Best Pens Ever

The Pentel RSVP and the Pilot Hi-Tec-C, hands down. Anyone dare to disagree?

The Pentel is a ballpoint pen, and the Pilot is a superfine gel ink rolling ball pen, each perfect in their own way. The Pentel RSVP ballpoint is excellent for writing, the weight in your hands is superb, the fine tip allows for light pressure, and it just glides across the page – you know a pen is good when it makes you want to write more with it. Another reason why the RSVP is perfect? It makes for the best pen-spinning tricks ever (make sure to have the cap on the bottom end of pen):

Now, the Pilot Hi-Tec-C is a cult classic (G-Tec in North America) – my favourite is the 0.4mm tip, but others I know swear by the 0.25mm tip. This is the ultimate pen for illustration, fine single-weight lettering, or detailed drawings. The line this pen creates is the most perfect, solid, unwavering black you can get. There is almost no competition to this pen in this price range.

However, the whole point of this post is to offer our best substitutes here at theHach. Our invite.L Wooden Fineliner Pen in 0.5mm ballpoint is an excellent alternative to the Pentel RSVP minus the pen-spinning. Even the sound this pen makes as you write is beautiful.

And yes, we do have a pen that can hold its own next to the Pilot Hi-Tec-C: it came as a shock to us as well, but the Somerz Rainbow Jellpen 0.5mm is actually superb in line consistency and smooth output. It is such an amazing little wonder that we are constantly selling out of this one in black.  One thing it has that the Pilot doesn’t: pen-spinning! This little guy is a touch longer and a touch slimmer than the Pilot, and once the cap is on the back end, it makes for perfect pen-spinning (though a little on the light side compared to the Pentel RSVP, but then again, this is a completely different kind of pen).

Coming soon: a small history of Korean stationery