even though the ball and socket mechanism was correct, the ink was the source of problems.  During summer, the ink from the first ballpoint pens overflowed. In winter, the ink didn’t flow and froze. At high altitudes, ink would seep out of the pens under the change in pressure. Inventors came up with creative solutions to try and fix these issues such as springs and piston-pressurized ink reservoirs or capillary action to make the ink flow without gravity. But nothing quite delivered a guaranteed writing experience.  When the 20th century came knocking, success wasn’t far behind for two inventors, the Laszlo Brothers. How Laszlo Biro Invented the Ballpoint Pen  Laszlo Biro invented the ballpoint by combining the ball socket mechanism with a new paste ink. Constantly writing as a journalist, Laszlo Bíró became increasingly frustrated with the drawbacks of the fountain pen and was desperately in need of a pen that didn’t smudge on paper.  While visiting printing houses, Bíró noticed that the ink used on newspaper printing dried almost instantly with no smudges. An idea popped into his head. He spoke to his brother György in the hopes that they could harness this ink. Aside from being a dentist, György was also a rather talented chemist. Building on earlier patented designs like Loud’s, they started by putting newspaper ink into a ballpoint. Unaltered, the newspaper ink was too thick and clogged the mechanism. Harnessing György’s abilities as a chemist, they started altering the formula of the ink. The key was in the oil-based ink used in newspaper print. Water-based ink leaked out of the pen and needed to saturate into the fibers of the paper (which is why dry time was critical). But oil-based ink sat on top of the paper, preventing it from bleeding through the page and allowing it to dry almost on contact. In 1931, they launched their ballpoint pen at the Budapest International Fair. Seven years later, in 1938, the Bíró brothers obtained patents in Britain and France and went to work to start selling their new ballpoint. What is the Biro Pen? The Biro Pen is the modern ballpoint pen. In fact in man English speaking countries like the UK, the name for a ballpoint is a biro, named for Mr. Laszlo Biro himself. The Biro ballpoint pen features in the patent were described as: A system of getting the ink from the reservoir to the rotating ball. An airtight reservoir for storing a particularly dense ink. A sealing mechanism in the metal ball that would prevent ink oxidation/evaporation. A free ball nib. Laszlo Biro’s work solved each one of the major problems pens had faced prior to this point. After a chance encounter with the president of Argentina, Augustin Justo, the Biro brothers moved to South America along with their new business partner, Juan Jorge Meyne.   TRY A BALLPOINT PEN   It was 1941 and they barely escaped persecution by rising anti-Semitism in Europe. There in Buenos Aires, they launched the Bíró Pens of Argentina factory. Biro Pens named the ballpoint pens Bíróme (a merger of the names Bíró and Meyne). To this day, pens in Argentina are still referred to as Bírómes. During World War II, the British Royal Air Force placed an order for 30,000 pens since they could be used in the air without leaking.  Aside from this, the Biro pen stayed relatively under the radar outside of South America.  Shop Now: Best Ballpoint Pen Brands From Dayspring Pens The Ballpoint Pen in America In the wake of World War II, the modern ballpoint pen was introduced to the United States. Eversharp acquired the Central and North American rights to the ballpoint pens, which cost Eversharp a pretty half million dollars. Meanwhile, Milton Reynolds was designing his version of the ballpoint pen after he saw the Biro. Needing to make major changes to prevent infringing on Laszlo Biro’s patent, Reynolds’s pen used liquid ink that flowed with gravity. Reynolds knew that the gravity mechanism risked leakage. Yet he still started production on October 29, 1945, forming the Reynolds International Pen Company. The Reynolds Rocket was launched at Gimbels Department Store, New York City for a whopping $12.50 (equivalent to $170 in 2017). The pen was an instant hit and soon the US market was saturated with ballpoint pens like the ones from Reynolds, Eversharp, and the Parker Jotter. But each of these pens still had their issues, usually related to ink problems. How the BIC Company Made the “Modern” Ballpoint Thanks to Marcel Bich, the Bíróme finally made it to the US.  Laszlo Biro had never achieved mass market success with the Biro Pen, but was ready for a to change. Marcel Bich was a French manufacturer who understood the potential value of a working ballpoint. He licensed the designs of the ballpoint pens by Bíró for two million dollars. With those, he formed the Bic Company in 1953. The company struggled with sales initially but achieved unsurmounted success with the world's most popular pen, the Bic Cristal.  Plastic, cheap to manufacture, and incredibly usable, his commercially successful ballpoint pen sold more than any other writing instrument in history. Bich took the ballpoint from the working, problem-solving Biro, and made it accessible to anyone who wanted one with the disposable pen.  How the Ballpoint has Changed the World Since it went into production in the 1950s, over 100 billion Bic Cristals have been sold.  The invention of the ballpoint pen meant suddenly anyone who wanted to write or draw could at any time at any place. There could not have been a more primed market for the technological advancement of the pen as education and literacy rates were steadily increasing by the early 20th century.   Increased literacy rates meant an increased demand for writing instruments of which the ballpoint was now the cheapest, most versatile, and most accessible writing instrument available.  Today, marketing research firm TechNavio reports “Demand for basic writing instruments [remains] high in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East due to the increasing population and literacy levels...” The ballpoint has made writing possible in any climate, situation, or environment.  Even in the ever technologically advancing world of electronics, the pen is still considered a vital tool, essential to daily work with an ever increasing market. It is almost incomprehensible to imagine the state of the modern world without the invention of the ballpoint pen thanks to the work of Loud, the Biros, and Bich. In the following table I have summarized the evolution of the ballpoint pen through the decades: Decade Dominant Design Features Notable Brands 1920s-1930s  Early experimental designs Waterman, Sheaffer 1940s-1950s Introduction of successful ballpoint designs Bic, Parker, Paper Mate 1960s-present Refinement of materials and features Cross, Pilot, Uni-ball    Other Fun Facts About Ballpoint Pens Last but not least, I wanted to share some interesting facts I came across in my research about the ballpoint pen.  What's the world's smallest pen? The world’s smallest pen is the 'Nanofountain Probe’. Scientists normally use it for nanoscale on-chip patterning. The lines produced by this device are only 40 nanometers wide. What's the world's biggest pen? The world's biggest pen was designed by Acharya Makunuri Srinivasa in 2011. The pen weighs 37 kilograms and is 5.5 meters high. The ballpoint pen is fully functional and holds the Guinness world record. Besides that, it looks stunning! How many words can a pen write? Before an average pen runs out of ink, it can write 45,000 words - give or take. What is the most common type of pen? The most common types of pens are the gel pen, the ballpoint pen (Bíró pen), the brush pen, the fountain pen, and the marker pen. Markers and highlighters are also types of pens. What is the ballpoint pen ink made of? The viscous ink of a ballpoint pen is made of a paste containing about 25-40 percent dye that is suspended in oil. Was the Bic Cristal in the MOMA? The Bic Cristal was featured in an installation on design in the MoMA called Humble Masterpieces. Conclusion The history of the ballpoint pen journeys from problematic design that only wrote well on leather to a pen so well designed and commonplace you probably have at least 4 handy in your desk drawer. Pioneered by the likes of Loud and the Biro brothers, the ballpoint is an invention that has revolutionized business, education, and daily life.  We got interested in learning more about the ballpoint since they are the whole purpose of our business at Dayspring Pens.  What makes you interested in the history of the ballpoint? Leave a comment below! And if you’re looking for a ballpoint pen to give as a gift, take a look at our complete collection of personalized pens. Sam Di Nardo is an author for Dayspring Pens, where she has honed her expertise in ballpoint, rollerball, gel and fountain pens since joining the team in 2018. From her initial role as an Engraver to becoming the Production Manager, Sam's journey has been marked by her passion for the history, manufacturing, and the unique value of gifted writing instruments. A graduate of Regent University with a degree in English Literature and a special interest in Old Norse literature, dive deeper into Sam's world and discover why she's your trusted guide in the realm of gift pens. Follow Sam on LinkedIn.

Doctors' Day is fast approaching, and those of us who appreciate the medical professionals in our lives might want to give them personalized gift pens. With the onset of the pandemic, medical care has become even more recognizably important to society and to each of us personally. Aside from the pandemic, if you’ve ever needed urgent care for yourself or a family member, then you may feel some deeper sense of appreciation for doctors, nurses, EMTs, and other members of the medical profession. So, here’s...  6 Reasons Why Personalized Gift Pens Are Awesome for Doctors' Day. Reason #1: Function A good pen is a necessity for a doctor. While a lot of doctors are themselves diagnosable with a classic case of chicken scratch, they’re using pens every day to make notes, write prescriptions, and sign documents. Indeed, a personalized pen is a gift they’re likely to use every day, and that means you’re actually giving them something valuable. Reason #2: Convenience Personalized pens are far from the bulkiest gift you could potentially buy them.  They take up almost zero space, so your doctor isn’t going to be wondering where they need to make room for them. Reason #3: Quality Getting them a pen that lands more on the luxury side of things means they’re getting a gift that will stand up under daily writing use and will look professional.  It also shows the level of your appreciation. And it’s not a silly gift unless you get it engraved with something humorous. Reason #4: Balance of Personal and Professional The biggest reason why I think a personalized pen makes a great gift for doctors is that it perfectly balances the personal as well as the professional aspects of your appreciation.  You don’t want to give them a gift that communications any assumption that you are closer than a doctor and patient should be. But you don’t want to get them something that’s merely useful, merely pretty, or merely a symbol of their profession. You want to get something that communicates your value in them as a specific person. And I think an engraved pen gift does all that and more.  Reason #5: Definitely Non-Perishable Some people like to get their doctors edible gifts like fruit baskets and candy. And while those make great gifts, they have a couple downsides. First, you might not know what kind of food your doctor likes, whether or not they have a strict diet, or whether or not they’re allergic to certain foods. So, some food gifts might not be appreciated. Second, edible gifts are consumed and then gone. But personalized pens will likely go with them throughout their day. So they’ll have a small token of your appreciation for a lot longer. Reason #6: Personalized pens are affordable (or at least reasonably so). Some people like to go all out on doctor gifts, spending a bundle on tech gifts like smart watches and other gadgets. And while those things have a lot of appeal, not all of us can feasibly just get one for our doctor.  That’s why personalized pens make a great alternative. You can get high quality engraved pens in a wide range of prices: from around $15 to $1,500. With that said, here’s... 3 Personalized Gift Pens for Doctors' Day #1: Rosewood Ballpoint and Case with Medical Engraving      Our rosewood ballpoint pen is an affordable pen that not only looks great and but also comes with an engraved caduceus symbol on the case, representing the medical profession. GIVE THE ROSEWOOD BALLPOINT TODAY! #2: Parker Jotter I am constantly recommending the Jotter to people. It’s the perfect functional, reliable click pen. It’s super affordable, and easy to use. I recommend the stainless steel and gold trim version for any medical staff member. GIVE THE PARKER JOTTER TODAY!  #3: Cross Classic Century Medalist Ballpoint with Medical Clip Emblem     If you’re looking to get a pen that’s thoroughly in the luxury range, I recommend the Cross Classic Century Medalist Ballpoint Pen with Medical Clip Emblem. It’s a beautiful pen with chrome barrel and gold appointments, and the caduceus is set on the clip. It's a quintessential doctor pen. GIVE THE CLASSIC CENTURY TODAY!  So, that’s our three recommendations for gift pens for doctors, but be sure to check out the wider selection of personalized pens on our website. I’m sure you’ll find the right one, and all of our pens come standard with free engraving. Frequently Asked Questions What can you do for doctor appreciation? A great way to show your appreciation to your doctor is to get them a gift and write your doctor a small thank you note.  Try to get them something that's unique to them, like a personalized gift, but not something that's too personal. Is it appropriate to give your doctor a gift? It is completely appropriate to get your doctor a gift so long as you don't get them something that breaches the professionalism of their work context or try to bribe them in some way.  What kinds of gifts do doctors like? Here's the three best kinds of gifts to get doctors: Edible Gifts Personalized Gifts Tech Gifts Doctors will like edible gifts (but see point #5 above about perishable gifts). They love gifts that communicate appreciation. That is, they'll likely prefer gifts that have an aspect symbolic value that touches on themes of their profession and your experience as their patient. So a personalized gift fits really well. They also will likely enjoy techy, gadget-type gifts. But these are the most expensive, so not everyone has the budget for them.  DISCLAIMER: "more expensive" does not equal "best". You can find great ways to show appreciation without spending a lot of cash. CONCLUSION This has been our 6 reasons why personalized pens make great gifts for doctors and medical professionals. Make sure to check out our other videos, and if you found this one helpful, be sure to like and subscribe.  Daniel Whitehouse is the President and CEO of Dayspring Pens. He uses his expertise with premium writing utensils to create exceptional, intentional products and craft easy-to-understand articles that help both new and experienced users learn more about their writing tools. He lives in Virginia where he and his wife are raising their four children. To learn more about him and his insights about custom engraved gift pens, follow Daniel on LinkedIn.