For many, it’s a mere tool, a writing implement. But to those in the know, a good pen can become so much more. A trusted writing companion. A beloved fashion accessory. An objet d’art in your hand.
Discovering the right pen can be great fun—look for a style that speaks to you and captures your imagination. Choose a pen that feels good in the hand, enhances your confidence and makes a statement.
As you start your search for the perfect pen, perhaps this lighthearted guide will help you pinpoint your pen personality. Here are a few of our favorite ‘pen archetypes’—which one are you?
The Artist & Dreamer
True Writer® Classic Chromatic
Creative professionals, artists, poets and dreamers—those who use their imaginations and court the muse—will wait for the whisper of inspiration before making a pen choice.
Performers and entertainers may choose a style with effervescent color that sparks the imagination, such as the True Writer Classic Chromatic. More introspective types may opt for colors and finishes that plumb the depths of emotion and feeling, such as the True Writer Classic Elements Water Pen.
Other luxury pen recommendations: Retro 51, Blackwing, Faber-Castell.
The Fashionista & Influencer
True Writer® Classic Carrara
We all know the type—the pure aesthete and lover of beauty, harmony, form and function. Their personality is apparent in their décor, clothing, accessories and the unique flair with which they do everything.
Fashionistas and Influencers usually choose a sophisticated pen design with a touch of glamour. The sleek and lacquered Levenger L’Brilliance adds a bit of sparkle with a genuine Swarovski crystal on its crown. The more sedate but utterly elegant True Writer Classic Carrara evokes the patina of polished Italian marble, framed by gleaming gold.
Other luxury pen recommendations: Montblanc, Aurora, Montegrappa.
The Deep Thinker
Engineer Rollerball
Usually preferring substance over style, Deep Thinkers will nevertheless choose their pens with great care. Like its owner—often an accountant, architect or engineer—this pen must have the ‘right stuff.’
Crunching numbers or drafting blueprints requires a pen with precision, and the Engineer, solidly built in weighty brass, is a popular Levenger style that delivers. The lightweight Levenger Chroma Facet click-action ballpoint is another no-nonsense pen choice for Thinkers.
Other luxury pen recommendations: Caran D’Ache, Pilot/Namiki, Récife.
The Worker Bee
Chroma Gradient Rollerball
Professional writers and journalists, legal professionals and inveterate note-takers who fill notebook after notebook will want a workhorse of a pen that works just as hard as they do.
Ballpoint-loving Workers often choose the twist-action Levenger Chroma Lustra in solid brass with an extra-comfortable grip and lacquered barrel. Rollerball aficionados prefer the Chroma Gradient with its sleek, satiny barrel and snap-on cap.
Other luxury pen recommendations: Conklin, Fisher, Lamy.
The Globetrotter
True Writer® Classic Blue Grotto
Savvy world travelers who have been everywhere and done it all may long for a pen design that evokes the pleasures of sandy beaches and faraway places.
Globetrotters often choose the popular True Writer Classic Blue Grotto, inspired by the natural wonders found at the isle of Capri, as well as the award-winning True Writer Classic Sea Glass, the perennial beachcomber’s delight.
Other luxury pen recommendations: Monteverde, Visconti, Esterbrook.
The Bon Vivant
True Writer® Classic Americana
Determined to drink in all of life’s experiences with rare gusto, the Bon Vivant is a colorful character indeed—a social butterfly, a gourmand, a connoisseur of the best the world has to offer.
Those with such a keen zest for life may choose a pen in bold hues that wake up the senses and inspire energetic writing. The True Writer Classic Acqua Rossa and the True Writer Classic Americana are both in crafted in effusively buoyant and colorful resins, hand-turned so that no two pens are exactly alike.
Other luxury pen recommendations: Montegrappa, LeBoeuf, Pineider.
The Executive
True Writer® Golden Dark Tortoise
You don’t have to be a VP or CEO to be an Executive type. Always impeccably mannered and attired, this is the one who is buttoned up, dressed -to-the-nines and ever-professional whether on or off the clock.
Naturally, Executives demand a writing instrument in keeping with their status and demeanor. The traditional Exec may opt for the True Writer Classic Obsidian in pure black resin, while the adventurous type could choose the more sartorial True Writer Classic Golden Dark Tortoise.
Other brand recommendations: Diplomat, S.T. Dupont, Otto Hutt.
What’s your Pen Personality? Let us know— #shareyourpenstyle on social including a picture of your favorite writing instrument.