At WRKBKS, we love unique writing tools — especially ones with style or a story behind them. Over the years we've put a lot of ink on a lot of paper, and we've landed on a handful of favorites. These aren't necessarily the most specialized pens for every use case. What they are is distinctive, reliable, and great for everyday note-taking. Here's what's made the cut.
The Machine Era Brass Pen
I've been carrying this pen with me every day for nearly the last 10 years. What makes it unique is how solid it feels. Machined from a single piece of brass, this pen has real heft to it — and whenever I hand it to someone to use, they always pause to look at it more closely, because the weight catches them off guard.
Coming in at around 1.5 ounces — roughly the weight of $2 in quarters — the pen disassembles into three pieces: a cap that keeps it pocket-safe without marking the lining, the body, and a tip that unscrews to allow easy cartridge swaps. Want a different ink color or line weight? Just swap the refill. It uses the standard G2 size, which you'll find in virtually any office supply section.
Along with the Original Brass Pen, we also carry Machine Era's latest — the Bolt Action Field Pen, available in Brass and Stainless Steel.
Shop the Machine Era Brass Pen →
Pentel EnerGel Refill Ink
The Machine Era pens ship with a Pilot G2 cartridge, but the G2 form factor opens up a world of aftermarket refills. One I keep coming back to is the Pentel EnerGel gel ink. The needle-tip 0.5mm lays down a crisp, satisfying dark line — clean edges, no bleed, no skip. It's become my go-to for doodling and margin notes alike.
Shop Pentel EnerGel Refills on Amazon →
Uni Kuru Toga Mechanical Pencil
This isn't a mechanical pencil you'll find in a standard office supply aisle. The Kuru Toga features a self-rotating lead mechanism: with every stroke you make, the lead rotates incrementally — keeping the tip consistently sharp without any manual intervention. If you've ever found yourself unconsciously spinning a mechanical pencil mid-writing to sharpen the point, this one does it for you automatically.
A small window in the barrel lets you watch the rotation in action. Throw in a knurled grip and a lightweight build, and this becomes a pencil that's genuinely hard to put down.
Shop the Uni Kuru Toga on Amazon →
Zebra DelGuard Mechanical Pencil
If you write with a heavy hand — and I do — broken lead is a constant annoyance. The Zebra DelGuard addresses this with a clever dual-protection mechanism. Press too hard and the nosepiece slides down, shortening the exposed lead before it can snap. Hold the pencil perpendicular to the page and press down, and a spring-loaded system retracts the lead entirely. It sounds complicated, and mechanically it is, but in use it's seamless. A genuinely simple idea executed inside a surprisingly sophisticated little mechanism — and it works.
Shop the Zebra DelGuard on Amazon →
Uni Metal Case Lead Holder
This one is pure over-engineered charm. Slide out the cap and it doubles as a stand, keeping the case upright on your desk so you can pull a piece of lead without fumbling. It's the kind of object that has no business being this thoughtfully designed — which is exactly why it belongs in your kit.
Shop the Uni Metal Lead Holder on Amazon →
uni-ball Vision
The uni-ball Vision was my first real pen obsession. I carried one daily all through high school, drawn in by the smooth, consistent line and the complete absence of the tip clumping that plagued most ballpoints of the era. It's a classic for a reason — reliable, crisp, and still one of the better everyday rollerball pens you can buy.
Shop the uni-ball Vision on Amazon →
PILOT Precise V5
The Pilot Precise V5 was a high school staple for me alongside the Vision — but for different reasons. The fine point made it an ideal tool for tight sketches and small details in my notebooks. In all the years I used one, it never clogged and never skipped. If you're looking for a reliable fine-tip liquid ink pen for detailed writing or illustration work, this is a hard one to beat.
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