The Top 5 Pens You’ve Never Tried

[This is the first post from our new contributor, Brian Greene. His blog, Office Supply Geek caught my eye and then his bio clinched it. Anyone who can be funny and relish a Sharpie as much as I do is a much-welcomed Lifework contributor. Cerentha]

I know that lots of people already have their own favorite pens established in their daily routine, but at the risk of sounding like a know-it-all, I think that the 5 pens below deserve serious consideration as a replacement for whatever pen you may have become comfortable with.

1. Sharpie Pen Grip – The Sharpie Pen is relatively new, and this version with the enhanced grip is the best out of the entire series. This isnt your old-school felt tip pen, it has a highly durable plastic tip to ensure a smooth consistent line that doesn’t spread over time. In addition to the consistent and smooth line, the Sharpie Pen Grip is water resistant, and it wont smear, bleed or feather on most papers. Pack of 3, $7.34.

2. Uniball Gel RT Micro – This is a pen for those of you that like a thinner point than the usual “medium” or .7mm pens that dominate the market. The .38mm tip on this gel ink pen lays down a fantastically smooth, consistent and vividly colored line. These pens have performed so well for me that I’ve even taken the next step and modified the refills so I can fit them in some of my other favorite pen bodies. Pack of 12, $15.19.

3. Pilot Precise V5 RT – This retractable liquid ink pen is ridiculously smooth to write with, and is an updated version of one of my favorite pens from years ago, the Pilot Precise V5. With its updated and more modern design, they managed to improve the comfort AND looks while retaining the incredible performance that it was known for. Beyond all of that I’ve always felt that these pens hold a ton of ink and last forever. Pack of 12, $21.63.

4. Zebra Sarasa RT - The Zebra Sarasa is another gel ink pen that is a super smooth writer, and puts down some very solid and consistent lines with no ink blobs or skipping. In addition to the great performance, they also come in a ton of great colors like blue black which is one of my favorites. Pack of 6, $10.24.

5. Uniball Jetstream – If you are a ballpoint pen person, this is pretty much the only way to go in my opinion. The Uniball Jetstream is a ballpoint, but it writes like no other ballpoint pen you have used before. The line is consistent and smooth, the colors are bright, and there is absolutely no sticky or gummy feeling like you get with normal ballpoints. Pack of 3, $7.29.

If you are sitting their staring at your old G2 or other favorite pen right now, why not give one of these options a shot and breathe some new life into your daily routine. For only a few bucks, you might really surprise yourself.