Pens

Pens are very special. They are used to sign contracts, make shopping lists, sign birth certificates, and make art with among many other uses. There are so many pens on the market because there are so many ways people want to make a mark. Each pen has its own special features and abilities. We carry a line of specialy pens. One of our favorite lines is Sakura pens, including Sakura Gelly Roll pens and Sakura Pigma Micron pens in a variety of colors.

There are three broad styles of pens: fountain pens, ball point pens, and fiber tip pens (markers). There are many variations within these styles. Each of these has special characteristics, and often manufactures will put a little different spin on their pen hoping it will become your favorite.

Old fashioned fountain pens are stylish and fun to write with. The high quality fountain pens have a gold plate nib. The nib actually wears to the perfect shape in your hand by the way you hold your pen when you write. Fountain pens come in all different housing styles and, therefore, all different prices. Fountain pens are either filled from a bottle or cartridge, and there are many color inks available. You can even get disposable fountain pens.

Fountain pens take more care to maintain, more than other pens. They can be a little messy as the ink can sometimes smear, especially for left-handed folks. The type of paper you use really makes a difference in the performance of these pens. If you use a fountain pen that fills from a bottle, it is especially friendly to the earth.

Fountain pens are often purchased as gifts or as a treat to ourselves. Why? I think it is because they make a statement. Writing with a fountain pen makes you feel elegant and rich. While writing with a fountain pen you have to be more deliberate and thoughtful to the way you are writing. The look of the inked line made by fountain pens is more expressive than a ballpoint.

Ball point pens were invented because the fountain pen was often messy and sometimes leaked. The first ball point pens had a petroleum based ink. It would last much longer than a fountain pen before needing to be refilled. Bic pens took this country by storm in the early 1950s.

Today there are gel pens, roller ball pens and the classic petroleum based ball point pen. Ball point differ from fountain pens in that they have a ball up inside a cone at the tip of the pen. The formula of the ink is much thicker. When you touch the ball to the paper it rolls around leaving the ink behind.

I am often asked, "How long do these pens last?" Some manufacturers will tell you how many feet their pen will write; however, most do not provide this information. The longest lasting pens are the old fashioned ball points. Many of them can be refilled. Some ball pens are pressurized and will write at any angle. Fisher Space pens even write underwater and over grease.

Rollerball and gel pens came on the market about 15 years ago. While they don't write as long as traditional ball pens, they have quickly become the favorites with many consumers. They feel so SMOOTH when writing. The pen glides over the paper. Sakura gel pens are available in more colors than traditional ball pens including glitter, metallic, shimmer, and fluorescents.

Fiber tip pens or markers have been around for many years. These pens are versatile and used in many applications. We have makers which usually can be purchased in different colors. Felt tip pens today are mostly made from nylon, not cotton felt. The nylon is a much more durable fiber and holds its shape longer than the old felt tips.

The fiber tip pens have a large selection of line sizes, including a chisel point for calligraphy. Some are permanent and light fast. ( Won't fade even in direct sunlight ) The secret of making these pens last longer is to make sure the caps are on tight, so they don't dry out.

We carry many hard to find pens, including Sakura pens. We carry the refills to the all the pens we sell. We sell pens one at a time. If you like to use one color of ink, we will sell you one pen in that color. You don't have to buy a bunch of colors you don't want because that's what in the package. Racines is famous for its pen selection.