Thursday, May 31, 2012

Review: Pilot G-2 .38

The Pilot G-2 is an absolute classic in the pen community. It has been around forever, and has crossover appeal to people in the pen community, and the average pen user.   When I saw this pen in the 0.38mm tip variety I got super excited, and had to buy a pack. It's rare to find a sub 0.5mm tip in a big box store. Like all of the other sizes in the Pilot G-2 line, this pen did not let me down.


This pen looks like any other G-2. It has the same sleek body, big rubber grip, and weird brownish/yellowish substance at the back of the ink that I have always been fond of. It's like dark jeans, or a pair of Wayfarers, it doesn't go out of style and it gets the job done.



This pen writes as well as any other G-2. The ink is super dark, flows nicely, and is very reliable. With the smaller tip it does not flow as smooth as say a 0.7mm tip, which was kind of tricky for me to get used to. It is a lot more controlled. I also have fairly big hand writing which does not cater well to the micro tip. Using this pen forces me to write smaller, which I don't mind.


Overall another great writing utensil from Pilot, and the G-2 line of pens is not tarnished.

8 out of 10 mummies.


-Cody

Review: Sakura Pigma Micron 05 Marker Pen - .45mm - Blue

This pen was a surprise.  I was walking out of my house and saw that the mail had arrived.  I went to put it on the coffee table and noticed my name on one of the packages.  I was taken aback because I had not ordered anything recently.  It was a package from JetPens with the  blue Sakura Pigma Micron 05 Marker Pen inside. It was a great way to start the day.


The Sakura Pigma Micron Marker Pen is a high quality pen.  The 05 version writes with a .45mm line width.  Even though this is a line width than most pens I am used to writing with I would consider trying the smaller tip sizes in this line of pens.  At times I felt like my handwriting was getting a bit out of hand with this pen.


The ink is a beautiful blue that doesn't fade as it drys.  While it may look very wet when the ink comes out it drys very fast.  There was minimal show through in my Black n' Red notebook and no bleed through.  In my Field Notes memo book there was a bit more show through but not enough to make deter from using the backside of the page.


The bod of the pen is very nice.  Although it is plastic it feels very well constructed.  The one thing I absolutely love about this pen is the way the cap looks when posted on the back.  The cap of the pen when placed on the back of the pen is seamlessly integrated into the body of the pen.  There are no overlaps it just fits perfectly on the end.  


There are a couple of problems with this pen.  Although the pen is well constructed there is one thing that drives me absolutely crazy about it.  Inside of the pen there is some mystery item rattling around.  It is distracting to use and it detracts from an overall good writing experience.  This may just be my specific pen, but it isn't a nice addition.


The other problem is the lack of grip/design of the grip area.  i grip my pens very low when writing, and the are leading to the tip of the pen on the Sakura Pigma Micron Marker Pen is very harsh.  The area consists of two cylindrical shapes that are smaller than the previous placed on top of each other.  This leaves two relatively sharp edges near the end of the area that most people grip their pens.  Since I grip my pens a bit lower than average this leaves the edge digging into my finger while I write.


Other than those few problems the Sakura Pigma Micron 05 Marker pen in blue is a good pen.  The ink is waterproof and fadeproof, and the design is well done.  A few flaws keep this pen from being a really great pen

8 out of 10 mummies.

8mummies

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Review: Zebra Disposable Brush Pen Super Fine

I recently placed an order on JetPens which included this Zebra Disposable Brush Pen.  Honestly, I wasn't very excited about ordering this pen but it pushed me into the free shipping category so i got it anyway.  Now that I have the pen though I'm happy I ordered it.  This pen is really interesting and fun to use. 


   

The thing I was worried about with the Zebra Disposable Super Fine Brush Pen was with how it would write.  I had never used a brush pen before and didn't know much about them. (I still don't).  The pen surprised me though.  It writes beautifully.  The ink comes out jet black and stays very dark after it dries.  There is minimal show through and no bleed through with this pen.

zebrabrush2 

This pen absolutely glides across the paper.  It's a different writing experience than I have had before.  It just feels different.  I have heard that artists enjoy these types of pens because of the varying widths that the brush tip can produce.  I'm not an artist so I can't attest to that, but the varying widths the brush tip can provide by using different amounts of pressure adds a nice unique characteristic to your writing. This may just be me and my horrible handwriting but it also made my handwriting seem a lot better looking. 

zebrabrush4 

This pen isn't all positives though, there are some problems.  The tip of the pen is a bit concerning to me.  I have been using this pen moderately for about 2 days and signs of wear can already be seen on the tip. The tip has already changed shape and sees to have shrunk a bit.  Sadly I didn't take a picture of the tip before I used it, but it happened.  Also, the cap when posted is not extremely sturdy.  It doesn't wobble or shake or anything like that, but it is very easily knocked off the back which can get a bit annoying.

zebrabrush1

 The body of this pen is super cool.  It's navy blue with gold lettering, a classic color combo that never gets old for me.  The body is also covered in Japanese/Chinese text which I can't read.  Originally I thought it was Japanese text.  However, when I looked on Zebra's international catalog this pen is listed as a Chinese Version.  So I'm not positive what language the text is in. The foreign text on the body just adds a bit of mystery and intrigue to the pen, and makes it a bit more fun to use.

zebrabrush6 

 I was not expecting much from this pen at $2.50 from JetPens, but it surprised me in a good way.  Although it is far from a perfect pen it really is interesting and fun to use.   The Zebra Disposable Super Fine Brush Pen is one of my new favorite pens to use.  It may not be great for marathon note taking sessions, but it is great for a quick note or letter to a friend. 

zebrabrush5
8 out of 10 mummies.

8mummies

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Review: Black n' Red Casebound a4 Notebook

I first heard about the Black n' Red brand of notebooks in an article about improving one's schoolwork.  The article said to buy a high quality notebook which will make you want to take notes.  Those writers hit the nail on the head with their recommendation of the Black n' Red Casebound a4 notebook.

blacknred10 

 These notebooks from England are some of the best notebooks I have ever used.  The a4 Casebound notebook is no exception.  At first glance you can tell that it is a high quality product.  Minimal branding, which I love, on the front cover gives the Black n' Red a sleek, professional look.

blacknred9 

When you open the book the inside left cover features a 1 year planner.  This planner consists of 12 vertical columns representing the months.  What makes this feature very handy is the fact that there is no year on the planner so you can start using it at any time of the year and continue using it into the next year. This page also features a small section for planner notes.

blacknred5 

 The inside right cover page is reserved for personal information, a guide to book contents and important contact information.  I don't know why but I love that they leave room for you to write a table of contents.
 
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When you turn the page you come to one last information page.  There is a world time zone map and plenty of useful conversions.  Most useful for me is the listing of European paper sizes.  No more confusing a4 and a5 for me. 

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 After that last info page you get to the real star of the Black n' Red Casebound a4 notebook, the paper.  There are 192 pages of 24lb ruled paper in this book.  This paper is white with grey rulings.  This paper is high quality, and super smooth.  Writing on this paper doesn't feel like writing but more like gliding along. 

This high quality paper also prevents bleed through and show through.  I did an ink test with a wide variety of pen and ink types, but there was nothing to show for it. The reverse side of this ink test looked like a brand new page with nothing on the other side.  I even scribbled and drew a dark circle with a 1.5mm calligraphy pen and nothing showed through.  This paper is awesome.

blacknred1 

When you get to the end of the notebook there are several maps for you to use.  There is a map of North America, as well as metro/subway maps of New York, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and Chicago.

blacknred2 

The back of the notebook has information on the paper used inside the book, and a link to the Black n' Red website.  Oh, and I forgot to mention the ribbon.  The Casebound notebook comes with a nice red ribbon, a feature I always enjoy.

blacknred8 

The Black n' Red Casebound a4 notebook is a high quality product that makes other notebooks look like trash in comparison.  This is definitely one of my favorite notebooks.

 9 out of 10 mummies.

9mummies

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

JetPens Delivery!

Last week I placed an order on JetPens.com and today it arrived.


jetpens 

I ordered a 1.5mm Pilot Parallel Calligraphy pen, a Zebra super fine brush pen,  a Pilot Hi-Tec-C coleto 3 color multi pen body,  2 .4mm Hi-Tec-C coleto refills in red and violet (i thought the body came with a refill, hence me now only having 2 of 3 refills), a .5mm Rotring Tikky Rollerpoint Extra Fine liquid ink pen, and a .35mm Pentel Energel Euro. 

Expect to see these reviewed in the coming weeks.
Have a happy Hump Day!
Coffee and Cody

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Review: Pilot Precise V5 and V7

The Pilot Precise V5 and V7 have been two of my favorite pens since I was in the 4th grade.  The Precise series of pens are actually one of the reasons I got interested in pens.  Before I used this pen I didn't know there were different types of inks.  I did a bit of research, trying to figure out why this pen wrote so much better than others, and was awakened to the wonders of high quality pens and office supplies.

precise2

Even in the 4th grade I realized that the Pilot Precise was a step above the competition.  Everything about this pen, from its design to its writing, screams quality.

First, the writing.  The Pilot Precise V5 and V7 are the 0.5mm and 0.7mm versions of the liquid ink Precise brand of pen.  The V7 writes very fast and smooth.  If you are writing on glossy paper it doesn't even feel like your writing, just gliding along the page.  That being said if you have sloppy handwriting, like myself, it can get out of hand.  On thinner and or cheaper papers there is show through.  I have also heard of bleed through from these pens, although I have never experienced it.


precise1

The V5 is also a super smooth writing machine, but is a bit more manageable.  The super fine tip allows for a more controlled writing experience that is still just as smooth as the V7.  It really is a masterpiece of a pen.

precise5

Now onto the design of these pens.  The Precise V5 and V7 are, in my opinion, some of the best looking pens out there.  They have the name of the pen and the brand on the barrel and not much else.  The cap is minimalist and fits snugly on the back, although I would like it if it posted with a satisfying click.  The barrel has the name of the pen, the tip width, and is color coordinated with the ink color.  My favorite feature of the pen is the ink window on the barrel which lets you see how much ink is left in the pen.  As a kid I would always shake the pen until there were bubbles in the ink and then watch the bubbles move around instead of paying attention in class.  Everything about this pen blends together perfectly into a great writing instrument that also looks good.

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The only possible negative is the needle tip of the pens.  They are prone to be bending and damage.  Even this happens rarely in my experiences.

Overall the Pilot Precise V5 and V7 are two of the best pens made. They deserve a spot in every person's pen case.

Pilot Precise V5: 10 out of 10 mummies
 

Pilot Precise V7: 9 out of 10 mummies
9mummies

Friday, May 18, 2012

Coffee's Top 3 Favorite Pens

First off I would like to apologize for the inconsistent posting schedule of the past two weeks.  Things have been a bit hectic since college has ended and we have moved back home for summer break.

Whenever people hear that I review pens on this blog the first question I get is, "Are you serious, why?" the second question is "What's your favorite pen?".  For me my top 3 is always changing.  Sometimes I hate a pen when I first use it, then a month later I try it and love it.  Sometimes I use a pen for months and love it like a child, but then it falls out of favor.  So this is not a static list of pens that I enjoy but an ever changing list that will be updated in the future.

1. Pentel EnerGel .5mm Black "European version"
The review of this pen was written by Cody.  He gave it a 10.  If I wrote the review I would have also given it a 10.  This pen is my go to pen for long writing sessions or quick notes.  It does everything well, and does not have any flaws in my opinion.  It is the bees knees. The European version gets my vote because of the removable cap.  I dislike retractable pens. 


2. Pilot Precise V5 + V7
Precise V5
Photo from Pilotpen.us
This pen is a living legend, a classic.  We haven't reviewed it yet on #penswag, but keep an eye out for it next week.  This pen has been on my list of favorites since I was in grade school.  It doesn't matter if it is in the .7mm or .5mm version I love it.  The simple design of the pen, the window to view ink level, the smooth rolling ball that deliver the ink.  Everything is great.  Also, the cap is removable another bonus, I'm not a big fan of retractable pens. 

3. Kaweco Sport Fine Nib
kaweco5
When I first got this pen I hated it.  When I reviewed it I gave it an 8.  The only reason it got an 8 was because of the smallness of the body.  If the body was just a bit bigger this would be one hell of a power house.  Despite the small body I still find myself reaching for this pen over and over.  I love writing with it and that's undeniable.  It is a great pen, and it can take a beating.

So there it is.  My three favorite pens as of right now.  Agree, Disagree, have your own list of favorites? Let us know.

-coffee




Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Review: Zebra V-301 Fountain Pen

This pen surprised me.  I didn't know that Zebra was making cheap "disposable" fountain pens.  So I bought it.  This was the biggest waste of around 4$ in my life.  I'm not going to lie I hate the Zebra V-301.

zebrav301a 

First the body.  At first glance it seems like a really cool, sturdy aluminum body.  However, it feels cheap the moment you touch it.  The branding on the pen is large and detracts from the overall presentation of the pen.  The cap, which posts with a nice click on the back of the pen, wobbles back and forth and makes you feel like your cap will fall off.  These are large problems, but nothing that can't be overlooked.

zebrav301c 

The thing that can't be overlooked is the horrible job this pen does of writing.  When I first plugged the cartridge into the V-301 it wouldn't write.  So i pushed the cartridge in a little bit harder and it still wouldn't write.  I scribbled for about 3 minutes until it finally started writing.  Then it stopped writing again.  I wanted to scream.  I tried doing a writing sample, but got about halfway through it and quit.  The pen is so inconsitent that I am not quite sure how Zebra can put this out.  This is the worst fountain pen, be it disposable or not, I have ever used.

zebrav301b



I wanted to like this pen.  But Zebra did everything in its power to make me hate it.

3 out of 10 mummies.

3mummies

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Review: Pilot Plumix Medium Tip

The Pilot Plumix Medium Tip disposable fountain pen does not look like much.  It looks like a cheap weirdly shaped pen.  It is cheap, but its performance is not.  When I saw the Pilot Plumix in Staples I was a bit wary.  I had just had a bad experience with my first fountain pen (Kaweco Sport before I gave it a second chance) but I was still curious about fountain pens so I gave it a shot.

  1. Plumix1


The Pilot Plumix Medium tip has an italic flat nib which adds the flares and fancy stuff to my handwriting that I really enjoy.  It lays down a smooth line without any scratchiness of the nib on paper.  It does generally write quite well.  The only problem is occasional skipping, which in my writing sample happened uncharacteristically often.  Other than the random skipping it writes great. In my Black N' Red notebook there was no bleed through and very limited show through.  On thinner and or cheaper papers the bleed through and show through increase, so be prepared. 

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The body of the Plumix is made of a lightweight plastic body, mine is translucent blue.  The body has cool swirls in the design of the body which makes the pen feel really interesting in a good way. However, the lightweight plastic makes the pen feel really cheap. Although the pen body feels cheap the grip is great.  The grip is contoured perfectly for my fingers and I could write with it for hours.  The cap is very small, oddly small if you ask me.  It isn't too much of a problem when the pen is capped, but with the cap posted on the end of the pen it seems very weird looking.  Overall the body feels cheap and looks interesting, but has an awesome grip.

Plumix2 

The Pilot Plumix Medium Tip is a great entry level fountain pen.  It has the flourishes and flares of an italic tip with a very reasonable price.  The body feels cheap, and the cap is weird.  The ink is a very cool shade of blue but it skips and doesn't write consistently at times.  For a disposable fountain pen I can't ask for very much more.

sevenmummies 

7 out of 10

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Review: Pentel EnerGel 0.5mm Black

I really did not know much about this pen before purchasing it. I thought it was a decent looking pen, and had previously read some reviews on it, so I decided to pick a pack up. I am so glad I did. I have loved this pen ever since the day I got it. It is hard for me to concentrate on another pen, because I always want to be using this one. It truly was an unexpected writing machine.



Right off the bat this pen just looks cool. In other reviews that I have read, I learned that this is the European variety of this model. It has a sleek blue metallic body with a crisp chrome clip. This could also be the one aspect about this pen that might throw people off. The fact that it has a blue body and black ink. This does not bother me at all though, and I actually think it is kind of cool. It has slices at the tip of the cap that makes it look streamlined, and aerodynamic.



This pen gets even better once you start writing with it. It has a nice soft wavy grip that is not too squishy, but not hard or uncomfortable either. It gives a smooth silky line right out of the packaging, and never seizes to stop no matter how much you use it. On any writing surface whether it is premium paper, or a napkin this pen lays down ink with precision and ease.



I honestly cannot think of one flaw about this pen. It is my favorite pen as of right now, and nothing I have used to this day really has even come close to this pen. This pen deserves the first rating of 10 out of 10 mummies.


-Cody

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Review: Pilot G-Tec-C4 .4mm Black

This was a pen that I was super excited to try out. The Pilot G-Tec-C4 is the American version of the immensely popular Pilot Hi-Tec-C line of pens.  It is a micro tip gel pen. As usual when I get my hopes up for a pen (Kaweco Sport) I was initially dissapointed.

Gtec1 

The first time I wrote with the G-Tec-C4 I hated it.  I had heard in previous reviews that it took a while for the pen to start writing, but what I experienced was horrid.  I was furiously scribbling on the paper for over a minute before it started writing. A pen not writing is one of my biggest pet peeves, I hate scribbling circles on my notebook pages until it writes.  When it did finally start to write the lines were filled with white space and it was a scratchy pen.  To be honest I wasn't ready for the mico tip.  I hated it.

gtec3 

But then I gave it a couple of days rest in my pencil case and tried it out again.  This time it wrote write away (and hasn't stopped yet) and there was still some white space, but not as much as before.  Best of all the scratchiness disappeared.  It was a quality writing experience. The lines had a little white space but were otherwise crisp and dark.  The ink was super black and it dried in no time at all.

After the initial start up problems, which made me almost throw the pens away,  there was only one other problem.  The cheap plastic body of the Pilot G-Tec-C4 is a major drawback.  Although I like the simple design of the pen and I think it looks good for a cheap plastic body, it is extremely fragile and occasionally uncomfortable.  The other night I sat down and the pen broke in my pocket (the pants may have been tight, but not tight enough to break a pen).

gtec2 

Another drawback of the pen's body is its ridged plastic grip and metal cap.  I like to grip my pens low when writing, and while doing this the pressure from my fingers caused the metal cap at the tip of the pen to unscrew itself causing it to wobble and become uncomfortable to write with.  Also your hand begins to get irritated after squeezing onto the ridged grip for too long (i.e. marathon note taking sessions).

Overall the Pilot G-Tec-C4 is a quality pen with a few drawbacks.  It's cheap body and initial refusal to start knock it down a few mummies.  But the G-Tec is a quality introduction into micro tip pens.

sevenmummies 

7 out of 10 mummies