Image in the original: Written by…
I enjoy writing, obviously, but the process of writing itself is part of the fun too.
So for me, the smoother the flow of the pen, the better.
I have tried many types over the years: Parker, Pilot, Montblanc, fountain pens, ballpoints, Jetstream, and others. They are all good in different ways, and trying them is part of the fun.
But I have begun to realise that there are certain things I prefer. I thought I might make a list.
- First, the smoothness of the ink.
How the ink flows on paper. How easily my words come out on a blank sheet. There seems to be some relationship between the paper, the friction of the pen against it, and the freedom of thought when it is expressed on the surface.
I am not sure exactly what that relationship is.
But I notice it.
When a pen does not move the way I want it to, somehow my attention is drawn to the pen held. When it moves smoothly, I can almost forget about it and just let the thoughts flow.
- Then there is the exterior.
Is it maybe the brand? Is it maybe the form and shape of the tool? Maybe all of that.
Does it give you some excitement when you use it? How does it feel when you hold it in your hand?
I think this matters to me more than I used to realise.
There are pens that simply make you want to pick them up. I am not sure that this makes them better pens in any objective sense. But if you enjoy the act of writing, surely the feeling of the object in your hand matters too.
- And then there is sustainability.
By sustainability, I do not necessarily mean the environmental sense of the word. Well, if cared the better obviously. But I mean something more ordinary: how much can you keep spending on ink, cartridges, refills, and everything else that comes with the pen?
This has become a surprisingly important question for me. You may love a pen, but if every refill feels expensive, you begin to hesitate before using it. A writing tool should make you want to write, not make you calculate how much each page is costing you.
If the exterior of the pen is the vehicle for your thoughts, then the ink—or whatever is inside it—is the gasoline. The fuel. You may love the vehicle. But you still have to keep putting fuel into it.
So these seem to be the things I care about, at least for now:
how the pen moves on paper,
how it feels in my hand,
and whether I can keep using it without thinking too much about the cost.
Maybe there are others.
I will probably discover them by trying more pens.
Just random thoughts on writing utensils, today.
Let me please also hear your thoughts too. ■
My Hypomnemata
First published on Substack on Sep 30, 2026 (JST). Archived here as part of the Fabio Caipirinha permanent archive (published on this site: Oct 15, 2026). Images from the original are omitted here pending rights clearance. Original: https://fabiocaipirinha.substack.com/p/what-makes-a-pen-good-for-me
Cover image: Close-up of a fountain pen nib (CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons — source)
