pen 111: pentel energel pearl deluxe gel pen

today i'm reviewing the pentel energel. while i did review a version of a similar pen way back in pen 69, i  have gone back and reread the entry only to discover that i told a good story about this pen but forgot to write anything useful as far as how it functions under normal use.

the energel is a solid body plastic retractable tipped pen that comes in fine (0.5mm) and medium (0.7mm) point sizes . the pen is aesthetically designed and sports a rubber comfort grip. this pen also is available in five colors, black, blue, red, green, and purple.

this pen has excellent flow, good glide and a bit of a bite. this pen writes very well and is great for inking, sketching, gesture and contour drawing. the ink dries pretty quickly, has a consistent ink flow that does not skip or stutter and produces a very uniform line. this is a fairly clean pen.

the drawbacks, as mentioned in pen 69, this pen does not do well when washed, they will leak and stain whatever you're washing, the fine line made by this pen makes shading difficult, that and the lack of a range of value in the darkness of the ink make this pen not very effective when trying to fill in large areas of black (or whatever color) and limit it to techniques like hatching and crosshatching.

these pens are also refillable, they sell these reservoirs for around $1.30 which is about half of what you would pay for an individual pen.

these pens can be found at most big box office supply stores, and sometime in drug or grocery stores as well. these pens are a little on the expensive side, especially if you're ordering small quantities where shipping can be as much as the pen itself.

my final word on this pen is that it is, at best, a slightly above average tool and while i don't think that i will be buying any more of these anytime soon, they are a pen that i do not mind using.

price: 

pentel.com
$3.49 (single pen)+s/h
$6.98 (2 pens)+s/h
$10.47 (3 pens)+s/h
$ 20.94 (6 pens assorted colors)+s/h

amazon.com: 
$2.61 (single pen)+s/h
$27.55 (12 pens) +s/h

office depot:
$28.99 (12 pens)+s/h

website:

www.pentel.com


what they say:

EnerGel® Pearl provides a smooth writing experience. Fast-drying liquid gel ink leaves no smears, no smudges and no globs. Latex-free grip. 0.7mm metal tip. Refillable.

Product Details

High performance ink technology combines the best qualities of liquid and gel ink for a super-smooth writing experience

Gel ink dries so fast even left-handed writers love it - no smears, no smudges, no globs

"Needle Tip" provides intricate, detailed lines

Sleek and stylish barrel design with stainless steel accents for a professional look

Maximum comfort and control with latex-free grip

Made of 54% recycled plastic and part of the Recycology line of products

2 tip sizes available:
- 0.5mm needle tip writes fine lines
- 0.7mm needle tip writes medium lines

Available ink colors:
- 0.5mm: Black, Red and Blue
- 0.7mm: Black, Red, Blue and Violet

Refillable with Pentel LRN5 (0.5mm) and LRN7 (0.7mm) refills