Pen Review: The Lamy Econ Ballpoint Is Not a Fancy Pen, and That's OK.

August 28, 2024

You might be surprised to know that most readers of The Gentleman Stationer, and most of our shop customers, use ballpoint pens regularly, either as their primary writing instrument or as their “second option” after fountain pens. I personally use a lot of ballpoints, including the Lamy 2000, which features the same refill as the pen I’m going to look at today: the Lamy Econ.

Lamy Econ Ballpoint Multiple Colors — Lamy Econ ballpoints come in various colors.

As it’s name implies, the “Econ” is not a fancy pen. With an unadorned round, matte barrel, a folded steel clip, and a quiet knock system that won’t annoy your office or classmates, it’s pretty much the definition of an economy workhorse. For example, the matte black version pictured here is the pen you could buy as a gift for someone who’s not a “pen addict”, but who still appreciates nice everyday carry or professional accessories that offer a quality writing experience without appearing overly showy. Of course, the Econ comes in colors other than matte black, including “Matte Apricot”, “Lagoon”, “Sea”, “Indigo” and “Raspberry”, which do offer a pop of bright color if that’s what you’re looking for.

The Econ is well-balanced and features a "grippy" round barrel compatible with many different grip and handwriting styles.

I have to go on record once again, giving props to Lamy for dramatically improving the quality of the M16 ballpoint refill over the past several years. If a company makes ballpoint pens that take proprietary refills, that refill had better be good. While Lamy has had issues with the M16 in the past, if you haven’t tried it in recent years and are generally a ballpoint fan, you owe it to yourself to give it another try. This same refill also fits nearly all other standard Lamy ballpoint pens, including the Lamy Econ, Lamy Noto, Lamy Studio, and the Lamy 2000.

The M16 writes a relatively fine, manageable line, even in the medium tip size. Shown here on Midori MD Memo Block paper.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

With its matte barrel, solid knock and good refill, the Lamy Econ has filled a niche in my own household as the reliable “utility” pen that everyone in my family can use. From personal experience, it makes an excellent “car pen”, meaning the ballpoint(s) that I tend to keep in center consoles of our vehicles so that there is always something to write with. You never know!

You can purchase the Lamy Econ in our shop, either online or in person, priced at $25. We actually have a display of Econ ballpoints on the “Lamy counter,” along with several other relatively inexpensive ballpoint pen options that you have the opportunity to pick up and handle before making a decision. As noted above, both the Econ, the Lamy 2000 ballpoint, and the Lamy Noto take the Lamy M16 refill. Pens ship with a black medium tip refill but additional colors and tip sizes are also available.

Would you like to see these pens in person? Come visit our physical location, located at 4320 Kenilwood Drive, Suite 113, Nashville, Tennessee! Hours this week will be from 1-6 on Friday Aug. 30, and from 11-6 on Saturday. The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Ballpoints, Gel Pens, and Mechanical Pencil Samples Spread Out on Desk

How Fine is "Too Fine"? Comparing Tip Sizes Across Different Pen and Pencil Types

March 16, 2024

It can be hard to make sense of the different tip sizes in ballpoints, gel pens, and mechanical pencils. Manufacturers tend to denote the tip size in millimeters (or tenths of a millimeter) as opposed to the arguably more descriptive "fine,” "medium,” and “broad” or “bold” typically used in fountain pens and rollerballs. Moreover, the actual corresponding line width isn't always consistent, due to differences between ballpoint and gel ink. For example, a .5mm gel pen might write a wetter line that looks wider than a corresponding .5mm ballpoint.

Since I've spent the past couple of weeks on "day job" projects that have required a lot of travel and non-fountain-pen use, I thought it might be interesting to do a direct comparison of the different widths and test some recent observations.

These days, the only ballpoint pen I use with any regularity is the Uniball Jetstream. And I use ALL the sizes. Even in non-Jetstream pens, I’ve mostly swapped out the original refill for the Parker-style Jetstream SXR-600 (shown at bottom). Shown here are the Jetstream Prime (left) and Jetstream Edge (right).

Ballpoint Example: Uniball Jetstream

It's somewhat difficult to find decent ballpoints that allow you to write a very fine line outside of Uni's Jetstream line. There are exceptions, like the Anterique Mach Ball Pens and the Ohto Refills found in Mark's and Traveler's Company Pens, but these less common Japanese imports are generally limited to the .5mm size, whereas the Jetstream comes in in both .38mm and .28mm line widths.

Uni Jetstream Ballpoint Writing Samples — Since ballpoint refills are typically drier than rollerball or gel pens, you really do get a lot of differentiation between the different line widths. That .28mm can almost be described as a “hairline”, especially with light pressure.

I'm always shocked at how smooth Jetstream refills write, even at the .28mm width. .5mm will always be my personal sweet spot for everyday writing, but it's nice to have the ultra fine options for notetaking and annotation. Currently, I’m only aware of the Jetstream Edge in this ultra-fine .28mm tip, but it’s possible there are others sold in Japan.

Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto Multi Pen with refills — The Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto has long been my go-to gel multi pen. Check out my original review from 2016!

Gel Pen Example: Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto Multi-Pen

The Pilot Hi-Tec-C remains a favorite gel pen, and the Coleto multi-pen version (in all of its various iterations) is probably my all-time favorite option. With gel pens, I tend to prefer the Hi-Tec-C's needle-tip, and I've found the Coleto Multi-Pen refills to resist the flow issues and clogging that can be endemic to the standard Hi-Tec-C.

Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto multi pen with writing samples — I don’t have a .7m Hi-Tec-C (or know whether one even exists), so I subbed in a Pilot G2 for the .7mm writing sample.

Personally, the "sweet spot" for me is the .4mm Hi-Tec-C Coleto refill. I find these ever-so-slightly wider and smoother than most ".38mm" refills. This could be an ink issue as opposed to tip size, but I'm speaking from hands-on experience here, not any sort of technical analysis.

Mechanical Pencil Examples: Uni Kuru Toga and Caran d'Ache 888 Infinite

I've only recently begun experimenting with mechanical pencils narrower than .5mm. During my recent trip to NYC, I picked up a .38mm Uni Kuru Toga at Kinokuniya. I'm surprised at how usable this pencil is, even if you do have to be somewhat careful to avoid lead breakage. Generally speaking, a .7mm mechanical pencil will give you a line width closest to a standard woodcase pencil freshly sharpened in a long-point sharpener. The .5mm is my default “I-want-to-write-small-without-worrying-about-lead-breakage” pencil, and the size I use the most frequently. If you use a higher quality pencil lead, a .5mm mechanical pencil can be nearly as break-resistant as a .7mm pencil.

Mechanical Pencil Writing Samples in Different Tip Sizes — Shown here: the .7mm Caran d’Ache 888 Infinite (sorry, no longer available but the lead is identical to other Caran d’Ache Mechanical Pencils), and two Uni Kuru-Toga pencils in both .5mm and .38mm. I’m aware that .9mm and 1.1mm mechanical pencil sizes exist as well, though they’re less common and at that width, I will probably use a standard woodcase pencil or a 2mm leadholder.

Practical Considerations: Some Parting Thoughts on Choosing a Size

First, the good news: Most ballpoints, gel pens, and mechanical pencils are relatively inexpensive, so the risk of choosing the "wrong line width" is relatively low. You can buy one of each size and write with them for a while before making a larger investment in a broader range of colors or multiple refills.

Uni Jetstream SXR-600 Refills — If you find that you enjoy a certain brand/width combination (for example, a Jetstream in .7mm), you aren’t necessarily limited to buying pens from a single company because you can often find a more universal refill. Shown here is the Jetstream SXR-600, a Parker-style refill that fits ballpoints and rollerballs from many different brands. The Jetstream SXR-200 D1 refill is a great option for most D1 multi pens.

Second, as someone who takes a lot of notes and is a serial annotator - meaning that I obsessively mark up books, articles, and documents as I read them - I tend to find a use case for all of the different sizes. While .5mm is my go-to size for everyday writing, I typically keep a .38mm or .4mm handy, and have been experimenting with the .28mm Jetstream Edge. On the other hand, if you mainly write longhand, such as using your pens and pencils to journal, you may find .7mm the best all around choice. .5mm or wider will give you a smoother writing experience.

Ballpoint, Gel, and Mechanical Pencil Writing Sample Comparisons — Here you can see an overall comparison of the three categories of writing samples above. In general, gel pens write a wider line than their corresponding ballpoint, and mechanical pencils will of course have less “spread” on the page since they don’t use liquid ink. The paper used is the Blackwing “Illegal Pad”, in the ruled format with the classic center dividing line.

Finally, though I'm still working through my thoughts on ultra-fine mechanical pencils, I'm pretty confident that anything finer than .5mm won't make it into my everyday rotation. With a mechanical pencil, you have to worry about lead breakage, and these ultra-fine widths are inescapably more fragile than their .5mm and .7mm counterparts. With a .38mm mechanical pencil, I've found that I have to pay more attention to things like paper texture, which can snag the lead and cause a break.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. Certain pens and pencils discussed in this post are available for purchase in our shop, so please consider supporting us if you enjoyed this content!

Uni Jetstream Prime and Caran d'Ache 849 Side by Side

Twist or Click: What's Your Retractable Pen Preference?

February 10, 2024

Within the broader world of pens, enthusiasts have many different choices to make. Fountain pen, rollerball, or ballpoint? Bottled fountain pen ink or ink cartridge? Post your pens or don’t post your pens? There’s no “right” answer, as all of these end up being matters of personal preference (though heatedly debated online). One discussion, however, has been the subject of surprisingly little conversation throughout my years in the community: the pros and cons of different retractable pen mechanisms.

Why Does The Mechanism Matter?

To begin, let’s assume that you’ve already decided that you want a retractable pen vs. a capped pen. You do most of your writing “on the go,” whether that be in the field, in the car, in the kitchen, standing at the back of a crowded boardroom holding a clipboard, etc. You need a pen that you can quickly deploy, that writes reliably, and where you don’t need to worry about keeping track of a loose cap. Retractable it is!

Lamy Safari Ballpoint Compared Against Anterique Ballpoint Compared to Uni Jetstream Prime — Both click pens and twist pens come in a wide range of formats, but pens within each category typically share a few things in common.

But many different pens are “retractable.” You have the classic click pen, and within that category, many more sub-categories of different click mechanisms (including not just the classic bolt-action pens and “side-click” pens with release buttons). The second largest group of retractable pens are twist-activated, which typically involves turning part of the barrel to deploy the refill - or in the case of a twist-retractable fountain pen like the Lamy Dialog3 - the nib. Each category has its own set of considerations, and while I personally use both, the “better choice” for you is definitely context-dependent.

Six Different Retractable Ballpoints Arrayed on a Tray — Six Click Pens, from Left: Caran d’Ache 849 Paul Smith; Lamy 2000 Ballpoint, Anterique Ballpoint, Pilot G2 Limited, Pilot Vanishing Point, Tombow Airpress (a/k/a the greatest fidget toy of all times - that knock is addictive!)

The Pros and Cons of the “Click Pen”

This article won’t dive into the particularities, advantages, and disadvantages of different styles of click-mechanism: that’s a rabbit hole for another day. But in general, I’m referring to any pen that allows you to click a button at the end of the pen to deploy the tip or nib. Examples of common click pens in this category include: the vintage-style Bic Clic (Field Notes version and countless other Clic-inspired pens like those from Anterique); Pilot G2/Zebra Sarasa/similar gel pens; Caran d’Ache 849 (both ballpoint and rollerball); the Lamy Safari Ballpoint, and on the fountain pen side, pens like the Pilot Vanishing Point/Decimo and the Platinum Curidas.

Caran d'Ache 849 being deployed one-handed

Why write with a click pen?

Speed. If what you’re looking for is a writing instrument that allows you to get writing quickly with little to no fuss, you need a click pen. The classic example is the newspaper reporter in the field, pairing a Bic Clic with a spiral bound reporter’s notebook. Clicking the end of the pen to extend/retract the tip takes no time at all.
Ease of Use, Especially One-Handed. I spend a lot of time writing while standing, holding a legal pad or portfolio in one hand and a pen in the other. In addition to speed, a click-pen allows you to operate the pen one handed.
Low Cost. Click pens are generally less expensive than other options, as most mechanisms are mass-produced. As noted below in the “twist-pen” discussion, this can lead to long-term durability issues, but you still have to work pretty hard to wear out even the cheapest click pen.

The main drawback to a click mechanism is that it’s easy to accidentally deploy the refill in your pocket or bag. While not a huge deal with a ballpoint or gel pen, both of which use more viscous inks, this type of “inkcident” can be disastrous with a liquid ink pen such as a capless rollerball or fountain pen. I’ve personally ruined countless pairs of pants by carrying click pens in my pocket, to the point where I hardly use capless rollerball refills anymore and have mostly moved to low-viscosity ballpoint cartridges in all of my click pens. (If a capless fountain pen like a Vanishing Point accidentally deploys, you can also bend the nib, but it’s much less common for people to try to carry these pens loose in a pocket or bag because they’re more expensive.)

Six Twist Action Ballpoints Arrayed on a Tray — Six twist pens, from left: Uni Jetstream Prime, Lamy Dialog CC, Lamy Dialog3, Montblanc Classique Ballpoint, Retro 51 Tornado, Lamy Safari Twin Pen 2-in-1.

The Pros and Cons of a Twist Pen

If you enjoy pocket carry, or like to store pens in pen loops or slots built into your bags and/or portfolios, you might prefer a pen with a twist-action mechanism. The main advantage for me personally is that there is a lower risk of accidentally engaging the mechanism and having ink from the refill leak into the interior of your bag or pocket. While it’s a bit more difficult to use the pen one-handed, many people prefer the streamlined design of twist pens over the somewhat inelegant push-button knock. Examples of common twist-action pens include fancier options from Montblanc and Waterman, as well as less expensive pens like the Uni Jetstream Prime, the Baron Fig Squire, and the Retro 51 Tornado.

Uni Jetstream Prime Twist Ballpoint — Uni’s Jetstream Prime is a slim ballpoint with an excellent refill and a great price point.

Why Write with a Twist Pen?

Lower Risk of Ruining Your Bag or Clothing. As noted above, this one is fairly straightforward. It’s much more difficult for a twist pen to accidentally deploy, though of course it can happen. (To be absolutely safe, I often recommend that people only carry capped pens in their pockets.)
Increased Durability. Click mechanisms tend to wear out. Most of the parts used in lower-cost, mainstream pens are mass-produced and not designed to last forever. Combined with the tendency to use pens as fidget toys, most click pens will eventually break. In my personal experience twist-action pens have fewer moving parts and therefore last longer. Some of my nicer twist ballpoints, such as my Montblanc 144 “Classique” and Waterman Expert, are upwards of 25 years old. And don’t get me started on all those Cross Century and Century II pens from the 1960s….
Streamlined Design. Without the need for a button (or “knock”) at the end, twist pens can adopt more elegant, streamlined designs. The difference is especially apparent when you get into higher-end writing instruments. For example, Pilot does an excellent job incorporating the knock into the design of the Vanishing Point and Decimo, but Lamy scores points for the design work on their twist-action “Dialog” series.

Three Retractable Fountain Pens: Pilot Vanishing Point Lamy Dialog 3 Lamy Dialog CC — As good as they look, the Lamy Dialog pens also make my point about click pens being a lower-cost option: The Lamy Dialog CC and Dialog 3 can cost as much as 2x the Pilot Vanishing Point.

Did You Enjoy This post? Come See Me This Week at the California Pen Show!

The primary focus of The Gentleman Stationer, both the informational site our curated retail shop, is to help people find practical stationery that fits their everyday writing needs. I firmly believe that stationery is meant to be used, not just hoarded or collected, and I approach everything from the perspective of an everyday user as well as an enthusiast. Retractable pens are one of those ubiquitous items that everyone uses - typically without thinking much about it - though with just a bit of thought and consideration you might be able to upgrade your writing experience even more. There are so many different options out there!

Today’s post on retractable pens is just one of many different topics I’ll be discussing in my seminar "Stationery for Everyday Writing: Choosing Pens, Inks, and Paper for Your Daily Life”. I have two time slots: 2:30pm PT on Friday and 11:00 am PT on Saturday. I’ll also be hosting the “Pen Shows After Dark” event on Friday, which will be on-site at the show hotel. There’s no cost to attend any of the events I’m participating in, so please do stop by!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

New Arrivals: Anterique Ballpoints and Lamy Pico Pocket Pens!

April 11, 2023

Following the announcements of new fountain pens, clutch pencils, and more, it’s ballpoint week here in the T.G.S. Curated Shop! A good ballpoint pen has become one of my core everyday writing tools, and as ballpoint ink technology continues to improve, you no longer have to deal with the stickiness and smearing of traditional oil-based ballpoint pens. We’ve recently added a line of pens from Anterique Stationers of Japan, which use an excellent .5mm “Mach Ball” low-viscosity refill and comes in two different formats: a vintage-inspired click-pen design, as well as an upgraded “Brass Edition” with a machined brass barrel. As an added bonus, the parts of the Anterique pens are interchangeable so you can create your own perfect color combination. Standard pens start at $5.50, with the Brass Edition priced at $29.

For this week’s “Currently Inked” video, we looked at both the Anterique lineup and a bonus surprise that arrived in the mail from WMS&Co. I’ve been more active on the Youtube Channel recently, so please give a follow there if you enjoy the video content, which will include more “hands on” demonstrations than is possible here on the blog.

Over the past couple of weeks, you may have noticed that we are now authorized retailers of select pens from Pilot, Kaweco, and now, Lamy! The first Lamy pen has arrived: the Lamy Pico pocket pen, which is an excellent EDC pocket carry option that extends from a compact 3.5” to a full 5”. We reviewed the Pico years ago, and it’s held up so well that we wanted to add it to our curation. Available now in multiple colors for under $40.

The Lamy Pico is simply one of the best Pocket ballpoints available.

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of all brands sold.

From left, the Uniball Jetstream, Traveler’s Company Brass Ballpoint, Mark’s “Tous Les Jours,” Penco Perfection, Penco Perfection Light, and Mark’s x Anterique “Days” Click Pen.

Workhorse Pens: Low-Viscosity Ballpoint Pens

February 18, 2023

Let’s face it: When it comes to actually getting work done, a fountain pen is never the most practical option. For me, it’s not so much the messiness, but more the added mental load and distraction. In addition to the work itself, you have to consider the nib, ink, paper, and how all three of these factors interact with one another. If any single thing goes wrong, it will break your focus, and while I’ve been in this long enough to have a pretty good instinct about what combinations do well enough to allow me to “just work”, lately half of my everyday writing has been with a ballpoint. But not just any ballpoint….

“Low-Viscosity” Ballpoints: An Excellent All-Around Workhorse Option

By now, you’ve likely heard the term “low-viscosity” ballpoint and wondered what the heck that means. I won’t get too deep into the science here, but it seems to be the new marketing term for what I’ve always referred to as “hybrid gel” ballpoint pens such as the Uniball Jetstream and the Pilot Acroball. Pen companies have modified their traditional oil-based ballpoint ink formulations to make them less “sticky,” which allows the pen to write darker, crisper lines, and results in quicker dry times with less smearing. As a result, today it’s actually fairly easy to find ballpoint pens in the .5mm (and even .38mm) tip sizes, which is difficult to pull off in a more traditional ballpoint ink formulations without clogging and skipping.

Lately I’ve been using a lot of needle-tip ballpoints. Low-viscosity ink allows you to have a very fine ballpoint line without running into problems with skipping. From left, the Mark’style Tous Les Jours ballpoint, the Traveler’s Company Brass Ballpoint, and my ever-reliable Lamy 2000 multipen with a Penco Needle-tip refill.

Five Excellent Low-Viscosity Ballpoint Pens

Unsurprisingly, Japanese companies dominate this product category. The Uniball Jetstream and Pilot Acroball tend to be the “gold standard” pens/refills, though there are boutique options available that, in my opinion, offer even crisper and finer ballpoint lines, including in needle-tip formats. Here are five to consider:

Uniball Jetstream and Pilot Acroball. Though they’re not necessarily exciting, these remain exceptionally good pens and excellent low-cost options. If I were stocking a workplace or office supply closet, this is where I would start. Uniball actually makes a Parker-style cartridge called the Jetstream SXR-600, which I have used to convert many of my rollerball pens like my Grey Caran d’Ache 849.
Traveler’s Company Ballpoint Pen and Needle-Tip Refill. A favorite for years, I own three of these pens. One is permanently clipped to my Plotter Mini-5, and the other two live in the breast pockets of my two winter coats, so they’re always available. I’ve found the needle-tips reliable, and despite the small size, the refills last for a very long time and are cheap to replace.
Mark’style “Tous Les Jours” Ballpoint with Ohto Needle-Tip Refill. If you don’t enjoy the format of the Traveler’s Company Ballpoint, and want something longer for better balance, these hexagonal wooden click pens from Mark’s Inc. contain an Ohto needle-tip ballpoint refill and feel like you’re writing with a woodcase pencil. The “Tous Les Jours” series from Mark’s is insanely popular, with what might be the finest needle tip on a ballpoint I have ever seen.
Penco “Perfection” Pocket Ballpoints and Pocket Drafting Ballpoint. I suspect that Penco uses a .7mm version of the Jetstream D1 refill (or something very similar) for it’s “Perfection” line of pocket ballpoints, and the pocket-sized “Drafting” Ballpoint uses a D1 needle-tip ballpoint refill that is an excellent option for other D1-compatible pens like the Lamy 2000 Multipen. I feel like both refills write a finer line than their respective .7mm and .5mm designation.
Mark’style x Anterique “Mach” Ballpoint. A new addition to the Curated Shop - one which I plan to continue to stock in additional formats - I discovered the “Mach” ballpoint refill by Japanese stationer Anterique during my trade show travels earlier this month. The .5mm, super-sharp ballpoint refill leaves a clean line, and as discussed below, is sold separately from the pen body and can be used to jazz up your collection of vintage Bic Clics.

Pen Hacks: Saving the Classic Mid-Century “Click” Pen

I don’t write about “refill hacks” very often, but when I discovered the Mark’s/Anterique pens earlier this month, and learned that the refill was sold separately, it got me wondering. I have a rather large personal collection of vintage and vintage-inspired “clic” ballpoints, which is ironic in the sense that while I love the format of this pen, I’ve grown to despise the standard refill. In my experience, these pens write much more inconsistently than the Bic Cristal, and I find the refills almost always skippy and too light. It begs the question: Can you use the Anterique “Mach” refill to upgrade your classic click pens? Maybe.

The fit isn’t perfect. The standard Bic Clic has thinner plastic around the opening. As a result, even with the upgraded refill you will have tip wiggle and rattling. Then again, it’s <$2. I still love it.

One odd thing I’ve noticed is that while the external design of the “Bic Clic”-style ballpoint hasn’t changed much over the years, these pens are far from identical on the inside. Some (frustratingly) use refills that are slightly longer and/or thicker than others, and there’s no real way to know which pens contain which parts other than to disassemble them. For pens designed to take the longer refills, there is an easy hack/fix that you can use to get the Anterique refill to fit. My notes below:

Field Notes Clic Pens and Pen Addict “Loaner” Pens are based on a version of the Bic Clic ballpoint that should take the Anterique refill without modification. (I say “should” because all that I can be certain of is that the Anterique refills fit the specific pens in my possession. It’s possible there isn’t refill or manufacturing consistency across product lines with these sorts of ballpoints, so YMMV.)
“Higher-end” Clic-style pens may need modification. I have a handful of “demonstrator” Bic Clics and some “fancy” Clic-style Kikkerland pens that required mild hacking to get them to work. Specifically, the Anterique refill was too short, but I was mostly able to fix the problem by wrapping a small piece of washi tape around the end of the refill to lengthen it. I was never able to get the Kikkerland pens to work 100% consistently, so if you don’t already own these I wouldn’t buy them for the purpose of modification.

You can adjust the length of the refill by wrapping a piece of tape around the end. Alternatively, if a refill is too long, you can trim the plastic a bit.

Of course, if you want to save yourself the trouble of refill hacking, or you don’t already have a large collection of vintage ballpoints, the Mark’s/Anterique pen bodies are a nice upgrade. The plastic is thicker, especially around the tip/opening, and as a result there is zero wiggle or annoying rattling when you write with them. (While Anterique pens are designed to mimic the vintage “disposable” pens in design, they’re actually intended to serve as nicer refillable pens. Stay tuned for a bunch of different colors and body styles that I have on the way, in addition to the Mark’s versions currently in stock.)