What’s the best ink pen?

Well, I guess that’s an impossible question due to everyone’s subjective taste, but I consider myself a connoisseur of pens and will give it a shot anyhow. I will start by noting that I am quite picky about pens and often scoff when reps bring us in new batches of pens that don’t meet my markedly high standards for writing utensils. Let me also start by telling you, this whole ipad/tablet thing isn’t lost on me. In fact I love them. I love the ease of use, I love the portability and I love the million and one uses they have. I love it all, and I wish I had one (hint, hint).

That being said, I absolutely enjoy writing with a good pen for completely different reasons. All the writing and scratching out and page flipping works in conjunction with my sporadic mind in a way that relaxes me, briefly allowing me to forget the unwritten list of 50+ things that need to be accomplished immediately. It’s just you, the paper and the pen.

My favorite time to write is when I’m developing ideas. I write frantically and then scratch out parts and make side notes all over the place. I then flip the page and begin what many would interpret as 2^nd grade level doodling’s, barely recognizable sketches of faint ideas. Those ideas though, start to take some semblance of shape in these early notes and will eventually lead to a finished product. That’s why i enjoy making them so much. Working with an excellent pen is a real plus to this process. Some pens are just fun to write with, literally causing me to be more descriptive with my notes, just so I can continue writing.

Without further ado, here are my current 5 Favorite Pens.

Pilot B2P BeGreen Bottle to Pen

5. Pilot BeGreen B2P Ballpoint Pen – I love the concept of this pen. The excess of water bottles is easily apparent, just watch any environmental video on youtube. It’s also very cool looking. My issue with it though is the writing is stiff and not enough ink is released making the writing more of a gray than a bold black.That being said, it’s still a very cool pen and if you drive a prius or a hybrid, you should write with this pen.

Zebra Z-Mulsion

4. Zebra Z-Mulsion - This pen has gotten a lot of positive reviews from those close to me. It’s the preferred pen of my girlfriend, Lauren. She swears by them, to the point that a box of them was part of her Christmas present last year. It’s an excellent pen with very smooth writing.

BIC Intensity Permanent Pen

3. BIC Intensity Permanent Pen – Porous points are my new darling, its writing with a marker that looks like a pen. It gives my writing a more bubbly feel and adds an almost childish aspect to work.

2. Uni-Ball Vision Elite Rollerball Pen –

Uni-ball Vision Elite

I LOVE these pens. We have reps come in quite frequently with new pens and most of the time I try it and am underwhelmed.

This pen however excited me the second I started writing with it. I also like the idea of having a pen with muted colors, for example the purple (shown) is a mixture of black and purple ink, it leaves you with a professional feel, while adding a little color.

1. Paper Mate Inkjoy 700 RT – It feels like a quality pen, just by holding it. It’s heavy but not oversized; the grip is comfortable but not too cushy. The clicker is a strong feeling steel that won’t wear out and break like many competitor pens. It is the preferred pen of our President Dyan Condry, and like the ad say’s it’s a pen worth stealing.

Paper Mate InkJoy 700 RT Ballpoint Pen