Fineline pens are wonderful for bullet journaling. They have varying nib sizes, rich black, archival ink, and are incredibly versatile. But what are the best fineline pens for bullet journalling?
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Fineline pens have been my go-to pens since day one. Although, on day one I started with a Sharpie pen and hadn’t even heard of Micron or Staedtler yet. Over two years have passed, and I believe I have tried every fineline pen on the market, at this point.
I assumed all fineline pens were created equal. Boy, was I wrong. After shelling out hundreds of dollars on pens, I have a good understanding of a quality pen. There are some that are well worth the price tag, and some that I wouldn’t spend a dollar on. In the end, it’s all personal preference. There is one brand of pen that I will never buy again but is very popular among the Instagram community.** I won’t blatantly come out and say it, but it starts with a Faber and ends with a Pitt Artist. And maybe I just had a crappy pack of those specific pens.
**Faber-Castell recently reached out to me and sent me some art supplies free of charge. One of the items in the package was a set of Pitt Artist pens. I now thoroughly believe that I had a faulty pack and I retract my previous statement. I am satisfied with the overall quality of these pens and will likely buy them again.
With that, let me forewarn you. I’m one of the nicest people I know. I dislike confrontation. And I want everyone to be my friend. But, on the other hand, I have this trait for always being honest. Lying is not even an option for me. I suck at it. So, the below reviews are 100% honest. I was not paid to write these opinions. I was not sent free supplies.
3 Best Fineline Pens for Bullet Journaling
Staedtler Pigment Liners
These are my star players! They have outlasted any fineline pen I have ever used. On top of lasting a long time, these pens have a lower price point than many of the other fineline pens. You can get this pack of 6 on Amazon for right around $10. That puts each pen at a little under $2 a piece. Not bad for an artist quality pen.
Like most other pens on the market, these come in a variety of nib sizes. The pack of 6 mentioned above includes 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.5, and 0.8mm nibs. I generally use the 0.3 and 0.5 for writing and doodling and then use the 0.1 for adding fine details. The 0.8mm nib comes in handy for coloring areas in quickly or adding a thick outline to your weekly boxes, doodles, or lettering.
Overall, I’m a huge fan of Staedtler Mars. They have a wide range of artist products, including 50 colored fineline pens, circular stencils, and affordable quality colored pencils. I have yet to be disappointed by one of their products.
Related: 5 Best Dot Grid Notebooks for Bullet Journalling
Uni Pin Fineliners
I bought the Uni Pin Fineliners on a whim… mostly because they were the only fineline pen I hadn’t tried, and they were relatively inexpensive. I wasn’t sure how well these would work as I see a lot more people using Staedtlers and Faber Castells. But, I was willing to give them a shot, and I’m glad I did.
These pens create beautifully crisp black lines. They don’t skip and are comfortable in your hand. The outer shell of the case almost has a velvety soft feel to it. While I’m hooked on my Staedtler Pigment liners, I will continue to buy and use these in my bullet journal.
These come in a huge range of 9 nib sizes including 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, and 0.8mm.
Sakura Pigma Microns
The Sakura Pigma Microns are what I consider the OG of fineline pens. They have been around for years. I remember my mom having these growing up. I also remember that she threated my hand if I used them. And for a good reason. These pens are expensive. But, they are of the best quality.
Like the Uni Pin, there is a huge range of nib sizes to choose from. They even offer a 003, which is equivalent to .15mm. It’s tiny, and they even warn against using these pens if you aren’t a professional on their website because they are so small and delicate. They also have much larger nibs called graphic pens, which have either a 1 or 2mm nib depending on the version you get. And, they offer a chisel tip and calligraphy tip pen as well.
I like these pens, but I feel like they run out of ink faster than the above-mentioned fineline pens, so I use them more sparingly.
What are your favorite pens to use in your bullet journal? Do you use fineline pens, gel pens, or something else? Let me know in the comments below.
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Ashley Ziegler says
I love the Sakura Pigma Microns!
erinnichols91 says
Me too! They are wonderful pens!
Sue says
I ‘m not a fan of the Uni Pin fine-liners. They go scratchy very quickly and the nib squashes. The Uniball Eye needle pens are better, in my opinion. They last longer and give a very fine line for tiny writing and details. I love Staedtler Triplus pens for headers etc but they do ghost unless you are using a Rhodia notebook, where this is less noticeable than in Leuchtturms or Moleskines, due to the higher quality of the paper.
erinnichols91 says
I personally really like the Uni Pins and haven’t had the Scratching problem. I also haven’t tried the Uniball Needle pens. I think it’s a very individual experience for everyone based on how they write, too. As for the Staedtler’s, they do ghost in the lower GSM paper notebooks, but again, that doesn’t bother some people. I don’t mind ghosting but I also haven’t dealt with it in a long time because I use a Nuuna and they have 120gsm munken paper.
Thank you for sharing your opinions. They will certainly help someone looking for the right pen.