The battle of the best black pen
I've always been into stationary, ever since I was a little girl. I just love pens! And my obsession with black pens has escalated in the past few months, since I started bullet journaling. I am on the quest of finding the best black pen!
I have a ridiculous amount of black pens in my arsenal. But today, I will talk about the ones I tend to use the most. I have different favourites for writing, drawing and handlettering. So, let's get started.
SAKURA MICRON 01, 02, 03
The quality of these pens is amazing! Very good for detailed drawing but they're also great to write too. Their black is really dark (much darker compared to the Staedtler equivalents) and I really like them. There's only one negative that I've found during the time that I've been using them. When you draw with a pencil and then you go over the pencil with one of those pens, once you're finished and you want to erase the pencil marks, then the eraser makes the marker look more faded and not as dark as it was in the beginning. That means that you have to go over it and possibly ruin your drawing, or leave it as it is. Nevertheless, I am constantly using them for drawing cause they're really good!
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PILOT G-TEC - C4
This has become one of my favourite pens to write. Especially if you make small letters, then this is the pen for you. The writing is smoothe and effortless. I tend to grab this one more that the rest lately, especially when I write my affirmations for my Miracle Morning routine. However, I've seen a lot of people draw with this one as well, like Ms. Centolife on YouTube.
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UNI-BALL SIGNO BIT 0.7
This is the pen that I always use to make my cursive handwriting on my bullet journal, or anywhere else! It glides like a dream on the paper and gives one of the darkest blacks without bleeding through the page. I just love it!
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UNIBALL VISION NEEDLE 0.7
Another great pen that I really like. Again, like the previous one it glides on the page and writes like a dream with very good pigmentation. The only downfall is that it could bleed through the page, depending on how much you press the pen when you write. That's why I don't use it for my bullet journaling. Nevertheless it's a great pen to have. It's also waterproof and fade-proof.
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STABILO COLORGEL 0.4
This one is quite new for me, but I really, REALLY like it. It's a gel pen that has a very good grip, making it very comfortable when you write. I also like the design - it's a bit different. I tend to use it for my cursive as well as when I write my snail mail letters, because it makes it so easy. If I was back to school, this would be the pen I would use to write my notes with.
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PILOT G-2 O.7
This is an old favourite of mine that I tend to grab from time to time. I find that it helps me to write more neatly and my letters look good when I use it. I have various ones around the house and in the car. If you like gel pens this is a very good one to have.
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PENTEL ENERGEL 0.7
This was an impulse buy when I was waiting at the till and I really like it. It's the pen I keep in my bag. It has a thicker grip than the Pilot one but the result is almost the same.
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PILOT FRIXION BALL 0.7
This is my new favourite toy! I use it everyday with my bullet journal, my blog journal and anything else I want to write. The reason is that it's erasable and makes my life so much easier. I just love it! After I talked about it on Instagram, a lot of the girls said that these pens are sensitive to heat, so for example, you have to make sure you won't get your journal out in the sun because the ink will disappear. However, I read that the ink in these pens will actually reappear when the temperature reaches below - 10 C (under 14 Fahrenheit), so keep that in mind too. They come in lots of colours. I have the pink, red, blue and black ones. There are also refills for some of the colours.
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STAEDTLER PIGMENT LINER 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7
These were the first liners that I started using when I was drawing and doodling and I still really like them. I don't like the way they make my letters when I write, but for drawing they are amazing. They dry instatly so there's no smudging. And I don't seem to get the same problem with the eraser as I do with the Sakura ones that I've mentioned above. Really good investment for money.
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FABER-CASTELL BROADPEN 1554 0.8
This is one of the pens that I use to do my headings with or I use it when I want to have something stand out, since it has a thicker tip. It has a very peculiar tint to it. It's a black-purple pen that I actually like.
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PAPER MATE
This is one of my old time favourites. I have various colours and I tend to use this one when I want thicker lines in my doodling, when I'm drawing quotes or when I do some handlettering. Very versatile one.
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PENTEL SIGN PEN
Like the Paper Mate one I use this one for writing quotes and doodling. They're also great to write on envelopes or boxes. It's really black and depending on the pressure you apply you can get different thickness in the lines.
>> Click to Buy
So, there you have it! These are my current favourite black pens. There's something in each one that I really like. However, I am still on the search for the best black pen. So, make sure you tell me yours in the comments below ;)
My favourite bullet journal supplies
I've been getting a ton of questions lately about what supplies I am using for my bullet journaling. Especially after I posted these pictures on Instagram ( here and here ), everyone was asking what I used to create that shading. So, instead of answering each one individually, I decided to create a post where I talk about all my favourite supplies that I use at the moment.
So, relax, grab a cup of coffee and let's dive together to my happy place - the stationery world!
Leuchtturm1917
First stop is of course my Leuchtturm1917. Oh, I love this notebook so much! I haven't used any other (like the Moleskine or the original Bullet Journal) in order to be able to compare them, but I'm really pleased with my purchase and I love the colour <3. I am using the light blue A5 dotted one. I've already written a whole blog post about it and all it's characteristics with lots of pictures, if you want to check it out more here.
You can buy it here: Amazon
Pelikan Soft Coloured Pencils
Next are the soft coloured pencils that I'm using to do all the shading in my bullet journal. They are made by Pelikan and they come in a tin case with 24 bright and vivid colours that draw like a dream. If you're looking for colour pencils to create shading like me, make sure you choose soft pencils, so that you have a smooth application and less lines.
Staedtler Triplus Fineliners
These I feel have become a must in the bullet journal community, especially after Kara (from Boho Berry) has talked about them. And I have to agree - they are very, very good. With a fine tip of 0.3 and very little ghosting they are perfect for adding colour to your bullet journal on an everyday basis.
You can buy them here: Amazon
Stabilo 68 Pens
These are amazing! The colours are vivid and bright and you get very good pigmentation. They are water-based with an 1mm sturdy tip and they come in 46 colours. I have quite a few of them and I really really like them. And the best part of all is that you get only a bit of ghosting at the back of the page! I also sometimes use them before I start the shading, if I want a more intense colour in certain areas. They have a neon line that I really like as well. I also use their 2in1 pens which are equally good and you get two pens for the price of one! Especially the black one, I use it all the time.
You can buy them here: Amazon
Staedtler Pigment Liners
These ones I use them e v e r y d a y! I love them! They are a bit off black - so don't expect the darkest of blacks with these babies, but I like it. They come in various tip sizes, and I have the 0.1, 0.3, 0.5 and 0.7 ones. By far my most used one is the 0.3. It's perfect for writing and drawing the lines around your sketches etc. The 0.1 is great if you want to draw something with great details. And the 0.5 and 0.7 are great for thick lines and titles. For thick lines I also use the Faber-Castell Broadpen 1554 one, which has an amazing shade of black with purple undertones.
You can buy them here: Amazon
Pens
As far as my favourite pens to write are concerned, I tend to change and use different ones all the time. I'm one of those people you see in the bookstores that tests all the pens and usually I buy 10 pens on my way out, even though I went in there to only buy a book for example!
My favourite pens right now are:
- Uniball Signo bit 0.7
This is my favourite one by far! Really nice dark black and very precise needle tip, that even though is 0.7mm writes pretty thin. Zero bleeding and only a bit of ghosting. It comes in an amazing light blue and one of the best greens I've ever used as well!
You can buy them here: Amazon
- Pilot G-Tec-C4
If you want great detail in your writing then look no further. These pens have a very smooth fine point with no smears and almost no ghosting. Just perfect! Only a few times I noticed that when you start to write, the ink might not flow as well and you might need to write on a piece of paper to get it started. But apart from that they're excellent. I have the blue colour as well that I like.
You can buy them here: Amazon
- Uniball Vision Needle 0.7
This one I like because of the tip but also because of the very different shade of black you get. It's a combination of black and grey ombre. That's the only way I can describe it. :)
You can buy it here: Amazon
Pencils
This list would not be complete if I didn't include my favourite pencils that I use everyday. I always use a pencil first in my drawings and sometimes I prefer to write in pencil too. I find that my handwriting looks better in pencil sometimes.
- I usually tend to draw with an HB pencil, for softer lines. The Faber-Castell ones are great and I really like the grip they have.
- When I write or I want more dark lines I use a 2B pencil. Again, I choose the Faber-Castell ones because I really like them.
- And last but definitely not least is my Uni Shalaku mechanical pencil that I absolutely love! It has the perfect grip and it's just so comfortable when I write. I have a lot of different mechanical pencils but I ALWAYS tend to reach for this one. I use it with the Faber-Castell Super-Polymer leads 0.7HB
Of course, as a proper stationery addict my wishlist is quite big, and since I've started my bullet journal it gets bigger and bigger! My next purchases will definitely be the Tombow Dual Brush Pen Art Markers, the Faber-Castell PITT artist pens, and the Sakura Pigma Micron Pens.
I would LOVE to know your favourite supplies and stationery that you use for your bullet journal. So, make sure you let me know in the comments bellow ;)
Have a nice day
