pen 143: bic ai

today's pen, the bic ai, a lightweight, retractable ball point pen that features a rubberized comfort grip, and a spring loaded pocket clip. i'm not sure what a spring loaded pocket grip would be useful for, but there you have it. i guess "because they can"is as good a reason as any that i could come up with.

i bought this pen from one of those office supply stores, retail, and while i can't remember how much that cost me, i do remember thinking that it was on the bit more expensive side. even considering that the package had two pens, it feels like i spent a little over four dollars a piece.this pen has good glide and poor bite. the flow is fairly consistent, but the pen does seem to build up ink on the tip and can leave messy ink deposits on your fingers or on the paper. the ink doesn't skip or stutter, so that is a plus, but by far the best thing about this pen is that the ink has a excellent range of value. the ink goes on light, especially if you don't press hard, but can be built up to darker tones with either pressure or multiple passes.


but is that worth the extra cost?

honestly, no. when it comes down to it, this pen performs about as well as a bic round stick, soft feel, or cristal.

save your money and buy one of those.

pricing:

amazon.com:
$8.93+s/h (two pens)
$10.38+sh (three pens)
$12.14+s/h (twelve pens)

staples.com
$6.29+s/h (two pens)
$18/99+s/h (twelve pens)

wallmart.com
$17.51+s/h (twelve pens)

websites:
www.bicworld.com (not listed)
www.wheresmybic.us (not listed)

www.amazon.com
www.staples.com



what they say:

amazon.com

• Retractable ball pen
• Easy Glide ink system enables smoother writing and a more vivid line
• 1.0mm medium point
• Binder clip attaches to notebooks, binders and more
• refillable

staples.com

• Medium point, 1.0 mm
• Black
• Integrated co-molded grip
• Semi-translucent barrel with jewel tone accents
• Binder clip attaches to notebooks, binders and more
• 12 per pack

wallmart.com

The BIC A.I. Ball Pen is great for smooth writing performance. It is ideal for school, home or office use. The BIC A1 Ball Pen offers both quality and reliability for your everyday needs.

BIC A.I. Ball Pen:

• Black ink
• Features BIC's exclusive, ink system technology
• 1.0mm ball point
• Binder clip attaches to notebooks, binders and more
• Refillable pen
• 12pk of pens
  
  

pen 142 bic tech 2 in 1

today's pen, the tech 2 in 1, is a hybrid pen that is among an emerging class of pen that bridges the gap between writing on paper, and on a tablet or smartphone. while there are a few tablets out there that are specifically designed to work with a proprietary stylus, such as the samsung notes(s). the majority of touchscreen devices seem to function fairly well with the tip of your finger. so why a stylus?


well you might want slightly better precision, or find your fingers are too broad. you might not like getting fingerprints all over your device or find yourself wearing gloves. these are just a few i came up with off the top of my head. 
since a stylus is basically a pen that doesn't write, it makes perfect sense to sick an ink cartridge inside and add a tip to the other end, making it less of a hassle to go back and forth between the two.

the tech 2 in 1 has a soft pliable rubber tip where an eraser would go, and a retractable tip on the other end. this pen has fair glide, good bite, and great flow, the ink doesn't skip or stutter  or gunk up on the tip, or leave deposits on the paper. it provides a consistent line and the ink has a great range in value, it can be laid on lightly, made darker with multiple passes or pressure.

this pen is a little on the expensive side, stylus pens are for some reason... probably just because the are, and they figure people will just assume there is an actual reason because tablets and phones are expensive... lame. the pen is nice, i personally do not have much use for the stylus, as i use an s pen, but the pen itself is really nice, i like the way it performs, and will be using this pen until i either lose it, use it up, or more likely move on to the next current favorite pen.

i am a bit on the fence about recommending that you buy one though, i doubt that i will ever buy another, but if you have an ipad and feel like you want the extra control a stylus provides, this pen is much less expensive than the ones i've seen and have used from places like bestbuy. overall i would say that it just depends on your needs.

pricing:


staples.com: 
$5.99+s/h (single pen)

websites:
www.staples.com
www.walmart.com


what they say:

staples.com

Get the best of both worlds! The Bic Tech 2 in 1 provides the perfect combination of a ball pen and Stylus all in one.

Use the high precision stylus with your tablet and smartphone apps or take notes on paper with the easy-glide ballpoint pen.

• Black Ink (Pen)
• Medium Point (Pen)
• Lightweight stylus for capacitive touchscreen devices, including tablets and smartphones
• Glides across screens easily providing fingerprint-free precision and control
• Retractable ball pen features Easy Glide System ink - Bic's exclusive ink technology for smoother writing
• Convenient clip
• Pusher to retract the Ball Pen side
• Pad is optimized for a variety of screens and usages
• Low friction rubber pad is among the smoothest in the market
• Black/Silver barrel
• 1 per pack

wallmart.com

The Bic Tech Stylus 2-in-1 Pen is a stylus and ball pen in one. It acts as a lightweight stylus for capacitive touchscreen devices, gliding across screens easily and providing fingerprint-free precision and control. The retractable ball pen features Bic's Easy-Glide System ink for smooth writing.

Bic Tech Stylus 2-in-1 Pen, 2-Pack:

• Stylus and ball pen in 1
• Lightweight stylus for capacitive touchscreen devices including tablets and smartphones
• Glides across screens easily
• Provides fingerprint-free precision and control
• Retractable ball pen features Easy-Glide System ink
• Smooth writing
• Black ink

pen 140: papermate flexgrip write for hope

today's pen was intended to be featured last week, while it was breast cancer awareness month, life got in the way and i was sidetracked. while it would have been nice to dovetail this pen with the month, i figure that cancer is one of those things that really seems to be on peoples'minds regardless of the time of year.

this pen is basically a flexgrip elite, but has a pink body and a dime from the sale of each pen is donated to breast cancer research, treatment and awareness.

for a run-down of the performance check out pen 57: papermate flexgrip elite.

pricing:

cvs (retail):

$2.57 (two pens)

officedepot.com:

$3.19+s/h (two pens)
$14.29+s/h (twelve pens)

rakuten.com:$3.10+s/h (two pens)

amazon.com:starting at $1.70+s/h (two pens)

websites:www.cityofhope.org
www.papermate.com
www.officedepot.com
www.rakuten.com

what they say:

papermate.com
Feel great knowing that you are writing with a great pen and $.10 of every pen sold is donated to City of Hope for breast cancer research, treatment and education.

officedepot.com:
Paper Mate FlexGrip Elite Retractable Ballpoint Pens, Medium Point, 1.0 mm,
"Write for Hope" Pink Ribbon Barrels, Black Ink,

rakuten.com:

Refillable Antimicrobial Pen with Soft Grip and Lubriglide Ink, Pink

amazon.com

Soft full length grip provides comfort for any writing position.
Sleek professional styling with chrome, accented tip.
Smooth writing experience with dark lines.

pen 139: uni-ball uni roller pen super ink

today' s pen is the older and fatter sibling to the uni-ball roller stick micro and the uni-ball roller stick micro eco. both of those pens count themselves among the few pens that have earned the honor of a 5 on the rating scale at the end of each post. this is a pen that i haven't seen in a long time. in fact, i kinda thought that this pen was discontinued. that might actually be the case, im not entirely sure, but even on the official uni-ball website it doesn't mention this pen specifically, but does have a brief description of a pen that could be today's pen, or one of the two others mentioned above.

as usual, it falls to me to fill in the blanks.

the roller pen is a basic stripped down, no frills pen, the kind that seems to appeal to me, it is considerably thicker than the roller stick, which usually makes pens feel bulky and awkward. this pen has a 0.7 mm metal ballpoint tip, but unlike the micro stick, is not as likely to tear the paper since it has a little more surface area touching the paper. still, i wouldn't press too hard.

the uni roller pen has great flow, a consistent line, fair glide and good bite. am am a huge fan of the rich, velvety nature of the ink on paper. this pen is an extremely clean pen, it dries instantly, it doesn't acquire buildup on the tip, it doesn't pool on the paper, bleed out or though and is great for writing and drawing. the ink is supersaturated, it's an all or nothing pen, that will ink over pencil lines with no problem at all. there are things, like writing over paints or large format pieces that i would use a different type of pen, but this is one of those pens that is so versatile that i tend to carry one around with me at all times, either in my pocket, my bag, and my car. finally, at the end of the day, these pens are so inexpensive, you can lose one and not have it be the end of the world.

i highly recommend this pen, or one of it's siblings to anyone who has ever used a pen.

pricing:
amazon.com: $8.79+s/h (twelve pens)
staples.com: $10.49+s/h (twelve pens)

websites:
www.uniball-na.com
www.amazon.com
www.staples.com

what they say:

amazon.com

• Writes as smooth as a fountain pen, without the mess.
• Smooth, quick-drying premium liquid ink.
• Stainless steel point.
• Sold by the Dozen (12 each)

staples.com

• Fine point, 0.7 mm
• Black
• Durable stainless steel point with long-lasting tungsten-carbide ball for skip-free writing
• Black matte barrel with brushed stainless clip
• Quick-drying, smooth-flowing ink provides neat, accurate lines
• 12 per pack

pen 138: bic for her

oh bic, the great equalizer... no, wait... huh?

today's pen is the fashionable, sleek, purple... pen for her.

im not really sure what to make of this. does the existence of this pen imply that all other bic pens are for men by default? does this pen somehow ease cramps, turn into chocolate, wear ribbons, or automatically dot "ï's" with hearts?

no, it just has curly q floral designs on its body and has purple or pink ink.

the bic for her is what i have come to think of as "fancy pens" or cosmetic accessory pens. the focus seems to be more on the look than the performance of the tool. this pen is a ballpoint retractable tip pen that is contoured in a sleek shape and has a rubber grip that makes extended use a little more comfortable. the ink is colored purple or pink, dries moderately fast has minimal value range and can be a little messy in that it will occasionally deposit ink blobs as it is used. the for her has fair flow and fair glide, it doesn't seem to have issues with skipping or stuttering and has a fair amount of bite. this pen is pretty good for writing, and it will ink over pencil, but because of the limited color choices it is not a pen that i personally would choose to draw with. maybe if i need to make a few corrections or something and can find a red pen or something like that.

soooo...

as mentioned this pen is nothing special, especially when you consider that it works as well as a cristal or stic pen and costs a considerable amount more than both those pens added together and multiplied by thirty or so.

pricing:
amazon.com: $7.15+s/h (two pens)
officesupplyhut.com: $3.78+s/h (two pens)

websites:
www.bicworld.com
www.amazon.com
www.officesupplyhut.com

what they say:

bic:

• Retractable ballpoint pen
• Medium point: 1.00mm
• Fun comfort grip
• Modern design

amazon:

• Sleek pen silhouette and jeweled accent add style to her day.
• Soft-contoured embossed grip for all-day comfort.

office supply hut:

• Designed for professional women
• Sleek pen silhouette and jeweled accents add style
• Soft, contoured grip offers all-day comfort
• Features Easy-Glide System for smooth writing
• Refillable

pen 137: foray gelio

i would like to begin this review for thanking one of my favorite grocery store clerks, beth, for letting me borrow today's pen, so i didn't have to go out and spend money that i don't have on one.

the foray gelio is a medium ballpoint retractable tipped gel ink pen. these pens are available from office depot (internet and retail) as well as online resources like ebay, amazon, or other supply websites.

the gelio is made of a clear,tough plastic, with a rubberized grip and metal clip. it's contoured hour-glass shape makes for a fairly comfortable grip, but still feels a bit thicker than i personally like when it comes to pens. i associate those thick pens with children's art supplies - cheap and made for clumsy fingers. the ink is a light gel ink that dries moderately fast, although if you aren't careful you can smear the ink if you don't let it have a few seconds to dry. the ink is also not extremely dark, it is all or nothing, no real range of value, but it seems to be fairly translucent. this pen has a fair flow, it does skip and spot a bit, has poor glide but good bite. it can be a bit messy as it can pool up a bit on the paper, which, along with the slower drying time can cause problems. this pen is good for things like writing (unless you're a lefty) it can be used for moderate detail work and inking over pencil lines, but if i really had to chose a good fit i would say exercises like gesture drawing come to mind.

as for a recommendation, i am going to say that i would pass on this pen, there are other gel pens out there that are cleaner and have a better quality of ink. this isn't a bad pen or anything, it just isn't all that great.

pricing:
officedepot.com: $10.99+s/h (dozen)

website:
www.officedepot.com

what they say:

Controlled comfort meets smooth writing

• Our most popular style for making a bold statement. 
• Contoured rubber barrel and grip for feel-good performance. 
• Great choice for extended writing and heavy-duty note taking. 

pen 134: sakura gelly roll

today's pen, the sakura gelly roll, is one of those pens that i had seen here and there on the internet, but had never come across in all of my pen hunting years, not that i was really actively looking for one, but when i went to michael's arts and craft store, and randomly looking at their stamp supplies, i happened upon this pen in an unexpected section.
for whatever reason, they didn't stock these with the rest of the pens, but among the scrap-booking materials instead.

anyway, i bought one.

the gelly roll is a plastic bodied, ball tip gel pen. the pen's ink is dark, with no value range, dries on the slower side and can be kind of messy. the pen has some skipping and stuttering issues, and while it has a good bite, it often just indents the paper. the metal tip is pretty sharp as well, so tearing through the paper can be a problem, especially if you are heavy handed. this pen is probably not the best choice for writing, especially if you are left handed, and there are other gel pens on the market that dry faster and minimize smearing.

having had a few weeks to mess around with this pen, i have come to the conclusion that while this pen has some fine points, overall it is not a pen that i plan on purchasing again.

pricing:
michaels (retail): approx $2-$3 (single pen)
blick.com: $1.25+s/h (single pen)

websites:
www.sakuraofamerica.com
www.sakuraofamerica.com (full product line)
www.dickblick.com

what they say:

sakura:

Select Gelly Roll, the gel ink pen that was invented to make writing and self expression effortless. The creamy ink and incredible array of colors provide plenty of favorite "flavors" for letting your thoughts flow onto paper.

Handwriting is as unique as a fingerprint. Sign your name, doodle, express your artful self, or celebrate the thrills and document the spills of your life. Leave a mark that will last a lifetime.

Sakura Color Products invented and patented gel ink and the pen casing used to create Gelly Roll pens. The first of its kind, these Gelly Roll pens created the gel ink pen category within the writing instrument industry. The Gelly Roll pen collection has grown to provide a wide variety of colors to support the company’s motto: Power to Express™.

The Gelly Roll Fine and Medium Point gel ink pens feature:

• Fine is 0.3 mm line / 0.6mm ball, Medium is 0.4mm line / 0.8 mm ball
• Ice Cream Smooth™ in a roller ball
• Archival quality ink – chemically stable, waterproof, and fade resistant
• No smears, feathers, or bleed-through on most papers
• Black, blue, royal blue, purple, and burgundy ink colors are excellent for writing checks due to the gel ink’s resistance to fraudulent washings

blick:

Gelly Roll, the gel ink pen invented to make writing and self-expressioneffortless, has ink that is Ice Cream Smooth — and an array of favorite "flavors" for letting your thoughts flow onto paper. Choose a finer line (0.3 mm) in classic colors, or a medium line (0.4 mm) in metallic colors that add a bit of sparkle. Every Gelly Roll pen contains archival-quality ink that is chemically stable, waterproof, and fade-resistant. What's more, the ink won't smear, feather, or bleed through most paper. Black, Blue, Royal Blue, and Purple Gelly Rolls contain fraud-resistant ink that is ideal for writing checks. Handwriting is as unique as a fingerprint. Sign your name, doodle, express your artful self, or celebrate the thrills and document the spills of your life. Leave a mark that will last a lifetime with Gelly Roll. Set of 10 Metallic Colors — Two Metallic Gold pens and one each of Metallic Purple, Metallic Copper, Metallic Red, Metallic Silver, Metallic Pink, Metallic Green, Metallic Blue, and Metallic Emerald. Note — Use this color chart as an approximation of the real color. If exact color matching is necessary, use actual samples of the materials.

pen 133: tul rollerball -rb1

i honestly do not believe that i can overstate my fondness for this brand. i simply love them and have yet to be disappointed in purchasing one.

the tul rollerball rb1 is a great pen for activities like writing, sketching, and inking. the ink is super saturated, there is no range of value, all or nothing. the ink dries quickly, and is extremely clean. the flow is a little heavy, it puts a lot of ink on the paper in a very short amount of time and is good for inking over pencil lines. the bold lines and good bite make this pen a favorite of mine, and the pen is a little bit more durable than pens like the Z+.

overall, it's a tul, buy one with no and rest assured that the money you paid was well spent.

pricing:
officemax.com: $9.99+s/h (four pens)

websites:
www.tul.com
www.officemax.com

what they say:

tul.com

• Quick-drying ink reduces smearing
• Ergonomic design gives optimal balance and writing precision
• Rubberized grip provides writing comfort and control
• Needle point provides precision writing
• Stainless steel clip secures to pockets and notebooks

officemax.com

Offers Exceptionally Smooth Ink Flow. Quick-drying ink reduces smearing. Ergonomic design gives optimal balance and writing precision.

Quick-drying ink reduces smearing

• Free Ink System
• Rubberized grip provides writing comfort and control
• Stainless steel clip secures to pockets and notebooks
• Medium, 0.7mm

pen 132: tul gel-gl3

the tul gel-gl3 is another fine example of the quality of product that tul produces.

the overall design is very sleek, it's a good looking, black, thin, ballpoint gel pen with a retractable tip. the pen is made of a single plastic body with a metal tip cap, has a metal clip and a rubberized grip that spans half the length of its body.

the gl3's ink is dark, there really isn't any range of value, all or nothing, has a good flow that doesn't skip or stutter, has a good bite, dries almost instantly and is a very clean pen to use. as a person that is not the greatest fan of gel ink pen i would recommend any of the tul product line to like minded individuals, i am fairly confident that, even if they don't fall head over heals for the pen, they probably won't hate it either.

pricing:
office max (retail): approx. $3-$4
officemax.com: $6.49+s/h

website:
www.tul.com
www.officemax.com

what they say:

tul.com

• Offers smooth, skip-free writing
• Extra-long, rubberized grip provides writing comfort and control
• Ergonomic design gives optimal balance and writing precision
• Retractable tip protects from unintentional marking
• Stainless steel clip secures to pockets and notebooks
• Needle point provides precision writing

officemax.com

Delivers Bold, Vibrant Color. Offers smooth, skip-free writing. Extra-long, rubberized grip provides writing comfort and control.
Extra-long, rubberized grip provides writing comfort and control

• Retractable tip protects from unintentional marking
• Stainless steel clip secures to pockets and ebooks
• Medium, 0.7mm

pen 131: milan gel touch

today's pen, the milan gel touch, is another example of a product made well. this pen is made from durable plastic, essentially a solid body, covered in a thin rubber layer, sports a .7 ballpoint tip and is a gel ink pen.
 like the milan touch, this pen is inexpensive, well crafted, comfortable to use, clean - the ink dries extremely quick, with minimal skipping, stuttering, the glide and the bite are well balanced as well.

this pen is good for writing, sketching, but as for inking over pencil lines, i would use another pen, the gel touch has difficulty getting a bite on graphite.

overall this is a great pen, within it's limitations and intended use. while i probably will not be going out of my way to buy another, i do not regret the purchase.

pricing: 

placerville news company (retail): between $3-$4

website:

www.milan.es


what they say:

Gel ink pen with rubber touch finish. Quick-drying ink. Ink made in Japan.

pen 120: milan touch

i found today's pen in a small local business, the placerville news company, a a quaint general store located on main st. in placerville, ca. if you're interested in learning more about this awesome store that has been open since 1856 and owned by the same family since 1912, scroll down to the bottom of this review. i have included the yelp* description that has been provided by the business itself.

one of the great thing about local small businesses is that there are often items (such as pens) that the larger corporate type stores just don't carry. sure i can go to target or wall mart, or even staples and an employee could tell me to varying degrees if they carry a certain type of pen mostly ranging in responses to i don't know, its might be over there kinda, of we do/don't (and usually the opposite of their answer) or a blank stare. i is in the smaller stores where i tend to find those gems that stand out in my collection of pens.

im not complaining about the larger stores - they have their uses, like 20 bic cristals for $1, but ultimately these small shops can even out-stock aaron brothers or michaels when it comes to unique art supplies and tools,  the trade off is that they typically are more expensive, but it's not like you can price match unique pens such as the milan touch.

this pen a lightweight plastic ballpoint retractable tipped pen. the body is coated in a thin film of rubber give the pen a nice matte finish. recurve of the clip is extremely pronounced (in comparison to other clipped pens) and make of a solid grip on things like a pocket or a bag. this pen has great flow, no skips or stutters, a consistent line width. the ink dries quickly no messed, no build-up blobs on the tip and has a moderate range of value between light gray to full saturated black. this pen is good writing, for sketching, gesture or contour drawing and it inks over pencil marks with no problem

overall, i am extremely happy with this purchase. it wasn't super expensive and it is a high quality product that yields more than satisfactory  results - if you have a chance to find one of these pens to buy one, do so. this is a very good pen.


pricing: 

placerville news company (retail): between $3-$4

website:

www.milan.es

what they say:

P1 TOUCH, THE NEW PEN WITH RUBBER TOUCH
Innovation and design are one of the priorities at MILAN, and demonstrated with its new rubber touch pen, P1 TOUCH.
MILAN has taken a further step in the design of writing products with the new P1 Touch, which has the same quality and simplicity of the classic MILAN rubber applied to it. Economic and with great features: 1.200 mts of writing and retractable touch rubber body of the same ink colour.
The pens are displayed in boxes of 25 units and are available in 4 colours. 

the placerville news company: established in 1856

Family owned for one hundred years. Wow! There are very few businesses that can claim to be family owned for that long, but here in Placerville we have such a business--The Placerville News Company. Since 1912, our family has been here to help you and your family. One thing that has served us well over the years and helped us reach this mark is our diversity of merchandise. From Schwinn bicycles to Fine Bone China, there are very few things that we have not carried in the last one hundred years. Today we continue that tradition: from artist supplies, puzzles and tobacco to Yankee Candles, Lead Crystal, and yes we still carry Bone China tea cups!

History:

Family owned for one hundred years. Wow! There are very few businesses that can claim to be family owned for that long, but here in Placerville we have such a business--The Placerville News Company. Since 1912, our family has been here to help you and your family. One thing that has served us well over the years and helped us reach this mark is our diversity of merchandise. From Schwinn bicycles to Fine Bone China, there are very few things that we have not carried in the last one hundred years. Today we continue that tradition: from artist supplies, puzzles and tobacco to Yankee Candles, Lead Crystal, and yes we still carry Bone China tea cups! 

pen 118: unknown ballpoint pen "liberated" from denny's

today's pen is the pen that more or less is responsible for this blog. this is was the pen that i had used to sign the check at denny's, it wasn't until i got home that i realized that i had put it into my pocket without noticing. this happens quite often actually, i'm pretty notorious about that sort of thing.

after i discovered i has taken this pen from some poor waitress that was undoubtedly forced to take orders by using ketchup and her finger for the rest of the shift, i began to wonder what brand of pen this was. it had no cap nor markings on the body, i was looking on google for some hint, but to no avail.

so this is where i realized that i had to get into the habit of posting regular work and that i have a pretty extensive collection of pens and the real-life experiences that i have had using them.

so this pen is made of a metal body, covered in a grayish ribbed rubber sheath (and yes, know that there is an obvious joke in that). it is a medium sized ballpoint pen that had good flow, it doesn't skip or stutter, it had good bite, it interacts well with paper, the ink is capable of a fairly wide range in value and it covers pencil lines with no problem.

other than that i don't have much else to say about this pen, however, if you are reading this and happen to know what brand this pen is, and you tell me, i will draw you an awesome picture with any one of the nearly one hundred and twenty pens that i have featured on this blog.

pen 117: target up & up ball point

today's pen is the target brand up & up ballpoint pen. i was given this pen when filling in some information on some form, and having never used one, asked if i could have it. i was told that i could so i took it home and immediately began to try it out and see what it could do.

i was initially impressed. i knew that it was probably fairly inexpensive, as a store brand, these things usually are, but i have historically had great experiences with those types in the past. if you've been following along here on a pen a day you probably know that i tend to like those basic pens. they usually are fairly solid products and if they don't perform well, well it isn't like i invested much in them in the first place, these pens are usually low risk.
 the usual problems i have with these types of pens are mostly with the individual pens themselves, and not always an indication that the model is particularly flawed, things like skipping and stuttering, poor flow issues, or maybe the ballpoint tip wasn't machined properly. sometimes it is just that the company really just made a bad product and the entire model should be avoided, often i stay away from brands that have these issues.

despite the fact that i liked that this pen has a very fine line, good flow, the ink dried quickly and had a good range of value, i soon discovered that this pen  had committed the ultimate deal breaker - i had left it on my desk and went into the house to get something to eat. when i had returned i discovered that it had leaked all over the paper that i had been sketching on, with a sigh i threw both the pen and the paper in the garbage.

even though the pen had done the one unforgivable thing that a pen can do, a few days later, i was back at the same office filling out another form with an identical pen and thought i would give it another chance. again i asked if i could have it, again i was told i could, so i put into a plastic pen case in my bag. when i got home i got distracted and forgot about the pen. later i was looking for a sharpie brush pen, i reached into that bag and when i opened the case and grabbed the sharpie, i noticed that my hand was covered in ink. at first i thought that the liquid ink sharpie stained brush pen had bled out but upon closer inspection i discovered that had been the up & up that was once again the offender. i had left the cap on, hadn't left in the sun, exposed to temperatures over 75 degrees fahrenheit, jostled it around, or exposed to changes in air pressure. still this pen had exploded covering not only the interior of the plastic case, but the dozen or so other pens that i had been storing in there as well - along with my hands and shortly after smudges on my clothes and face.

completed disgusted with this brand, once again threw this pen in the garbage and i will NEVER use one of these types of pens again.

period.

i recommend that you avoid them as well. 

pricing:
not available

website:
http://www.target.com
no information

what they say:
no information

pen 116: paper mate gel retractable 0.7mm

Today's pen is the paper mate gel pen retractable 0.7mm. this pen is a stylish black white and gray plastic retractable medium tip gel pen. the paper mate gel is a very basic pen, it writes okay, the ink is dark and has no value range, tends to skip and stutter, especially on longer lines, it doesn't ink over pencils well and really is just consistently inconsistent.

i know i usually have more to say about the pens i review but there just isn't that much worth saying. i really wouldn't recommend this pen, i can comfortably say that i doubt that i will ever use this pen enough to have it run out of ink, the only reason i haven't thrown it away is that it looks nice on my desk next to my cellphone.


pricing:

cvs: $2.99 (2 pens)

office depot.com: $14.99 +s/h (12 pens)
staples.com:  $13.99 +s/h (12 pens)
amazon.com: from $8.50 +s/h (12 pens)
                     from $3.99 +s/h (4 pens)

websites:
www.papermate.com
www.officedepot.com
www.staples.com
www.amazon.com

what they say:

    papermate.com

• Specially pigmented gel ink delivers a superior writing experience for writing so smooth it’s guaranteed!
• Won’t bleed through paper
• Quick drying ink to prevent smearing
• Never lose its exceptional brightness

     officedepot.com

• Pigmented ink glides across the page for bold, smooth writing
• Contoured grip adds comfort and control. 
• Retracting mechanism helps prevent ink dry out. 

    staples.com

• Stylish, attractive design.
• Medium point
• Black
• Pigmented gel-ink for bold writing
• Contour grip for comfort
• 12 per pack

    amazon.com

• Bold, gel ink writing system.
• Contoured cushion grip.
• Visible ink supply.

pen 114: uni-ball onyx

i seem to recall today's pen, the uni-ball onyx, being everywhere i looked back when i was in college. it seemed like i would randomly pick these up (read: accidentally steal) these pens quite often over the last ten years or so. last week i lost my last remaining working onyx pen... and after tearing my office apart looking for it, i gave in, and ventured out into the real world in search of this pen. 

i went to wall mart, target, k mart, cvs, walgreens and rite aid and i called staples ... and to my shock discovered that these pens are no longer carried at these stores, at least not in the region where i live.

after a quick google search i discovered that i wasn't able to find any mention on the official uni-ball website, but that these pens could be bought online from any of the other websites listed below.

i have to say that i finally did find the pen, it clipped to the collar of the shirt i had been wearing that day... all... that... day.

doh'!

so anyway, recovering from my frustbarassment (patent pending) i sat down and manage to get the pen, and two drawings out of the remaining ink and sadly had to retire it to that big ol trash can in the sky. and by sky i mean next to my desk.

i had forgotten how nice this pen is, seriously - in fact, it seems like most of the pens that i have rated highest are either discontinued or are on the road there and i guess when i think about it that shouldn't surprise me considering that i have been on this world for roughly 35 years and should be familiar with how things like that are pretty much an universal constant in my life.

this pen is basically a variant of my favorite pens, the uni-ball rollerball stic-micro from way back at post 8. this pen has good flow, fair glide, good bite, the ink is dark but has a fair value range, dries quickly, is clean and is good for writing, drawing. contour or gesture drawing, inking over pencils, and detail work. it's a solid 4. really the only drawback to this pen is that i cant seem to find it in a retail setting and i just dont love it enough to want to pay for a dozen... and shipping. 

when it comes down to it, if i had another one already i would use it, but if i'm spending money on it, i would just as soon pay less for the rollerball stic.

pricing:

amazon.com

$5.58 (12 pens) +s/h

staples.com

$8.29(12 pens) +s/h

officedepot.com

$8.99(12 pens) +s/h

officemax.com

$8.79(12 pens) +s/h

website:

www.uniball.com (no information on this pen on the company website)

www.amazon.com

www.staples.com

www.officedepot.com

www.officemax.com

what they say:

staples.com

• Micro point, 0.5 mm
• Blue
• Precision metal tip is ideal for carbon copies
• Black matte barrel, molded clip and cap
• Non-refillable
• 12 per pack

amazon.com

• Precision tungsten ball.
• Excellent for carbons and multi-part forms.
• Easy to hold matte black barrel.
• Liquid ink.
• Sold by the Dozen (12 each)

office depot.com

• The most affordable way to enjoy the smooth rollerball flow
• Metal point makes for smooth, consistent writing. A simple, effortless stroke delivers just the right amount of vivid ink to your page. Liquid ink is permanent, quick-drying, fade-resistant and waterproof so it's safe for your most important papers.
• Fine point tips for clear, precise lines. Choose the perfect point type for sharp, detailed writing tasks, such as record keeping, footnotes in margins or number work. Tips hold an extremely durable metal tungsten ball for the ultimate in dependable performance.
• Black matte…a classic look and feel! Slim matte barrel is easy for anyone to control. The matching cover won't slip off unexpectedly and includes a plastic clip to hang on a pocket or folder.
• Nonrefillable. 
• officemax.com
• A reliable pen at an economical price. 

officemax.com

• Durable metal point is excellent for marking carbon copies or multipart forms
• Smooth writing, quick-drying ink
• Micro Point
• 12 Black Ink Pens