retractable

Colors Review: BIC Velocity Assorted Colors, Ballpoint, 1.6mm

by Andrew

BIC Velocity Color Pens

At 1.6mm, these BIC Velocity ballpoint pens are terrible for writing, but their colors make them all right for drawing. For ballpoint pens, which tend not to have the greatest-looking colors, the pink stands out quite nicely, and the purple takes a good dark note. The green and blue are bright, but they seem to come out a lighter on the page.

IMG_2971

Just like the Velocity Gel pen, the clip feels pretty flimsy, and I’m not a fan of the way the grip flares out near the tip. However, they are still relatively comfortable to hold. There is plenty of blobbing up with the ink, so be prepared for some smearing, but the ink flow is both smooth and consistent.

Because of the thick 1.6mm line and the blobby ink, I can’t imagine artists enjoying these Velocity colors. On the other hand, this seems more like a set of colored pens to give to kids. Keep in mind, however, you may need to replace them soon because these pens don’t have a very large ink cartridge.

IMG_2969

P.S. My apologies to How-To-Draw-Funny-Cartoons.com for butchering this hippo. And, yes, it is supposed to be a hippo.

Review: Tombow Airpress, Ballpoint Pen, 0.7mm

by Andrew

Tombow Airpress Orange

If there’s one pen that belongs on a construction site, it has to be the Tombow Airpress. With a rubber body and hard-plastic trim, it feels like this pen could take a five-story drop with minimal damage. It has a spring-loaded clip that clings tight. It’s shorter than your average pen, so it nicely fits in a pocket. And it has a thick barrel which makes it easy to grip. Though other colors are available, I find that the orange nicely completes the “construction site” look.

The main feature of the Airpress is the pressurized ballpoint ink cartridge. Each click of the pen compresses the ink, which allows it to write upside down and on dirty surfaces. There’s even a little window added to the barrel that will allow you to view the process. It’s a gimmick, but it makes for a cool conversation point – I like it.

Tombow Airpress Cartridge Size

The ink cartridge is small, though it has a good flow and feel. But don’t expect to get blown away by the writing experience. The Airpress isn’t the type of pen you’d use to journal or write a thank-you note. It is, however, a really great outdoor project pen or a take-anywhere pen.

Tombow Airpress Review

Extra Links

Colors Review: Pilot G-2 Metallics (Blue and Gray)

by Andrew

IMG_3034Walk into any convenience store and you’re bound to find a plethora of color options for the popular Pilot G-2 line of gel pens, but the G-2 Metallics purport to be a bit different. According to the packaging this ink is “infused with micro-metallic pigments” that give it a “beautiful and unique shine.” In essence, they’re normal G-2 colors that have a bit of shimmer – which, as a matter of fact, do turn out to look pretty darn good.

IMG_3032

I picked up the 2-pack of metallic blue and gray, but a few different color options are available. They are great for doodling and coloring, as the ink really does seem to pop out of the page. They come in a 0.7mm tip size, so detail work might be out of the question, but they seem to fill an area fairly well.

These have the same basic design as the normal Pilot G-2 pen, so they are comfortable to hold, though a bit boring to look at. The ink does smear, but it didn’t seem to skip or stutter at all. Overall, the Metallics are a good addition to the G-2 line, and they are fun colors to own..

IMG_3031

Review: uni-ball Signo 207 (micro), Gel Ink Pen, 0.5mm

by Andrew

IMG_2916

At first glance, the uni-ball Signo 207 looks a lot like many other gel pens you’d find on the store shelves. It’s made mostly of plastic with black accents and metal trim, and the only thing that really stands out is its uniquely shaped clip, which does make it look a bit more classy and professional. But after using it for a couple days, I would definitely rank this unassuming gel ink pen among the best that I’ve used.

The Signo 207 has the basics down: it is comfortable to write with, and it draws clean, consistent lines. More than anything else, however, I am impressed at how smear-free the ink manages to be. I really had to try hard to get it to smear on standard papers, and that’s definitely not something you can say about most gel ink pens.

IMG_2917
The black ink doesn’t seem quite as rich and dark as other gel pens, but If you’re willing to accept this trade-off, I imagine the Signo 207 will become an instant favorite. For lefties looking for a low-smear pen, it’s definitely worth a try. For everybody who might be looking to resupply their pen cup, you won’t go wrong with the Signo 207.

IMG_2915

Extra Links

Colors Review: Pilot G-2 Mosaic Collection (blue, green, red, and purple)

by Andrew

IMG_2960

If nothing else, the Pilot G-2 Mosaic Collection improves upon the original G-2 design in at least one important way by hiding the ugly G-2 refill. The barrel is instead covered in a pattern of broken hexagons, mimicking mosaic artwork (hence the name), and each barrel matches the color of the ink inside.

In addition to black, there are four colors: blue, red, green, and purple – all of which are quite dark. The green, the lightest of the bunch, is something like a darker shade of aquamarine. The red is more of a “blood red,” and is actually a great color for standard writing.

IMG_2958

They write like typical Pilot G-2 pens, which is a mostly positive experience, and they come in a 0.7mm tip. There is some smearing, especially with the black ink, but I had no issues with the pens bleeding through the page. If you’re looking for darker colored gel ink pens, these are a pretty good choice – especially that beautiful dark red.

IMG_2957