Uni Pin Fineliner Drawing Pen Set of 9 Black Ink with Different Nibs

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For me, Shinhan Touch Liner and Uchida Marvy were probably the poorest performers. Shinhan’s offering wasn’t particularly impressive despite being slightly more costly than the average price range. The cap didn’t feel very tight and the nib sometimes dried up even with the pen capped. Performance across the different varieties of paper weren’t terribly remarkable either. Some of their other product lines performed well so I was fairly disappointed with their fine-liner offering. There are discussions on various social media boards debating which pens are ACTUALLY the thinnest, despite what size they are labeled as being. That some are not really producing lines as thin as they say they can. Staedler Pigment Liner used to be my go to brand when I was studying overseas. They feel nicer in the hand (my preference) compared to the Sakura Microns due to the textured surface (as opposed to the glossy surface on the Sakura). A big issue with Staedler pens is they tend to look more transparent when dry and that can be an annoyance to some artists. Generally the pen is pretty alright to use, but can cost a little more than average. Non-Thinning beginning, middle and end of a stroke - is it thin at the beginning (not a morning person) or does it start dying out after a short while.

Trivia: Uni PIN is produced by Mitsubishi Pencil Co (makers of UniBall pens) – which has zero relations with the larger Mitsubishi conglomerate.

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I’m very curious, because maybe the artists that are stating this are mistaken. It’s possible that they think they are comparing their experience with different pens, but don’t realize they may be actually comparing ink spread on different papers.

The Artline series of pens are very nondescript in the looks department. Only difference is in the grip, where it has concentric grooves that run the diameter of the pen chassis. The Artline series fall into the most popular price range so it is very competitive in terms of price and quality. It performs well across all papers being used in this review and….there’s really nothing to complain about this pen!There are of course, other pens that didn’t find their way into the review. Here are a few types that I didn’t get to find in Singapore, or haven’t had the chance to come across them. Aside from drawing and sketching, Fine-liners are a good alternative to the more expensive technical pens for detailed draft work. However the pigment ink may not be as rich as technical isograph pen inks. Fine-liners can also be used for writing and are quite nice to write with. But they’re not as economical when used as a writing pen – there are obviously much more affordable ball-point and gel type pens on the market for that purpose. Fine-liners also don’t require much pressure on paper, so they’re not recommended over ball-points if you need to write on those pesky carbon copy sheets. Strengths & Weaknesses. Both Copic multi-liner and Rotring Tikky surprised me. I’ve not used either before and they performed quite well. The Copic pens did better than some brands in the same price range. With the exception of a wobbly pen clip which is a fairly cosmetic issue, I had a great time drawing with the pen. I might switch over to Copics if I ever have difficulty finding the Uni Pin. The test is not completely scientific, although I try to achieve some consistency in the tests I put the pens through. Most of the tests were done on A4 100gsm copier paper (from PaperONE). This replicates the most common conditions which I work in – cheap paper so I can sketch loads. The pens were also briefly tested on Strathmore Bristol paper (smooth 270gsm), Fabriano Tecnico (240 gsm) and Clairfontaine fine grain Drawing Paper (224 gsm). Very informative as my Micron Pigma are starting to run low on ink was trying to figure out what to try next. I referenced your blog post as well this one ( https://blog.penvibe.com/fineliner-pens-good-use-copics-alcohol-markers/) which considers whether the pen smudges or feathers with alcohol markers. That post considered some not on your list but focused on whether or not the markers smudge or feather. However they didn't consider differences between bristol or mixed media paper and they also used inconsistent pen tip sizes. They did have a nice table comparing a couple properties. I do have to admit my Micron Pigmas do smudge when coloring over with copic. I would really love to see a table that brings it all together (since you have the pens and if you have the time, also your thoughts on Ohto):

Before moving on to each brand, I must confess I’ve used many of these brands over the years and have settled (quite happily) on the Mitsubishi Uni PIN after my own habits. I’ve also had very good results with Staedler Pigment Liner as well as Sakura Microns. With that, let’s move on to the review. Disclaimer I’ve also recently discovered my fiancé has a set of Deleter Neopiko just as I was wrapping up this review. If time permits and if Parka doesn’t feel its too much work, I’ll update that review here at a later date. CONCLUSION Fine-liners are felt or hard plastic fiber tipped pens that are usually disposable, comes in a variety of pen widths and are generally used for drawing and sketching. They are also known as technical pens. It is a relatively modern development and an offshoot of the more “traditional” Isograph technical pens. Before fine-liner pens came along, there were very few options for fixed width pens that go smaller than 0.5mm. Today, pretty much every major (and smaller) stationery manufacturer with a respectable pen lineup have their own range of Fine-liner pens. This review aims to shed some insight on some of the available types out there. OR, maybe they are right. Maybe some companies ARE using dishonest labeling. I’d really love to see the differences. 😊 The disposable nature also plays against these types of pens. In the long run, the total cost of buying and discarding these pens may end up being higher than Isograph technical pens or a drawing fountain pen. Heavy users of fine-liners, like me, often end up having piles of plastic tubes lying around after the ink has run out. Being mindful and practicing good recycling habits should alleviate some issues that these pens bring to the environment. Pens Reviewed

Uchida Marvy was a familiar brand that I’ve used and rejected. Ink quality was poor, pen didn’t feel robust in the hand. Despite the low cost, it just can’t match up to the consistency of the lines the slightly more expensive pens provide.