Review: Sharpie Stainless Steel Pen, Fine Point

by Andrew

SharpiePenStainlessSteelFine-1

The Sharpie Pen has been around for a while now, but, for whatever reason, it never quite caught my attention until recently. It was at a big box store that I spotted the stainless steel Sharpie Pen with its torpedo-like design. It looked nothing like all the other pens surrounding it, and I knew that I had to have it. And now that I’ve been using it, I fully understand why the Sharpie Pen line has grown so huge.

It’s a felt-tip pen that writes smoothly with very clean lines and a nice dark ink. I’ve had no ink flow issues, very minimal smearing, and I’ve seen no bleed-through. The stainless steel has a bit of weight, but not so much to tire out your hand, and the grip section is made of a comfortable rubbery material. Speaking of the grip, the entire grip area of the pen is built into the refill. While this means the grip section of this pen will never wear out (since you’d replace it with every refill), this also makes the refills pricier – around $2 per refill most places I looked.

SharpiePenStainlessSteelFine-2

My one big issue with this pen is the stainless steel clip. It sits so close and stiffly to the barrel that the clip is basically nonfunctional. Clipping the pen to my pants’ pocket was totally impossible, and I struggled to clip and unclip the pen from my notebook’s elastic band, nearly destroying it. I managed to fix this problem by bending the clip out with a screwdriver, but this also pulled the clip a little loose, so now it rattles around.

SharpiePenStainlessSteelFine-3

I think the Sharpie Pen is great, but I don’t think the stainless steel version is a must-buy. They make a plastic retractable version, as well as a plastic version that looks a little bit thinner than this stainless steel.They both look pretty nice to me, so I’ll definitely have to give those a try someday soon.

SharpiePenStainlessSteelFine-4SharpiePenStainlessSteelFine-5

Extra Links

Review: Pilot Hi-Tec-C Maica, Gel Ink, 0.4mm

by Andrew

Pilot_HiTecC_Maica-3First and foremost, the Pilot Hi-Tec-C Maica looks pretty darn slick. The fancy logo, the jewel-like moulding on the cap, and the smoothness of the barrel combine to create a very beautiful pen. Somewhere along the line in the design process, however, they decided to replace the clip of the pen with a small loop, which I suppose is meant to attach to a lanyard or bracelet. In practice this loop really only acts to prevent the pen from rolling off tables, and I personally would just prefer a clip stuck to the side.

Pilot_HiTecC_Maica-2

While I’m usually a bit wary of 0.4mm tips (or anything  smaller), as they can sometimes feel like I’m about to cut through my paper, this Hi-Tec-C gel refill writes very smooth. In fact, I’d even consider going to the 0.3mm tip, a size I typically avoid. And though I’ve had issues with the ink skipping temporarily, necessitating a few scribbles on scrap paper to get it flowing properly, it hasn’t happened enough to become an annoyance.

It’s a pretty good pen overall, and I think minor improvements could make it a great pen: a slightly thicker barrel, a slightly more comfortable grip area, or – what the hell – I’d love a retractable retooling of this pen design while they’re at it. Regardless, the Hi-Tec-C Maica looks cool and writes well, and it’s a pen I plan to keep handy.

Pilot_HiTecC_Maica-1

Extra Links

Review: Paper Mate Liquid Flair, XFine, Stick Pen

by Andrew

Papermate_Liquid_FlairXFine-1I’ve been using the XFine Paper Mate Liquid Flair needle-point pen with my journal for about a week, and it’s probably a bad sign that I’m so excited to finally move on to something else.

That’s not to say the Xfine Liquid Flair is an all around bad pen. It’s comfortable enough to hold, and though it doesn’t look particularly fancy, it has a fun design. I especially like the spring-loaded cap, which presses firmly against the tip of the pen to keep it from drying out. It also has a deep black ink, which would probably be great for artists who are looking for a cheap, disposable pen for basic ink work.

Papermate_Liquid_FlairXFine-2

My problem with the XFine Liquid Flair is that it is a terrible writing pen. It smudges so much that if I close my journal too fast, little splotches of ink get smeared onto the opposite page. The ink even bleeds through standard notepads, making it useless for most note-takers. But worst of all, it makes my writing feel messy – it’s already bad enough, it doesn’t need anything making it worse.

Papermate_Liquid_FlairXFine-3

Extra Links

Review: Pilot Frixion Erasable Pen, Gel Ink, 0.5mm

by Andrew

PilotFrixionPen-2

My first thought after coming across the Pilot Frixion was, “Why have I never heard of this before?!” My second thought: “I need to tell EVERYBODY!” As far back as I can remember, erasable pens were nothing but garbage. Not only did the eraser leave detritus all over the paper, but it also left a big ink smudge. The Frixion, on the other hand, leaves no eraser debris and erases better than even most pencils I’ve used. It’s almost something you have to see to believe.

It not only works well, it has a nice design too. There’s something about the white eraser on the black 0.5 mm version that looks especially cool to me. And I like that the clicking mechanism is on the clip, which works better with the end of the pen reserved for erasing. The Frixion is also refillable for a little over $1 per ink cartridge, which isn’t an amazing deal but still cheaper than buying the pens brand new. I’ve tried the 0.7mm version, but prefer the 0.5mm, though it can be a bit scratchy sometimes.

PilotFrixionPen-3

It’s definitely not a pen for all uses. You wouldn’t want to sign a check with it, for example, or use it in a journal you plan to save. But quickly taking notes, sketching something out, or anything you might have done with a pencil, the Frixion does a great job. I’ve been using mine almost every day at work, and I’m sure I’ll be using and recommending this pen for years to come.

PilotFrixionPen-1

Extra Links

Review: Pilot Precise V5 RT, Rolling Ball, 0.5mm

by Andrew

PilotPreciseV5RT

When I first laid eyes on the Pilot Precise V5 RT Retractable pen, it was at a convenience store (a national chain found all over the U.S.). Of course I had to buy it – I love fine-point pens, and how often do you come across a 0.5mm pen at a convenience store? I began using it in my journal, and I was impressed immediately.

The lines are fine but vivid, and it writes smoothly without skipping. For being a relatively inexpensive pen – it was about $4 for a two-pack – it also looks pretty good. It has a rubber grip and metal clip, and the barrel is a grey that looks almost like metal from a distance. It’s also fairly comfortable to hold, and I have to admit that I prefer the click-top pens over anything else.

PilotPreciseV5RT-3

It’s a great pen overall, but I can’t say it comes without any issues. First, the rolling ball style ink can smear a bit with a heavy hand; a problem particularly for left-handed writers. Second, although it’s a reusable pen, it is hard to find the ink refills out at the store. The convenience store I originally bought the pens at certainly doesn’t carry any refills. And looking online, the refills are each about the same price as an entirely new V5 pen, which pretty well defeats the purpose of it being reusable.

These issues aside, the Pilot Precise V5 RT is a pretty great retractable pen. If you’re someone who likes a finer-point pen, you’ll definitely enjoy writing with it.

PilotPreciseV5RT-1Extra Links: