I switch between pens a lot. So I actually still have some of the very first pens that I bought back when I started this blog in 2017 (about 7 years ago!) These are the pens I’m still using because the ink still hasn’t dried out (the quality of the ink when I write hasn’t reduced in all those years either).

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Pens where the ink has lasted 7+ years

1. Papermate Inkjoy Gel

If you’re been followed my blog since I started it, these pens making the top of the list should come as no surprise. They were previously included at the top of my list of pens where the ink lasted more than 3 years, and I’m super impressed that the ink in them still hasn’t dried out.

These are a bit expensive versus some other gel pen brands but they are well worth the investment. They come in vibrant rainbow colors plus teal – and you can actually see the yellow ink easier than most pen brands.

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If you’re not convinced, I shared some cheaper alternatives (but I can’t guarantee that the ink will last as long) in this post: Paper Mate Inkjoy Gel Pen (0.7mm) Dupes

2. Staedtler Triplus Fineliner

These were one of the first fineliner pens to become ‘mainstream’ and for good reason – there are heaps of colors, they write really smoothly and come in a good quality storage case.

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There’s a great variety of colors in the original 20 pack, and you can also get these pens in a pack with 60 colours! (if you’re a fellow Australian, Officeworks has them)

It’s also worth noting that these are 0.3mm which I usually avoid as the tip tends to be scratchy and not ideal if you write on an angle like I do, but these pens don’t feel like the tip is only 0.3mm.

3. Stabilo Point 88 Fineliner

Another fineliner that still works as well as the day I bought them are the Stabilo Point 88 Fineliner.

I don’t enjoy writing with these as much as the Staedtler Triplus as they’re not as smooth, however they slightly beat the Triplus in that there are 65 colors to choose from.

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It can be hard to find a good shade of green and these pens come in 10 different shades of green, not to mention the variety of shades for all of the other colors. This page on the Stabilo website has color swatches for all the pens.

Zebra Sarasa Clip

These write really smooth and come in nice colors (no purple in some of the bulk packs unfortunately, but you can usually find these available individually at stationery stores).

Zebra is one of my favorite brands for highlighters (the Mildliners last for years without drying out too).

I’ve owned these pens for 5 years and the ink hasn’t dried out yet:

Creative Devotion

These pens always seem to fly under the radar but they’re worth mentioning – they write really smoothly.

They only come in 9 colors and are a little harder to find though. My sister stocks them in her shop, Carefully Crafted.

Pilot Pop’Lol

I have a pack of 17 colors that I was sent to do a review on from Pilot back in 2018. I’m still working my way through using all of the colors – none of them have dried out before I’ve had a chance to use them in the years since.

Note: do not confuse these with the Pilot Juice pens – those aren’t very good – the colors are hard to see and they write really scratchy.

You can often find these available for purchase individually at stationery stores (most of the stationery shops in Japan had them).

If you’re having a hard time choosing colors, avoid the apple green and yellow (ok up close but from a distance the ink is quite bright / hard to read).

Kikki K Fineliner

While I find Kikki K’s planners a bit too basic and overpriced, their fineliner pens are surprisingly affordable and good quality. Very nice rainbow colors!

Muji

Probably comes as no surprise that the Muji pens made it onto the list. The Japanese really know how to do stationery well! These gel pens write smoothly, come in great colors and there are many pen tip sizes to choose from. I’ve had them for just over 4 years and the ink still hasn’t dried out.

There are more pens I’ve purchased in recent years that I suspect will end up on this list – but I haven’t had them long enough to confirm the ink lasts for 5+ years.

What’s the common theme here?

The ink in fineliner and gel pens seem to last the longest.

Pens where the ink doesn’t last very long

In my experience the ink in these types of pens don’t last very long

Erasable pens – sorry my favorite Frixion erasable pens – but your ink shelf life sucks. These usually dry out or the ink runs out within 3 – 6 months

Ballpoint pens – usually only last 1 year for cheaper brands, up to 1.5 – 2 years for more expensive brands

Pilot Pop’lol – as mentioned above, the ink in these pens don’t dry out for years if you’re not using them. But when you do use them, the ink seems to disappear so quickly (or maybe it’s just that the pen body is clear so I can see the amount of ink being used)

How to properly store pens so the ink doesn’t dry out

For a long time I used to use pen cups and the pens would sit face down. But then I did some research and found that the recommended way to store pens is horizontally so the ink is evenly distributed. So since about 2018 I’ve laid those pen cups down, used clear acrylic drawers and quadrant containers (not sure what the official name is) that I got it on Amazon.