The Pen-Guin

J. Herbin Poussiere de Lune

2011-07-12T13:03:00.003-10:00

Everyone, it's been a while since I've done a review. Here goes nothing.

A while ago, I won some bottles of J. Herbin inks from a giveaway at Rhodia Drive, and if you remember a couple months back, I reviewed the Eclat de Saphir (along with a Lamy fountain pen). making this review the second in the ink reviews. Actually, I think I'll stop my rambling here. The written portion of this review will do more of the talking than I'll achieve by typing. I'm trying to get back into my reviewing mode, so this one may seem a bit different from the rest. (A few months of not reviewing anything can do a bit on you)

My apologies, the picture does no justice to how the ink actually appears, so you'll have to trust me based on my written description of it.

Written on: Rhodia bloc. no. 12 notepad

slides coffin lid

2011-07-02T21:59:00.003-10:00

Hello everyone, I'm alive! It's been a while since I've posted a review. I've been really busy with school and finals since my last post, but now that I'm on summer vacation (for about a month now), I'm able to post more frequently! The next review will be posted sometime next week, so look out for that. I hope that I can post more reviews and not neglect this for an extended amount of time!

8.9 Magnitude Earthquake in Japan/Tsunami Warning

2011-03-10T23:57:00.003-10:00

In light of the recent earthquakes and natural disasters...

Today around 7:45pm HAST, Japan suffered an 8.9-magnitude earthquake, which triggered a tsunami in Japan and warnings throughout the entire Pacific basin. There has been so much destruction from the earthquake and tsunamis in Japan. The entire state of Hawaii is under a tsunami warning (as well as 20-ish other countries in the pacific basin), and the estimated time of arrival is less than three hours of the initial wave. We have no idea how severe this wave is going to be, and unlike last year (from the Chilean earthquake), since Japan is closer to Hawaii, there's a possibility that this will actually affect us. Please send out your prayers and condolences to Japan, who are way more affected by this earthquake/tsunami.

Staedtler Mars Plastic Eraser

2011-01-28T22:22:00.003-10:00

The Staedtler Mars eraser is a classic eraser that's used in the office, schools, the drawing board, and just about everywhere there's a pencil needed in the scene. It's one of the most popular brands of erasers in school (along with the Pentel Hi-Polymer eraser), and I can see why because of its quality, durability, and reliability to get you through the toughest of exams.

The first thing you notice are small trojan heads (the company's logo perhaps?) printed on the eraser. The sleeve is blue with "Staedtler Mars Plastic" printed in white. The sleeve is easily damaged after normal wear and tear, and when the eraser get smaller, cutting off part of the sleeve might be a good option.

There's not much to say about it, really. It's a reasonably large eraser that has gotten me through more than a semester of school. It erases very cleanly with little or no pencil remains showing (depending on the type of lead you're using). However, it does leave quite a bit of residue, much more than the Tombow Mono does. It's a bit of a hassle to brush the shavings off, since some of them are so small.

Performance-wise, it erases HB lead quite well and very cleanly, leaving no marks or traces behind, same goes for the blue lead. For the 4B, since the lead is softer, the eraser smears it a bit before being able to erase. I'm guessing that with softer leads, it's going to smear more and leave a bit more remains.

Overall, this eraser is very durable and it's great for school/office uses. Depending on how much you use it, it will last you a couple of months. If you don't mind having to sweep off eraser shavings every time you erase, then go ahead, go to your local stationery store, and buy one of these. It should only set you back about 50 cents.

Charcoal Lamy Safari F Nib + J. Herbin: Eclat de Saphir

2011-01-25T00:22:00.008-10:00

This review's a special one because this time, there's two reviews in one post! That's double the fun!

Charcoal Lamy Safari F Nib

First, let's start with the Lamy Safari. This is my first fountain pen that I can actually use with bottled ink without modding anything except switching converters. _{(My dad won't let me mod anything since he thinks all I'm going to make is a mess...)}I chose to buy a charcoal-colored Lamy because I was afraid the regular plastic version of the pen would feel...cheap in my hands and I wouldn't like it – I wouldn't know what the plastic version's like anyway. The pen body has a matte finish with a black clip that is pretty sturdy when clipped onto something. The cap and the pen weigh almost the same so when taken off and left aside, the pen is pretty light: something I'm not too fond of. I like having a bit of weight in my pens. When the cap's on top of the pen, although a bit top heavy, it balances out the weight in the pen.

As for the nib, the main feature of the pen, it writes smoothly and lays down a nice, solid line. The nib's slightly scratchy, but nothing that detracts the quality of the pen. Depending on the type of ink you're using, it may or may not dry fast. I'm using a piston converter for bottled ink. I haven't used the blue cartridge that comes with the pen.

I'm no connoisseur of fine writing instruments nor do I have much experience with fountain pens, but the Lamy Safari is a very nice, reasonably priced starter fountain pen that gives you a bit more than what you paid for (in this case, close to $30 with a converter). It's a good pen especially if you don't want to shell out lots of money on an exquisite fountain pen.

J. Herbin: Eclat de Saphir

(Picture is from Jetpens.com)

I won this bottle of ink in a giveaway held by Rhodia Drive back in September along with two other bottles of ink. I haven't had a pen to load the ink in since then, so here's the long overdue review of it.

(Written on a Rhodia No. 12 pad)

The only concern I have about the ink is the drying time for it. When it first hits paper, you can see a bit of ink where you end the line of the letter you're writing. Since the ink's wet when it first hits paper, it might lead to a bit of smudging (as shown in the sample).

Overall, the pen and the ink are a very nice combination: charcoal black and sapphire blue. The ink and the fine nib is a good combination and it makes for a fine writing experience.

JetPens Order!!!

2011-01-19T17:12:00.005-10:00

Yesterday, my JetPens order was waiting to be opened by an anxious pen enthusiast, when I rushed home from school, opened the mailbox, squealed with joy, had about six other people looking at me, ripped the package open right then and there, and squealed even louder. What made me so ecstatic, you ask? Well, I ordered...

Charcoal Lamy Fountain Pen: Fine Nib
Lamy piston converter
Pilot Hi-Tec-C: 0.38 mm in "bengara" (ferrous oxide)
Uni-Ball Signo: 0.38 mm in bordeaux-black
Mitsubishi Boxy eraser

The main bulk of my order was the fountain pen, since this is my first "fancy" fountain pen. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to fill ink in it yesterday (I won some ink bottles in a giveaway that I never had a chance to review), so today I'm hoping to fill it, squeal with joy again when I get to write with it, and I'll have a review of the pen up shortly. (and by shortly, I DO mean shortly. I mean it this time.)

Don't ever take out your anger on...

2011-01-14T23:49:00.003-10:00

...your beloved pens. I was very angry at something last night, and the anger got to me, fogged my brain, and I took it out on one of my Hi-Tec-C pens. I slammed it on my desk so hard that the cap flew off and the bottom half of the body snapped from the pen refill. (I would take a picture of it, but it's too small and minute to take a picture of) If you don't know what I mean, the part where the conical, metal barrel at the end took a bit of the plastic barrel with it and it won't twist back on properly anymore.

So what have we learned today, girls and boys? 1) Don't take your anger out on your precious pens and pencils and other stationery what-have-you-nots. 2) Liquid glue can fix almost anything. To everyone who's reading this, if you're ever angry, take out on something that won't break in one drop. Like a pillow.

Finals Week...

2011-01-04T16:47:00.005-10:00

As I go back to school after a short yet somewhat refreshing winter break, I have finals to stress over for the rest of this week and part of next week. I'll be taking a break from the internet during that time to focus on my studies, and hopefully do well on my finals. I know I haven't been posting as often as I hoped, but I hope that after finals I'll be able to post at least one review every week. Over the holidays, I went on a trip and visited a Kinokuniya. I found so many things there that I wanted to buy, but unfortunately they would've run over my budget. I did, however, pick up a few pens, notebooks, and erasers that I thought might be worth reviewing. I will try (and this time I really mean it) to get some of those reviews posted, and again, I'm sorry that I haven't posted anything much worth reading (if any at all) within the past few months.

In the meantime, check out this great view of TeNues CoolNotes over at Notebook Stories!

Now, I think I'll slink off and put myself in solitary confinement with my textbooks, notes, and five of my finest weapons _{(by weapons, I hope you know I mean my pens and pencils)} to attack finals. Wish me luck!

Pilot Hi-Tec-C: Sear Blue 0.4mm

2010-12-20T17:51:00.006-10:00

Looks like Hari's prepared for winter!

Haven't heard from me in a while, eh? Well, I'm back for a few reviews before Christmas rolls along. Today I'll be reviewing one of the many colors in Pilot's Hi-Tec-C line.

First of all, why "sear blue?" The katakana on the label reads "shia buruu," which could translate to "sear blue" or "sea blue," but JetPens marks it as "sear blue." Name aside, sear blue is a dark, turquoise color. It's a nice shade of blue (or green...whatever you consider turquoise to be) to write in. Being a .4mm sized tip, it is only slightly on the scratchy side, but not so much that it's significant. It skips quite often, but other times it writes normally. I tried to clean the tip and remove any fibers, but even after all that it still skips. Could it be the way I'm holding the pen? Could it be that there's paper fibers tightly stuck in the tip?

(Lyrics are from "I Believe in Father Christmas," by Emerson, Lake, and Palmer) (I'm sorry, the pictures don't do much justice to the ink's real color...)

Moving onto aesthetics. The body of the pen is pretty simple, like your typical pen body. Nothing extravagant or out of the ordinary. The cap clicks on, it has a rippled grip, the body is transparent, and all that. The tip is a needle tip, and there are two dimples on it where you can see the ink coming out of it.

PROS:
-Simple design
-Nice turquoise color
-Lays down a relatively smooth line

CONS:
-Skips occasionally
-Needle tip is somewhat scratchy, though almost unnoticeable

PRICE: $3.00 at JetPens

Overall, I give this a 9.8/10!!

Thanksgiving Weekend!

2010-11-24T18:21:00.005-10:00

So...as we all know, Thanksgiving weekend has started for most of us and Thanksgiving Day is tomorrow. I haven't been posting a lot (if at all...), but I'm going to take a break from the 'webz for the weekend. While we're all stuffing ourselves with turkey, turducken, tofurkey, and whatever protein you eat for Thanksgiving, spend a few minutes thinking about what you're thankful for. If you're reading this, most likely, you're a lot better off than millions of people around the world. I'm thankful that I have a loving family, a roof over my head, there's always food in the house, that I've met so many awesome people in the past year, and I'm getting a good education. There's a whole lot more stuff I"m thankful for, but it'll take too long to post. So I have two questions for you...

1. What are you doing for Thanksgiving?
2. What are you thankful for?

Happy Thanksgiving, and have fun for the rest of your weekend! :D

Field Notes: Levis Edition

2010-11-01T19:57:00.006-10:00

"I'm not writing it down to remember later, I'm writing it down to remember it now."

I went to the mall over the weekend and remembered that the Levis store was selling Field Notes. Since buying Field Notes online wouldn't be an option for me (I have one book I picked up at an anime convention that's too pretty to use), I decided to buy a pack from there. These look nice to slip into your jeans pocket... Enough chit-chat and let's get straight to the review!

The graph paper notebooks are in blue, white, and red with silver printing on them. The back of the paper slip reads "I'm not writing it down to remember later, I'm writing it down to remember it now" which I assume is Field Notes' motto. The inside of the cover has printed what you would normally see in a regular Field Notes book. (I tried taking a picture of it, but the silver kept glaring at the camera.)

Overall, I love these notebooks although I haven't written in them yet. Heck, I don't even KNOW what the first pen strokes will be! To be truthful, I don't even know how to use graph paper notebooks, besides actually graphing something...

For anyone who's reading this and would like to comment, I have a few questions.
1. What can I use graph paper for?
2. If you bring a small memo book everywhere you go, what kind of stuff do you write in it?

Post it in the comments below!

Wipes off cobwebs

2010-10-14T19:00:00.003-10:00

Wow, it's been a while since I've posted on this blog...

Ever since school started, I haven't been able to update anything. However, since I'm near the end of the 1st quarter, things are just gonna get even busier, three projects due on the same day, tests, you name it. However, I have a few things that I'd like to review and post on here within this month. You can expect to see maybe two or three reviews within the next few weeks.

Also, I'm thinking of starting a sketch blog. It's less work than managing a pen blog (nothing to review, just scanning). I haven't started it yet, but I will in the near future.

Pentel Jolt Mechanical Pencil: 0.5 mm

2010-08-13T01:23:00.006-10:00

(Sorry, Hari the wooden mannequin is on vacation)

I first laid eyes on the Pentel Jolt while on a trip in Shanghai, China. I was tempted to buy one, but it was ridiculously expensive – $5.10 a pop! The reason why it's so expensive is because China has a deal with Japan to import some of their goods for a much higher price (I guess to pay the distributor, the store, and the company), while their Chinese goods are sold for much cheaper. (Unfortunately I didn't acquire any Chinese brand stationery) Then when I got back, I went to office supply discount store and found these on sale. I was so happy that I decided to get two: one in lime green and one in navy blue.

The one I'm reviewing is the lime green pencil. They come in lime green, navy blue, pink, and orange. The pencil has a modern feel to it, with the colour scheme being lime green, black, and white. The grip has grooved curved lines and a wavy design to compliment the modern feel. There's a clear window that shows the shaker mechanism, but I think it's supposed to be held a particular way to show the window. I usually grip my pens/pencils using the "death grip," (the improper way), while this one wants you to hold it the "proper" way (two fingers on the grip).

I pressed the top just to test the default mechanism. I shook it lightly to expose some lead, nothing. Shook it harder, there we go! Then I retracted the nib and shook it. Only the lead comes out, not the nib. You have to press the top to expose the nib, then shake it for more lead. Also, the weight of the shaker puts a lot more weight on the pencil, making it heavier than other pencils.

So to recap...

Pros:
-Nice, modern design
-Shaker mechanism works fairly well if nib is exposed

Cons:
-Takes some force to get the shaker working
-If the nib is retracted and shaken, only the lead comes out

Costs: $2.75 on Amazon

Overall, I give this pencil a 9.3/10!

Rhodia Webnotebook 3.0

2010-08-11T02:26:00.009-10:00

Many thanks to Stephanie for offering one of these beauties to review, and thanks to Karen Doherty who made this possible! I entered a giveaway held by Stephanie at Rhodia Drive not expecting to win one of 10 Webnotebooks. Later that day, Stephanie emailed me asking if I wanted one of these to review on the blog. In a heartbeat I replied yes, and boneheaded-ly turned down the 2nd Webbie to giveaway (since I didn't think many people would read this blog). However, there are some bloggers out there giving one away! (I'll mention them at then end)

Moving on, when I got it in the mail, I tore the mail packaging open and squealed with delight at my new Webbie. Of course the people in the elevator gave me weird looks, especially the dogs. (When I told a few of my friends about this, they thought I got a new computer notebook and not a writing notebook, since I mentioned it was a Webnotebook. Hehe.) I delicately opened the plastic and document this moment (too much eager beaver?). Then I took out the rubber band, opened it, and ran my fingers across the paper. Never in my life have I felt paper this smooth before. Reading the back, it's Clairefontaine paper, which to me is like the Holy Grail of paper. Turning to the back cover I notice a folder to keep papers in. Surely that meant that this was surely something.

Fandom aside, let's get to why you're really here. Mind you I've never tried a Rhodia product before, so this is something new. A difference Stephanie mentioned to me was that the Rhodia logo was missing from every page. Of course I haven't seen it with the logo, but I assume this meant more writing room and not overlapping the logo. ...Actually, why don't you let the written sample do the review for you?

Now that you've at least skimmed to the end of this, enter in these great giveaways! There's nothing to lose except a few seconds of your time!

Giveaways~!
-Rhodia Webnotebook Giveaway! (Peaceable Writer)
-Rhodia Large Blank Webbie and a Giveaway! (Pocket Blonde)
-Rhodia Webnotebook and a Giveaway (Faint Heart Art)
-Rhodia Webbie Review (Madame Purl)

Pilot FriXion Point: purple 0.4 mm

2010-08-09T00:26:00.004-10:00

This FriXion is a huge improvement from the original Pilot FriXion. The FriXion Point is thinner than the original FriXions, taking corrective precision to a new level.

Instead of the top of the cap being useless like its predecessor, on it "04" is printed showing the tip size. The cap is transparent bearing the Pilot and the FriXion logo in silver. The rubber end is translucent and pointier than the the original FriXion counterpart. It's thinner too.

As far as the ink goes, the purple ink is a nice, pretty dark purple for an erasable pen. Moving onto the main event of this pen... The rubber end is much, much, MUCH better than the original. It doesn't leave eraser-like residue, it doesn't rip the paper, basically it's much better than the original FriXion. However, the rubber is still located at the butt of the pen, meaning you either take the cap off to use it or leave it off.

So to recap...

Pros: Huge improvement from the original FriXion
-Rubber doesn't leave shavings, doesn't rip through paper
-Wider variety of colours to choose from
Cons: Rubber is still at the wrong end of the pen
Costs: $3.30 at Jetpens

Overall, I give this pen a 9.6/10!

Pilot FriXion: Blue 0.7 mm

2010-08-01T23:56:00.004-10:00

Previously I reviewed one of the better versions of the FriXion, the FriXion Color Pencil-Like. I feel it's time I reviewed the original pen. So here it is, the Pilot FriXion pen in blue!

The pen comes in a 0.5 mm and 0.7 mm in eight different colours. he pen has silver flames painted on the body with 0.7 in the midst of the flames. On the cap is printed "Pilot FriXion" in silver. The 'eraser" is on the butt of the pen, making it inconvenient to erase. You either have to leave the cap off or take it off to erase. There's a dimpled grip by the tip of the pen, and it's pretty comfortable. There's a small area at the tip of the cap that's unused. Why couldn't have Pilot put the "eraser" on top of the pen cap? Oh well, I guess that's why they made the Color Pencil-Like line... And with more colours too.

Now to the ink... The blue is more of a watercolour than an ink, but that's one of the downsides of having an erasable pen. The ink flows pretty well, no problems of skipping. But let's get down to the main function of the pen: the FriXion. The "eraser" is a gimmick. The "eraser" leaves residue reminiscent of eraser shavings. If you don't wipe those shavings away, the eraser could smear it into the paper, making it almost impossible to get out. If you erase it harder, you might even rip the paper. Basically, the ink is what brings out the good in this pen. The whole purpose of this pen is...mediocre.

So to recap...

Pros: It's an erasable pen!
-It erases, yay.
Cons: The eraser isn't that great
-Leaves eraser shavings
-If left on the paper, eraser shavings smear
-Eraser's on the butt of the pen
Costs: $3.00, extra for packs

Overall, I give this pen 8.6/10. (Really, the ink saved it from getting a much lower score.)

Pilot FriXion Color Pencil-Like: Aquamarine 0.7 mm

2010-07-29T23:57:00.006-10:00

This pen was on my first order at JetPens. I've had it for about a month and I haven't reviewed almost anything from there! So to start off...

(The pen's a lot more blue than in the picture. Sorry the quality's bad.)

The Color Pencil-Like line of FriXions was supposed to resemble a wooden pencil with erasable ink. Unlike the other FriXions, Pilot got it right and put the eraser on the cap instead of the butt of the pen. The body of the pen is supposed to resemble a wooden pencil.

I'm very fond of the dark, almost blue-black aquamarine ink. The ink is much richer and darker than the original FriXions, not to mention it glides on the page. It erases easily and cleanly. In my opinion, this is a huge improvement from the original FriXions. All in all, these pens are great for note-taking. In fact, this pen is part of my current 'A-Team'! =D

So to recap...

Pros: Much better than the original FriXions
-Rich, dark ink
-Erases cleanly
-Eraser's on the right end of the pen for once!

Cons: Takes a few seconds for the ink to dry

Overall, I give this pen a 9.6/10/!

Pilot G-2: 0.38 mm

2010-07-28T00:17:00.009-10:00

One day, my former Biology teacher asked us all if we had a favourite pen to write with. He liked to write with a fountain pen, though he didn't correct papers with it. I asked this to myself later that day and figured the Pilot G-2 was my favourite. Little did I know, those were the only pens I had along with a few dried-out Gelly Roll pens. In fact, the G-2 was the gateway pen to my addiction. I was fond of its dark ink, how it was cheap, found everywhere, and how it never failed on me. The rest is history...that and I'll tell more on another day.

This pen is one of the most widely-used pens in America. Known for its consistent ink flow and its cheap price, it's no wonder this pen is so popular. Most people have used the 0.5 mm and the 0.7 mm, but one of the finer tips –the 0.38 mm– hasn't had much of a chance to shine in the spotlight of office pen cups everywhere. In fact, I always thought the 0.38 mm was available only in Japan until now! I've been using the 0.5 mm version, but let's give the finer points in life a chance. No pun intended.

First of all, the body of this pen is quite basic. Grip, clip, plunger (that thing on the top of the pen you push), pen refill, etc. The clip is printed with "PILOT G-2 0.38." Going to the pen refill, there's a sickly yellow liquid that looks like concentrated urine sitting atop the black ink. Why, why, why does it have to be that colour? Why couldn't it be clear like the other colours? Then again, it brings a bit of...colour to the black pen...I guess.

The pen is scratchier than most 0.38 mm pens, but I guess that's what you get when you have a thin roller-ball pen. The ink flow is consistent and produces a nice, dark, fine line. There's no problems with skipping or the ink clotting on the tip.

So to recap...

Pros: Great quality for its price, produces fine, dark lines
Cons: Sickly yellow liquid in the refill, tip is slightly scratchy
Costs: $1.80 at Jetpens

Overall, I give this pen a 9.3/10.

Uni-Ball Alpha Gel Kuru Toga Mechanical Pencil

2010-07-26T00:43:00.008-10:00

What do you get when you mix awesome with awesome? You get an EPIC WIN!!! And that's what the Uni-Ball Alpha Gel Kuru Toga Mechanical Pencil is! (Try saying that five times fast...) This pencil is the ~~lovechild~~ combination of the Alpha Gel and the Kuru Toga models. Uni-Ball was smart and combined two great pencils into one. Actually, if you compare this with the two, you can even tell which parts of the pencil were taken from which model!

First things first, the design of this pencil is a hybrid of the Kuru Toga, Alpha Gel, and the Dr. Grip (despite the fact Dr. Grip is made by Pilot). This pencil is entirely made of plastic, which was probably a trait carried over from the Kuru Toga line. Then we move down to the grip, which isn't as squishy as the Alpha Gel models (probably lacking a chromosome?). The grip feels nearly like a Dr. Grip...grip but squishier. In fact, the upper body seems like a trait carried over by the Dr. Grip as well! You could unscrew the top to reveal an outer barrel and an inner body (the colored part). The clip eerily looks like the Dr. Grip's clip too. The only thing missing to strengthen the similarities is the shaker... Then again, it could all be a coincidence.

Moving back to the Kuru Toga, like in the high-grade series, shows the symbol that displays the Kuru Toga engine in action. As you write, the engine moves to keep the pencil tip sharp, and when the symbol shows orange, it indicates the full rotation of the engine. The eraser cap has the same symbol as the cap on the KT pencils. The tip is not retractable. It extends outward when you press the top, but it does not affect writing or gripping it, as far as I'm concerned.

As far as writing goes, the KT engine keeps the tip sharp and produces a fine line compared to regular pencils. When compared to a regular pencil, the regular pencil shows thicker lines than the KT pencils as shown above. The pencil is relatively lightweight and weighs similar to the original KT pencils than most of the Alpha Gel pencils. One concern was if you didn't screw the silver top tight enough, the transparent barrel could be left spinning around as you write.

So to recap...

Pros: Two great concepts rolled into one
Cons:
Costs: $12.75 at Jetpens

Overall, I give this a 10/10!

Uni-Ball Fanthom: Purple

2010-07-23T01:36:00.005-10:00

...And do I dream again? For now I find... The FAAAAAAAANTHOM OF THE OPER--okay, I'll stop. From the horrible singing, you might have guessed that what I'm reviewing today is the Uni-Ball Fanthom. Here it seems like Uni-Ball is trying to compete with Pilot in the erasable pens market. In the earlier days, erasable pens weren't so great. The eraser was like any mechanical pencil eraser, the ink would leave some kind of remnants, smear, and the eraser would leave gunk all over the table. Now, erasable pens have improved and the FriXion pens (which I plan to review soon) were one of the first and popular erasable pens on the Japanese and American market. Uni-Ball decided to compete in the market and thus the Fanthom is born!

First things first, the pen has semi-torpedo design, since the the erasing mechanism is in the cap (something the FriXion lacks). It takes a bit of strength to take off the cap, but you can put it on top of the pen, so when you write, you can flip it over to erase. In the functionality of the design, the Fanthom wins this round. There's no grip to this, but it has a total of 24 ovals engraved into it to attempt mimicking one. This part of the pen feels slightly slippery when held. One major note is that the pen side and the barrel can be easily unscrewed, especially while writing – a major downside.

As far as the ink goes, it looks like watercolours. For the purple, I'd say it looks like a dark lavender. The ink takes a few seconds to dry. I wouldn't suggest trying to erase while the ink is still wet. When erased, you can see most of what has been erased quite clearly. If you erase a particular area a lot, that area becomes "glossed" up. (But I assume this is a problem with most erasable pens) Even then, you can still see clearly what you erased. The tip of the pen cap is used as the eraser. The tip doesn't make such a great excuse for an eraser. As I said earlier, it tends to gloss up the area and you can see what you erased clearly. When the tip is erased with frequently, it starts to dull down. It wears down where you erased with. I assume that as I erase with this, it will get so dull it'll look like the tip never existed. If you look closely at the picture below, you can see the dents made on the cap.

So to recap...

Pros: Next best erasable pen next to FriXion, ink is somewhat dark
Cons: Can still see erased area clearly, tip of the pen cap dents as it's erased with, may dent paper, pen tip and body unscrew easily
Costs: $3.00 at Jetpens

Overall, I give this pen an 84%, or a B.

Marvy Le Pen: Burgundy

2010-07-21T02:16:00.001-10:00

These pens have been around for more than a quarter of a century, yet I've never heard of these! I saw these at a local office supply discount store (a discount store? To fuel a pen addiction? SWEET!), and the first thing I noticed was how thin these pens are. I was attracted to the fact that it was a felt-tipped pen for a reasonable price. Felt-tipped pens usually go for $2-$3 a pop, but these went for $1.39. (Maybe it's the fact it was a discount store, but whatever.) I picked up a burgundy version of the pen. Below are the lyrics to "Maybe Tomorrow" by Stereophonics written with the pen.

This pen is about 7 mm in width and stands 14 cm tall. Overall it's a pretty thin pen. This seems like a minimalist pen – no grip, thin, not many bells and whistles, metal clip, and the such...not saying it's bad. There's a metal clip on the cap that seems sturdy to clip on books, papers, etc. Engraved are the words "Le Pen Marvy Japan" in silver.

The felt tip is .3 mm, but it writes a bit bigger than that. The ink comes out a nice wine red and writes quite well. It sort of scratches a bit on the paper, but that might be the felt. Also, the tip seems a bit fragile and slightly bends in the direction I'm writing.

This pen would be good for doodling or taking notes with. This isn't something I would use to write out my homework. (Then again, most of that is done on the computer nowadays...)

So to recap...

Good: Minimalistic, rich colour, sturdy metal clip, cheap
Bad: Tip scratches slightly, fragile; likely to crush
Costs: $0.50-$2.00

I give this pen...

a B+!

Uni-ball Jetstream 1.0mm

2010-06-26T17:03:00.001-10:00

Although I'm not a fan of ballpoint pens, this pen is an exception. I'm not someone to use broader tips, but this I like. The somewhat minimalistic approach to this pen is nice. This is a good pen for scribbling school notes (you know, when the teacher says things –instead of writing them down– that might be on the test next class), or if you're behind on them, or if you just fell asleep and you're trying to copy them from your friend before they have to flip the page. I've tried the .5 mm version but it was too scratchy for my taste. I have yet to try the .7 mm version though. The grip feels nice to hold and doesn't tire your hand after long periods of time. I gave this to my mom to write with for a bit since she likes ballpoints, and she also loves this! Now, every time she needs to borrow a pen (since she says mine are better than hers), she asks to borrow this pen.

So to recap...
Good: Writes smoothly, nice grip, good ink flow, thin, reasonable price.
Bad: N/A
Costs: Unavailable at Jetpens.com, but $2.25 for the .5 and .7 mm original models.

Oh and did I mention this pen's also good for pen spinning?

(I handwrote a review for this, but I threw it away after.)

First JetPens Order

2010-06-21T22:11:00.001-10:00

I just came back from a trip to China and bought quite a few pens (although Japanese imported) from the department stores. Before I left, I made my first order on the JetPens site and it arrived the day I left (good timing, huh?). I made the order early because I there were some things I wanted to order that were in the close-out section, and I didn't want to come back to find out it's been sold out. So I ordered... (from left to right) (Sorry for the bad picture quality...)

Nomadic PE-06 Side Zipper Pencil Case - Light Green
Uni-ball Style Fit Gel Ink Multi Pen Ink Cartridge - 0.38 mm - Red
Uni-ball Style Fit Gel Ink Multi Pen Ink Cartridge - 0.38 mm - Mandarin Orange
Uni-ball Style Fit Gel Ink Multi Pen Ink Cartridge - 0.38 mm - Golden Yellow
Uni-ball Style Fit Gel Ink Multi Pen Ink Cartridge - 0.38 mm - Green
Uni-ball Style Fit Gel Ink Multi Pen Ink Cartridge - 0.38 mm - Blue Black
Uni-ball Style Fit 5 Color Gel Ink Multi Pen - Pen Body with Clip - Black
Pilot Hi-Tec-C Gel Ink Pen - 0.4 mm - European Colors - Olive
Pilot Hi-Tec-C Gel Ink Pen - 0.3 mm - European Colors - Yellow Ocher
Pilot FriXion Color-Pencil-Like Erasable Gel Ink Pen - 0.7 mm - Yellow Ocher
Pilot FriXion Color-Pencil-Like Erasable Gel Ink Pen - 0.7 mm - Ultramarine
Pilot FriXion Color-Pencil-Like Erasable Gel Ink Pen - 0.7 mm - Purplish Red
Pilot FriXion Color-Pencil-Like Erasable Gel Ink Pen - 0.7 mm - Dark Green
Uni-ball Fanthom Erasable Gel Ink Pen - 0.5 mm - Violet

Reviews to come later. But for now, trying to combat the jetlag...~

Zebra Sign Brush Pen: Extra Fine

2010-05-25T18:43:00.001-10:00

So I realise I haven't updated this in a while...so here's a new one. This time I'm reviewing the Zebra Sign Pen, which is a pretty sturdy brush pen that can be used for calligraphy, kanji writing, or drawing in general. Overall, I give this pen a 4 out of 5 stars. I give it a 4 because oftentimes it started creating lines that were...scratchy and bordered. It doesn't show up in the example, but it happesn from time to time. A written review is attached.
Also, this is kind of short compared to the last one. I'm prepping for finals, finishing school projects and all, so I don't have much time to review. I'll hopefully get more done over the summer though.

Uni Alpha Gel: Original

2010-04-02T22:15:00.001-10:00

So here goes my first review... It's an amateur review, so bear with me.

Picture courtesy of jetpens.com
Sorry the picture's a bit cropped... T_T

This Uni Alpha Gel is the first series produced by the popular writing instrument company. It is said that the gel can keep an egg from cracking when dropped from five feet above. I'm pretty skeptical about this though... There are six colours of this the grip in this series: pink, green, sky blue, white, orange, and black. This is far different from any other pencils I've used before acquiring this one. In fact, this pencil is the first writing instrument that got me addicted to Japanese stationery.

Around the 7th grade, a lot of kids at school had these kinds of pencils (and the Dr. Grip Ltd.), so I got curious and bought an American version of the Dr. Grip Center of Gravity (also known as G-Spec). Not satisfied, I sought out to find the Alpha Gels, but no luck. Then I went to Japan and bought a few of these beauties and the Dr. Grip G-Spec (which I'll review later), as well as some candies, but I digress.

From the looks of it, the pencil is round and the grip certainly looks squishy to the touch. There's a loop on the top from where you can hang some kind of a charm...no pocket clip though. The tip is a plastic-ish sort of metal that while it doesn't look cheap at all, it also has a smaller, lighter-coloured grip near the top of the tip. At the top of the pencil is painted "uni αgel."

MOVING ON... this pencil has a very squishy, somewhat comfortable grip. The main attraction to this pencil is the squishy grip and the metal barrel. The metal barrel is easy to scratch, which looks unsightly on the pencil. The metal barrel makes this pencil balanced in a way. It's cool to the touch (unless you left it in the oven for too long, along with the meat loaf) if you wanted to switch pencils because the other one was getting too...warm. Yeah, I have that problem and pencils being too warm are always a problem with me.

Now going onto the cons... The grip on this pencil is very susceptible to tearing. There's even a label on the barrel telling you not scratch it, dig your nail through it, etc. This hasn't happened to me though. I take good care of mine. ;D ...Okay, the inside of my pencil has a few tears, but nothing major. It just looks bubbly from the outside. Metal barrel scratches very easily. The cap on the top is very easy to lose. This pencil is also circular, making it susceptible to rolling off the table if given enough force. Other than that the charm loop somewhat stops it from rolling off. It attracts eraser dust and lint easily.

This pencil was about $5-$6 when I bought it, $7.50 at Jetpens. Overall, this is a pretty good pencil. Pretty fragile though. You have to take good care of the grip and the metal barrel.

So as a recap if you didn't want to read all that...

Pros:
-Squishy grip (claims it stops an egg from cracking at 5ft).
-Metal barrel makes it cool to the touch.
-Metal barrel makes it somewhat balanced.

Cons:
-Grip very susceptible to tearing.
-Metal barrel is easy to scratch.
-Can roll off the table if given enough force.

Price: $7.50 at Jetpens