Perfectly portable steel pen with secure metal clip guarantees your pen will be there when you need it. Combining style, strength, and value this is America’s #1 steel ballpoint pen for a reason. Ballpoint pen: If you're looking for an everyday carry pen, then this is it. These reliable, oil-based ink pens dry faster and distribute less ink as you write. Ryan has also spent more time in a suit and tie than most guys, so he's well qualified to write about classic menswear, business casual and formalwear. If you like gel ink pens with upgraded metal barrels, I think you will be happy with either of these options from Zebra. Myself, I’m happy that they keep building and iterating on an interesting product lineup that differentiates them from the competition. I hope that continues. Very durable and long-lasting, the Uni-Ball Vision Elite is perhaps the best disposable rollerball there is. J. Herbin Refillable Rollerball Pen

F-301 Retractable Ballpoint Pen | Zebra Pen F-301 Retractable Ballpoint Pen | Zebra Pen

When you’re choosing a pen for your everyday carry, first you have to decide what type of pen you want. Before I left my day job to focus on The Pen Addict full time, I was in the IT field. I was with the same company for around 15 years, 12 of that in the same facility. I knew a lot of people there, and a lot of them knew me as the pen guy. Marker pen : For ultimate, dark lines, markers pens are the way to go. They use water, oil, pigment, and alcohol-based inks and often promise a permanent or waterproof finish. Because they're darker, they might be more prone to bleed through thin paper. Rollerball pen: These pens use water-based ink and are better for long writing. They write smoother and produce dark, clean lines.

If you tend to press down hard when you write, you might want to pass on this pen. The delicate tip can easily be damaged. A cousin of the Original F-301, the F-301 Compact ballpoint pen also features a stainless steel barrel for long lasting performance, but with the added benefit of expansion and contraction for added portability. Expand to full-size for writing and contract, or collapse, the pen when not in use for simple storage. Growing up, a lot of the men I looked up to dressed well. My dad is always clean-shaven and makes sure that he looks presentable before heading out the door, and my grandfather, who owned and operated a dairy farm, usually wore work pants with a sharp crease and a button-up work shirt.” Gel pen: A popular pen choice for middle schoolers because of the color variety, thanks to the pen's pigment formula. These pens use water-based gel ink that writes smooth but takes a longer time to dry. But once completely dry, the ink won't budge.

Zebra G-301 Stainless Steel Pen JK-Refill, Fine Point, 0.7mm Zebra G-301 Stainless Steel Pen JK-Refill, Fine Point, 0.7mm

Fountain pens have their own personality, can last for more than a century (if you don’t lose them), and can enhance the appearance of the user’s handwriting. If you’re someone who likes to tinker, or is passionate about penmanship, try a fountain pen– you’ll probably love it. When judging a pen's performance, you probably judge ink drying time, whether or not the ink bleeds through paper, the comfort level when holding the pen, and price. Before you shop, it might help to learn about the basic types of pens to help better understand exactly what you're looking for: Rollerballs are pens that use ball points but use water-based or gelled ink. These pens are almost as reliable as ballpoints. Some people prefer rollerballs for their smooth writing and vivid colors. Ballpoints are by far the most ubiquitous. That’s because they are reliable, durable, and cheap. If you’re looking for an EDC pen and you don’t want to have to think about ink bleeding, ink staining your clothes, or pen maintenance– ballpoints are your best bet.If you are looking for a cheap, refillable, classically designed ballpoint pen for your EDC, the Parker Jotter may be for you. Cross Classic Century Lustrous Chrome Ballpoint Pen Here theyare, organized by type (ballpoint, rollerball, fountain pen). Zebra F-301 Compact Ballpoint Retractable Pen Unlike ballpoints and rollerballs, fountain pens have a learning curve. They are more prone to leak, are more expensive, and are generally more fragile. Unless you’re worried about stains, if you’re looking for a reliable, no frills EDC rollerball pen the Pilot G2 might be for you. Uni-Ball Vision Elite Rollerball Pen With its mid-century modern design, this chrome Cross pen will definitely help you stand out from the crowd. This isn’t a pen you’ll want to lend to your coworkers… Sharpie Fine Point Pen