Sakura Pigma Micron fineliner pens are much loved in the art world. How are they for those of us who doodle and write, though?
This was another pen that came to me courtesy of the JetPens blue-black sampler I ordered last year. It’s one of my top three pens from that selection. The others being the Marvy LePen, and my favorite is the Platinum Preppy. The Pigma sits somewhere between the LePen and the Preppy for me. It’s a wonderful writer. Let’s jump in and see what makes it a favorite.
The Good
- Great archival, permanent ink
- Function over form
- Smooth writing
- Usable grip section
- Not super picky about paper type/quality
The less good
- Not a particularly good looking pen
- I can’t find any real concerns with it!
Disclaimer: I ordered the sampler pack this came in with my own money when I first started this hobby. I have no relationship with JetPens or Sakura at the time of publishing. Not a sponsored post, the jetpens link isn’t affilliate, and the other links are to my other reviews on this website. Thanks for reading!
Sakura Pigma Micron — In the hand
The Pigma Micron is a no-nonsense kind of pen. It’s not much to look at, but well designed nonetheless. It’s a more comfortable pen than the aforementioned Le Pen. There is a real grip section, that is actually large enough to grip. The pen body is a nice diameter. It is roughly in the middle of the Preppy and the Le Pen in size. The pen posts securely with a satisfying click. Also, the clip on the cap seems nice, sturdy, and works like it should.
Build quality on my copy seems pretty great. The only issue I’ve ever had with mine was with the color-matched cap on the rear of the barrel. Somehow I managed to dislodge it which caused the pen to become a gushingly juicy writer. Once I realized what was going on, a quick push down clicked it back into place and it was back to normal. Outside of that, it seems tough and well put together.
Writing with the Pigma Micron
Using the Pigma Micron makes for a nice experience. The ink in my blue-black pen is just beautiful. It’s on the navy blue side of the blue-black spectrum and behaves wonderfully. It doesn’t feather, only bleeds on the worst papers, and dries super quickly. As you can see from the sample, it doesn’t really shade or have any extraordinary properties. It is exactly what it says it is. Hard not to love a permanent, archival, acid-free ink!
Next, we’ll discuss the pen itself. Like the Le Pen, it’s a plastic tipped pen. I like it even more than the Marvy. It’s a bit of a broader tip, glides even smoother across the page, and remains precise and controllable. It’s been a consistent performer for me. I can definitely see why artists like them. In my feeble attempts to do line and dot shading with my doodles, it just felt like it was meant for the job.
Great for artists, and everyone else!
It ended up surprising me that these little plastic tipped pens ended up being my favorites out of the whole sampler pack I ordered (behind the Preppy). Maybe it’s just because it isn’t another ballpoint or rollerball, but I really like the Pigma Micron. It offers a different writing experience from your typical pen. I really want to check out one of the Micron PN versions, now (a larger plastic tip they say writes a fine line, or a medium line with more pressure).
Be careful if you dip your toe in with one of these pens I’ve mentioned, you may end up wanting them all!
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