Writing

Laser on metal, pad printing on plastic. Laser on aluminium leaves a silver-grey mark that never fades; on plastic it burns, so pad printing goes there instead, which allows colour and holds up well with a varnish coat. On a round barrel, pad printing is also the one that keeps the logo straight.

On the barrel, not the clip. The clip is the area that rubs the most: if the marking goes there, it will wear off sooner.

Between fifteen and twenty-five grams, which is the point at which people prefer it over the one they already had. Below ten it feels cheap even if it isn't, and above thirty-five it gets in the way in a shirt pocket.

Gel writes more smoothly and dries more slowly; ballpoint holds up better over time when left unused. More than the barrel, what matters is the refill: we check its brand and whether spares exist, because a refillable pen stays on a desk for years.

Yes. A pen that scratches gets thrown away the same day, so it's worth writing with it before ordering a thousand. It's the product where a sample pays off the most.