Sakura Sumo Grip Retractable Eraser Review

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

When you start delving into the world of pencils, you quickly remember how important erasers are. If you're like me, you probably had an eraser or two in school that looked a little like this:

Pink Pearl erasers

These erasers gave your pencil box a distinctive smell, but I never really thought they were incredibly effective at erasing pencil marks. After working several years at an art supply store, I quickly discovered how varied and focused erasers can be. One of my favorite types of dedicated erasers was the retractable variety, and that's what I'm reviewing today.

The Sakura Sumo Grip retractable eraser is a fantastic design with a soft and efficient eraser core.

On the outside, the Sumo Grip is a long dark gray plastic body with a translucent ruby clip and advancer button. It's understated, but I think it looks pretty cool. It's also pretty sturdy — completely up to the challenge of a messy pencil bag.

Retractable erasers can have some pretty unique eraser advancement mechanisms, but the Sumo Grip is fairly simple. To advance the eraser, simply press the top a couple of times. To use the eraser, just hold the body and wipe away those marks. While some retractable erasers require you to press a button on the side to stay the eraser core, the Sumo Grip has a built in clutch that keeps the eraser from backing into the body. But, if you want to retract the eraser for storage, just press the button on top and push the eraser in for safe keeping.

In use, the Sumo Grip does a great job at erasing pencil marks. I've been trying it with different types of pencils and grades, and I've had fairly consistent results. It performs really well with hard grades, but starts to struggle a bit in the 2B range. It still manages to remove the marks, but it takes a few extra strokes.

According to the information on JetPens, the eraser is made of a micro-porous foam and has certain advantages over other PVC erasers. I don't know much about the different types of eraser materials, but I can vouch for the performance of this particular eraser. With minimal pressure, this eraser can almost completely remove graphite particles from the page with just 3 swipes. In my other tests, going for the complete white out takes just 8 strokes. And, apart from removing the graphite that doesn't belong, it doesn't smear onto the page. It's a clean eraser that does its job well.

The rectangular design (instead of round) gives it a nice edge for making detailed swipes, and the large body gives you plenty of control when making fine adjustments.

Overall, this is a fantastic eraser that I've kept on hand when using pencils. It packs up neatly, does its job well, and doesn't break the bank. At under $4, it's a great deal. You can't order refills, but the entire package is intended to be disposable. You can find other options that offer eraser refills, but this is a great portable option.

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

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Sakura Ballsign Premium 4*1 Multipen Review

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

No matter what your preferences may be in terms of gel pens, you can probably find a multi-pen variant from that manufacturer or that will fit your favorite refills. Today, we're looking at the Sakura Ballsign 4*1 multi-pen.

The Ballsign 4*1 is available in several color options, but I have the all-black version, which looks fantastic. There isn't a single piece of bling on the matte black beauty apart from the colored refill selectors. It gives this pen a tactical feel, though I don't think the same is true in the other colors.

Most of the pen is plastic, but the grip section is a coated brass that adds a nice balance when writing. With the center of gravity so low, it's easy to control the pen when writing. This is especially important when using such fine-tipped refills like those that come with the pen. At 0.4mm, they strike a good balance between ultra-fine and still wide enough to show off the colors.

Like most multi-pens, you select a refill by depressing a tab at the top of the pen. When you want to retract it or select another refill, just depress another one. While there are four different gel ink refills to choose from (black, blue, green, and red), it also features a 0.5mm mechanical pencil component. To use this, depress the clip! The integrated clip, pencil selector, and lead advancer is a great implementation for this pen. I've really enjoyed using it and haven't had any trouble with the pencil.

At the top of the pen, there's a small eraser hidden under a black cap that snaps on and off. Like most pencils with hidden erasers, I worry about losing the eraser cap at some point, even if I'm not routinely using the eraser.

Unlike other mechanical pencils, you don't refill the lead by dropping in more lead in the barrel that also holds the eraser. In this case, you unscrew the pen and remove the mechanical pencil component. The lead drops into the small component, and you can reassemble the pen. All in all, it's only one additional step compared to normal mechanical pencils.

The 0.4mm gel refills that come with this pen are very nice — they are smooth, bold, and have great color. The green is a little dark and a tad blue for my tastes, but it's still an interesting color. It's not a typical hunter green that normally comes with a standard multi-pen. The line edges are crisp and clean, and I haven't had any issues with skipping on most paper. Oddly, the black refill doesn't play nicely with Rhodia, but has no issues on other papers. I assume this has something to do with the coating on the paper, so keep that in mind if you intend to use this pen on any paper that features a smooth coating (like Rhodia).

As far as refill options go, you're pretty limited in the Sakura lineup. They only offer the same four colors that come with the pen: black, blue, green, and red. Unfortunately, I can't find anything else that fits. Pilot Acroball, Zebra Sarasa, Uni Style Fit, Uniball Jetstream, and D1 refills are either too short or too wide for the Sakura. This is a shame because an important part of any multi-pen is the ability to fill it with whatever colors fit your fancy. It's not uncommon for a manufacture to limit the color options in their multi-pen, but I wish it wasn't true. Either way, also bear that in mind if you're interested in this pen. The refill options are very limited!

Another aspect that somewhat soured my experience with this pen was upon initially opening it and trying to use it. Like most gel pens, each refill had a protective seal on the tip of the point. I've never had any problems removing these, as they simply slide off with a small amount of pressure. The Sakura Ballsign refills (all four of them) were a much different story. Using friction from your fingertips won't cut it; you have to use fingernails in order to accomplish anything, but it's slow work. Only small strips of the protective gel/wax covering came off with each attempt. Even after removing it (I spent 15 minutes doing this), the refills had trouble writing due to small amounts of sticky residue left behind on the gel ball. In time, everything started working perfectly, but it was a frustrating initial experience. Maybe it was a fluke, but consider yourself warned!

Apart from the lack of color options for the refills and a frustrating unboxing experience, the Sakura Ballsign 4*1 is a solid multi-pen. The refills are all smooth and bold, and the pencil is reliable and well made. The weighted grip section gives the pen a premium and stable feel when writing, and the matte black color scheme gives it an intriguing aesthetic.

The Ballsign 4*1 is available in 2 varieties: standard and Premium. In the standard vein, you have an option of Navy, Red, Black, and Dark Brown. In the Premium vein, you have Black and Silver. The difference between the two is that the Premium pens have the weighted brass section, whereas the standard pens have a plastic, textured grip section. The prices range from about $15 to $25 for both lines, which are affordable and fair for the quality. Overall, these are great multi-pens!

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

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Sakura Decorese 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.)

It was the pretty pastel color palettes that drew me to the Sailor Decorese Gel Pens. With the Floral and Fruity sets combined, there's a great variety of spring colors.

I was surprised when I first wrote with them. I'd definitely say these fit more into the realm of art supplies rather than writing tools. The ink wasn't quite what I expected from something called a gel pen--they remind me more of pigment or paint pens. The ink is thick and coats the paper, maintaining a glossy, raised surface even after drying. Drying takes quite a long time. When I used it to fill in areas in my journal, it wasn't a sit-and-wait-for-dry-time ink, but a get-up-and-do-something-else-while-you-wait dry time. The ink also can dry out on the tip of the pen, and sometimes requires wiping away, so it doesn't clog the flow or drag on the page. When the pens are left uncapped or set aside for a length of time they can require some priming to get started again. I also ran into issues when I tried to go back and write over the ink when it was partially dry. The tip would scrape away the old lines and make a general mess of things. But as long as the lines were totally dry, they could be layered safely.

Once I adjusted my expectations of these pens, I really enjoyed working with them. The flow is good, the ink has great coverage, and they write on a number of surfaces, like plastic, glass, metal, photos, or dark paper. They work great for drawing highlights or writing overtop of other media like watercolors or color washes.

The pen bodies are very well constructed. They're a sturdy white plastic with a flared snap cap. The cap helps stop the pen from rolling and also has an easy-to-see ink color swatch at the top. It also snaps to post securely. The body is decorated with a clear plastic wrap that's printed with the branding, a gold filigree pattern, and a floral mark that also indicates the ink color.

There isn't a grip section. They have a long conical tip in the same white plastic as the body, and a metal rollerball point. It feels fine to hold the pen back on the body, but I'd definitely prefer a defined grip section. Still, the pens are clearly not designed for long writing sessions, so grip comfort isn't a huge consideration.

Ultimately, I was disappointed to not have a standard gel ink in these lovely color sets. I do still use them fairly often, but the dry time is a bit of a deal-breaker when it comes to everyday use. They are very pleasant as paint pens, but the product name is misleading. There's nothing wrong with the product itself--it's just another reminder of how product names shape users' expectations--and how a good product can bum you out if it's not what you were looking for.

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

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Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, which I am very grateful for.

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