"Holy Grail" Hand Lettering Pen

My second greatest love, after list-making, is to compare products. For whatever type of item I'm looking for, I comb the field for options, figure out what criteria I care about, and ultimately find the Exact Product I Want. It is endlessly interesting and I have been making purchase decisions this way for as long as I can remember.

Sometimes, there is an obvious winner, such as Krispy Kreme for donuts. Other times, it is very sad that the product you envision does not exist (countless examples).

Things I have optimized include: Pen, work notebook, water bottle, neck pillow, phone, phone case, e-reader, online photo printing company, clothing subscription service, cardigan, sunscreen, toothbrush and toothpaste, makeup and skincare, home office setup etc.

On my latest kick, I sampled all popular brush markers. Truly, all the ones I could get my hands on during lockdown. Verdict: No perfect product, but Sharpie brush pens are 85% there.

The criteria comes down to:
1. Has good colors
2. Makes my hand lettering look good (nib size and bounce)
3. BONUS: Creates a gradient effect

In addition to Sharpies, I like the Pentel Fude Touch for the small-nib option, as concluded in my non-rigorous comparison log.

Frankly, most of these pens write well and it's primarily about what fits your personal style. The deeper insight is that through testing, I get to learn about the world of hand lettering in a very kinetic way, distilling what matters and establishing my own opinion and preferences. So satisfying!