Longtime T.G.S. readers know that I update the “Best Pens” list annually, typically around the T.G.S. Anniversary in mid-to-late April. I’m a little late this year, but not by much, and in any event this year was more of a maintenance update because as the list matures, there’s simply not as much movement between the categories. I’ve made a few adjustments to account for pens moving between the different price points - who knows what the coming year will bring - but I always enjoy this exercise.

As with previous updates, the last 10 or so lists remain live so that you can see how my opinions and tastes have changed over time. View the 2025 Best Pens List and prior lists here, and if you see something you like, please consider supporting us by shopping our store* or pledging via Patreon. We’ve recently launched a T.G.S. Discord forum for Patreon members, and so far it seems that everyone has enjoyed being able to interact in a much more user friendly format that what Patreon can offer with its build-in features.

*The “Best Pens” list goes back to at least 2017, and predates our shop by several years. You’ll see that these lists have informed how we built out our own retail operation, as I knew when I opened my own shop that I would only want to sell stuff that I could readily recommend to other people.