MECHPEN
For people who love a good pen — mechanical pencils, EDC writing gear, and the details that matter.
From estimating how far a fill of ink will take you and picking the right pencil grade to converting nib sizes, comparing how two pens balance in the hand, and weighing an everyday-carry kit, MechPen pairs free hands-on tools with clear, honest guides. For people who love a good pen.
Pen & Pencil Tools
Free tools for the writing desk — an ink refill-life estimator, a pencil lead hardness selector, a nib size converter, a pen weight & balance comparator, an ink dry-time estimator, and an EDC carry-weight calculator.
Ink Refill Life Estimator
Estimate how many pages a cartridge, converter, or gel refill will write from its ink capacity and your nib or tip size — and how long that lasts at your daily writing pace.
Pencil Lead Hardness Selector
Pick the right graphite grade on the HB scale, convert between the H–B and US #2 numbering systems, and see how dark and how durable each grade writes.
Nib Size Converter
Translate a fountain-pen nib size to an approximate line width in millimetres, and convert between Western and finer Japanese sizing so a Medium means what you expect.
Pen Weight & Balance Comparator
Compare two pens by weight and by where they balance — posted or unposted — from their barrel, cap, and section masses, to find which one your hand will thank you for.
Ink Dry-Time Estimator
Estimate how long ink takes to dry from your nib width, paper absorbency, and the humidity — handy for left-handers and anyone tired of smudged lines.
EDC Carry-Weight Calculator
Add up the weight of your everyday-carry writing kit — pens, pencil, refills, notebook, and case — in grams and ounces, with a per-item breakdown and a pocket-vs-bag verdict.
Museum of Pens & Writing
Wander an immersive, richly illustrated collection — the long story of the pen from reed and quill to the modern fountain pen, the great fountain pens and the houses that made them, the world of pencils and graphite, and the traditions of calligraphy and ink, each in its own gallery. Every entry, image, and fact is drawn from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons.
Tour the museum →From the Journal
Clear, honest guides on fountain, gel, and rollerball pens, pencil lead grades and mechanical-pencil diameters, nib sizes, cleaning and care, choosing an EDC pen, and how paper and ink behave — reading to pair with the tools above.
Fountain, Gel, or Rollerball: Which Pen Is Right for You?
Fountain, gel, and rollerball pens each move ink to the page differently. A practical comparison of smoothness, maintenance, cost, line quality, and how each behaves on cheap paper.
Understanding Pencil Lead Grades: The HB Scale Explained
The HB scale decoded: what the H, B, and F letters mean, how US pencil numbers like #2 map to HB, and which grades suit writing, drafting, or sketching.
Fountain Pen Nib Sizes Explained
What EF, F, M, and B nib widths actually mean, why Japanese nibs run about a size finer than Western ones, and how ink and paper change the line you get.
How to Clean a Fountain Pen
A step-by-step routine for flushing a fountain pen with cool water, tackling stubborn pigmented inks, drying it properly, and knowing what to avoid, like hot water and ultrasonic cleaners.
How to Choose an EDC Pen
How to pick an everyday-carry pen that lasts: body materials, the refill standards that matter most, deployment styles, clips, and matching weight and size to how you carry.
Paper and Ink: Understanding Feathering, Bleed, and Ghosting
Feathering, bleed-through, and ghosting explained, plus the paper and ink factors behind each and how better-sized, heavier paper fixes fuzzy lines and show-through.
Keep Learning
Plain-language explainers on the building blocks of writing gear — the pen and pencil families and their nibs and tips, the inks and papers that decide how a line looks, the history behind them, and the craft of calligraphy — everything you need to go deeper with confidence.
Visit the Learn hub →