IMHO it might depend on what you are marking or tracing. If you are drawing lines that will be cut, or something that will be buried in a seam allowance, perhaps it's not an issue. I just bought several pens on a recent shop hop and while I have only used one once, I really liked it because the line is so thin. Perhaps they are not meant for an heirloom Baltimore album wedding quilt, but I'll sure use it on my placemats, baby gifts and Project Linus quilts.