It's super annoying when you want to get a loved one or someone in the office the perfect gift, but you don't know the best options. Hold on, I've got one idea that might be everything you're looking for: how about engraved pens for gifts?

Think about it: some engravable fountain pens for graduation gifts or perhaps a rose gold pen set for an anniversary gift—these can make memorable gifts for everyone.

Why do personalized pens make such a great gift? 

Here are my 11 reasons why:

1. Personalized Pens fit any occasion.
2. They fit any budget.
3. They fit any gift recipient.
4. They fit any business.
5. They're timeless.
6. They're eco-friendly.
7. They reduce stress.
8. They can help you or someone else get organized.
9. They are quintessential study tools.
10. They encourage creativity.
11. Well, they're just more meaningful!

Let's start with number 1!

1.) Personalized pens fit any occasion.

Pens fit any occasion, and they can make every occasion so much more special in.

For example:

One of our staff members gave her husband a Waterman Hemisphere Rollerball for his first Father's Day with a handwritten engraving saying "Happy Father's Day" and a little baby stick figure face engraved on it. Now every time they have a new addition to the family, she's going to engrave a new little baby stick figure on it.

The same person also gave a less expensive personalized pen to her doctor, saying, "Thank you for all the help".

Pens have a kind of neutrality to them that says, "You can give me to your fiancé or a random client; I'll still be perfect."

The personalization, the intentionality put into finding the right pen, and the fact that they can be made out of a wide range o materials (plastic, wood, 24kt gold, etc.) help them meet the often high demands of quality gift-giving.

On what occasions can personalized pens make the perfect gift?

Here's just a few:

• Christmas
• Father's Day
• Mother's Day
• Retirements
• Valentine's Day
• Thanksgiving
• Birthdays
• Conferences
• Job Promotions
• Graduations
• When starting a new job
• Awards
• Closing on a first house
• Contract signings

Be ready for any special event with high quality personalized pens!

Related Reading: 7 Best Personalized Pens for Valentines Day Gifts

2.) Personalized pens fit any budget.

For the Penny Pincher ($30 and under)

It's actually super easy to find a great gift pen for a bargain.

There's a whole range of pens you can find for under $35 which are still of the highest quality.

Maybe aim for ballpoint pens; these tend to be the most affordable option for luxury pens.

Cross, Parker, Regal, and Sheaffer are all incredible brands with really affordable buying options.

I've written two other articles that might be helpful reads: one on finding personalized gifts and another on personalized pens on a budget.

For the balance of generosity and frugality ($30-$80 range)

The options for pens in the $20-$70 range are overwhelming.

This is the range most shoppers who are trying to get a really special gift for a loved one tend to roam.

The pens in this range don't cost a fortune in comparison to other gifts, but as far as just pens are concerned, this is where quality and cost are going to have the most overlap.

This is where your buck gets the most bang.

Check brands like Parker, Baron Fig, LAMY for pens in this range. Many of them come with personalization options.

For the Big Spender ($80 and up)

For some, spending over $80 on a luxury pen might seem a waste of money and a bit too pretentious. That why I wrote another article debunking myths about buying luxury pens.

There's so many options available for personalized pens in the higher expense range ($80 and up).

Brands like Mont Blanc, Ancora, and Namiki for the most extravagant pen collections. A lot of them are very unique pieces, some even allow for engraving.

But look to Waterman, Parker, and Cross for pens in the $80-$200 range. You are guaranteed to find personalized pens from these brands.

Get something ideal within your budget with a personalized pen!

3.) Personalized pens fit any gift recipient.

Pens just fit everyone. It's hard to find someone who wouldn't appreciate one as a gift.

Pens are excellent gifts for all the people we love.

How are they related to you?

If it's for Mom or Dad, a sibling, a romantic partner, a coworker, or your boss, personalized pens can memorialize and deepen the value and respect you have for each other.

They can also be relatively un-personal, which is ideal for giving to an acquaintance or someone in a professional relationship.

Because pens have a kind of universal appeal, it's just an easy choice for everyone in your life.

What do they do for work?

Pens make the best gifts for people in a multitude of occupations.

Is your gift recipient a doctor, lawyer, scholar, or some other kind of professional? Are they constantly jotting down notes, writing memos, or drafting speeches?

If pens fit into their daily writing needs, so you'll be getting them both symbolic and practical gifts.

On the flipside, if the recipient will use the pen  on special occasions, try something unique.

What do they love doing in their free time?

Pens also make the best gifts for most people's hobbies of writing, journaling, and drawing.

So, if your recipient enjoys the use of pens for their own personal pleasure, it's going to go over really well.

Writing Styles

Don't know whether they'd best prefer a ballpoint pen or a fountain pen?

There's a style out there for everyone! Check out our Ultimate Guide to Writing Styles.

4.) Personalized pens fit any business.

Personalized pens make the best marks of corporate excellence and have a unique ability to show appreciation.

One thing you can do with personalized pens is order a large number of them with your company logo engraved on them and then engrave each one again with the name of each of your employees.

Get one for each new hire or get them as a Christmas gift for your whole team!

This type of purchase is called a corporate gift.

What is a corporate gift?

A corporate gift is a gift made out either to members of your own company or as a promotional item for clients which can make a huge impact on business-to-business relationships.

Explore More: 4 Reasons Why Corporate Gifting is Crucial to Growth

Why does a custom pen make the perfect corporate gift for growing your business?

A quality in-house corporate gift can help increase the morale and productivity of your corporate team.

A promotional corporate gift can 1.) introduce your brand to other companies in a compelling way and 2.) foster long-term increases in output and profits by maintaining good faith with corporate clients.

Do better business with personalized pens as a corporate gift!

5.) Personalized pens are a timeless gift.

Personalized pens are the best timeless gifts for at least two reasons: Their classic feel and longevity.

Classiness

Luxury pens are just universally classy gifts. 

Giving a mug might be useful, and a tote bag will definitely sit in the back of a car waiting to be used at the grocery store if I can ever remember to bring the bags in… However, luxury pens inherently communicate, “I think you have something to say.”

They can be stylish and sophisticated while still practical.

Also, anyone with a fancy pen feels... well, fancy.

Every time I use a quill I feel like I could be writing the Declaration of Independence. When I twist the cap off a fountain pen, I think, My handwriting is about to look INCREDIBLE (no comment on if it actually does…but I feel so cool using it.)

Breaking out a rollerball, I think to myself, I’m about to crush this Sudoku. I don’t need a heckin' pencil today!

Pens can make users feel connected to a vibrant historic world of writers and professionals. 

Longevity

Because of their material construction, most personalized luxury pens are actually built with the expectation of being heirlooms. This means they should withstand higher wear and tear and will be refillable.

They're gifts that will stay with the recipient and remind them of you for a long, long time.

Here's two of the best examples I have come across in my days on the production side of the business (they both happen to involve the Cross Classic Century):

1. A customer called to purchase a Cross Classic Century for a Graduation present. She shared that she had received the same pen as a gift when she graduated from high school 30 years before and still used the pen.
2. A customer called to inquire about adding engraving two sets of Cross Classic Centuries in 10kt gold. He had owned the sets since childhood and had recently found out his health was failing. He wanted to have his antique sets engraved with his niece’s and nephew’s names so that they could be given to them when they turned 16 (they were 7 at the time).

In both instances, the pens were cherished gifts that meant the world to the giver and had lasted over 30 years of loving use. 

Personalized pens stay with your gift recipient pretty much forever and can be passed down to the next generation.

6.) Personalized pens are more eco friendly.

It's great to be eco-conscious when you shop and try to reduce the amount of waste your purchases produce.

There's so much material waste in buying cheap, plastic, throwaway pens from production to where they end up after the ink runs out.

Buying personalized engraved pens for gifts is a choice to reduce both production waste and garbage waste.

A commitment to use a pen that lasts will help reduce your personal contribution to negative environmental impact.

Save the planet with a personalized pen!

7.) Personalized pens reduce stress.

Studies show that writing by hand rather than a computer is a great stress reliever.

Keeping a personal journal helps human beings confront and process complex emotions better. Just take a look at these entries from some names you might just recognize.

This is because contact between the pen and the page and a concrete, completed object that summarizes those complex feelings acts as an emotional cap to otherwise confused inner reflection.

Help someone destress with a new pen!

8.) Personalized pens can help you or someone else get organized.

Other studies show that writing down to-do lists is a much better way to get organized than setting alarms on your phone or anything else really.

I personally have a much easier time getting things done when I write out a list (mostly on a sticky note) and have the satisfaction of crossing the task off. Sometimes I even throw in a task I just finished so I can have that feeling right at the start of my list.

Also, anyone who can just remember what they need from the grocery store without a written list...get out of here...just. leave.

Pens are obviously convenient gifts for completing important paperwork, filing taxes, and etc., so consider giving someone a decisive tool in getting stuff done.

Help someone get organized with a personalized pen!

Further Reading: 13 Best Custom Personalized Pens

 

9.) Personalized pens are quintessential study tools.

You might be thinking:no takes hand-written notes anymore in the modern world with computers and tablets galore ? 

Interestingly, Princeton Researchers Pam A. Mueller and Daniel A. Oppenheimer concluded in 2014:

The present research suggests that even when laptops are used solely to take notes, they may still be impairing learning because their use results in shallower processing. In three studies, we found that students who took notes on laptops performed worse on conceptual questions than students who took notes longhand. We show that whereas taking more notes can be beneficial, laptop note takers' tendency to transcribe lectures verbatim rather than processing information and reframing it in their own words is detrimental to learning.

If someone is in a field of study where it's important they memorize the facts, a computer might be the best way for them to take notes.

But when it comes to any sort of conceptual knowledge that needs to be gained, writing your notes by hand the old fashioned way with a gift pen will help in the long run.

Finding a great personalized pen for someone in the midst of their academic endeavors will be one of the best gifts and a great, thoughtful tool to help support them. Maybe even find some cool notebooks to go with it to help them organize notes for different classes.

Help someone keep their study brain focused with a personalized pen!

10.) Personalized pens encourage creativity.

I have already talked a great deal about how using a pen and paper can stimulate the brain in different ways than using a digital medium. Of course this translates to creativity as well!

So much creativity is conceptual, so flushing out ideas with a great pen can be a relief in the jumble of thoughts that can be the start of a project. 

Author Gillian Flynn does exactly this:

I do my ‘real writing’ on a laptop but all my thinking—notes, plots, character development—longhand.

If your creativity lends more towards the drawing than writing, just do a quick google search of ballpoint pen artwork and prepare to be amazed. (I really like Scott Mackie and Rachel O’Brien personally.)

Doodlers throughout history (even William Blake!) will say just how much fun it is to put pen and paper and let your mind wander whether that pen is a ballpoint, rollerball, or fountain pen.

Personalized luxury pens get those artistic gears turning!

11.) Personalized pens are really meaningful!

The best personalized pen is the pen that means the most to you.

One last story from my time on production:

A customer called in one day looking to get six custom Cross Townsend pens. His mother had just passed away and he was hoping to have her signature engraved on each of the pens to give as gifts to each of his siblings at the funeral.

Sometimes it's hard to find meaningful gifts to share with loved ones or gifts that truly capture the importance of a moment.

Engraving the right thing on a beautiful pen can instantly make that pen cherish-able. 

No matter what, those children can look at that pen, and be reminded of their mom. It's hard to get more meaningful than that.

Which is the best personalized pen for a go-to gift idea?

Sometimes we aren't looking for a perfect cherished gift for a loved one. Sometimes we just want a nice go-to gift to show appreciation to clients or give to cousins you only see once every other year.

Here are some tips for finding a great go-to gift pen for casual giving.

1. Ballpoint pens are a crowd-pleaser.
2. Medium barrel pens fit everyone's hand.
3. You can impress with a nice metal body or smooth lacquer pen. No need to worry about gold appointments or hand tooling.
4. Business is business. An entry level pen from a great brand name company is plenty professional.

Here are some suggestions:

Cross Calais Chrome Ballpoint Pen

By far Dayspring Pens' best seller, this pen has the Cross pens brand name, writes well, is durable and well-sized, and the all chrome design tends to suit everyone.

Parker Jotter Gel Pen

The Parker Jotter placed 7th in The Strategist's list of 100 Best Pens for a reason.

The durable body, satisfying click, and dark ink line are defining characteristics of this quality pen. 

It has been known as a historically innovative ballpoint pen, but I personally favor the gel pen version for its fine writing line and smooth writing texture. Either way you can’t go wrong.

People Also Ask...

What Does a Pen Symbolize?

Pens can symbolize a number of big ideas: freedom, intelligence, creativity, professionalism, determination, diligence, etc. As gifts, pens can symbolize the value you have for your gift recipient's freedom of thought. That's why pens are traditionally given as graduation gifts.

How are pens engraved?

I've got an entire ultimate guide on the engraving process. It's super interesting!

What are the pen customization options?

Font

Traditionally, a Script font for women, a block print for men, and something like Times for initials (The straight tails and flourishes on the lettering looks sharp).

Color

Really if you want it, you can find it when it comes to color. You might find it hard to find specific hues, but if you are willing to pay some companies will color-match to your specifications. 

Metal finishes like chrome, gold, and copper will be easy to find and flexible to your budget.

Lacquer finishes will get you a variety of colors and textures.

Wood finishes will depend on the type of wood and the varnishes used to finish the pen.

Standard Engraving

Standard engraving is going to cover any text with the fonts listed by the engraving company. Think: getting a name engraved, a short phrase, or the name of a company.

This is often free or included in the price of the pen and will use whatever fonts the company is licensed to use.

Deep Cut Color Filled Engraving

Deep Cut Color Filled Engraving cuts farther into the pen allowing the engraving to be filled with a colored lacquer. 

Think: Your name in blue on a white pen.

This will normally hold to all the same rules of Standard Engraving in terms of fonts and whatnot. It can be up-charged or free depending on the engraver and the pen style.

Logo Engraving

Logo Engraving is an engraving of a logo, symbol, or some proprietary art. 

Think: the Apple apple, a specially designed company name, or a mascot.

This often has a charge for the logo rendering on the first order, but is free for any subsequent orders with the same artwork.

 Engraved Handwriting

Signature Engraving involves engraving someone’s handwriting on a pen.

Think: John Hancock’s signature on your pen cap or the Happy Father’s Day example from earlier.

How long does engraving take?

The engraving process timeline varies by company. I've compiled a short list of engraving companies and their production timelines. Dayspring Pens has a turnaround of about 4-5 days, sometimes much sooner! But you can also get Rush Production, so your order will be shipped in one business day.

Does engraving cost extra?

Most personalization companies, like Dayspring Pens, don't charge extra for engraving. For others, it only costs a few dollars more in $3-$10 range.

Conclusion

I hope this all shows why personalized pens are the best go-to gift this year where you are buying for your mom or your clients.

Now it's time for you to speak up!

Tell me about your personalized pen gifting experience in the comments.

Sam Di Nardo is an author for Dayspring Pens, where she has honed her expertise in ballpoint, rollerball, gel and fountain pens since joining the team in 2018. From her initial role as an Engraver to becoming the Production Manager, Sam's journey has been marked by her passion for the history, manufacturing, and the unique value of gifted writing instruments. A graduate of Regent University with a degree in English Literature and a special interest in Old Norse literature, dive deeper into Sam's world and discover why she's your trusted guide in the realm of gift pens. Follow Sam on LinkedIn.