A progression of pens
Over the years I have been trying to find a great pen to carry with me everyday, and stash in all my various bags and notebooks. The picture above shows this progression over the years.
Zebra F-301 ($3): This pen is a workhorse and a great place to start. I remember when I was younger meeting people who had a writing instrument that was anything nicer than a random/cheap BiC pen and thinking they were fancy. Then I got tried of not having something reliable to use and instead deciding the quality I wanted to have all the time. The F-301 holds up to most wear-and-tear and has long lasting refills in a few different sizes.
Zebra F-301 Compact ($3): This pen is essentially the same as the previous, but instead of clicking, it opens and reverses to switch between a compact, pocket friendly pen, and a regular length one. Great for throwing in any pants pocket on the go, and uses the same refills.
Zebra F-701 ($6): This has been the pen I’ve been using for 5-6 years straight. It has a fully metal exterior, a great heft and balance, a knurled grip, and uses the same refills as the previous two. At first I was not sure whether $5-6 was excessive for a single pen, but this one is absolutely worth it. It has been the standard I have compared all other pens to since.
rOtring 600 Ballpoint ($28): I bought one of these pens after I had been using a rOtring 600 and 800 pencil to draw with for a few years. The pencils I protect and store away, but this one I bought thinking it would be my new everyday pen. It has all the same characteristics I love in the pencils, but when compared to the F-701, it’s hard to say it’s that much better to justify the cost. So this one got added to my safely stored pencil collection, and I kept using the F-701.
rOtring Rapid Pro ($32): The Rapid Pro design is an update to the standard rOtring and I do like using it a little better than the 600, but I came to the same dilemma. At 5-6 times the cost as the F-701, I couldn’t see carrying this around everyday, so it too got added to the collection and I stuck with the old faithful.
Zebra G-750 ($11): I recently discovered this pen and decided to give it a try. I have to say I am very happy with the weight, finish, and functionality of this pen. And at the cost, this will be replacing my F-701 for everyday usage. My only gripe is with the standard Gel inserts the pen comes with. They exhaust themselves far too quickly, I generally prefer something smaller than a 0.7mm line thickness, and I’m not a big fan of Gel inks in the first place. I found I could shorten and fit a Pilot Acroball refill, and now I’m even happier with it. Hoping to see it on sale in the near future, so I can purchase a few more.
vonholdt 