Which Fineliner is BEST for Watercolour? ULTIMATE COMPARISON

[@vincevonderheyden7887]

I am a 60 year old German and have been using Staedtler writing instruments since I was a child at school. At that time, it was more the pencils and colored pencils because they were also very inexpensive for a large family. Later in my education and at work, I continued to use them. Now, as a hobby artist, I prefer the pigment liners for line and wash techniques, for example, for several special reasons: I never felt like I had to use anything else because I missed absolutely nothing. When the pen is empty after really long use, the tips are still stable and fine. Above all, the document fastness convinces me because I often use them with watercolors and that works flawlessly, bright and sharp without smudging and last but not least, although these traditional and one of the oldest writing instrument manufacturers based in Nuremberg are almost unrivaled, they still remain affordable for the customer. For me personally, the best price/performance ratio and you don't find that very often. The versatility of the use of these pens is often experienced away from artistic activities in everyday life. Whether labeling cables, freezer bags for marking drill holes, these pens are used in our studio, household and workshop...

[@donnavissa]

Wow, such a detailed review. I need to settle in and make notes before buying.

[@tuyetcong-ton-nu1388]

Hi, Leslie, I am new to your channel, and I appreciate your thorough reviews and insights. I also resonate with working on a small format and using smaller palettes for plein-air paintings. It gave me inspiration to sit in my garden and paint all the beautiful plants, fruits, and flowers that we have. Thanks!

[@mariwhite9768]

Best fineliner review I've seen. Thanks!

[@LeslieStroz]

Thank you! 🤗

[@annafontp]

I totally agree with you regarding the Staedtllers. After a few years regularly using Copic and Micron, when I started trying Staedtler, I realised I gravitated towards them more and more. I've I have to grab just one or two, it's always Staedtler. I'm not going back to other brands.

[@LeslieStroz]

They are pure luxury! I can't believe how affordable they are for the quality.

[@incognitoedc]

My art journey began with Zentangle, so my first experience with fine liners was with Microns. I found the nibs to breakdown easily especially when I started and I was very heavy handed. After a lot of research, I switched to Uni Pin. The nibs hold up much better. I have moved to botanical illustrations and have developed A lighter touch now. Very surprised that the Steadier pens were so enjoyable for you. I'm A senior on a low income fixed budget. I'm going to give them a try. Thanks so much for all of your work on this project.

[@sigriston]

Awesome video… and you’re an amazing inker! 🙀 Fineliners are super convenient! I’ve recently been moving towards inking with a brush (and ink from a bottle seems to be darker and more waterproof too!), but I suppose I need to give those Steadtlers a try, they look amazing!

[@Linders3052]

Thank you for such a comprehensive review! I have tried a few brands: Micron, Faber Castell and Staedtler. The minute I picked up the Staedtlers, I fell in love with the way they glided across the paper. I never thought I'd be interested in doing ink work, but they are so nice that I just want to continue once I've begun a drawing. It's a bonus that they are so reasonably-priced. (I am in the US.) Truth be told, I have been very happy with anything bearing the Staedtler name. I haven't had the Microns long enough to assess them-and purchased them to see what the hype was about. I also really enjoy the Faber Castell pens-but the ones I have are Pitt Pens, and perhaps not in the same category.

[@sharonolsen6579]

I've been waiting for this one... I know it will be awesome ... doing my thumbs up now so I can settle in and watch.. wow what a lot of effort you put into this ! thank you ! 💟❣💟❣

[@LeslieStroz]

My pleasure! I tried to keep it as short as I could whilst still covering the basics. 😊

[@CastellanSpandex]

I did the same! An hour of fineliners! What's not to love?! 😍

[@sharonolsen6579]

@@CastellanSpandex ❤😁

[@lindabeattie8228]

This was so good...thankyou!

[@kellywilson2147]

This video is so helpful! I've been using Microns and Faber-Castell finliners, but I hate drawing with them and never knew why. I'm off to buy a set of Staedtlers!

[@kimberlyrivard6945]

Really was happy to see the Staedler pens as number 1. I got familiar with them years ago and I also love their drawing pencils.

[@nalissa77]

Really interesting comparisons. Thanks for doing the legwork.

[@LeslieStroz]

My pleasure! 😊

[@lynnereevesgriffin]

Thanks for the video. I love the Windsor and Newton .1, .3, and .5 fineliner multi pack in sepia!

[@Shells1968]

I recently found a Micron PERM. They are fantastic for drawing over watercolour.

[@brianlynch6968]

Thanks for the super thorough review! The bleeding test was especially helpful.

[@bevberthoty]

Thank you so much for this. I never know which pen won't bleed and your demo answers that question. Also thanks for all of the additional info you gave us for each pen.

[@TineFederliebe]

I never liked the Microns and use Staedtler for many years. They have very nice sketching-ballpoints: Staedtler ball 4230M: the best ballpoints I´ve ever tried. Very inexpensive and I am very fond of the triangular shape. Maybe you like them, too!

[@catbriggs8362]

How timely! Thank you so much. This is excellent!

[@sheilacym]

Great video !! Really helpful …..Thank you, Leslie! 🤩💕🤩

[@MaxineBotts]

Bought the prismacolor pens! Love these! So much better than what I was using!

[@VeldaE12]

I really enjoyed this comparison. A very new beginner to drawing- I really appreciate being able to see how each looks in use! Thank you! I feel I’ll have more success, using better supplies!

[@Sprucyfroggy]

This was so helpful in finding a fitting fineliner for watercolor!

[@im2bz2bcn]

Your broad range review on col pressed was informative and appreciated. I have to say one thing about the sakura’s besides the point I’ve been using them for 23 years and still have some of the first I ever bought! I have used under and on a number of mediums and they are dependable. Only flaw I have found is I have had leaking in only two and I have bought many. It only happened when I traveled in high altitudes! Laying or standing the pens makes no difference but just the altitudes. That being said, it is very rare that they do this and I had several with me and only two leaked. All fine liners are not really made to be used on cold pressed paper unless you want the light scratchy skipping effect. They are all designed to be used on hot pressed and Bristol paper. On cold pressed paper even high quality pencils will skip if not holding firm. All these pens are not meant to be used at such a sharp angle. That angle is for fountain pens and other writing pen and felt tip markers.

[@juliadixon-smith5416]

Thank you for sharing all your hard work in putting this review together. Really helpful information along with your sketches. My latest pens were Staedler and I loved the container they came in. Previously used Microns and Faber Castell , but I prefer my latest ones like you.

[@aprilbrown8081]

I feel like I’ve tried all the pens and currently my favorites are the Zig Mangaka. They’re fabulous.

[@hansendesigns]

You might want to try the kuretake fudegokochi (the pigmented one) :) amazing line weight range with perfect pressure give/resistance

[@Blastmaster1972]

Interesting review. My favourite fineliners are the "Artline Drawing System" pens, but I also use UniPIN, Staedtler and Micron.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Thanks Leslie! I needed to order bulk .3 fineliners for a class and saw a good price on the pentel pointliner but I didnt know if they were good. Now I know:) thanks again!

[@snappypants99]

I've been a stationary geek since I was a child, and the Staedtler name has always been tops for me.

[@bobbibrady9649]

Thanks for all your work on this. My very favorite is Staetler, I have always loved the long tip. I have a lot of micros but very rarely use them. I do use a sharpie a lot, but not with watercolor and on some paper they feather Thank you again, really enjoyed your info.

[@DanBuell]

What a fantastic and informative video, thank you so much!

[@marthalentz]

Thanks so much, Leslie, for your tests and video. Very helpful. One correction: The Copic Multiliners that you demonstrated are not refillable. The refillable are called "SP" and are a white color. :) I totally agree with you on the Staedtlers! I did a similar test with water and watercolors and they came out on top for both waterproof quality and for darkness. They're my favorite.

[@ladyflimflam]

Had errands in the city today so I made Blick my first stop. My Blick is carrying the W&N fineliners in black and sepia and the staedtler pigment liners in black. I also found Derwent Line Maker fineliners in sepia and black.

[@kimberly5465]

This is so good! Also you are very relaxing to listen to.

[@phillipstroll7385]

Absolutely love your drawing style. So God to see the fundamentals at work.

[@unprofessionalpainter]

I have pens I love, but I never paid attention to the brand. I just looked at the ones I rely on and they are Staedtler brand. Glad to know I had good taste in pens! Thank you for your videos, Leslie!

[@suzettelombard]

This is awesome and SO helpful! I could not tear myself away. Thank you, thank you, thank you! ❤🤗😇

[@yasibiene]

I'm very happy with your results because I live in germany. We all often use all kinds of the Staedtler pens and fineliner 😊

[@gwenster]

Thank you for all your work in putting together this comparison! I enjoyed it a lot. I like a heavy, dramatic line and I prefer sanguine, so Faber Castell is my choice since I think they are the only company that makes fine liners in that color . I have been leaning toward fude nibs (Kuretake makes excellent ones) but they just don’t offer as many colors.

[@christophermckellar1352]

Wonderful! So thorough and thoughtful. Thank you very much.

[@LeslieStroz]

You’re welcome! It was a fun deep dive into all of the different brands. 😊

[@janebridge1325]

This was really helpful Leslie - thank you for all your hard work reviewing these so thoroughly! :))

[@LeslieStroz]

You're welcome! :)

[@Chirrup18]

Well that turned out to be a real eye-opener, and wallet emptier! LOL I've been muddling through with microns for years even though I don't like them, but I thought it was me and not them. I do have a few W&N, but I'm not thrilled with the lack of sharpness so I rarely use them. I also have three Tombow mono pens, and I love them but they're not waterproof. So, after watching this I just ordered Prismacolor, Pentel, and Staedtler just in time for Ink/Home-tober! 😂 🎉

[@LeslieStroz]

I don’t think you’ll be disappointed! Please check in and let me know which you prefer. 😊

[@Chirrup18]

@@LeslieStroz Definitely! 😁

[@Chirrup18]

@@LeslieStroz you were right, I'm not disappointed in the ones I ordered 2 months ago. I especially like the Staedtlers. Most recently I've been testing out sepia pens and I'm happy with the Bianyos, which come in so many sizes! We'll see how well they last. I wonder if anyone else has used those and has an opinion. I just received a couple of uni pins in sepia yesterday and I really like the smoothness of those! I'm not unhappy with any of them, but I still find the micron pens to be scratchy, especially in comparison to the others.

[@CastellanSpandex]

It's as if I wished really REALLY hard for this video to appear! 😊 I've been sketching with "Uniball AIR" Micro and Medium/Broad* pens. *Says Medium on the box, but Broad on the pen lid. Can be scratchy but I quite like them. Good variation of line thickness with pressure. Other than that, "Uniball Eye" Micro and Fine.

[@jordangloss]

This is exactly what I've been looking for. Thank you!

[@jlrice571]

I didn’t know what you were talking about but feel like I learned a lot. Surprisingly I also pick your number one. So many things to take into consideration. Again, a very helpful video.

[@birbtunes]

Thank you! I always used Micron but will switch to Staedtler or W+N as now my hands have trouble with the lids too. I do like using sepia also so I am looking forward to what you think.

[@susanrollins1606]

I just bought a whole set of Brown fine liners on Temu. So far I love them. Give them a try!😊

[@JH-pe3ro]

I'm a fan of Uni-pin, but mostly for the brush tip, which is a nice in-between of the "true" bristle brush pens, and the more stiff rubberized markers like Tombow Fudenosuke. The Uni-pin brush has a relatively dry flow, so I do encounter cases of needing to go over it after erasing, but it does really well when I want to give cartoon characters a bolder line that can fill a 8.5"x11", and it will last for a very long time before giving out. I might have to play with Staedtlers since I do feel like I'm missing a bleedproof fineliner.

[@Bunnykisses1000]

I use ink and watercolor alot..i use a fountain pen and Detramentis ink…works amazingly well..and i dont have to keep buying pens. Ive used mine every day for journals and my art and still have tons of ink left in the bottle!

[@hannahcrumley3103]

This was good to watch and a great idea to do for ourselves with our favorite paper and favorite size of pens. Why hadn’t I thought to do this? I have used Staedtler and Microns for years, and honestly love them both , the Staedtler is definitely better and it seems I can rework an area so much more than with the microns. I recently purchased Derwent fine liners to compare. Thank you for taking the time to do this and sharing your results!

[@KimberlyG_NYC]

Thank for this comparison. I was hoping to see how the Sharpie Stylo compares to these. Can you perhaps include it in another video?

[@songlismom98]

Thanks so much for taking the time to do this! I own mostly Microns, which were the first pens I tried several years ago, which were my faves until recently when I felt something was missing. (I assumed it was user-error). I also have a set of Prismacolor Illustration - but the ones in assorted colors, a set of Faber Castell and one Unipin I got as a freebie. I'm glad to have seen your more-informed comparisons. I will definitely get one Staedtler .05 and give it a test run against my Micron .05.

[@kateeverling3730]

This is amazing thank you! I’ve only ever tried the micron and I now wish to get some of the staedtler!!

[@trishf29]

Many thanks for this video, Leslie, and for making the effort to compare these different brands. I’ve just begun using the Pigma Microns and am not impressed, so not surprised they were your last choice. I recently bought the Unipin sepia and grey fine liners but have yet to try them out.

[@SKN1763]

My Micron fine liners have never leaked like yours and strangely I have never had difficulty getting the covers back on, but I feel like they do dry out more quickly than they should (like some of the others). I will try the Staedtler again and the Prismacolours.

[@LeslieStroz]

You must be stronger than I am! ;) I find the caps so difficult to get on and off. For people with arthritis in their fingers I can imagine they would be a drag. I'm hoping that these new ones don't leak! It was nice to discover that I don't hate them, but compared to the others they are still low on my list. :)

[@phillipstroll7385]

I'm with her. They are crap, but then again I'm not a follower. Therefore, I don't buy disposable fine lines anymore. Not when one own can get me from. 0001-2mm lines. So why pretend to be a goofy vegan / environmentalists when one can save money and actually make a difference without the virtue signaling. But KZbin and non disposable fine liners don't pay to show those.

[@phillipstroll7385]

I agree with Leslie.

[@kimberlym3764]

At approximately 27:20 you asked about the letters. I believe that the F = fine, M = medium, S = small?. That's the best answer I could come up with. I hope that helps. Thank you so much for doing this comparison video! I learned a lot.

[@isabellecouture5494]

Yes, it’s xx small X small Small Fine Medium And you also have B for brush

[@EleniZazani1]

Thank you for the comprehensive review! I had started sample drawings to test the waterproofing for most of your examples minus Molotov, prismacolor and Windsor newton. The latter is a brand that I have found not performing well in other products, as for Prismacolor as you say is super difficult to get in the UK. I Love their colour pencils more than our high end coloursoft Derwent but coming from the States is very pricey indeed. It’s a shame for unipins bleeding as much, as a side note they are affordable when in a set (especially during the start of school) rather than selling them individually as a particular uk stationary shop does. I got a collectible pigma edition (black gold barrels) because they were cheaper but it was a waste of money. The nibs failed with just one passing, so I understand why they are not your favourite, probably it’s a hit & miss.

[@hansendesigns]

One tidbit about the Micron caps… Seven years ago in 2017 I did inktober in mostly Microns (vid on my channel) and then I had two kids. Now that one is in kindergarten, I was thinking my pens would be dead going untouched nearly 6 years later. I thought it might make a funny video. To my surprise they work just the same!! Those tight caps might have an upside after all. I also have 6-7 yr old prismacolors and a few others that have all been sitting. I might have to make a big vid lol.

[@reedebrown6006]

Really enjoyed this comparison. To date I’ve only used Unipin, mainly because I had a couple already when I started sketching. Maybe time to try out some others. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[@derwood206]

thank you for this video! I am quite messy and afraid of a fountain pen but love working with fineliners and watercolor. You helped me finally to let go of the Micron, which I don't enjoy but kept purchasing because they are in my local art supply stores ;). I love the Unipin, enjoy them and have some Copics from a set of alcohol markers i ordered. I will definitely try out the Staedtler!

[@LeslieStroz]

I’m so glad you’ve branched out! Modern fountain pens aren’t as messy as some of the older ones, but I like fineliners too. 😊

[@aurorajohansenwardigo]

Your videos are always such a trove of useful information and so calming. Thank you. Based on this video, I wound up buying a set of the Staedtler Mars Matic 700s. I had been contemplating a few of the other options you compared but ultimately wanted something that I wouldn't end up throwing in the trash. And yes, w/ Inktober my current set of Pigma Microns are getting quite the workout and by the end of the month will likely be ready for the trash.

[@kahnaemery7767]

I bought some Staedtler colored pencils in that same type of case that folded into a stand; I folded the flap onto itself; 11:51 and it 'stood up' at a slant. I hope that makes sense.

[@debsmith7050]

Very helpful. Thanks. I have never tried any of these.....I always use a fountain pen - now I will try :)

[@thesilverpen]

Love this review. Would like to see it again with colored ink washes in place of watercolor, to see if the results are similar or different. I have Microns and they do bleed. The craft store told me to try the inks to see if things worked better. I had not yet due to the high $$ to lose if it fails. I already have watercolor paint for other things .

[@susosu6070]

Thank you so much for your comparison. I have Pigma Micron and uni pin. I found that uni pin dried out so fast compared to Pigma Micron. Pigma Micron has various colors options and 2 different shades for gray color which I love for drawing. I think your review is my good excuse to try new brands. 😁 Thank you for sharing.

[@Astharia]

To me what's important is the smudging. Some of the uni pin pens or micron smudge when you paint over them too soon or always weather its with watercolor or alcohol markers and can ruin things sometimes. I never had that issue with copic multiliners.

[@FuzzyDoxie]

The copic is what I usually use, they used to make silver metal pens that were refillable and replaceable tips, but they’ve discontinued those. I’m not really happy with the plastic pens and the tips do fray and/or wear out quickly. I have tried the microns because everyone seems to love them but not me, they seem to smear easily. I’m happy to see this video and I just ordered the Staedtler fine liners . Thanks for the info

[@karenrouth2056]

Thank you so much Leslie, I’ve been waiting for this! Ordering Staedtler set of 6 from Amazon. I would Love if you could please suggest brown or sepia fine liners, as that is very often my preference over black… thank you x

[@janetshaffer423]

@karenrouth2056..I went back over Leslie’s video and found these on Amzn US ( Winsor & Newton Fineliner Fine Point Pen Set, Assorted, Set of 3, Sepia ). I am curious to try them.

[@karenrouth2056]

@@janetshaffer423 so thoughtful… thank you x

[@CaraHero]

Thank you

[@diane2941]

Try before you buy! Thanks for doing that for me.

[@themotherranch]

I’ve only used Micron so I’m super excited to try some of the other ones you used! Also, I’ve taken to baking my pen drawings and baking them in the oven on about 150F or so, anything under 200 really. That makes it so the ink is fully dry on the Microns and I don’t have an issue with bleeding.

[@deborahmeyers551]

I am so thankful for this detailed review. I like uni pin I don't like Windsor and Newton fineliners I like Derwent linemaker ❤😊

[@grahamluther9394]

Hi Leslie, big thanks for this in-depth work! My wife's just watched this and for value (The Range's art/craft section) she found a blister pack of 12 black UniPins for £10, this Spring, in nine different sizes with doubles of the most popular sizes, so having spent 'a b*mb' on her portable kit, went with these and one sepia/brown in a 0.5 Faber Castell & a .001 Micron. In her opinion, she's not surprised the Staedler did well, because having ended up the stationery buyer in her office jobs, and a lifelong fountain pen user, she'd opt for Pilot Hi Tec Points needletip liquid ink pens as nearest to flow of ink from a f'pen to aid colleagues hands. When a cheap ballpoint was required, she refused to entertain BiC, always bought Staedler ballpoints as the best ballpoint. If asked to go for cheaper on both, she knew staff would soon protest. My wife's going to buy the Staedler fineliners when UniPins used up, thanks, as didn't know they did any! Not tried hot pressed smooth watercolour paper yet, but would be interesting if you tried a Micron with that and see if it 'glows' more on that surface, as that may be why people love them? They may still be 'bleh' for your needs, but the local art shop has a countertop Micron turnstile on it, they're so popular! Their .001 worked well on sheet of Lidl A4 watercolour paper bought as a bit of a laugh for £4, and that's smoother texture than cold pressed 25% or 100% cotton content W&N watercolour paper, hence the food for thought. Maybe a test of all the 'fails' on smoother to smooth cartridge/sketchbook paper and see if any surprise you! A Sunny Collab in the making? Just an idea. Thanks again, we really enjoy your channel. Hope the Plein-Air mobile is in its element for you, given all these storms! 🚙

[@LeslieStroz]

I'm not surprised that the Staedtler ballpoints are great. I think your wife is going to love the Staedtlers, especially in comparison to the UniPINS. If you're in the UK, they are currently on sale at Amazon for under a tenner from their Staedtler Store (just checked and they have gone up a bit, but still less than £12, which is a great deal. I didn't test any of these on smooth paper like Bristol board or cartridge paper, though I do sometimes use them that way. I think the Microns are best for use on smoother paper and for people who like a more graphic look. It would be fun to use these with Sunny, but I suspect she might find it harder to have a preference unless she really explored them more in depth. The Plein-Air mobile is doing great-- hoping for some new adventures soon! :)

[@jeffhildreth9244]

I have been using MICRON for some time. When they work, they work OK. But, if you put too much pressure on them the plastic that surrounds the nib will crack. I agree with the discomfort from the cap ridge on the barrel, Annoying I bought into them because of the "archival ink. . Worst feature.... they are good for 30 minutes, no more. I recently bought a few more..I finally found them at a much lower price at AMAZON , 30% less than the only local art store. And now I am here.. and introduced to Staedtler... I will get some and report back. I am keeping my fingers crossed , many years struggling with MICRON has worn me down. Thanks from Southern Oregon USA.

[@patriciacrumrine5890]

Staedler were my first and then I got a variety of others and somehow Micron became my go to. Now I know that Staedler really are my favorite and I’m going to get more and weed out the pens I don’t like as much. Thanks for the wonderful review.

[@jdschneider5858]

Thanks -- that was an inspiration! Next time I go figure drawing I'll try the Staedtler pen on a long pose. Looks like fun 😊

[@LeetaNocha]

I appreciate your video and your amazing art work! I'm in love with watercolor and fineliner art! I am always inspired by you! I've discovered Faber-Cactell's Ecco Pigment Fineliners,and I absolutely love them , not sure why they work better then the regular Faber-Castell.

[@Art_by_Nicole]

I have used Staedler in the past but they weren’t stable to use and in my experience they did smudge when I added water. Recently I purchased the Windsor & Newton and my goodness, they are absolutely amazing! The joints in my fingers are sore very easily and the Staedler, Pitt pens gave me painful fingers. The W&N didn’t. They are easy to write with, to draw and I can add water on these. So for me the Windsor & Newton are the best 🤩

[@elizabethingram9784]

Nice! I really like Staedtler too, as well as their pencils, etc. 😊

[@sheilamitchell8904]

Thank you for these videos, I really like your style. I live in Canada and can buy Graphik line markers and with Micron I find they bleed very slightly. But the Graphik has a series of browns! incase you are interested. But I really like bleeding in my paintings and use fountain pen in different colour inks with watercolour, I use the bleeding for the effects of plants. Thanks.

[@reneecailloux2573]

We all have opinions so thanks for sharing yours 🙂 What I like about the Micron is that they have sepia and blue-black, and, for me, they're easy to find. Let me know if I'm wrong. I am tempted to try the Staedler 🙂 Thank you for helping me decide!

[@josephfiore2843]

Are you sure you have real Microns? There's a bunch of sites and KZbins that explain it. The fact that the writing is wonky makes me wonder

[@LeslieStroz]

I've heard about fake Microns too. My older ones were from a reputable art store who got them directly from the manufacturer, and these were from Jackson's, so I'm confident in their lineage. :)

[@Karmela303]

👍🏻 I agree with you. Staedtler are the best.

[@33Jenesis]

I may go to Japan for a few days in December. I have never been but i want it to be filled with art supplies, fabric, and embroidery floss. Liner pens will definitely be calling my name lol.

[@mourneswanderer1767]

Unipin are great. Also adore Derwent and Faber Castell are excellent in my humble opinion. Some brands are fairly poor though. Thanks indeed for your review. I love fineliners

[@isabellabihy8631]

I have a set of the Staedler pens whih supposedly do not dry out within 18 hrs. I've had them for a few years now and they're still going strong- That's a definitely excellent pen.

[@otterwench]

I love my staetdler mechanical pencil (triplus fineliner). The line can be made light enough and is so slender that I can use them as a pre-sketch and watercolor right over it. The best bit for me is the triplus triangular barrel, so pleasant to hold. I also adore my set of staetdler pigment fineliners (the same as you used). For a wide variety in marks using only one pen, I love the Tombow Calligraphy. Fudenosuke. Even though they are water based, I could not make them run, even right after making the marks.

[@ninamarie60]

For a higher end drawing pen, the rOtring Tikky Graphic is really, really nice, but def. at a higher price point. For cheap and available everywhere, Uniball Air and Uniball Eye are both excellent. I think I've used most of these, too, and they're all good.

[@1Beadbug]

I got my hands on a Toms Studio, lumos pen, I’m in love but don’t use them quite like you do. I would love to hear your views on one.

[@LeslieStroz]

I’d love to try that one someday, but I might be too lazy to change all of the nibs and refill it. 😅

[@jillybean2734]

Me too! Its absolutely brilliant 🙂

[@FaithAnnNB]

This was really interesting and I appreciate someone else spending money to try all of these brands 😊. Locally, I can get micron, Copic and Faber-Castell (either at my local art store or at Michaels). Microns are particularly abundant so they make up most of my collection (I’ve been lucky and none of mine have leaked). I assumed most fine liners behaved similarly so haven’t ventured into trying many options. I bought the Copics for sepia and grey and do not have any in black. Now I’m interested in giving Staedtler a try.

[@LeslieStroz]

I'm excited to try my sepia Copics, since it's so difficult to find good ones in the smaller sizes! I did spend a bit to get all of these fineliners, yes, but I can claim them as a business expense at least. :) I really wanted to explore them all in a controlled environment like this and side-by-side to see if I noticed subtle differences. It was definitely enlightening! :)

[@CastleMc]

They are a little harder to find but the Pitt Artist Pens actually come in fude nibs and brush nibs that are designed to be flexible, which is what you mean when you say that you want variable lines. And they make a pretty wide range of various browns.

[@cpbh09]

I love the Microns. Never had one leak, no problem with the cap, and mine don’t have crooked writing. I use alcohol markers and it never smears once dry. But I will try some of these other brands.

[@ralphherrick596]

Very helpful....thank you for sharing...

[@MsVivian99]

Really helpful . Thankyou

[@angelajclarkson]

Have you heard about Tom's Studio Lumos? It's a pen which comes with different Nib sizes that can be refilled from an ink bottle (so you can draw in any ink colour you want to - you just use a different ink reservoir). One time purchase of the barrel with replaceable nibs and ink reservoirs. I'd be interested in your thoughts.

[@ashleywright824]

I first used Micron pens w/my watercolors and loved them. Still do. But Staedtler is No. 1 for me.

[@KellyWatts1302]

Thank you so much for doing this research for us Leslie ❤❤❤ I bought the microns for zentangles at the suggestion of many zentangle people. I will now be checking out Staedtler though I do have a soft spot for prismacolour ❤❤❤

[@LeslieStroz]

I have such deep love for the Prismacolors.

[@notafan1275]

I don't use fineliners much, so my experience is irrelevant (I bought Faber-Castell and Micron for the Drawabox course and then discovered that the BIC-knockoffs from the supermarket will work as well for much cheaper and in many colours). But I am not surprised that Staedtler made top of the list, because I have had good experiences with their other products. Recently I tried out some water-soluble coloured pencils from 40 years ago, school-quality (primary, not art!) and was blown away by the amount of pigment in them. When I mailed the company about them I even got an answer (sadly, out of production). Faber-Castell have the more impressive marketing (and, I believe, more product lines for fine arts) but Staedtler have some very, very good products.

[@Enocia]

The multiliners by Copic that you bought are not the refillable ones. They actually don't make the refillable version anymore.

[@LudwinV]

My favorites are the Zebra Calligraphy brush Pens because it gives me line variation and uses a plastic nib instead of bristles. It is waterproof and doesn’t wear out as much in cold pressed paper. I also like microns, staedler, and acurit. For cold pressed paper I use the 0.6mm in any pen because the smaller ones wear out fast and I can use the side for thinner lines.