9 best pens to write with, from ballpoints to fountain pens

With the consistent flow of a fountain pen, but the cheapness of a biro – the Hi-Tecpoint is an absolute design classic, allowing users to write evenly and neatly with no smudge to speak of. At 0.5mm the tip results in fine lines, brilliant for small, neat handwriting: ideal for thank you notes or invitations.

Available in a handful of colours including green and red, we found this so easy to write with it became almost meditative – a smooth, relaxing process with beautiful, even results, even for those of us not blessed with a perfect hand.

With a polished steel nib and beautiful red casing, this is a gorgeous fountain pen that won’t break the bank.

Offering a smooth flow of ink (cartridges must be changed) and an ergonomic grip for fingers this is a pleasure to use. You just need the softest of pressure and the nib and ink takes care of themselves – gliding across the page effortlessly.

If looked after carefully, there’s no reason this pen couldn’t last years, making it a sustainable investment piece.

With a triangular circumference for your fingers to grip as you write, these pens are really comfortable to hold. There’s also something lovely and tactile about the matt exterior of the pen, too. The 0.5mm tip is fine without being scratchy and the ink distribution is smooth and regular – you don’t need to push down hard. This all contributes to neat writing for any occasion.

This is a single-use fountain pen – ideal for beginners to get their practice in or people who don’t want to think about cartridges. It’s just so lush to write with. The ink flows so smoothly – and yet takes almost no time to dry, it’s also absorbed easily without a heavy bleed.

Available in five different colours, these pens are so beautiful to look at – they will absolutely be a talking point at meetings and an aesthetic boon for your desk.

We loved how slim and lightweight they felt in our hands – the fine rollerball tip produces really delicate, neat handwriting in a slightly shimmery, chrome finish which will certainly jazz up any journals, letters or cards.

Purists will probably be furious about the inclusion of felt tips in a story focused on handwriting, but there is definitely a case for this type of pen being a joy to write with. Especially these, which have thinner tips than most – these are 0.7mm which create bold but not chunky lines. Best of all, unlike most felt tips, these don’t bleed into the other side of the paper.

We loved the easy flow of these pens – a range of bright colours for those who really like to express themselves – not least because they made a satisfying squeaky sound as we wrote.

We didn’t realise that this fineliner is actually designed for use on glass, film and metal to work with projectors, but are happy to report that it works beautifully on paper too. Smooth, even, dense without bleeding either to the other side or outwards onto the page – we wrote neatly and easily with this. And there was no smudging to speak of, either.

This pen has been a pen lover’s staple since 1970 – and Bic still find ways of updating it while staying true to the elements that make it a design favourite. This still boasts four colours in one pen, each retractable, but the main body of the pen has a shimmering shiny sheen that rings the changes.

We think this is the perfect pen for note-taking, particularly for students who might need to colour code points or themes. In terms of writing, the nibs are each 1mm and write evenly with no smudging, but they are essentially simply biros so those hunting for the satisfaction of a deliciously smooth flow might be disappointed.