Mousey! Pleasure to see you๐. I hear you on the pH pens. I actually like mine (Milwaukee brand), but it does take constant calibration... and that's annoying. What I've been turning too more and more are just my manual pH tests. Not only do I know they're dead accurate, but I use it to prove that my digital pH meter isn't out of whack. Example: Tested with pH pen, came back at 6.2. Did my manual as a checks and balance and it came back orange! or roughly 5ish pH. Meter was effed and if I didn't do the manual I would have done serious damage.
I guess my final answer is this. Do both if you can, for checks and balances. I'd keep the pH pen if it's quality (what brand? is it just not a good pen?) and go purchase yourself the GHE pH tester kit. It's a cheap solution, lasts for a looooong time (only 4 drops needed per test) and is deadly accurate. Metals or additives that may screw up you digital tester will not be able to do this with the manual pH litmus testing. Doesn't have to be GHE, it can be an equivalent as they're pretty much all the same. I suggest staying away from litmus papers for testing and stick with the vial and liquid testing agent. I'll link you the product in PM real quick, just going to source it quickly. Heads up that the price is in CDN and I'm in Canada, but this is available everywhere...literally, even Amazon, for cheap๐๐