My Stationery Life

I totally understand your reasoning if you’re hesitant about felt tip pens.

They tend to have wide tips, they often bleed through paper, and they’re usually not great for actual writing. The image that comes to mind is probably a dried-out Sharpie or one of those Paper Mate Flairs that were always floating around the house as a kid—still half-full of ink but missing their caps.

So yeah, I get it.

But if you’ve sworn off felt tip pens entirely, let me gently suggest you give them one more shot—specifically with the Staedtler Triplus Fineliners.

Here’s the link to the 10-color set I use, but they come in all sorts of combinations.

Why Are They Different?
For starters, the tip is only 0.3mm, which is surprisingly fine for a felt pen. That means your handwriting stays neat and legible, even if, like me, your usual style is more of a rushed chicken scratch than clean print. These pens make my handwriting look better than it has any right to.

Even better: no bleed-through. I’ve used these pens on Moleskine paper and Tomoe River paper, and the ink holds up beautifully. It doesn’t feather, ghost, or make a mess on the other side of the page. For someone who journals and plans with thin paper, that’s huge!

The pen bodies are long, thin, and lightweight—easy to hold, whether you have small hands or just prefer a more delicate grip. They also fit nicely in most pen cases, and they’re comfortable enough to write with for long sessions.

And the colors? So many to choose from! I have the 10-color set, and it’s perfect for color-coding notes, creating visual systems, or just making things more fun to look at. The ink dries quickly, which means I can even highlight over my writing without smudging—something that I struggle with using my Mildliners.

There’s even a small bonus: the plastic case the pens come in folds back into a little easel, which makes grabbing the right color easier and keeps your desk looking slightly more organized than usual.

Who Are These Pens Good For?
If you like to write tiny, take detailed notes, or work with delicate paper, these are fantastic. They’re great for small hands, and while I’m not much of an artist, I’ve seen them used for drawing, doodling, and line work with excellent results.

If you’ve written off felt tip pens because of bad experiences in the past, I totally get it. But the Staedtler Triplus Fineliners aren’t like the ones you remember drying out in the kitchen drawer. They’re sleek, functional, colorful, and—dare I say—kind of magical.

I’m so tempted to buy another set.