I have been a loyal user of Hobonichi planners for a number of years. Though out this time, I have discovered the best pens for Hobonichi planners, and want to share them with you.
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What is Hobonichi?
Hobonichi is a company that creates the best planners and “life books” on the planet. Their flagship Hobonichi Techo planner comes in both English and Japanese and comes in a A6 size. I used the English version of this for years before I switched to the Hobonichi Techo Cousin this year which only comes in Japanese, but is A5 size.
The big difference between these two planners, beside size, is that the Techo Cousin also comes with a weekly layout for each week in addition to the daily and monthly layouts. I have found this to be an important layout for me, and worth the switch, even if I can no longer read the fun quotes. Even the Japanese versions of the planners have enough English in them to be used by English speakers.
There are also the Hobonichi Techo Weeks planners, which come in the weekly layout with some plain gridded paper as well. The Hobonichi Techo Weeks Mega has three times as many pages at the end. The best pens for Hobonichi Weeks are also the best pens for Hobonichi planners in general, since all of the planners use the same type of paper.
Hobonichi for Bloggers
I use my Hobonichi for everything, but especially for blogging! I list daily tasks of what I want to complete on each day’s page, and I keep a running list of blog topics I want to work on each week on the weekly layout. In the monthly layout, I also note which days I want to target to publish blog posts.
I also track the follower counts for my social media accounts every day at the bottom of my daily page.
If I have a particularly great brainstorming session in my Hobonichi, I simply mark the corner with some washi tape so I can go back to it later.
Finding the Best Pens for Hobonichi
To find the best pens for Hobonichi, you really need to understand the unique paper type. It is a very thin paper, and can bleed with certain pens. If you are a heavy writer using a very pointy pen (like an extra fine tip on a fountain pen), it may rip.
The texture of the paper is quite lovely, and the thinness of it is what allow so many pages to fit into a manageable book. The good news is the right pens will not cause you any problems.
The Hobonichi paper layout is gridded. This is great for bullet journaling, and fancy planner layouts in general. You cat get very creative with your page layout every single day if you would like! Since there is so much room in these layouts you can also practice calligraphy and brush lettering as part of your daily planning in these notebooks.
Best Pens for Hobonichi
Want to know the best pens to use in your Hobonichi Techo, Hoboichi Weeks, or Hobonichi Cousin planner? No matter which type of Hobonichi planner you use, they all share the same unique paper type. Learn which pens write best on this paper from a loyal Hobonichi user!
Platinum Fountain Pen, Preppy, Fine Nib, Black
The Platinum Preppy fountain pen is an all around great fountian pen for beginners. The price is right, and it writes very smoothly. Even the fine tip will not damage the Hobonichi paper, and it comes in a variety of colors and tips. Best of all, they are refillable!
Pentel R.S.V.P. Ballpoint Pen, Fine Line, Black Ink
This is the best workhorse black ballpoint pen ever in my opinion, and the fine tip makes it a great choice for staying in in the Hobonichi grids. I always have a few of these floating around.
Pentel R.S.V.P. Ballpoint Pen, Medium Point, Colors
The Pentel R.S.V.P. is an all around great ballpoint pen, and comes in a wide variety of colors to help you plan your day and coordinate your tasks. This pen writes ultra smooth, especially on the Hobonichi paper.
Pentel EnerGel Deluxe RTX Retractable Liquid Gel Pen, 0.5mm
If you are looking for a nice workhorse gel pen with a fine point that won't damage the thin pages of the Hobonichi, the Pentel EnterGel is for you. It writes extremely smooth, and does not bleed through or damage pages.
Tombow Fudenosuke Colors Set 10-Pack
Tombow Fudenosuke brush pens are the best brush pens for planners in my book. They have a smaller, harder tip than the traditional Tombow Brush Pens, and are great for making lists of tasks.
BIC Xtra-Precision Mechanical Pencil, 24-Count
Believe it or not, mechancial pencils are great for your Hobonichi Techo planner. I prefer the .5 lead, but these are also available with thicker lead. Pencils write very smooth on the Hobonichi paper, and are great for brainstorming and planning so you can change your mind later!
Sakura Pigma Pen Set, Black, Assorted Sizes
Sakura Pigma pens are some of the best pens for hobonich planenrs becuase they do not bleed through pages, damage pages, or smear. This particular set has six differnet pen tip sizes so you can figure out which size you like the best. While this pen features black ink, these pens are also available in assorted colors.
iBayam Fineliner Pens in 18 Colors
If you are looking to get as much color as possible and as much bang for your buck as possible, these fine tip colored pens are perfect for your Hobinichi planner.
Crayola Erasable Colored Pencils, 24 Count
Why not use a colored pencil instead of a pen? Colored pencils are a great way to add some color and fun to your panner, without the permance of a pen. These colored pencils can be erased, which makes them great for doodling and brainstorming.
KOH-I-NOOR MAGIC Jumbo Triangular Coloured Pencil (Pack of 24)
These are the best most amazing colored pencils ever, because they are magic. Magic may be a bit of an overstatment, but there is nothing else like them, since they write in a swirl of color at once. Each pencil has a unique blend of several colors that change as you write, and complement eachohter wonderfuly.