Gel Ink

Review: Sakura Gelly Roll, Gel Ink, 0.6mm

by Andrew

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As an elementary school student during the 1990s, I’m very nostalgic toward the Sakura Gelly Roll pen. Gel ink was a fairly new invention back then, created as an alternative to oil-based ballpoint ink and water-based rollerball ink. One advantage to this new gel ink was that it could use color pigments instead of dyes – yes, apparently there’s a difference – which allow for many more colorful ink options.

At the time, these bright and shiny new colors were hugely popular for back-to-school shopping in the U.S., but at around $1 per pen, only the luckiest of my fellow students owned more than a few.

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Lots of colors! (via Sakura’s website)

Today, the Gelly Roll still looks and feels exactly like the pen I remember from my childhood. In the years since, however, gel pens have become much more common, and as a standard black writing pen, the Gelly Roll is a bit out of date. The barrel, cap, and clip all feel very cheap, and though the ink has that iconic gel richness, it smears more than it should.

The price of a Sakura Gelly Roll has continued to hover around $1 per pen for decades, which isn’t bad considering inflation. Still, it’s hard to justify when higher quality gel ink pens exist for nearly the same price, such as the Pentel Energel or the uni-ball Signo 207. That isn’t to say I’d want the Gelly Roll to change – it’s a great nostalgia trip for me, even though I don’t plan on visiting it too often.
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Review: SKB V6, Gel Ink, 0.5mm

by Andrew

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While SKB’s Soft Ink and Click Ball pens showed some promise, SKB’s V6 gel pen mostly gave me trouble. With a classic silver-on-black color scheme, its design is nice enough. The cap secures and posts very well, and the clip is sturdy enough for daily use.  And though it lacks a soft grip, it still manages to be somewhat comfortable to hold.

That’s all for nothing, unfortunately, when the pen has a bad refill. The V6 tends to skip out quite frequently, and it is one of the roughest writing experiences I’ve had – it feels like I’m scratching the paper with every stroke. And while the ink doesn’t seem to bleed at all, smearing is still a problem.

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In Taiwan – where SKB primarily sells their pens – the V6 costs 15 Yuen (about $2.35 US dollars) for a 12-pack (or about 20 cents per pen). So in Taiwan, you get what you pay for. In the U.S., however, I paid $3 for a 3-pack, which is overpriced considering almost any other gel pen will give you a much better writing experience.

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Review: BIC Triumph 537RT, Gel Ink, 0.5mm

by Andrew

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When I first saw the BIC Triumph 537RT, I assumed that BIC just took its Triumph 537R pen, added a retracting mechanism, tacked a “T” onto the end of the name, and called it a day. After all, it would have still been an improvement because the worst part about the 537R was its cap.

However, when I got my hands on the Triumph 537RT, I realized that not only is it retractable, but BIC also added a grip, removed a bit of the dull gray color, and replaced the rollerball ink with gel ink. It’s practically a different pen altogether, and, luckily, all these changes make it much better.

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That isn’t to say the Triumph 537RT is a great pen – all said and done, it’s an average gel ink pen. It has a satisfyingly dark ink and it writes reliably, but it also smears fairly easily. It’s adequately comfortable with a sturdy clip, but the remaining gray on the plastic barrel still looks a little cheap. It’s not the worst gel ink pen on my desk, but it’s not the best either. At least BIC is heading in the right direction.

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Colors Review: Pilot G-2 Metallics (Green and Purple)

by Andrew

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I wasn’t expecting to review another set of Pilot G-2 Metallics so soon, but I liked the blue/silver pack and the pink/gold pack enough that I knew I had to grab this green and purple set when I saw it on the store shelf. Like the other Metallics colors, it uses the Pilot G-2 design, but has an ink infused with some sort of magical metallic pigment. This gives it a sheen that makes it pop out more than a traditional gel ink color.

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While both the green and the purple have that characteristic metallic shine, neither seems to stand out quite like the other colors I’ve tried. The purple also turned out to be a darker than I expected, which almost makes it better for writing than for drawing. However, it’s worth mentioning that all of these metallic colors seem to smear fairly heavily.

Overall, the green and purple colors are good additions to the G-2 Metallics line, but they are probably my least favorite of the bunch. Regardless, I’m happy to see Pilot adding more colors (and I’m still hoping to see a metallic dark red).

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This Doodle inspired by Rich Davis

Review: Pentel Energel Deluxe RTX, Gel Ink, 0.3mm

by Andrew

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I’ve always liked Pentel Energel pens. In fact, red-ink Energels are my go-to red pen at work for their sturdy clip, minimal smear, and comfortable grip.  However, this is the first time I’ve used the extra-fine 0.3mm Deluxe RTX version, and I’m happy to say that my high regards for the Energel have not been let down.

For most people, the Pilot G-2 0.38mm is the gateway to extra-fine-tipped pens, and, while it’s a decent pen, a lot of people are turned off by its scratchiness (or the feeling like the tip of the pen is literally going to tear through the paper). The Energel Deluxe RTX, with its smoother writing experience, does a much better job of avoiding this problem. And it’s a good pen overall, really: it doesn’t bleed, doesn’t skip, and draws consistent lines.

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This Energel even beats out my previous favorite extra-fine-point pen, the 0.28mm uni-ball Signo RT1. While I love the stealth design of the Signo RT1, the Energel Deluxe RTX edges it out in terms of smoothness and richness of ink, and it has a much more durable design overall. So, if you’re looking for a good extra-fine tipped pen, the 0.3mm Energel Deluxe RTX is definitely the way to go.

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