My Top 5 Writing Utensils

I have found that the most annoying thing when buying new pens, markers, etc., at least for me, is not knowing how they will hold up on certain types of paper. Below are some of my favorite writing utensils that I use all the time in my Moleskine notebooks.

1. Frixion Erasable Pens

These are really nice for color coding my notes! I find that these tend to ghost quite a bit, but I love how they erase even better than pencils do. Just be sure not to use the pen eraser on regular pencil, as it will smear the graphite around your page and sort of buff it in so that it doesn't come off with a regular eraser. A 5-pack costs around $6.50 on Amazon.

2. Frixion Erasable Markers

These look less vibrant and more pastel in Moleskines, but they erase just as well as the pens do. I like to use the pens and markers together to color code my school notes, or even just to add a splash of color to my many journals or planner. Plus they aren't super expensive. You can find them on Amazon for approximately $13 for a 12-pack.

3. Le Pen

I really love these felt-tipped pens! I know from experience that the pastel colors won't ghost or bleed, just as long as you don't press down on the paper too hard. I have not yet managed to get my hands on some of the darker colors, but I see many people at my school using these pens quite regularly. These cost around $12 for a dozen on Amazon.

4. Pentel Twist-Erase Click

I have this mechanical pencil in both 0.7 mm and 0.9 mm lead, and while I love them both, I prefer the 0.9 mm as I like how it makes my handwriting look. And the best part for me is that they sell refill lead and erasers, so you really only need to buy one of these pencils for the long run. A two-pack from Office Max costs around $10, but the pencils themselves really hold up well, and you can buy off-brand refill lead to help cut back on costs.

5. Papermate Erasermate

Yet another erasable pen; however, this one differs quite a bit from the Frixion erasable pen. The Erasermate ink rubs off with your finger on certain kinds of paper, even after drying, but a plus is that it uses a regular pencil eraser (which is convenient since the lids fit rather loosely and can be lost). The Frixion, however, dries almost instantly, reducing the risk of smearing ink across the page for those who write left-handed. These pens range in price from $8-10 for a 5-pack, but I also found a 12-pack on Amazon for $5.

So, what do you think? Have you tried any of these pens and pencils yourself? Which do you prefer, pens or pencils? I would have to say pens for me. I like all the different colors for taking notes in class!