Don't the nubs on those wear down or the pens dry out? Those Staedtler ones may be better quality, but I recall using fineliner-type pens occasionally when I was a kid, and didn't really like them.
> You get consistent line thickness.
Isn't that also true of various kinds of rollerball pens/gel pens?
> You don't need to push the tip into the paper, just letting it hover on top. There is barely any friction/resistance.
I've had those Staedtler 'pigment liner' pens that are in the parent comment's link, deeply disappointing. They dried out very quickly, and I do really try to take care of my pens.
My go-to fine-liners, as someone who sketches/inks, are the Sakura Pigma Micron pens. They used to be much harder to find but nowadays I see them all over, in most art supply shops, they're pretty popular.
Plus they're pigment based, so the ink is durable and long lasting. I actually have a few for some that I'd like to last a long time. However, I'm not a huge fan of how they fell. It's like writing with a marker.
I understand gel ink pens are pigment based too, but archival stability doesn't seem to be as much of a selling point for them, so I don't know if they're as suitable/stable. I tend to use them for day to day stuff.
I draw, and my main complaint about Sakura micron: the lids get loose. If I'm buying disposables, I like to buy Shinhan Touch Liners. I'm going to guess that the pigment liners cap wasn't as tight as some of the other brands. I've had the Staedtler in the parent comment, but I wasn't as disappointed, probably because I figured they were used up.
I recently got some technical pens - basically refillable fineliners - by Staedtler, actually - and am enjoying those though.
I recently switched to a Micron pen for my diary (i.e. bullet journal) after years of using a pencil (favorites include the Musgrave Tennessee Red and the Blackwing 602). I like the extra precision they afford, but I did need to get used to the drying time.
They are widely available at most office supply stores, too, in the drafting/drawing aisle.
> You get consistent line thickness.
Isn't that also true of various kinds of rollerball pens/gel pens?
> You don't need to push the tip into the paper, just letting it hover on top. There is barely any friction/resistance.
That seems like it'd feel unnatural.