To that end, we tested the pens on nice Clairfontaine writing paper, as well as cheap legal pads, brown kraft paper, receipt paper and glossy cover stock to compare smudging, bleed and feathering. Real-world performance: An executive pen should always write well and feel good in your hand. Gift-suitability also rules out inexpensive pens that are made specifically to look like better pens. Though most of the top pens we selected can be purchased as fountain pens, we stuck with rollerball and ballpoint options for our list since most gift recipients will have no idea what to do with a fountain pen. Suitability as gifts: Graduations, promotions and career milestones are great occasions to give a nice pen as a gift, and even the budget-friendly pens we picked come in elegant keepsake packaging. Here are the qualifiers we came up with when narrowing down the list of contenders: He also looked at all the top recommendations from pen blogs and YouTube channels like “The Well Appointed Desk,” “Figboot on Pens” and “The Pen Addict.” Over the course of two months our tester double-checked his own preconceived ideas about what makes a pen “executive.” He looked at guides and discussions on boards like the Fountain Pen Forum and sub-reddits like r/pens. Fortunately, he’s married to a lawyer who owns and uses very nice rollerball pens but isn’t as picky about design history or score-keeping. Our tester for this post is a relatively obsessed fountain-pen enthusiast, so he found it tricky to narrow down a manageable list of finalists. Note that the firm pressure required to get ballpoint ink on the page means these pens are much better for filling out carbon-copy forms or checks. A ballpoint’s ink doesn’t flow as quickly or smoothly, so these pens require more pressure when writing and the lines aren’t as bold. The oil-based ballpoint ink sticks to paper more than it really dries, but the refills last longer and don’t dry out.
We’ve also reviewed a variety of these types of pens to figure out the best gel pens for any job.īallpoint: These no-fuss pens were invented as an everyday replacement for fountain and rollerball pens, and they’re popular for good reason. That said, if you’re left-handed, you should be wary of gel ink - it smudges more than ballpoint and rollerball ink. If you’re looking for smooth-flowing ink with strong colors and sharp, featherless lines, then a gel pen is probably a great choice for you. Gel: A hybrid between the thick ballpoint ink and free-flowing rollerball ink, gel ink uses archival-grade pigment in water-based gel. Sadly, fineliner refills dry out quickly if you leave the cap off your pen. These are often popular among left-handers. The ink is usually the same as in rollerball and fountain pens, but the porous tip puts down just enough for a bold line, with an even quicker dry time. Rollerballs also need a cap to stop them from drying out.įineliner or porous-point: Like a cross between a felt marker and a rollerball, a fineliner refill for a rollerball pen uses a tough porous plastic material for its tip.
Like a fountain pen, the ink can feather and bleed through some paper, and the ink can leak out of the cartridge when air pressure drops on an airplane.
Rollerballs should write effortlessly and can create very fine lines - and unlike gel pens, the ink dries quickly enough for left-handers. This setup is less finicky to write with than a nib, and also much easier to refill. Rollerball: Take the same dye-in-water ink that fountain pens use, then put it in a ball-tip disposable refill, and you’ve got a rollerball pen. Despite these difficulties, the most prestigious pens are still fountain pens. There’s a wide selection of beautiful inks you can refill with, but they bleed and feather on common paper types, and the pens need messy maintenance. Capped pensįountain pens: Fountain pens put down a heavy line of water-based ink with barely any pressure on the page. We’ve covered the types of everyday pens you’ll find around the office in our other review of the best office pens and best gel pens, but here’s a detailed breakdown of how pen types compare in more premium designs.
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