5 Best Pens for Engineers

Every design or mechanical engineer needs a technical drawing pen. It is essential for any basic or detailed hand-drawn diagrams that must be completed daily. The correct technical drawing pen is something that many engineers would forget to add to their tool repertoire. Here at Mechanical Engineering HQ, we have compiled a list of the 5 best pens for engineers available on the market, so you can be sure to pick up the one that best suits your specific needs!

Most technical drawing pens consist of a section of ink embedded inside and a thin tip of various sizes to deliver excellent drawings. While plastic-tip disposable drawing pens are taking up a significant portion of the market, they are not as proficient as traditional metal-tip equivalents.

How To Choose a Technical Drawing Pen Set

When choosing a technical drawing pen set, specific criteria must be considered before you make your investment. One of the factors to consider is the tip size of the pen. Depending on the desired effect, they can range from 0.03 mm to 1.5 mm. Small tips can give great detail but are very fragile, while large tips are more robust and produce a richer colour. Metal tips also provide a finer line than their plastic counterpart. 

As already described, the tip material, whether metal or plastic, can give various designs and effects. Metal tips need to be cleaned regularly and give more detail, while plastic tips are easier to use but are less precise. 

Several other factors to consider are whether you want disposable or reusable pens, and if you choose reusable, is it a bottle or cartridge-based filling system. Disposable pens require no extra maintenance, while reusable pens are more environmentally friendly and cheaper long-term. One could choose from two ink options when purchasing a reusable drawing pen, either bottled or cartridge. Pens containing bottled ink give a greater range of drawing techniques, and users can try a range of inks while cartridges are sealed so that no leaks will occur.

If you are looking for a disposable beginner drawing pen, the Staedtler pigment liner pens are the perfect option that take first place on this list of the 5 best pens for engineers. These pens are low maintenance and can be left uncapped for up to eighteen hours, so you can take a break without worrying about destroying your drawing equipment. 

While leaving the lids off pens is bad practice, it makes it easier to switch tips quickly when completing a complicated and detailed drawing. The ink from these pens is highly pigmented that does not bleed or lift. It leaves a high-quality drawing that is both fade-resistant and acid-free. These pens come from a reputable company with various tips and an assortment of colours.

The Sakura Pigma micron pens are extremely popular drawing pens. They are unrivalled in their quality, incredibly pigmented and come in nearly twenty different shades and numerous tip sizes. These pens are waterproof and will not bleed, no matter how detailed the drawings are. They are also fade-resistant, quick drying and pH neutral, which ensures that any drawings completed with these pens will not tarnish over time. 

There is a range of tips that can be acquired depending on what drawing you are completing, including chisel and brush tips. These tips can be used at all angles for all types of creative drawings, making them perfect for various engineering disciplines. While they are an excellent choice with plenty of variety but they can be prone to some lifting. 

The Copic multiliner SP pens are reusable pens instead of disposable ones. Reusable pens are more expensive at first, but over time, they actually cost less than disposable technical drawing pens. These pens are more environmentally friendly and can be trusted to give the same performance time after time. They should be used by people who are more advanced in drawing as there is a particular technique to getting the most out of these pens. It is renowned for its intense colour and hard-wearing metal body. These pens have replaceable tips that come in various sizes. It also comes with an additional brush tip for a greater variety of drawing options. 

These reusable pens are only available in one colour, but Copic has a range of disposable pens available in more colours. These pens are lift-resistant and an excellent option for any design or mechanical engineer who hand draw many of their designs. 

These Koh-I-Noor rapidosketch pens are for people experienced in technical drawing. They are cost-efficient and easy-to-use technical pens. While many brands have a wide range of tip sizes, Koh-I-Noor has only three different sizes, 0.25 mm, 0.35 mm, and 0.5mm. 

While there are only three sizes, it is still versatile enough to draw any diagrams or designs any engineer would need. Any user can complete drawing quickly and efficiently with these metal-tipped pens as they are excellent at drawing from angles as well as straight. They are not quick drying which gives the user plenty of time to take their time over their work. These pens have an internal inkwell, so if you need a gradient, this is possible, but they must be cleaned regularly to avoid clogging. They are lift-resistant, US-made and easy to use for anyone who needs a fuss-free, high-quality metal-tipped drawing pen. 

Last but not least on this list of the 5 best pens for engineers are these Rotring isograph metal-tipped pens, which are a one-in-a-lifetime purchase as they are so high quality. This set of pens will last for several years if they are taken care of. They contain pigmented ink and several different tips. The quality of these pens is recognized highly worldwide. They even come with a manufacturer warranty for any faults. 

If the tips can be replaced if they are damaged. As these pens use bottled ink, they are kinder to the environment and can achieve different drawing techniques also. Alternate inks can be added to this pen if the user is lo trying a new process. One downside to these pens is that the ink has to be bought separately, but it allows you to choose which specific ink you want. They are top-quality, high-range technical drawing pens for the advanced engineer looking to invest in quality. 

The correct type of pen can make or break an excellent technical drawing. Within this guide, there are many options depending on the proficiency of the user and how intricate the drawings that need to be completed are. There is something for everyone and every engineer, all of which will lead to excellent technical drawings.

Thank you very much for being here and reading this list of the 5 best pens for engineers, we appreciate you taking the time to read our content. If you have any other tools or working accessories you would like to add, or if you have used any of these previously that worked well, please let us know with a comment below!

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