Posts filed under Gel

Sakura Craft Lab 005 Gel Ink Pen Review

Pop quiz time: does the pen in the picture above cost $5, or $50?

Ok, the answer is probably obvious, or else I wouldn’t have been able to write this introduction. And while it isn’t exactly $50, at $48, the Sakura Craft Lab 005 Gel Ink Pen is close enough for arguments sake. And it’s an argument - with myself - that I’m about to have.

I love this pen. Let’s get that out of the way right up top. It’s everything I am looking for in a cool Japanese stationery product.

The design is beautiful. It features a long, torpedo-shape, plastic barrel, with a twist mechanism that engages near the middle of the pen. The long, vertical lines in the grip section morph into a Sakura blossom at the end of the barrel, giving this pen its signature look.

And it feels great too. This is a thick-wall plastic, giving the pen some density, along with the internal metal hardware for the twist mechanism. It’s not heavy, but it’s not light, either.

This pen ships with an 0.5 mm gel ink refill in Sepia Black. Now that’s a choice, isn’t it? I love the unique color, and even though I would like the brown to break through on the page a little more, it shows up well enough in comparison to a standard black ink.

*Side by side with the Zebra Sarasa Clip refill.*

When writing, I would compare it to the Zebra Sarasa Clip 0.5 mm gel ink pen. For those familiar with that pen you know it writes well, but with a slight scratch it the tip. That is something I enjoy, but a glassy 0.7 mm Pentel EnerGel this is not.

And here, the fawning ends, because there are two issues with this pen that make it difficult for me to recommend.

First up, the price. As mentioned up top, it’s $48. That’s admittedly outrageous for this pen. The funny thing is, I don’t think it is overpriced. This is a case where a high-design, low-volume, boutique-like pen has become more widely available. I get it. I don’t know that I can wholeheartedly recommend it, but I get it.

What I don’t get with this pen is the refill choice. It is proprietary in design, half the length of a standard gel ink refill, and replacements are costly at $4.15 each. This is where they lose me.

The mid-barrel twist forces this design decision. And if you are familiar with gel ink pens - in relation to rollerball and ballpoint pens - then you know that they are the fastest refills to write dry. If you think the pen is expensive, then you really don’t want to consider the ongoing costs of using it.

That’s too bad, because I genuinely love using the Sakura Craft Lab gel pen. It’s fun, it’s cool, it feels and works great, and it’s a money pit.

What a dilemma.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on May 17, 2021 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Sakura, Gel, Pen Reviews.

Iconic Color TwinPen Gel Pen Review

I think the Iconic Color TwinPen Gel Pens are worth considering - if you consider up front how you are going to use them.

I was into them immediately for several reasons. I mean, I’m not the type of stationery user who says no to 0.4 mm, needle-tip, gel ink pens, that - oh, by the way - are two sided, have cool colors, and cost just over five bucks for the set. That’s kind of my purpose in life, right?

Korean-based Iconic is not a brand I've used previously (Sarah has,) but I like what they have done here. The barrel design reminds me of the classic Crayon markers, with a simple, clean barrel, ink color band, and short cap. The design is a good mixture of modern and retro styles.

The TwinPen aspect of these pens is the entire reason for buying them. You can buy standard gel ink pens anywhere and everywhere these days, but the double-sided, two-color aspect of these is the main selling point. Black and Orange, Brown and Green, and Blue and Red are the three setups, and a good mix of colors. Would I have argued for purple over brown in the design meeting? Yes, but that is admittedly pedantic at this point.

From a writing perspective, the 0.4 mm needle-tip is a good one, but not spectacular. Similar tips from Uni-ball and Pentel are smoother, as are standard conical tips from those, and other brands, like Pilot and Zebra. These from Iconic leave a clean, bright line, but I feel more metal from the tip than I do from the big brands. They aren’t scratchy, but there is some drag on the page, if that makes sense.

If you think of these pens as note-taking pens as opposed to novel-writing pens, you will be happy with them. I think that is exactly what they are designed for.

The Iconic Color TwinPen Gel Pens are a fun addition to any note-taking arsenal. And the price - $5.50 for the three-pack - makes them easy to take a chance on.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on May 3, 2021 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Iconic, Gel, Pen Reviews.

Pilot G2 Limited Metallic Body 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!)

The Pilot G2 doesn't exactly need an introduction. Most of the people I know who have pen preferences, though they may not yet be pen addicts, say it's one of their favorites. The reason for this, generally, is the refill. The G2 refill is great. It's smooth, reliable, saturated, and accessible. Nearly anyone who writes has encountered one and had a good experience. I've often bought the refills to put in other pen bodies, so I was excited to try this Limited Metallic Pen Body that Pilot designed just for the G2 line.

This pen has a lightweight metal body with a matte finish and chrome accents. The grip is firm rubber with added texture to prevent slipping. The nosecone unscrews to replace the refill. The spring is fixed inside the nosecone, so it doesn't go flying and get lost--a feature I appreciate greatly. It has a strong, satisfying click mechanism and the clip is firm but flexible enough to function well. This pen body is overall a bit bigger and longer than the standard plastic G2 body, but it's light enough that it's still comfortable to hold and write with.

It comes with a black refill inside that is acid free, archival, and waterproof. It does smear a little when still wet, but dries fairly quickly and is then permanent.

I'm a magpie, so I went for the purple body, but it is also available in grey, blue, red, gold, and silver—so they have the whole spectrum from fun to professional covered, though I'm hoping for more fun colors in the future. G2 ink refills also come in a variety of fun colors, but you're not limited to G2 refills with this pen body, either. It also fits popular refills like the Pentel EnerGel and Uni Jetstream, among others.

I think this pen is very well priced at $11.75. Maybe even a little underpriced. It's perfect for an everyday purse pen, and sturdy enough to survive in a pocket or backpack. Ideal for students or use in the office--though you'd have to guard it against wandering pen syndrome. It's a nice pen, but it doesn't look so fancy that it might not be mistaken for a communal or disposable pen to someone who doesn't understand that some pens are special.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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