About PenPicks

PenPicks is an independent editorial site dedicated to one question: which pens actually work best for journaling?

Why we built this

Most "best pen" lists online are thin affiliate roundups with no real testing. We got tired of that. PenPicks exists because we spent months writing daily in Leuchtturm1917s, Moleskines, Rhodia pads, and cheap dollar-store notebooks — timing dry times, holding pages up to the light to measure bleed, checking for smudge across different ink types. We wanted a guide we'd actually trust ourselves.

How we test

• Each pen is used for real journaling sessions (not just a quick scribble)
• Tested across multiple paper weights: 80 g/m², 100 g/m², and thinner
• Bleed, ghosting, smudge, and dry-time measured consistently
• Left-handed testing done separately, by a left-handed writer
• Prices are verified at time of writing; we note when they change significantly

Transparency

We earn a commission when you buy through our Amazon affiliate links — see our full Affiliate Disclosure. This never changes what we recommend. If a pen is bad, we say so. Our editorial independence is the whole point.

Get in touch

Found an error? Have a pen you think we missed? Contact us — we genuinely read every message.