pen 91: pentel hybrid technica

one of the reasons that i started this project was that i have amassed quite a collection of pens over the years, and in many cases have rediscovered pens that i had forgotten that i really liked... and then there are pens that i never knew existed and, because i need content  for this blog, have bought and in some cases, fell in love with. the pentel hybrid technica is one such pen.

i found this pen at a local craft store a few weeks ago, i was looking for a sketch pad and stumbled across a bin with both the .6 and .4 models, curious i bought one of the latter and although i was a little surprised at the cost - around $4 - i made my purchase while the clerk told me that they were good pens and worth  the price. i walked to my car thinking to myself 'it better be.'

it was.

so i went back a week later and bought the .6 model and had to face the "i told you so" smirk that was plastered on the clerks face. i swallowed my pride and gladly paid another $4.

since then i have done some research and found that there is a four pack, a collection of all four models that are available and found, on amazon, that they can be as inexpensive as $4-$8 for the set, in some cases shipping is free, or is it is part of a larger order sometimes waived. i believe that you can also purchase these pens on the company website.

one of the things that i have trouble understanding is how these pen websites have so little information in general on the pens they sell. i mean, i do one of these reviews a day and manage to get at least a few paragraphs from using these pens, perhaps they should consider hiring me on... seriously, hire me.

so the pentel hybrid technica is a ballpoint pen that uses a hybrid ink that is a mix of gel and traditional ink, the pen dries quickly, but not fast enough that it wont smear if you aren't careful, these pens are consistent, no skipping or stuttering, the glide is is medium and the pen does have some decent bite to it. the ink has a poor range in value, from full saturation down to nothing but since they are so small make for good shading if you're hatching or crosshatching, i wouldn't use this pen to fill large areas however... it would take way too long. these pen are also good for writing and are precise enough to be solid detail pens, and the ink is good for going over pencil lines.

i don't think that i can overstate how much i like these pens, i highly recommend that you buy one if you see one, again, if you try it and don't like it, contact me and i will send you an original sketch with the pen in exchange for the pen itself. i really stand behind this pen 100%.

website:
www.pentel.com

what they say:

• Archival roller system with smooth, pigmented ink delivered through the long-lasting ball delivery system
• Acid-free, archival safe ink is ideal for sketching, drawing, manga art and so much more
• The tungsten carbide roller tip guarantees a consistent line from the first to last drop of ink
• Pigmented ink is light-fast, bleed-proof, water-resistant and fade-resistant
• Available in four line sizes: 0.3mm (extra-fine), 0.4mm (fine), 0.5mm (medium), and 0.6mm (bold).