Fineliner Pens
Fineliner Pens Are Affordable and High Quality
We may live in an age dominated by computers, but there remains a considerable demand for the good old fashioned pen. Whether it is scribbling a date on a calendar, filling in forms, taking notes in a lecture, or sketching in ink, pens remain a well-used household item.
A relative newcomer to the world of pens, fineliner pens have become a hugely popular type of pen due to their easy action, fine and even lines, and affordable price. Whereas the time-honoured ball point pen utilises an oil-based ink, fineliners contain water-based ink that takes smoothly to paper, is easier to wash off, and can be manufactured in a spectrum of bright and vivid colours.
The sheer versatility of these pens means they can be used by people of all ages across an endless range of tasks. Children use them for written work at school as well as colouring and drawing, artists use them for sketching and cartooning; college students find them ideal for taking quick notes in lectures, and that is not to mention the multitude of uses they offer around the home and the office.
A number of manufacturers now produce fineliner pens, with household names such as Berol, Stabilo, Staedtler and Pilot all offering a wide range and selection. Products vary from basic models to more advanced versions featuring comfort grips, smoother ink flow, metal clad tips, long lasting nibs and suspension systems, all of which enhance the user's experience.
This web site provides lots of information on fineliner pens, with in depth advice on the features and benefits of the product as well as some useful tips for purchasing the product online.
Fineliner Pens - The Manufacturers
Who Produces Fineliner Pens?
There are a huge number of fineliner pens on the market, all of which range dramatically in terms of quality and the features they offer. Fineliners are a popular choice as they offer a good balance between quality, cost and ease of use. Some of the main manufacturers in the UK are Berol, Stabilo, 5 Star, Staedtler, Foray and Pilot.
In terms of the more affordable models, Berol seem to offer the greatest range for the lowest price. Although the Berol fine pens are sold as fineliners by many online merchants, there is a question mark as to whether they do actually fall into this category. The line width produced by a Berol fine pen is typically 0.6mm, whereas the majority of standard fineliner pens tend to produce a line width of 0.3 - 0.5mm. Despite this, the Berol fine pens are an excellent alternative to the traditional fineliners which, despite offering a smoother action and finer writing line, are a lot more expensive.
The mid-range option is produced by Staedtler, and is still relatively affordable in terms of price - but is also a big step up from the Berol fine pen. Whereas the Berol pens are most popularly used by children for colouring etc, the Staedtler pens represent the more traditional fineliner - for use in the office or for writing notes at home. The main rival for the Staedtler pens are produced by 5 Star; these are of a similar quality, but feature a plastic fibre tip, as opposed to the metal-clad tip of the Staedtler fineliners - which are more durable.
The most popular and well recognised brand of fineliner pens come from Stabilo. By many, the Stabilo pens are regarded as being the original fineliner; with their classic hexagonal orange and white striped design, these pens are the most recognisable in the UK. In fact, the Stabilo classic design black fineliner pen is the best selling of its kind in Europe.
For the top end of the market, a couple of the leading manufacturers are Foray and Pilot. The more recognisable of these two brands is Pilot, which is a somewhat of a household name; some of us may remember using Pilot pens when we were at school, although the Pilot fineliner pens are a little too recent a development for most of us to remember from our school days! The Pilot and Foray pens offer a huge number of possibilities in terms of comfort, quality, control and ease of use but these extras do come at a cost. We will discuss some of the features of fineliners below.
Types of Fineliner Pen
Fineliner Pens and Their Features
As mentioned above, there are an enormous number of features on offer from the different fineliner pens on the market. The pens in themselves are something of a premium product, combining the smooth easy flow of the old fashioned fountain pen and the simple, robust ease of use of the biro. As fineliners have developed, a number of features have been introduced to make them even more comfortable, easy to use, long lasting and versatile.
In general terms, all fineliner pens offer a degree of comfort from their use when compared with the more disposable biro pens. However, some models boast a specifically designed ergonomic barrel for the next step in comfort. Pilot pens in particular offer a smoother flow of ink from their pens. In addition to this, some are fitted with a suspension system on the barrel which allows for easy writing but also helps to reduce breakage.
Another common feature which can make fineliner pens more durable are metal-clad tips. Originally, the pens were generally produced with plastic-clad tips but this can often lead to breakage - fineliners with metal-clad tips tend to last longer. As well as making the pens more durable, the metal-clad tip also gives strength to the writing and can lead to a more clearly defined ink stroke. Other additional features which make these pens more resilient include long lasting nibs and even nibs that are resistant to drying out. This means if you leave the lid off (a common faux pas for pen users), it will last at least a couple of days without drying out.
One final feature that is on offer is the improvement to the ink. The preferred inks in fineliner pens tend to be water based and washable, in case you get any ink on your clothes. More advanced still is the addition of odourless ink to fineliners - so no noxious smells when writing! As well as these practicalities, many fineliner pens are more environmentally friendly; using fewer toxins in their makeup as well as in their inks.
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Anyone inspired by David Hockney's colourful exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts might be tempted to invest in a set of fineliner pens and get drawing.
Whilst many of Hockney's latest pieces have been painted, he has also been drawing with an iPad of late... If you're not adept with paint, and can't afford an iPad, we see no reason why a colourful pack of fineliners can't be used to create the sort of vibrant pictures Hockkey is displaying in the gallery over the next few months.
Resources
Discount Art Supplies - Art supplies from ArtiFolk.
Art Directory - Art Resources Directory.
Your Art Links - Free Directory of Art and Artists Links.
CraftPOP.com Arts and Crafts Links Directory
Stabilo Black Fineliner Pens (10 Pack)
Europe's most popular Fineliner Pens
Fineliner Pens
1. Fineliner pens offer a smooth ink flow and easy writing.
2. Fineliner pens are affordable to buy, and even cheaper when bought in bulk.
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