Officially, the 13 Best Pens of All Time

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When do you actually become a Pen Guy? It's somewhere along the path of fashion guy, car guy, and watch guy. But, we're not exactly which comes first. All we know is that more people should take pride in a nice pen. Not just a pen that writes well, but one that looks good, too. We wrote all about the Parker Jotter recently. It's a classic "nice pen" and it's even been featured in a James Bond film. It's got looks, performance, and history. It's the perfect everyday carry item.

Because, that's the thing about carrying a nice pen. It makes you feel good. We're not saying you have to be a #EDC guy and post your pocket knife, pen, and key fob combo on the internet, but it's nice to take pride in all the little things you carry. Like that bag you carry your laptop in, the wallets your stuff your bills in, or the TV you hang in your living room, it makes a difference when you buy the nice version. That's what we're all about here at Esquire shopping. Everything you own should make you smile. Not because other people will see it and comment on it, but because you like it. That's how we feel about nice pens.

Wow... Can y'all cut to the fucking chase. Sorry! We love pens, and we've tried thousands of them. These are our 13 favorite pens, from luxury options to corner store ones.

Jotter Ballpoint Pen

We've already written at length about this guy. For the money, it's the nicest pen out there. You can buy refills on Amazon. And, it's even featured in a Bond film. Best $13 I ever spent.

Meisterstück Platinum-Plated Classique Ballpoint Pen

Truthfully, this is the pen. Montblanc's Meisterstück is now 100 years old. Try and think of any other product that's had that staying power. It's the pen your bosses boss had. It's the pen your boss has. And, it's the pen you'll buy with your first big paycheck.

We prefer the ballpoint version, because it's less fussy than the fountain option. And as far as finish, we like the look of platinum, but gold and rose gold are equally nice options.

Aluminium Hexagonal Pen 0.7mm

Muji is the Japanese lifestyle store that's becoming increasingly popular stateside. All the home goods and clothing offerings are perfect examples of peaceful Japanese minimalism. A lot of people love the Muji gel pens, but we think the aluminum option is a great starter pen.

It looks nice. It has a satisfying click. And, most important of all, it can be refilled with regular Pentel fills. That way, you don't have to try and figure out which Japanese-only pen fills fit the pen.

G2 Gel Pens

When I was in high school, my crush told me that my handwriting looked like the Declaration of Independence, which he meant as a compliment and I took as one. I wasn't in it alone, though. I had my Pilot to thank.

Pilot's classic G2 gel pens are the best pens of all time and do not test me. They're easy to hold and to write with. As a gel pen, they are pretty inky, which means you only need to apply a light pressure for perfect form.

But with that ink comes the controversy: The writing takes a second to dry, and it smears more easily on certain types of paper. If you are left-handed or otherwise putting your hands all up in your paper's business, skip the gel.

Dr. Grip Roller Ball Gel Pen

This is, yes, the same pen. But it's bigger, easier to hold, and softer between your writing fingers. I have the regular guys stashed all over, but I keep this one for those big and important notes.

VBall Liquid Ink Rolling Ball Pens

A rolling ball pen is great if you have pretty vertical writing form or prefer writing in all caps. The roller ball takes a second to get going (you know like how roll-on deodorants need a few spins before the deodorant comes out? like that) but then once it catches, it makes a bold, inky look.

I like it for taking notes or deliberately writing in all caps to make it clear and easy to read. I would not recommend for small handwriting, where those letters could bleed together.

Rollerball Pens

Arteza's rollerball pens are not as sensitive to angles and roll out ink pretty quickly. The smaller point (.5 rather than.7) makes it a little scratchier and easy to articulate your writing. If I ever did math or something that required many distinct figures, I'd use these pens for that. They're a joy.

Jetstream RT Retractable Ballpoint Pens

The thing about the best pens for everything is that this is subjective. Uni-balls are not meant for me, but they are a crowdpleaser amongst people who prefer a ballpoint pen. It is significantly less inky (hence my gripe), which is a better fit for quick writing and lefties.

AL Sport Fountain Pen

There are levels to this pen game. Levels. I'm not of the mind that these writing utensils have to be expensive to be good. But if you're looking to get something to write with that feels indulgent or special, Kaweco is a good place to start. This fountain pen is sturdy and pretty, and doesn't require any ink dipping. You load it up with an ink cartridge instead. This one comes with a pack of six.

Le Pen Set

It feels like calling these "pens" is a lie because they're really more like tiny markers. The flex is in that tiny felt tip, which moves as you write. Bad for thin paper and taking notes, good for card stock and cursive writing.

Quintet Fineliners

Also more like a marker tip but less chaotic. This pens have a super fine tip, but they will bleed through thin paper. Use them for writing stuff in a calendar or on a to-do list. Big, blocky letters welcome.

EnerGel Deluxe RTX Liquid Gel Pen

I wonder who names versions of pens because they are increasingly insane and sound more like a car you'd race in than a pen you'd write with. Anyway, don't let the "liquid gel" part of this one's name scare you. It comes out lightly (less inky than my Pilots) and is good for quick scribbles and friendly to small handwriting.

Smooth Gel Knock Type Pens

Go to Muji for nothing, leave with 3,000 pens and a stack of T-shirts. These colored gel pens are cheap, easy, and fun to use. The colors are easily legible, but they really don't bleed the way some other brightly colored pens do. Buy a pack and stock up.

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