Posts filed under Pen Reviews

Pilot Precise V7 Rollerball 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 her latest book, The Atropine Tree, is now available!)

So, what did you get for back-to-school supplies this year? While I'm not in school anymore, I still had to shop for my kids. I can't walk past those aisles of pretty pens and paper and not indulge a little bit. The kids got their list items, and oops, a pack of Pilot Precise V7 pens in this limited-edition color set fell into my cart.

I usually prefer a finer point on my pens, with .5mm being the thickest I generally like, but these colors looked too fun to pass up, and I'm glad I didn't. This set comes in Periwinkle, Emerald, Lilac, Cherry, Salmon, and Honey Yellow, in addition to the standard red, black, and blue. It's supposed to be a relaxation-inspired palette, but it has a 1970s vibe and reminds me a lot of old Fiestaware dishes. The colors are well pigmented and vibrant, so they're easy to read--even the yellow. The wider tips actually help with the enjoyment of the colors in the same way that a broad fountain pen nib helps show off ink properties.

When I think about it, these pens were what I was using in college before I switched to fountain pens. Something about the smooth writing of the liquid ink was kind of a gateway drug to fountain pens. Which explains a lot about why I like to use these when I can't use my fountain pens.

The construction of these pens hasn't really changed since way back in the ancient times when I was actually a student. But there's no need to change them. They're great as they are. One of my favorite features of the construction is the ink window, which shows how much of the liquid ink is left. I remember watching it slosh back and forth like a lava lamp as a bored student. The needlenose tip of the pen is also great for writing. It allows a clear view of your lines, which is great for ... precision. Hence, the name.

The snap cap has a metal clip and it posts securely--all handy features in a workhorse everyday pen. The slim body of the pen also allows it to fit into narrower pen holders.

This is essentially the perfect office pen. It's not fancy enough to worry about it wandering off, but it's a big step up from the random-brand ballpoints that usually circulate. It has a large ink capacity, writes reliably, and comes in enough colors to color code even the most complex meeting notes. This set has been put to hard work mapping out my next quarterly schedule. It's a good thing this came with three different shades of red.

The Pilot Precise line is one most folks are familiar with, even if they aren't "pen people." Even people who think they don't care about pens will admit that they prefer these.

I paid about $15 for this set at our local Meijer, which was a sale price for the back-to-school specials. Regular price has them running about $2 per pen, which is an average price for what is, I believe, an above average pen. Now they just need to release a few more shades of red and I'll be able to write out my to-do list. At least I can cross back-to-school shopping off of it.

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Posted on August 29, 2024 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Pilot, Precise V7, Pen Reviews.

Lamy Safari Ballpoint Piña Colada Review

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

At this point in the year, summer vacations are winding down and everyone is settling in for the last big push before the end of year holidays are upon us. When I think of piña coladas, I instantly associate that with beach-side vacations and carefree living. While the 2024 special edition Safari can't replicate that experience, it can certainly lighten the mood with these bright colors.

The Lamy Safari Piña Colada is a light blue and bright yellow color combo that I haven't been able to put down. I'm using the ballpoint version, though you can get this in fountain pen, rollerball, and pencil variants as well.

If you've ever used a Lamy Safari ballpoint before, then there's nothing new here aside from the unique color combination. The refill included inside is Lamy's proprietary M16 medium point with black ink. As far as ballpoint refills go, the M16 is decent, but not my favorite. Unfortunately, there aren't other refills that you can easily drop-in to replace the M16, but Lamy do offer some other point sizes and color options for the refill.

The body of the Piña Colada is a light blue with a touch of green. There's a clear finish on the body that catches the light. The clear finish also provides a nice feel when writing, but can cause some oil build-up after writing for a while. The pen is easy to wipe down, though!

The accents (nose cone, bellows/nock, and clip) are all a matte bright yellow color that goes perfectly with the light blue-green body.

The squishy bellows mechanism requires a good amount of force to operate, but it's so satisfying to use, just like any other Lamy Safari ballpoint. I love the bellows cover — it would be easy to identify this pen as a Lamy just from the clip shape, but the squishy accordion nock is another signature clue.

The grip section is a three-sided contour that provides three flattened areas for resting your fingers. This works well for how I grip the pen, but it might not be to everyone's liking. The nose cone is long enough that you can even grip the upper part if needed for more control.

The only branding on the pen is a LAMY logo debossed into the side of the body right under the bellows and opposite the clip. It's subtle and can be easy to miss in low light. The clip is strong and will keep the pen secured to whatever you clip it to.

At $16, this Piña Colada special edition Safari is a good deal on a classic pen. For me, this was a compulsive purchase just because of the colors. The fact that it's a great writing instrument is just a bonus. If these colors speak to you, be sure to pick one up before they're gone!

(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on August 21, 2024 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Lamy, Safari, Ballpoint, Pen Reviews.

Mark's Tokyo Edge Days Metal 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 her latest book, The Atropine Tree, is now available!)

Take the classic hexagonal design of a woodcase pencil, but make it aluminum and a gel ink pen, and you get the Mark's Tokyo Edge Days Metal Gel Pen. It's very sturdy but lightweight, and the shape keeps it from rolling off a desk.

The pen comes in a variety of colors: silver, black, red, yellow, green, blue, and this lovely purple. The six sides all have a lot of text on them, partly brand info, but mostly a clever list of the days of the week (Saturday and Sunday share a side) in several different languages. Hence, the "Days" in the pen's name.

The click button has a very satisfying clunk and it deploys the needlepoint tip of the Ohto 0.5 mm gel refill. The tip writes very smoothly with no skips and the ink is nicely saturated. Inkwise, it's very pleasant to write with.

Design wise, it wasn't the best writing experience. It's a fairly wide pen, and the hexagon shape is a bit tricky to grip. There is no grip section or texture to it, so my fingers often slipped, creeping closer to the paper as I wrote. The angles and weight of the pen also led to frequent readjustment of how I was holding it. It works great for quick notes, but I found myself setting it aside for other options when it came to longer writing sessions, like for meeting notes.

While my hands didn't care for the design, the pen does look great. It's interesting; modern but with a vintage vibe. It's gotten several comments from my coworkers, which delights me, as I slowly convert them all to being pen people. It's also not super expensive, so I don't have to worry about the price scaring new pen fans away from the hobby. It runs around $20 dollars, which is very fair for a metal pen with a great refill.

While it wasn't quite my cup of tea, one coworker of mine thought it was awesome and already plans to buy one--so it may very well delight you, too. Realistically, most people write short notes, and this pen is great for that. I'll enjoy admiring the design from across the table as my coworker takes their first leap down the Pen Addict rabbit hole.

(Brad purchased this pen at the London Graphic Centre.)

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