Staedtler MARS Technical Pen Set

[richardf8]

Staedtler is offering a technical pen set under their MARS brand which includes 1 pen Barrel and 4 nylon-tipped cartridges in different sizes: 0.25mm, 0.35mm, 0.5mm, and 0.7mm. I picked up a set at Wet Paint on my last visit to them, and used it to ink a comic.

The pens feel very nice as they make their marks--far smoother than the PITT Artist Pens. The nylon tips are more rigid than the PITTs' felt tips, giving better control over line width. Whereas the line widths on the Pitts vary as a function of writing pressure, the Mars pens retain their their width regardless of reasonable pressure applied.

The ink in the Staedtler cartridges is more durable than the ink in the PITT Pens, withstanding the erasure of pencil lines as well as the Higgins Eternal ink I use with my dip pens. The ink is also impervious to Copic's spirit markers, making it a suitable choice for the line work on a marker project.

The scheme of packaging the four cartridges with a single barrel has its ups and downs. The barrel is a significant ergonomic improvement over any of the stick-pens or tecnical pens out there (even Rapidograph). However, the task of swapping cartridges when one wants to change line-width is a bit cumbersome and can break one's stride while inking. At about $5.00 apiece, consumable costs are fairly high compared with Rapidographs or nibs. I do not know how long-lived these pens are compared with the PITTS, but both are easily more long lived than Zigs.

It would seem that these pens are designed to compete with the Rapidoliner cartridge based technical pen. The consumables cost is about half of Rapidoliner's and the pens feel better on paper. I liked inking with them well enough to continue using them, but I'm not completely sure I'll replace them as they become spent. That depends on whether I think the ink's durability is worth the inconvenience of swapping cartridges.

Comments

[mochii-chan.livejournal.com]

I've been clinging ardently to PITT pens because they're evidently filled with India ink, so it's quite illuminating to hear that the Higgins and MARS stuff out there is more permanent. Thanks!

As for swapping the cartridges, you might get a couple of barrels and load them with pen widths you use often... assuming those barrels aren't overpriced and evil ^^

Good luck with the art!

[richardf8]

The PITTs are about as good as it gets in a disposable pen. Although the Copic multiliners are good too. The Copic ink isn't water-based though, I think it's some kind of ammonia based solvent, judging from the smell, and if you've done much erasure prior to inking (something I am very wont to do) it seems to bleed more than the PITT ink. So I would say that PITTs are the best disposables out there.

[mochii-chan.livejournal.com]

I think the Copics are alcohol-based, (most art markers and brush pens are), but there's something in the ink that makes it smell like satan-in-a-stick...

I tried looking for the Higgins Eternal, but I can't find any. Do you know of any other good, waterproof, lightfast, etc, black inks?

[richardf8]

This post of morgan1's is probably worth a read. It details her experiments with Higgins Eternal and PH Martins Bombay and how they stand up to various color media.

Long story short: If you're using a water based color medium, you want the Bombay, if you're using a spirit based color medium, like Copic's Sketch markers, you want the Higgins eternal. The ink in PITT pens, I find, also stands up poorly to water-based media.
(Reply to this) (Parent)