"These pens are good for drawing, but in my experience they are not waterproof. I tried to use them with watercolors in my journals. If I drew first, then added watercolor, they bled and smudged. Using them after I did a page wash was fine as long as everything was very dry. As an artist in creative flow, I can't live with that. I draw first, then paint. There can be no smudges. So, now I use them only for drawing without watercolor. Faber Castell PITT Artist Pens are the only truly waterproof pens I've found. That being said, they're still great pens, and I use them for pretty much everything else. I bought this set to replace the ones that have run out. Edited to add: I've read some of the reviews, and I wanted to add some thoughts I have on the pens drying out and nibs breaking. I made a lot of mistakes until I learned better. If you're already doing the following then it's definitely the pen. Some of the Sakura Pigma Micron pens I use I've had for almost 4 years, and they still write as good as new every time. 1) Store them flat. To extend the life of my pens I never store them upright, only flat. Because the ink is liquid, and not thick like a standard ballpoint or gel pen, it will be affected by gravity easier. It'll leak or move toward the end of the pen. If it's done this try flipping it nib down for a short while to get it to flow back. I lost a lot of art pens this way until someone told me to store them flat. Even the ones you use daily. Consider using a ziploc bag for long term storage. 2) Keep them away from heat and humidity. This will speed up the evaperation. That being said, my colored set made it through two heat waves in two years in a ziploc bag. I didn't have AC then, and I didn't want to lose anything. All of my pens made it through. 3) Make sure the cap is on tightly. This takes extra effort with Sakura pens. Sometimes I think it's on because it stays on, but it didn't click. When I'm putting everything away I go through and check my caps. 4) Gentle with the nib tips. The finer the pen, the lighter your hand needs to be. This may sound obvious, but if you're not familiar with these pens, you may need to know before you get them. I crushed the nibs of .01 and .02 within a week the first time I got them."
Sakura 30062 6-Piece Pigma Micron Ink Pen Set, Black (Compare Deals from $8.50)
"I've been using Sakura Micron pens since about 2007, and to be honest, I wouldn't go without them. I recently purchased Copic Multiliners, since I love their markers so much, but....no, big mistake. While the Multiliners had a clip that was non-reflective (literally the only flaw in the Micron's design, but we'll get to that later) the casing was extremely cheap and the ink bled much more readily than any Micron. I can clearly tell the difference in my line quality when I use a Copic Multiliner or a Sakura Micron. In the past I have also used ZIG Millennium pens...and while they're good, I still prefer the Microns. They last quite a long time (I can't fathom the reviews on here that say they dry up fast...what are these people using them for? Are they even being taken care of?) and have very smooth lines. Some of the finer tips can "break" if dropped (duh) or abused, but since it's a pigment ink pen and not a ballpoint, you don't have or NEED to press down on it. They also come in a large variety of colours and sizes, AND...they're pretty easy to find. I even saw them in a Lifeway Christian Store recently, which was surprising. So even if you do run out of ink rapidly, somehow...it's not difficult to replace a pen. Going back to the "only flaw of the Microns"... The clip on the cap is made of metal, not plastic. (ZIG pens are also metal, but not shiny, and Copic Multiliners have plastic clips.) The metal is very reflective, and since most artists work with a light at their desk/table...it can glare into your eyes pretty easily at first, before you get used to it. By now I make sure the cap is facing away, and it's second nature so I don't even notice I'm doing it. But it's such a tiny, insignificant thing compared to how awesome and sturdy on the outside and USEFUL these pens are. These are a staple in my life."
"I had gotten pens from Sakura before, the Manga Sensei ones or whatever they are called, and these seem to have a better feel. I see many people complaining about the tip, but I personally love it. It's like these magically make me sketch and draw better, I'm not sure what it is. I love the feel of these pens! But if you are a bit hard on your pens, the tips might break. These really are fragile, but I sketch lightly with pencil all the time, so these should be okay. If they were fragile MARKERS (that's where I am abrasive lol) I'd have an issue, but no issues here. I just realized I've been reading the numbers wrong. When I saw 005 and 01, I thought that was the size lol. It's actually a number that corresponds to the measurement. Such as... 005 - .20mm 01 - .25mm 02 - .30mm 03 - .35mm 05 - .45mm 08 - .50mm (lol) I see a difference between some, and some I don't. The first two, I do see a difference, despite it just being .05mm more. Though 02 and 03 look the same to me despite a change. Oh well. I wrote that little chart thing incase anyone else was confused. These pens are perfect for outlining and details! edit : And I was looking at some comic drawings and Whilce Portacio and Jim Lee, very well known comic book artists for Marvel, use these pens. I think that says something."
"The first time I bought these was a couple of years ago after seeing a video of someone using them. I decided to buy this set, and it was AWESOME. It was kind of cool because at that time, they said my art almost looked as if I had printed it out - very smooth color. With the different sizes, it was easy to fill in wider space and make line variations. The 005 pen is my favorite - great for detailing. I bought another set recently after the others had all run low and I even used these pens for writing notes at school (I always use 03 for that, tee hee). These pens do not bleed through most paper! I had written on paper and turned it to the other side to see NOTHING. (The newer set that I bought, however, did not do this as much as it had back in 2011. :c) There is only one small, minor complaint, and it's more of my fault than anything else. When you buy these pens... Store them properly. Whenever I tend to put these in my bag or backpack, I guess the movement makes then pen run dry or something, but they won't write good after the damage is done. It's happened twice now, so I guess I need to learn. >< Overall, I recommend these."
"Just to start off, I love these pens. They have a great rich black ink that doesn't fade from eraser use. The ink lays on very well, and stays where I put it, it won't run or bleed. And Copic markers don't cause it to run either, which is very important to me as they are my most used form of color. I have had problems however with the nibs not breaking, but fraying. Has anyone else had this problem? it's irritating because now my lines have a shadow! I would use the Copic multiliner because it's nib is replaceable, but I have the issue with the color fading after I erase my pencil sketches. Not a huge problem, but if I have to go over the lines again, I almost invariable ruin the line work. I've also had a problem with the pens running dry very quickly. This is kind a frustration as the pens are fairly expensive by themselves. Am I storing them wrong? I keep the lids on and store them in a plastic box with my markers and pencils. But, then they just die suddenly one day. I love the pens so much though that I'll keep buying. Is this some kind of evil marketing ploy? Maybe someone can help me find a even better pen."
"I bought these about a year ago. For the first two months, they were really nice. Nice black ink, no bleeding, good handling. They got a lot of great reviews and, for the first 2 months of use, they deserved them. I didn't use them very often - maybe once a week or less in those months. However, I began to use the pens more frequently and one by one each pen broke, after irregular usage. Some of the pens, especially the ones with fine nibs, just flat out broke. The 005 and 01, specifically. Most of the pens leaked ink into the caps, drying them out and making a mess. I lost my 05, 08, and 03 to that. The only one I have left is 02 and it started to run dry after the four month mark. These pens are great if you forsee yourself using them only for a bit -- otherwise, they have no longevity and will not last. My friends have these pens and they lasted them. I was really disappointed having to throw the pieces of this set out one by one. I suppose Amazon just sent me a bad batch. I don't know if I want to risk trying them again, as it seems that the pens I received were very shoddy."
"I purchased a 2-Pack of these pens after finishing the Prismacolor fine-line marker pens. Delivery was quick, and arrived only a day after the minimum delivery date. Since I've heard that a lot of people use these pens, I figured that they were good, maybe even excellent quality. I read the reviews for this product to make sure I wasn't buying anything less than what I expected, and all the reviews said that these pens are worth buying and are superb, great, etc. And so, I did. They were a good price and a popular brand, so why not? They serve their purposes and I like them very much. However, I feel that after using them a few times, I feel as if the ink is already starting to run out. And I havent had these for very long, let me assure you. Instead of holding it at the normal position with a relaxed hand, I have to hold it so that the very top of the tip touches the paper. Only then does ink come out. Now, I do definitely recommend these pens to anyone to likes to draw or write (I used them for both, but mostly for drawing), but I strongly recommend buying the 2-Pack set. Do buy these pens, they'll do you good."
Sakura 30062 6-Piece Pigma Micron Ink Pen Set, Black (Compare Deals from $8.50)
