Good first pens and pencils
Good first purchases: inexpensive, simple to use, with cartridges or refills easy to find. 6 Stationery Times guides, each saying why from the product's own specs.
Our picks: Best Fountain Pens for Beginners: 6 Starter Pens · Best Colored Pencils for Beginners: 5 Picks Compared · Best Fountain Pen Inks for Beginners: 5 Safe Bottles
Pens
- Fonte biiro UNIT 1 fountain pen body with converter, EF nib, plus UNIT 2 parts: Komamono Lab includes a converter, and the body is ¥2,178 (about US$13.80) with tax, in our $$ band.
- Fonte Skeleton Fountain Pen (Komamono Lab), clear ABS body, stainless steel F nib, converter included: A converter comes in the box and cartridges also fit, and Yoseka listed the body at US$8 on November 4, 2026 (our $$ band).
- Fonte Glass Pen body (Komamono Lab), glass tip, clear ABS body: A dip pen needs no cartridge or converter, and Komamono Lab prices the body at ¥880 (about US$5.60) with tax.
- MUJI Compact Fountain Pen: It is in our $$ band, uses cartridges, and comes with 2 black ink cartridges, per MUJI USA.
- Pilot Kakuno Fountain Pen: Pilot lists it at ¥1,100 (about US$7.00) and it takes Pilot cartridges, so there is no converter to fill first.
- Pentel Tradio Pulaman pen (TRJ50-A), black body, black ink: A ¥605 (about US$3.80) pen with a sealed MLJ20 cartridge that carries its own nib has no converter or bottle to fill.