The best pocket pen for everyday carry: click or twist, and which to buy
Written by the team at Everyman. We make every pen on this page, so we'll tell you which one fits your pocket and where each one falls short.
The short answer
Get the Grafton Mini Twist, $54. It's 130 mm and 1 oz of aerospace aluminum. It opens with a twist, so there's no button to go off in your pocket, and the clip sits flush with the body, so it doesn't snag. Owners rate it 4.89 from 265 reviews.
- Lightest you can carry: the Grafton Mini, a 0.8 oz click pen, $54.
- A finish that doesn't shine: the Super Matte Mini Twist or Mini, $64.
- Weight in the hand: the solid Brass Grafton Mini Twist, 1.8 oz, $84.
- It has to take a Pilot G2: skip the minis and carry the full-size Original Grafton, $54.
Every one of them carries the same promise: if it ever fails, we fix it or replace it.
Our first pick for a pocket
The Grafton Mini Twist
$54
"I was initially impressed with the overall weight of the mini twist." Jake, Mini Twist owner
Shop the Grafton Mini Twist Or in Super Matte, $64Six pocket pens, side by side
A pocket pen has one job before it writes a word: be there when you reach for it. That means short enough for a jeans pocket, a clip that holds, and a body that won't open itself or wear through the lining. Every pen below is 11 mm across with the same deep machined grip, so the difference is length, weight, how it opens, and what ink it takes.
| Pen | Price | Rating | Length | Weight | Opens with | Clip | Takes a G2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grafton Mini Twist | $54 | 4.89 (265) | 130 mm | 1 oz | Twist | Flush, built in | No |
| Grafton Mini | $54 | 4.77 (222) | 125 mm | 0.8 oz | Click | Heavy-duty | No |
| Super Matte Grafton Mini Twist | $64 | 5.0 (2) | 130 mm | 1 oz | Twist | Flush, built in | No |
| Super Matte Grafton Mini | $64 | 5.0 (2) | 125 mm | 0.8 oz | Click | Heavy-duty | No |
| Brass Grafton Mini Twist | $84 | 4.88 (325) | 130 mm | 1.8 oz | Twist | Heavy-duty | No |
| Original Grafton (full size) | $54 | 4.83 (922) | 145 mm | 0.9 oz | Click | Bolted on, two hex screws | Yes |
Prices, specs and ratings from each product page on everyman.co. Swipe the table sideways on a phone.
Grafton Mini Twist: the one that stays shut in your pocket
A click pen in a loose pocket can get pressed open when you sit down. The Mini Twist fixes that the simple way. There's no button. You turn the body to bring the tip out and turn it back to put it away. It can't open by itself when you sit down, and it makes no noise in a meeting.
The clip is built into the body and sits flush, with nothing sticking out to catch on a pocket seam or a seatbelt. At 130 mm it's 15 mm shorter than our full-size pen, which is the difference between riding in the coin pocket of your jeans and poking out of it. At 1 oz it's a touch heavier than the click Mini, enough that it feels like a tool and not a toy.
It ships with our 0.7 mm black Metal Gel and also takes Parker Gel, Parker Ballpoint, Fisher Space Pen and Monteverde Ballpoint refills, plus our 0.5 mm Metal Gel if you write small.
"I was initially impressed with the overall weight of the mini twist."Jake, Mini Twist owner
"Clean lines, smooth writing, perfectly balanced and super easy to carry. Fits in my shirt pocket, my cargo pants side pockets, even my zippered Lochby notebook. I'm sold on these pens."Mark, Grafton Mini owner
"Solid premium feel without being too heavy."Grafton owner
Where it falls short. A twist is slower than a click. If you write a word, stop, and write again all day, a click pen gets out of the way faster. It doesn't take a Pilot G2; the barrel is narrower than the full size. And our Metal Gels are water-based, which is why they write so smoothly, and why they don't like a year in a dry drawer. If you fly often or live somewhere arid, add a 1.0 mm Ballpoint to the order and keep it as a spare.
Grafton Mini: the lightest Grafton we make
If you want to forget the pen is there until you need it, this is the one. It's the shortest and lightest pen in the line, 125 mm and 0.8 oz, and it opens with one press like the pen you already know. Same aluminum, same 11 mm grip as the full size, so you give up length, not grip.
The click Mini runs on its own refill system: our Mini Click Metal Gels in 0.5 mm and 0.7 mm, Fisher Space Pen, and Rite in the Rain.
Shop the Grafton MiniWhere it falls short. It's a click pen, so in a loose pocket it can be pressed open. No Pilot G2, no Parker refills. And at 125 mm it's the shortest pen here, so there's less pen to hold through a long page than with the full size.
Super Matte Minis: the same pens, without the shine
Super Matte is a finish we put over the same 6061-T6 aluminum body. It's velvety, it doesn't reflect light, and it gives your fingers a little more to hold. Both pocket pens come in it, the Mini (click) and the Mini Twist, each in five colors you can't get any other way: Black, Midnight, OD Green, Military and Amber.
Lengths, weights and refills are the same as the standard Mini and Mini Twist. You're paying $10 more for the finish and the colors.
Where it falls short. These are newer pages, with two reviews each so far, all five stars. That's far less to go on than the hundreds behind the standard Mini and Mini Twist.
Brass Grafton Mini Twist: when you want to feel it in your pocket
Same size and twist as the Mini Twist, but in solid brass at 1.8 oz, twice the weight of an aluminum Grafton. Some men want a pocket pen they can feel. This is that pen.
"Fantastic weight and feel. It has heft which helps make writing a breeze. The look of the brass is classic." Jake B., Brass Grafton owner
It takes Fisher Space Pen refills in Medium, Fine or Bold, Parker Ballpoint, Parker Gel and our Metal Gels.
Shop the Brass Grafton Mini TwistWhere it falls short. 1.8 oz is real weight in a shirt pocket; it will pull the pocket down. No Pilot G2. And at $84 it costs $30 more than the aluminum Mini Twist for the same size and mechanism.
Original Grafton: when a pocket pen isn't the answer
If you carry a pen in a shirt pocket, a bag or a work truck, you don't need it short. The full-size Original is our most-reviewed pen and the only shape in the line that takes a Pilot G2 natively, along with Parker, Fisher Space Pen, Monteverde and our Metal Gels. For long writing sessions, the extra 15 mm gives your hand more pen to rest on.
Shop the Original GraftonWhere it falls short. At 145 mm it rides high in a jeans pocket. One answer is to own both: the full size on the desk and a Mini Twist on you. Put any two Graftons in the cart and 15% comes off automatically.
How to choose a pocket pen
Start with the pocket. Jeans and chinos want a short pen: 125 or 130 mm. A shirt pocket, a jacket or a bag can take the 145 mm full size.
Click or twist. A click is faster. A twist can't open by accident. If the pen lives loose in a pocket with keys and a phone, take the twist. In the photo, the twist is on the left, the click on the right; you can see the button on top of the click.
Weight. 0.8 oz if you want to forget it's there. 1 oz for a pen that feels solid. 1.8 oz brass if you want heft.
Ink. If your refill has to be a Pilot G2, only the full-size Graftons take it. If you fly a lot or live somewhere dry, carry a ballpoint refill instead of gel.
Finish. Standard anodized has a soft sheen. Super Matte has none and costs $10 more.
Why we stand behind a $54 pocket pen
A pocket pen takes more abuse than a desk pen. It gets sat on and dropped. That's why every Grafton, mini or full size, is covered for as long as you own it.
No expiry. No registration. No fine print. If your Grafton ever fails, tell us and we'll fix it or replace it, for as long as you own it.
"I'll never have to buy another pen, just the refills." Grafton owner
Orders placed before 2pm EST ship the same business day, and US shipping is free on orders of $75 or more. Questions about refills go to real people at info@everyman.co, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm EST.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best pocket pen for everyday carry?
Our pick is the Grafton Mini Twist, $54. It is 130 mm long and weighs 1 oz, opens with a twist so it cannot click open in a pocket, and has a flush clip that does not snag. It is rated 4.89 from 265 reviews. If you want the lightest pen, the Grafton Mini click pen weighs 0.8 oz.
Is a click pen or a twist pen better for a pocket?
A twist pen is better if the pen rides loose in a pocket, because there is no button to press by accident. A click pen is faster to open and close if you write in short bursts all day.
Do the Grafton Mini pens take Pilot G2 refills?
No. The Grafton Mini, Mini Twist, Super Matte Minis and Brass Grafton Mini Twist do not take Pilot G2. Only the full-size Graftons, such as the Original Grafton, take a Pilot G2.
How long is the Grafton Mini compared with a full-size pen?
The Grafton Mini is 125 mm (4.9 in) and the Mini Twist is 130 mm (5.1 in). The full-size Original Grafton is 145 mm (5.7 in). All three are 11 mm in diameter.
What refills does the Grafton Mini Twist take?
Everyman Metal Gels in 0.5 mm and 0.7 mm, Parker Gel, Parker Ballpoint, Fisher Space Pen and Monteverde Ballpoint. It ships with a 0.7 mm black Metal Gel.
What if my Grafton pen breaks?
Every Grafton is Built for Life. No expiry, no registration, no fine print. If it ever fails, tell us and we will fix it or replace it, for as long as you own it.
The pen that's on you when you need one