My New Favorite Pens: Pilot Hi-Tec-C Maica

Warning: Hide your wallet, pen and notebook lovers. But if you decide to buy them, this post has affiliate links.

Hi, my name is Thien-Kim and I’m a pen addict.

I’m also a notebook addict.

I broke my self-imposed pen and notebook ban. Then a friend convinced me how much she loved her Pilot Hi-Tec-C Maica pens and her Kokuyo Campus Todai Series Notebooks. She uses the bullet journal system to track her work to-do list and use these 2 items exclusively for work.

Did I mention my friend is also a planner addict (like me). I’ve known her a long time and we’ve both tried several different kind of planners. We talk each other into (and out of) buying new planners. I’ve tried  finding my perfect planners, but recently settled on a discbound planner and blank graph paper for my to do list.

Wait, where were we? Yes, pens.

Back to the Pilot Hi-Tec-C Maica pens. They’re Japanese pens, which explains why the quality is so good. The Japanese are obsessive about quality pens and paper. Something a pen addict can relate to. My friend steered me towards the extra fine tipped (0.3 mm) 12-color pack. I was good and opted for the 6-color pack. The Maica pens are also available in 0.4 mm point.

I have never moaned when testing out an ink pen until I uncapped the Maicas. Wow! The extra fine point writes smoothly without poking into your paper. There’s just enough drag against the paper to remind me how much I love putting ink to paper. To make sure it wasn’t just me, I asked my husband to test out the Maica. He might have groaned in pleasure too.

I tend to write fast and sloppy but with the extra fine tip, my sloppy handwriting didn’t look as messy. I could actually read what I wrote last week! After trying out the 6-color pack, I immediately ordered 5 more black Maica pens. Yes, I gave one to my  husband. I might or might not be hoarding the rest.

What about the notebooks? The Kokuyo Campus Todai Series notebooks are also Japanese. Their B5 size (approx 6.9 x 9.8 inches) is bigger than I prefer. I like to be able to tuck it into my purse. BUT, I trusted my friend and bought a set. The paper is thin and smooth, but none of the pens I tried bled through. So it’s good paper. It’s lined with tick marks, which makes it good for people who use the bullet system. I like that each book only has 30 pages. There’s no guilt, unlike starting a big notebook and never filling it up.

I’m using the Campus notebook to write and do my morning pages a la The Artist’s Way. Writing by hand is a good change from typing my words.

Have you found a favorite pen? Do share!