These days so much more is known about ergonomics, unlike my early experiences of the workplace when you were happy if you had a desk, chair & keyboard. No worries about the height & position of your PC back then, let alone taking regular breaks from the screen.
As you would probably expect, now there are ergonomically designed pens too, including the Artline Ergoline 3400. These fineliners are available in four colours & have water based, dye stuff ink that is xylene free & blur resistant, making it unlikely to smudge.
The Artline Ergoline is relatively comfortable to hold. It is lightweight & easy to control, although the lack of a defined grip section was disappointing. I found my fingers slipping around the part between the nib housing & ridged area just below the logo in the centre of the barrel.
There are two panels containing a series of dots on the cap on either side of the pocket clip, they don’t seem to serve any purpose, maybe just intended to add a little visual interest to an otherwise straight forward looking pen. Should you have a memory lapse & need to check the ink colour the end caps serve as a reminder along with the addition of the tip size on the cap. The Polyacetal resin tip is firm which makes for a smooth writing experience.
Artline are part of Shachihata, a Japanese Company that have been around since 1925. Whilst their first writing pen wasn’t produced until 1966, with their history you have to assume they know a thing or two about ink. My experience with this fineliner, the fact that the black quick drying ink left a block of super dark text on the page was testament to this.
Whether you have Arthritis, RSI or any other medical condition that makes an ergonomic pen a must, or are just somebody that writes for long periods this Artline Ergoline Fineliner is worth a try. If you use Copic Markers for drawing with then check out our guide to which fineliners are good to use with Copic markers.
