I’ve used gel pens for most of my life and love them but I’m new to TRP and got my first TRP planner this year (Plans by Just Scribble). I’ve found that the smoothness of the gel pens (the trait that I’ve always loved) on the TRP makes me feel like I have less control when writing, like it’s too slippery and makes my handwriting sloppy. Has anyone else experienced this? I’ve tried ballpoint pens on the TRP and do feel like I have more control/can make my handwriting more neat, even though I do feel the hand fatigue after awhile of having to use a little more force with the ballpoint.

I’d love to hear other people’s experiences, advice, tips, tricks, pen recommendations (both gel and ballpoint).

Cost Analysis: Fineliners vs. Fountain Pens for Drawing

Assumptions

• Fountain pens lay down more ink (1.5×–2× the ink of a fineliner).
• Ink waste occurs during refilling (~2.4mL/month lost).
• Fineliners can be refilled, but nibs wear out and require replacement.

Cost Breakdown

Disposable Fineliners (Microns, Staedtler, Copic, etc.)

• Ink per pen: ~1mL
• Monthly ink usage: ~10mL (~10 pens/month)
• Monthly cost: $30
• Yearly cost: $360

Refilled Fineliners

• Ink per refill: ~1mL
• Lifespan per pen: 5–10 refills before nib wears out
• Ink cost per month: $4 – $7
• Pen replacement cost per month: $3 – $4
• Total monthly cost: $8 – $11
• Total yearly cost: $96 – $132

Fountain Pen with Pigment Ink (Platinum Carbon Black, etc.)

• Adjusted ink usage (including waste): 17.4 – 22.4mL/month
• Monthly cost: $7 – $9
• Yearly cost: $87 – $112

Fountain Pen with Bulletproof Ink (Noodler’s Black, etc.)

• Adjusted ink usage: 17.4 – 22.4mL/month
• Monthly cost: $4 – $5
• Yearly cost: $46 – $60

Final Comparison

💰 Estimated Yearly Costs:

• Disposable Fineliners – $360 per year
• Refilled Fineliners – $96 – $132 per year
• Fountain Pen (Platinum Carbon Black) – $87 – $112 per year
• Fountain Pen (Noodler’s Bulletproof Black) – $46 – $60 per year

Conclusion: Which is More Cost-Effective?

• Short Term: If you just need something that works right out of the box, disposable fineliners are convenient but costly. You won’t have to worry about cleaning or maintenance—just toss them when they dry out. But at $30 per month, that cost adds up fast.

• Medium Term: Refilled fineliners offer a great middle ground—you extend their lifespan significantly, cutting costs to about $8–$11 per month. However, nibs still wear down, meaning you'll need replacements every so often. If you're fine with prying open pens and refilling them manually, this method makes disposable fineliners much more economical.

• Long Term: Fountain pens are the clear winner in terms of cost-effectiveness. Even accounting for extra ink usage and wasted ink during refilling, you’re still looking at a yearly cost of just $46–$112, depending on the ink you use. That’s over $250 per year in savings compared to disposable fineliners. Plus, fountain pens offer more customization, smoother ink flow, and a more enjoyable writing/drawing experience.

If you’re someone who burns through Microns like candy, it’s worth considering a fountain pen setup. But if you love the feel of fineliners, refilling them is a great way to save money while keeping the drawing experience you enjoy.

I've seen the Pentel Alloy but after years of using Pentels their design has gotten kind of stale for me so I'd love to try out some different bodies but keep the Energel ink that I love.

Looking for a tiny pen like the fisher space pen bullet but that is thicker. Would ideally have it take space pen inserts as well, but not a deal breaker. The loop on my wallet is too streched out and the pen keeps calling out now.

Hi. I used the Staples Optiflow pens as pictured here, they’re needlepoint and not rollerball. I know the rollerball was taken over by Quill, but not the needlepoint. Anybody have any ideas?

This is my “mini” pen collection. These are my small pens that I own. Banana for scale because everything has to be scaled by a banana.

Left from right.

Zebra “telescopic” pen (I bought this pen in Japan in 2018. I haven’t found another pen like this)

Fisher Space Pen Telescoping Pen (recent buy in NYC)

MontBlanc “Baby” (bought in NYC)

Incense Cedar Sierra slip-on

Fisher Pen Space Pen (with keychain) I use this pen at work.

Bic “mini” multicolor pen

Muji Wooden ball pen 0.5mm

I do a lot of maths and some journalling stuff as well and want to notes to last a reasonably long time. I also tend to make a lot of mistakes, and have been using pencils since they are erasable, and also don't fade and what not. I really don't like the aesthetic of crossing out an incorrect equation and having a gap in an otherwise neat block of maths.

But recently pencil has begun to get a bit annoying with the mess and need to sharpen. So I want to start using pen again, but I don't know what would happen if I used correction tape and left it for a couple of years.

I'd imagine it would either peel, go yellow, crack, or maybe even damage the paper. Does anyone know if this is true and if so, does anyone know or any archival grade correction tape?

After recently buying a beautiful pen and moving away from cheap plastic Muji's, I had the pain of finding a refill that matched that beautiful, smoooooth, thin-line experience that Muji delivered, but in a Parker format.

I searched far and wide, purchasing every single recommendation I found. I bought and tried the OHTO flash-dry needlepoints, Schneider Gelion's, Monteverde Capless Gel, Schmidt P900, Schmidt EasyFlow, Parker Quink Gel, Uniball Jetstream, DunBong..... but none came close enough to that perfect Muji feel.

That was until I decided to purchase a no-name, never before recommended random refill from Amazon from a brand called 'Iungo'. It's Parker style, 0.5mm thin-line, AND WRITES EXACTLY LIKE THE MUJI.

I also happened to be a blue-black fan which NONE of the recommended refills came in, EXCEPT for this Iungo refill.

Anyways, if you love the feel of Muji, give them a shot. They're super cheap at like $10 for 10.

Enjoy!

Perspective is everything.

I have a cross pen which I "inherited" from a roommate some years ago. I would like to identify its model and assess its value. So far, I have only found the word "Cross" on the clip and around the top and inside I have found what seems to be "0905" engraved in dots on the tube where the refill goes in. I have seen similar posts (to this one) which say that there should be additional marking near the clip, but I haven't found any even with a magnifying glass.

Images are also posted here.

Other than identification, I also wonder about whether there are 0.5mm roller refills I could use in this pen? I'm asking because while I do enjoy the feel and the twist action to open/close the pen, I actually prefer writing with a Pilot G-2 0.5 that I have---mainly because I like the dark, thin line that the pilot makes.

Thanks for your help!

0905 engraved under cap

a cross pen

I came here because my pen is low on ink and idk how to refill it. Is it even possible to refill this kind of pen?? I don't even know where it came from.....

I discovered Morning Glory pens somewhere on Reddit ... here? Stationery? I can't remember. Anyway, I LOVE THEM. I have red, blue, and black in .38 and use them daily. Thought I'd share for others who love fine tips that write sooo smoothly and with an ink that doesn't smudge. At least, I haven't had a problem with smudging. I cannot say enough good things about these pens. Oh! They are inexpensive too!

And for those that know about Morning Glory pens, do you have any info about where I might find them in more colors? Websites or stores?

All I can find are the three colors that I have, but it would be heavenly to have all sorts of colors. Like I do with my Pilot Precise, InkJoys, Pilot Juice, etc. Fine. I may not need them, but I want them just the same!

Dear all,

I d'like to ask a poll, so as to ask your preferences among two versions of Cross pen. Both are micro-knurl version.

​

Townsend Black PVD Micro-knurl Rollerball Pen

​

Century II Black Micro-knurl Rollerball Pen

​

View Poll

Here is my collection so far. Only started last month.

I am really enjoying using a fountain pen and will likely add more. Strange because I haven't used one in about 25 years and I'm left handed. I will put it down to poor choice of pen and ink plus being taught how to write wrong in school as a kid.

The Rotring 600's are also amazing. I love writing with them but prefer a fine Gel refill as it feels similar to the pencil tip.

The bottom one is my Lamy Al Star EMR Digital as I use my s9 tab for work and prefer to hand write notes and annotate pdf reports.

Any of these your favorites?

Any good refill options or have I made some good choices already?

Preface: I know little in the world of pens. I use a Lamy and any that I accidentally steal (boars head deli why is your pen so perfect?)

Here's where I need the help. I'm shopping for a 33 year old man. He's graduating from something he has been working towards for 14 years. I have 7 weeks to source the pen(s)

Pen number 1 : FANCY, not an every day pen. I'd love if it could be made from rosewood or a nice wood but rosewood is meaningful. A pen that people go, "nice pen"

Pen number 2 : everyday pen. Will be used and abused. I'm thinking all black or dark metal. Bolt action, rugged. Would look good in an everyday carry flat lay.

Please help me with some leads or recommendations. No price point. I'm not made of money but this is a very special occasion.

Thank you in advance to anyone who has read or may have some leads for me.

Whenever I finish one up I mark it with white out (idk why, just something I’ve been doing) and mark the day it finished its writability.

I recently received a set of my Grandad's Parker pens. I want to use them but not to sure if they are something that should be kept safe at home or not.

They are clearly labelled Parker 51, but I can't find a set similar online. I've seen similar individual pens called "Parker 51 Aero Mechanical Pencil with Rolled Gold Cap", but they arent an exact match. Any information would be really appreciated! I imagine he would have bought them in the UK around 1950

https://preview.redd.it/pdmctz4z8yge1.jpg?width=3264&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=749d639e11aadcf41744cc0e8612e5f1dfd36841

https://preview.redd.it/ltacxy4z8yge1.jpg?width=3264&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1d1129902e29e9661f9dade3b0e58840d7d9fc87

I know I sound like a jerk but I’m sure some of y’all would like to know, since you’re stationery enthusiasts!

Stationery (n): 1. materials (such as paper, pens, and ink) for writing or typing; 2. letter paper usually accompanied with matching envelopes

Stationary (adj.): immobile

From the Merriam-Webster dictionary: The Internet is awash with mnemonics (“something (such as a word, a sentence, or a song) that helps people remember something“) designed to assist those who have trouble distinguishing between two similar words. A fair share of these turn out to be for the words stationery and stationary. The most commonly suggested method is to remember that you buy papER at a stationERy store. If this trick does not work for you, then perhaps it will help to remember that a stationery store is one that is run by a stationer. This word was originally applied to a bookseller, but by the middle of the 17th century it began to be used for a person who sells papers, pens, and office goods.

My collection so far, don’t mind the pencil.

Before you read, I'm not looking for a fountain pen, I'm just looking for normal automatic click-and-go pen :D

This subreddit just showed up, and since I was having a look a couple weeks ago, thought I'd give this a shot. I'll be starting Uni in a few months, and I love writing in Purple pen, It's my favourite colour. Specifically a darker shade of purple. I've used Muji quite a few times, I like them, however it's a lil too scratchy and not flowy enough for my liking. Currently using a Zebra Sarasa Gel Pen 0.5 (I think that's what it's called?). Love it. I've used a Pentel Energel before, but not in purple, seemed very very nice though. Any recommendations?

Anyone know of any pens which cost maybe a little more, because they look nicer and last a little longer etc etc? Something a little more fancy maybe? Feel free to give all the suggestions you can think of!

https://preview.redd.it/tx8fy26ucxge1.jpg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=77821e0121fd9b4d7f58e8e49095d4a36064ad8a

My collection consists of one pen, the Pilot 823 Fine nib, what do you think?