Senator Fineliner, Long Body, Black

A fineliner holds one constant line width from the first stroke to the last, with no thick-and-thin from pressure. That is what makes it the pen for writing that has to stay even, for ruled work, and for outlines that will be filled with colour afterwards.

A long body changes how the pen sits rather than how it writes: the extra length pushes the balance back into the web of the hand, which is less tiring over a long session than a short barrel you have to grip to control. Keep the cap on — a fibre tip dries from the point inward far faster than a ballpoint, and a fineliner left open overnight will skip for the rest of its life.

Black is the working colour: notes, outlines, forms, and anything that will be photocopied or scanned, where black holds its contrast and a colour may not survive the copy.

• Constant-width fibre tip
• Long body — balance sits back in the hand
• For writing, ruled work and outlines
• Keep it capped; a fibre tip dries from the point inward