The first fountain pen was patented in 1817, but models have come a long way since then. The market has many types of pens that are inexpensive and excel in a large variety of different jobs.
This guide will cover the best pens for architects, and the top-performing models will be reviewed on their affordability, ease of writing, quality of ink and durability. The 10 models below will work well for both professional architects and aspiring students.
10 Best Pens for Architectural Drawing:
1. Sakura Pigma 30062 Micron Blister Card Ink Pen Set
- Set: 6 pens
- Point Sizes: 0.20mm, 0.25mm, 0.30mm, 0.35mm, 0.45mm, 0.50mm.
- Color ink: Black
- Ink quality: waterproof, chemical resistant, fade resistant.
- Range of nib sizes lets professionals craft the perfect sketch
- Ink offers high resistance against smearing
Review
Highly rated as one of the best micron pens, architects can’t go wrong with getting this set for producing crystal-clear and detailed sketches.
What Customers Are Saying
Many customers were pleased with their purchase of this Micron set. Some buyers commented that they were illustrators and professionals, so they needed the best pens on the market. The set was praised for excelling in all areas: providing good ink, being easy to write with, having great flow output and generally not smearing easily.
Some artists had trouble using these pens with other drawing tools like color pencils, however. Architects who work with multiple artistic mediums should keep this in mind, but the pens work great by themselves.
- No-smear ink makes this set useful for left-handed use
- The set should be replaced over time to ensure maximum performance
2. Lamy Safari Fountain Pen – Charcoal & Fine
- Set: 1 pen
- Point Sizes: Fine
- Materials: Body – Black ABS plastic. Nib – Black coated steel
- Color ink: Includes Blue Cartridge
- Clip-on design for easy carrying potential
- Sleek finish looks ascetically pleasing to encourage frequent use
Review
A cool fountain pen can provide more use than simply supplying a great aesthetic appearance. The Lamy Safari can deliver a unique writing experience that can transform buyers into exclusive users of these traditional pens.
What Customers Are Saying
The Lamy pens are known for their excellent build quality, for buyers were impressed with how well that this model performed. The blue ink was praised for providing great color and the pen was reported to be easy to write with.
Some customers decided not to upgrade to more expensive models after owning this pen, for this model met all expectations. Reviewers were also happy to be able to find this pen at an affordable price online.
- High-quality build offered at a competitive price
- Light-weight design might not be ideal for some buyers
3. Paper Mate Black Pen Bundle
- Set: 12 pens
- Point Sizes: Medium Point (0.7mm)
- Color ink: Black
- Ink quality: Water-based ink to prevent problematic bleeding through pages, smear and fade resistant.
- The tip excellently prevents wear
- The low cost per pen can save money in the long term
Review
A felt tip marker is unique in that it can act as a hybrid between a classic ballpoint and an thick whiteboard pens. Buyers who need dark, thin lines will enjoy the usefulness of this Paper Mate model.
What Customers Are Saying
These felt-tip pens were recommended for individuals who need pens that don’t run out of ink quickly but still provide an excellent writing experience. The thin tips are built for providing fluid writing, and the unit’s ink was praised for being dark and crisp.
Customers also enjoyed the non-bleeding aspects of the model, so this set would work well for architects who need to write or sketch over many documents.
- Perfect for jobs that require cycling through a lot of ink
- Better suited for creating initial drafts than for completing final sketches
4. Staedtler Pigment Black Liners
- Set: 6 pens
- Point Sizes: 0.05mm, 0.1mm, 0.2mm, 0.3mm, 0.5mm, 0.8mm.
- Color ink: Black
- Ink quality: Quick-drying, lightfast, waterproof and smear free.
- Case doubles as a useful workstation to provide great value
- Large spectrum of tip sizes let you work on a variety of different projects
Review
Pen tips for architecture students will need to be in a variety of sizes, for detailed sketches require different degrees of line thickness. Architects can save money by buying this sets. It has received great reviews and offers a wide variety of nib sizes to draw with.
What Customers Are Saying
Customers who were familiar with multiple types of pens rated this Staedtler set as among their all-time favorite writing utensils. This bundle offers a pleasant writing experience, quality ink and a long-lasting build.
Most pens aren’t reported with all three benefits, so buyers were largely happy with this purchase and eager to replace their writing instruments with these liners.
- Pigment-based ink provides an ultra-smooth writing experience
- Some ink-flow issues can pop up in extended sketching sessions
5. Pentel Arts Sketch Set
- Set: 2 pens. You can also choose a set of 5 or 12 pens.
- Point Sizes: Bold
- Color ink: Black. Many other colors are also available.
- Ink quality: Water-based ink. Bright and saturated colors.
- Lightweight design for use in extended sketching projects
- Snap-on lid prevents drying of a very durable tip
Review
Architects and architecture students require pens that offer excellent ink outputs but aren’t cumbersome to use. This inexpensive set from Pentel Arts delivers a unique stub to create large, crisp lines without being hard to use.
What Customers Are Saying
Buyers were pleased with this product from its excellent build. Some needed a pen that held up well and didn’t need to be replaced often, and they found this model to meet that expectation.
Customers credited the pen’s long life to the design of the felt tip: This pen has a long writing stub that can be used to create both thin and thick lines. Architects can find this useful, for having a two-in-one tool can save time from not having to switch between pens during a sketch.
- High quality yet affordable
- Has specific uses from using very dark ink
6. TUL Retractable Black Gel Pens
- Set: 12 pens
- Point Sizes: Fine point 0.5mm
- Color ink: Black.
- Ink quality: Bright color, smooth ink, write without omissions
- Metal-tipped design for ensuring a proper balance while holding the pen
- Hard-shell case can be used to safety store pens when not in use
Review
Drafting pens don’t need to be expensive in order to provide amazing value. This TUL set offers enough pens to spread out to various workstations, and its build quality is sufficient to produce professional work.
What Customers Are Saying
One buyer made an excellent point during a review of this pen model. They noted that there is a delicate balance between the performance of a pen and its cost, and the best pen might not be the one that outperforms others. Writing tools can be lost, so an ideal pen should be both inexpensive and be able to write well.
This TUL set received high marks across the board for ease of use and ink flow, so it should be useful for architects who need high-grade pens without breaking the bank.
- Gliding-style writing intended to sketching fatigue
- Pens may degrade faster than other models
7. Pilot Rolling Ball Pen Set
- Set: 6 pens
- Point Sizes: 0.5mm
- Color ink: Black. You can also choose a kit including 3 blue and 3 black pens.
- Ink quality: The ink formula provides smooth movements for recording without gaps.
- Unique color-ordering options lets you customize which colors you want to receive for perfect sketches
- A see-through design lets you check ink levels to ensure that you won’t be caught out with an empty cartridge
Review
Professional art pens can cost a fortune, yet this set provides the quality to carry budding architects and industry professionals far. The bundle is affordable and has been in the market long enough to be time tested as a good buy.
What Customers Are Saying
One buyer felt that this model was the best pen available on the market: It delivers a clean writing style that is easy to maintain with the pen’s weight and design. This customer even went as far as to call the vice president of a local office to locate more of these pens when they couldn’t find a store that sold them.
Although they are affordable, buyers agreed that these pilot models perform extremely well and that they are among the top performers of their class.
- In use for almost 40 years and loved by industry professionals
- Limited to darker colors to get pristine ink visibility
8. PILOT Razor Point II Fine Line Marker Stick Pens
- Set: 12 pens
- Point Sizes: 0.2mm
- Color ink: Black. Blue and red colors are also available.
- Strong and smooth writing requires only tort pressure
- Provides great value for projects that require extremely detailed sketches.
- A thin design makes it easy to use with small hands
Review
Good .2 mm architecture marker pens can be hard to find, for thin nibs may be prone to fall apart quickly. This set provides the value to always have a fine-line pen on hand, for 12 units can be picked up to always have a backup close by.
What Customers Are Saying
Most reviews mentioned that that these pens are a great buy due to the stellar ink color that they output. There was criticism over the durability of the nib, however. Some reviewers found that the pen became unusable before running out of ink due to the nib getting bent or losing its straight edge. One reviewer took the matter into their own hands.
Utilizing their engineering skills, they were able to customize the nib to give it more durability. For architects who need extremely fine lines at an affordable price, this set will provide the supply to never be without the proper tool for detailed work.
- Low price point can make this pen bulk-order friendly
- Fiber tip can wear down quickly
9. Parker Blue Ballpoint Pen
- Set: 1 pen
- Point Sizes: 0.7mm
- Color ink: Blue
- Ink quality: Quinkflow ink technology provides smooth writing.
- Materials: Stainless steel.
- Professionally-styled design makes it a perfect companion for use in business environments
- No-cap design makes it fluid to use in a high-energy environment
Review
Professional drawing pens are excellent for drafting sketches, but this Jotter is for showing professionalism in the workplace during meetings. Despite being over three decades old, this model continues to be made in France and stay appreciated around the world for its excellent build.
What Customers Are Saying
The original Jotters are well known, and customers were ecstatic to pick up this newer model with its sleek look and excellent performance. One buyer noted that this model is one of the best ballpoint pens that you can buy at an entry-level price.
Another commentator explained this by stating that this model has a rich history of working well and being known to last for many years.
- Unmatched aesthetic appeal for making strong impressions
- Better ink options exist for obtaining a more fluid writing experience
10. Uni Pin Drawing Black Pens
- Set: 6 pens
- Point Sizes: 0.05mm, 0.1mm, 0.2mm, 0.3mm, 0.5mm, 0.8mm
- Color ink: Black
- Ink quality: Smooth ink, they have good water resistance and are lightfast
- Excellent hybrid of a pen and marker for detailed, bold sketches
- Ruler-friendly design that helps to create accurate drafts
Review
Professionals who need the most value for their money should strongly consider this high-value set from Uni. Featuring a wide spectrum of nib sizes spread over an attractive outer finish, these pens can easily supplement an existing writing collection or be used to create a new one.
What Customers Are Saying
Reviewers noted that these pens output ink that isn’t as dark as other sketching utensils, yet they were in agreement that these pens provide the most value. Being extremely affordable and giving out rich, straight lines, these Uni pens were recommended for anybody looking to sketch.
Customers loved having a single set of pens that provided a range of nib sizes, and they felt that each nib tip did a good enough job to make upgrading to more expensive models unnecessary. This six-pack collection was a fan favorite by being priced low and offering great utility.
- Pressure-sensitive build can create dark lines on demand
- Pen ink is not water resistant
Summary
In conclusion, the best pens for architects will combine a great performance with affordable price tags. All of the pens in this guide are great buys, but the set first reviewed gets the best-value award.
Micron is supported by a loyal fan base, and they love how this pen works. The bundle comes with a wide range of nib sizes to help create the best sketch, and the whole package is priced very competitively.
Consider picking up one of these high-value tools today to help you with architectural design, for a great pen doesn’t need to have a high price to operate at a professional level.
