Posts filed under Faber-Castell

Faber-Castell Fast Gel Z 0.5 mm Gel Ink Pen Review

(This post contains Amazon Affiliate links.)

How important is the grip when choosing a pen?

For some, it is the first or second consideration. If you fall into that category, then you will want to read on for my thoughts on the Faber-Castell Fast Gel Z ink pen.

Before I dig into the grip, let’s talk about the first thing I want to know about any traditional ink pen: the writing performance. How does it write? In this case, pretty well!

I shouldn’t be surprised, as Faber-Castell has been making pens for decades, and have been in business as a stationer for centuries. Yes, literally. But I have far more experience with their fountain pens and inks-even pencils-that I do their standard pens.

The Fast Gel Z, along with many other recent Faber-Castell products, were sent to me by Faber-Castell Malaysia, who had a strong belief that I would like what they are selling. And so far, they have been right. This pen is an 0.5 mm black gel pen with a needle tip, and writes very well. The ink is dark and smooth, although the lines need to be slightly sharper if it were to crack any Top 5 Gel Ink Pens list.

That’s rare air, as I don’t even rate the Pilot G2 or the Sharpie S-Gel that high either, but I would rate those two pens ahead of this one.

That line sharpness is a real differentiator at the 0.5 mm tip size, and finer. If you aren’t a tiny print writer like myself, I think you will enjoy this pen, or it’s 0.7 mm tip relative. Heck, I’ve really enjoyed it myself when I want to leave some dark marks on the page.

As far as that Fast Dry time claim? Yeah, it’s pretty good. I lined it up against the Uni-ball Signo DX 0.5 MM, Pilot G2 0.5 mm, and Pentel Energel 0.5 mm, and, despite being the widest, wettest line, the Faber-Castell had the lightest smudge mark in my quick dry time test.

While writing with the Fast Gel Z is good, the grip makes the feel of the pen great. This is the softest, most comfortable gel or ballpoint ink grip I’ve tested in recent memory. It’s soft and cushioned, and you can feel it give under your grip with each word. I love it. I do wonder how it will hold up over extended use, but I see no reason that it wouldn’t outlast the refill in essentially the same condition it started in.

The Fast Gel Z is currently available on Amazon for around $17 for a 10-pack of pens, which is accurately priced in my mind. This is a good, solid, middle of the pack gel ink pen, with a couple of minor features (soft grip, fast drying) that may push certain users toward it as opposed to the competition.

(Faber-Castell Malaysia provided this pen at no charge for the purposes of this review.)

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Posted on October 31, 2022 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Faber-Castell, Gel, Pen Reviews.

Faber Castell RX Gel Pen Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold! Links in the below post are Amazon Affiliate links.)

Faber Castell has a real winner with these RX Gel pens in their lineup. While the pen body isn't the greatest, the refill more than makes up for it.

This 5-pack comes with gold, pink, purple, blue, and green. The pen bodies are plastic in a color that matches the ink. The clips, which are part of the click mechanism, are white plastic. The click is extremely satisfying, but it's loud. It's a fidget dream, but it will irritate everyone nearby. The plastic body has a very slight triangular shape with a gently ridged grip section. It's very light and not very well finished. There are rough edges and plastic spurs at the nosecone and a number of flaws in the plastic itself. There's also an overall flimsy feel to the pen. That all sounds kind of awful, but the lifespan of gel pens is short enough that I don't need them to be too nice. I'm also not likely using them for a long writing session--just for quick planner notes or lists.

Despite the kinda awful body, the refills in this pen make them worth looking into. What I want when I reach for a gel pen is smooth, bold, saturated ink. This ticks all the boxes. The colors are bright and bold, the tip glides like butter, and the .7mm line is great for writing or coloring. It's easy to forget the rattling clip and rough build when a pen writes in a way that's so satisfying. Of course, given that awesome ink flow, these are going to run out of ink quickly and they're not refillable.

This ink is also fade-proof and waterproof, and it's available in a wide variety of colors and in other line widths, .5mm and .38mm. I've had no issues with ink drying out, leaking, or clumping.

This pack sells for around $8.50, though that price may vary by store. I think that's a very reasonable, affordable price, given the great ink and flimsy build. Individual pens come in under $2 each. The price and ink are what earn my recommendation for these. Gel pens with nice refillable bodies are often my preference, but they're likely pricey, and the refills cost as much--and produce as much landfill waste--as these disposable versions.

If gel pens are your jam, these are definitely worth a try.

((Faber-Castell Malaysia provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on October 27, 2022 by Sarah Read and filed under Faber-Castell, Gel, Pen Reviews.

Faber-Castell Grip X Ballpoint Pen Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

Faber-Castell isn't a brand that I typically associate with ballpoint pens, but turns out they have a lot of options in that category. The one I've been trying out lately, the Grip X, is a ballpoint pen that does well against other popular ballpoint pen refills.

The Grip X is an odd-looking pen — let's get that out of the way. The light gray and silver plastic body and color-matched silicone grip section and clip aren't my favorite features. It looks similar to a fineliner, but upon closer inspection you can tell it's a retractable pen with a fairly low-cost plastic barrel. While you can definitely unscrew the nose cone of the pen and remove (and replace) the refill, I don't think these were meant to be refilled. Similar to Bic pens, these are disposable. You can purchases these pens in bulk to stock up the office supply closet. Durability and longevity are not a main consideration with this pen.

Looks and disposable build quality aside, this pen is a fantastic writer and compares well against other low-cost disposable ballpoint pens. The pack I have included three 0.7mm pens in blue, black, and red. I'm not sure there are other color options (at least not widely available), but these at least cover the basics for office use.

The Grip X is a three-sided barrel with a soft silicone grip section (that also has three sides). The tri-sided grip is subtle, but I can feel the edges when writing with the pen. This makes the pen easy to control and handle when writing. The barrel is fairly slim, so the silicone grip and three sides add just the right small amount of tactile grip that it needs to make it really comfortable. I've found writing with the Grip X for long sessions is quite comfortable.

Getting to the real attraction of this pen: the refill. The 0.7mm tip produces exactly the line width you'd expect when comparing to other ballpoint pens. It's a fine line with crisp edges and smooth flow. It can take a couple of scribbles to get the ink flowing after the pen has been sitting for a while, but it's really quick to start in most cases.

The low-viscosity ink formula makes for a smooth flow, easy starting, bold ink colors, and clean lines. All three colors are fantastic. The black is dark and thick, and the blue and red are both bold and bright. As far as basic ink colors go, these do a great job.

Comparing these ballpoints to others in the same price category, they stand up really well. I still prefer using a Pilot Acroball or Uni Jetstream over this, but it's a close call. When it comes to something like a Schmidt EasyFlow or Parker Quink, the difference is even smaller. Pretty impressive considering how much more the Schmidt and Parker refills cost!

Overall, I've been pleasantly surprised by these pens. At first glance, they look boring. Since they look boring and old, I expect them to have a sub-par writing experience too. In this case, I'm happy to be wrong.

The Faber-Castell Grip X isn't ubiquitous in stationery stores, so you might have to search local online retailers and stores to find some. In the US, you can find the three color pack on Amazon for less than $10. The Grip X has been a great reminder to me than cheap, disposable pens can still be surprising and exciting regardless of your level of addiction in this hobby. Give them a try if you find them!

(Faber-Castell Malaysia provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!