pen 41: pilot v ball extra fine

this was another one of those pens that i drew early on but due to something or another, was deferred until now.

the pilot v ball extra fine is a pen that i'm pretty sure i acquired sometime during college, i remember taking notes with it, and sketching in the margins while i waited for the teacher to get to something important enough to take down. now that i'm thinking about it, i remember doing storyboards for animation projects with this pen as well.

the v ball is an unassuming pen. it's basic, black, no rubber grip, a small window in the body to let you see your ink level and a cap.

this pen has enough bite to feel the interaction between the tip and the paper, it's precise, good for sketching, writing, gesture, contour and inking over light pencils. it doesn't have much glide, which i personally feel makes for a good drawing pen, you aren't all over the paper with this pen, every line better be intentional because it dries fast and aside from whiteout or photoshop, that line ain't going anywhere.

i didn't think that they sold these pens anymore, but after a very quick search on amazon i found that they do still exist, they have, however, updated the look a bit. from what i can tell they are going for between $3-$5 for a single, and between $12 to $25 for a dozen, not the cheapest pen i've reviewed but overall i would say buying one or two is worth the price, this is a sold product that will serve you well.