Sakura Pigma Sensei Drawing Pen 0.4 mm Review

There are not many pens that I like more than the Sakura Pigma Micron. It has been a long time favorite of mine, and along with the Pilot Hi-Tec-C it is a pen I keep handy everywhere I am, or might be. The Sakura Pigma Sensei Drawing Pen shares some of the same properties as its cousin the Micron but has many unique qualities of its own.

What intrigued me the most about the Sensei line was the range of tip types offered, especially the porous tip found in the 0.4 mm. The product line is made to be sold as a set, with the 0.3 mm made to look like the traditional Micron for fine lines, and the wider 0.6 mm and 1.0 mm designed like markers for wide, bold lines. Fortunately for me, JetPens sells the pens individually as well because I really wanted to try the 0.4 mm the most.

Porous tip pens are one of my favorite types of pens because of the sharp, clean lines they produce. The ink is generally darker as well, compared to other similar types of pens. The Sensei is a winner in both of those areas, but the tip is a little more fibrous than I prefer. I believe it is designed like that for a reason, allowing artists some variation in line width. For me, I'd prefer a firmer, solid tip for every day writing.

I was hoping the Sensei would take a spot in my arsenal right next to the Micron, but it is one notch below for me. It is excellent for sure, but for my needs the Micron suits me better.

Uni Mitsubishi Pure Color-F Double-Sided Sign Pen - 0.8 mm + 0.4 mm - Orange Review

It is awards season, so the award for longest pen name of the year (so far) goes to the Uni Mitsubishi Pure Color-F Double-Sided Sign Pen - 0.8 mm + 0.4 mm - Orange!!!

Never one to turn down a new porous tip pen, I picked this one up from JetPens back in November. It wasn't the 0.8 mm side that intrigued me, but I was excited about the 0.4 mm option. In that area, the Pure Color did not disappoint.

Normally, porous tip pens are prone to breaking down in the tip area and dulling the line. Uni Mitsubishi markets this pen as having an extra-sturdy tip which should last longer than a normal porous tip pen. I haven't put this pen through rigorous testing yet, but early results are positive. The 0.4 mm tip lays down a crisp line with no bleed or show-through to the back of the page.

The 0.8 mm side is as wide as you would expect, and is unusable for me. Like I mentioned in the written review, I like the 0.4 mm side so much I would gladly pay double for just a single-tipped pen.

For $1.65 the Pure Color is a no-brainer to try and test out for yourself.

Paper Mate Hardhead Flair Review

My recent posts on the Bic Z4 Porous Tip pen have turned out to be very popular. People like this style of pen tip and the way they write, but unfortunately they are a little hard to find. The same goes for any similar pens, which is a question I have gotten several times recently. I was hard pressed to come up with an answer, but Pen Addict reader Amy sent me the Paper Mate Hardhead Flair to try out, and it is very comparable to the Z4.

The Flair line has been around for as long as I can remember, but I had never heard of the Hardhead until Amy emailed me. Flairs have always been my favorite Paper Mate product, and this one holds up well under the test. The Hardhead has a sharp, dark line, and doesn’t bleed through the Doane Paper I am using. Compared directly to the Z4, it is almost identical, with only the smoothness of the Z4 being a bit better.

Now for the kicker: These are even HARDER to find that the Z4. In fact, Amy got hers off of eBay, and was nice enough to share with me. Are there any other porous tip pen options out there that I should test and are somewhat easy to obtain? Please let me know in the comments section and I would be happy to hunt them down.