I was requested to do an analysis of my favorite writing utensils. Since I’ve already reviewed colored pens and highlighters, here is a comparison of my favorite black pens.
I love a dark black line that you generally get with gel ink pens, but as a lefty, I struggle with smudging as my hand glides over the letters I’ve just laid down. So, after trying out several different black pens, here is a comparison of my top favorites and some other popular pens.
I’ve reviewed these pens based on how I use them, their ink characteristics, dry time, skipping (i.e. randomly “running out of ink” when there is clearly enough ink in the cartridge), tip size, feedback (how the pen “feels” against the paper), and price. As an overall note, none of these bleed.
Uni-ball Jetstream (0.5mm)
This is my go-to pen for generally anything. It is also the only ballpoint pen I like to use. I have been using it for years (this is probably my third one?). I also really like using the blue ink pen for writing on black & white documents such as printed PowerPoint slides or PDF readings.
The ink is a hybrid between gel and traditional ballpoint, which creates an ink that is darker than ballpoint pens but faster drying than most gel ink pens.
I have no experienced any smudging with this pen. In fact, I think this is the best pen to take notes with if you’re going to be highlighting because of all the pens I’ve tried, this is the pen that smears the least when being highlighted. When pairing this pen with the Kokuyo Beetletips (which I talked about in my highlighters comparison here), there is no smudging at all.
There are no issues with skipping when writing. However, if you write at a very steep angle (i.e. an acute angle between the pen and the paper), the pen ink will glob up, as most fine-tipped ballpoint pens will do.
Speaking of which, the Jetstream is a true 0.5mm point unlike many other ballpoint pens that claim to be 0.5mm but actually write thicker.
There is a good amount of feedback from this pen. It is not so sharp that it feels scratchy when writing, but it is not so smooth that you can’t feel the paper make contact with the ballpoint. When using this pen, you can feel that it is not cheaply constructed.
You can buy 3 pens for $6.80 and a pack of 5 refills for $8.82 (Amazon), OR a single pen for $2.50 and a single refill for $1.65 (JetPens).
Uni-ball Signo RT1 (0.28 mm)
I like to use this pen when I have to write small and fast, such as during timed writing assessments. The gel ink is dark and smooth, there is no skipping, and the precision tip gives a lot of control so I can write efficiently while writing legibly.
I haven’t experienced any smudging, but the lines are so thin so there is less of a chance of smudging compared to bolder-tipped pens.
I haven’t had any issues with skipping, even when scribbling like a mad woman.
The pen is pretty scratchy, but it is 0.28 mm after all and has a truly sharp tip.
You can purchase 3 for $6.98 (Amazon) and each refill is $1.35 (JetPens).
Uni-ball Signo UM-151 (0.38mm)
Another gel ink pen that’s great for all types of writing. As you can see, I’ve used it pretty much all of it! The lines are vibrant and dark, and I haven’t experienced smudging with this pen.
I haven’t had any skipping issues with this pen, and the tip is precise. There is a good amount of feedback; more so than the Uni-ball Jetstream but less than the Signo RT1 (probably due to the discrepancy in tip size).
You can purchase a set of 10 for $15.99 (Amazon); or one for $2.50 and $1.65 per refill (JetPens).
Pentel Slicci (0.4 mm)
Although I prefer the Uni-ball pens, the Pentel Slicci is a dependable gel ink pen. The ink is dark and smooth.
I don’t have any issues with smudging or skipping with this pen. (The sample makes it look like the pen skips, but it’s only because I haven’t used this pen in months, after I lent it to my friend and he forgot about it at the bottom of his bag until recently…)
The pen has a nice needle point tip that writes well. It is surprisingly smooth in writing, and doesn’t feel scratchy at all; however, the needle tip still provides some feedback.
The 0.4mm Pentel Slicci is no longer available on JetPens, but all the other tip sizes are available for $3.30 each, and you can get a 0.4mm refill for $1.15.
Pilot Hi-Tec-C Maica (0.4 mm)
I’m going to be honest, I mostly picked up this pen because of its design. This is the pen I liked the least however.
It “skips” in the sense that the ink “ebbs and flows”. It will start off writing great, and then the ink just tapers off, as you can see in the writing sample.
The pen feels pretty scratchy on the paper, especially as the pen stops working and you’re trying to get it to write again.
For what can be written, there is no smudging and the ink is dark.
Pilot G2 (0.38 & 0.5 mm)
A ubiquitous, long-time favorite of many, the Pilot G2 is one of the few affordable gel ink pens available in office supply stores across the U.S. The ink is dark and saturated, but most stores only carry 0.5, 0.7, and 1.0 mm pens, labeled as extra fine, fine, medium; however, some stores carry 0.38 mm ones, labeled “ultra fine.”
Out of all the pens, these have the greatest smudging potential.
Strangely, as you can see in my writing sample, it seems as though the 0.38 mm pen bleeds more so that it looks the same, if not thicker, than the 0.5 mm pen.
There is a good amount of feedback, depending on the tip size. The 0.5 mm is pretty smooth while the 0.38 mm is sharper/scratchier.
Since I already had 0.5 mm pens, I just purchased 0.38 mm refills and switched out the 0.5 mm cartridge. A dozen 0.5 mm pens are $11.38 and a dozen 0.38 mm pens are $15.07; two 0.5 mm refills are $2.99 and two 0.38 mm refills are $3.39 (Amazon). You can get smaller packs of pens (instead of purchasing a box of a dozen pens) at your local supply store.
So that concludes today’s post. I hope this was helpful, and as always, feel free to leave comments and different opinions in the comments for others to see. Also, please let me know what other content you’d like to see, either in a comment or in my message inbox!
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