Pens FAQ
What pen should I buy as a gift?
The obvious place to start is our ‘Gifts & Occasions’ menu, with a few categories full of suggestions. You probably know the recipient better than we do, though, so do check the ‘Interests & Hobbies’ menu too, if there’s something you know that they’re into. The Collections menu might have some interesting ideas, too.
Not all pens are supplied in gift boxes, so check if that’s something you particularly want.
What’s best to write with? Ballpoint, rollerball, gel pen, fountain pen?
That’s very much a matter of taste - most people find fountain pens to be the smoothest writing experience, with rollerballs in second place; and most people like smooth writing. But some prefer a bit of resistance when they write, so there’s no one answer for everyone. You really need to try a few different things to see what feels best for you. If you’re buying for someone else, unless you know they use fountain pens or want to, it’s probably a safer bit to stick to a ballpoint or rollerball.
Can you personalise a pen?
Yes, but not with all pens - we have a page for personalised pens, which shows which pens we can laser engrave. They make great gifts, most people love a pen with their name on it - it’s more personal, and less likely to get lost or ‘permanently borrowed’.
Is my pen refillable?
Most are, so it’s quite likely, unless it’s a very cheap disposable pen. Even some pens you might think are disposable do have refills available. If we sell the pen, look it up on our site, and check for a ‘Refills & Spares’ tab - that should link you to the right refills. Otherwise, see our refills page - there are some common standards, so you might just see the right thing there.
Are erasable pens still a thing?
Yes, and they’ve got much better. If you remember the erasable ballpoints of old, they were pretty bad. Many modern erasable pens use ink that becomes clear with heat, and can make enough heat with a plastic ‘eraser’, just rubbing to create friction - yes, we know, it doesn’t sound like it could work, but it really does. See our Erasable Pens Buying Guide.
What are those pens that write with graphite, where the refill is a blade?
Pencils. You’re thinking of pencils. It’s ok, we think about pencils way more often than average too. Also, yes, we just made these questions up, we don’t really get asked this. Not frequently, anyway. Honestly, we didn’t think anyone would read this far. But you did. Not sure what that says about you. It’s probably good, whatever it is! Attention to detail, likes to be thorough, that sort of thing. Feel free to let us know if you did. There’s no prize or anything, but it would be interesting to know.
