Pilot Kakuno - Style is the primary difference between the Kakuno and Metropolitan.

At around four times the cost of the Preppy it is far from the cheapest pen on this list, but still provides a great bang for the buck.

Pilot Metropolitan - For a more traditional fountain pen look and feel, the Metropolitan is the choice.

This is the best pen to buy to see if you like fountain pens, and will only cost you $5 to try.

Platinum Preppy - Want to know how good this fountain pen is? Even the most experienced users keep several of these handy at all times.

Finally, a special nod to the Paper Mate Flair and Sharpie Pen, who handle specific tasks well, but land in the second tier. Store brands like the TUL (shoutout are too limited in availability to be considered for this list, but are independently good.) My only wish for this category is for Zebra to crack the top 2 or 3 in any ink type (gel, ballpoint, roller.) They aren’t there yet in the US, but in Japan they are very competitive. I have no issues with the Pilot G2 either, but I think there are better choices. The Sharpie S-Pen is excellent, as is the Uni-ball Vision Elite. (Notes: This list could easily go 10 deep. Its hybrid ballpoint ink makes it a more specific use case than many of the pens above it.

Uni-ball Jetstream - Formerly number one, it hasn’t fallen in quality, but I think it falls into a narrower category of recommendations.

For colorful gel ink, it ranks only behind the EnerGel. If you have, then you might argue for it higher up the list.

Paper Mate InkJoy - Surprise! But only if you haven’t used one before.

I’m guessing that’s why it is still widely available and not completely cannibalized by the newer model. Uni-ball Signo 207 - I thought the 307 was going to be it, but the ink formulation is better in the 207.I tend to recommend gel or hybrid ballpoint ink pens before rollerball ink pens, but it’s hard to argue with a 40 year run of this great pen. Pilot Precise V5/V7 - It’s so darn good.Start here on your next visit to the stationery aisle. The ink is smooth and dark, the barrel is comfortable to use, and the color range is spectacular. I’ve never used an 0.7 mm gel ink pen that is as consistent as the EnerGel.

Pentel EnerGel - If I’m being completely honest, I don’t think it is close.It hasn’t been dropped by me, but it is too particular to recommend to users who aren’t looking for a technical-style gel ink pen. (Notes: The Pilot Hi-Tec-C has been dropped from this list.

I’m still holding out hope for a full Euro Needle style and color expansion for Pentel, which would rocket them up the charts because the refill is exceptional. The Clena doesn’t get all the way there, which is why it is at number five, not number two. Pentel EnerGel Clena Gel Pen - 0.3/0.4 mm - I have a dream scenario EnerGel that I would like to see.I do like the barrel and knock better than the Juice, but I prefer the needle tip style of the Juice more than the RT1. Uni-ball Signo RT1 0.38 mm - It “only” has 10 colors available, which is lower than the pens listed ahead of it, but the quality of writing experience is equal to most.Pilot Juice Up 0.4 mm - It’s the first needle tip on the list, and both the 0.3 mm and 0.4 mm write wonderfully.That is a negative for some people, as it gives the Sarasa Clip a scratchier feel on the page. Zebra Sarasa Clip 0.4 mm - It is the one pen barrel that is better than the Signo DX barrel, and sharper lines than comparable tip sizes as well.The basic barrel is also better than much of the competition, and I even helped design an upgraded one. It is extremely consistent, and glides across the page for such a small tip size. Uni-Ball Signo DX 0.38 mm - The Uni-ball Signo DX 0.38 mm is the micro gel ink pen that I measure all micro gel ink pens against.

Papermate mechanical pencil 0.7