I have a pen problem

My obsession with writing utensils goes way back, but lately it is getting worse. For the last several months I have followed the Pen Addict blog. I enjoy seeing what new pens are coming out and how they all stack up.  I have a huge stable of pens that is always growing. I'm switching it up all the time depending on the task.

Zebra F-701

I've always loved the extra fine point Pilot G2 pens, and still use them quite a bit at work for taking notes. However, a few months ago, my main pen became the Zebra F-701 extra fine ball-point pen with the knurled grip. It is a great pen that looks good and feels nice, but on certain types of paper the ink isn't smooth.  It makes me miss the gel ink. I was a little dissatisfied so I set out to find a new pen.

In the past month the author of penaddict.com started a podcast. I was flooded with all different possible options for my new best pen. I've tried out a bunch, which means I bought a bunch of pens. Good thing it is a fairly cheap hobby. I've found a couple awesome pens I hadn't tried before that I will definitely keep stocked in my arsenal.

The Uni-ball Jetstream has been around for quite a while, but I had never tried it. I bought a pack of Uni-ball pens years ago and hated them, so I have been hesitant to try them again. However, the Jetstream is really good. The ink is a hybrid between a gel and a traditional ball-point ink. It is really smooth, but doesn't bleed like gel pens do. The standard 1mm point is too bold for my liking. The 0.7mm is good, but I wish there were a 0.5mm. Still it is a solid pen.

There was one pen that really intrigued me, but you can't buy it in any stores. The Pilot Hi-Tec-C (or G-Tec-C) has to be ordered online. I decided to bite the bullet and get a pack of multi-color 0.4mm pens to try out. I got them a few days ago, and I think I have a new favorite pen. I've been using them a ton. It is a gel ink so it goes on really smooth, but it is such a thin line with a precise needle point. At first it felt scratchy, but once the ink started flowing better it got much smoother.

The pen writes so nice, but I also want my pens to look cool. The Hi-Tec-C definitely does not look cool. It is a basic stick pen with a clear plastic barrel. I was excited to see a kickstarter campaign that addressed my issue with the bland form factor. I put in my pledge and should have my black P1 Premier pen sometime in May.

For now the Pilot Hi-Tec-C is my main pen, and I expect it to stay that way until the next awesome pen comes along. I really like fine point pens. If you like a bold point, then this probably isn't the pen for you. I wish I could buy ink refills in a store, but it looks like I am going to have to order them anytime I run out. I'm glad Amazon has these pens available.