Review: Sharpie Ultra Fine Permanent Marker - Brown

I mentioned it in the written review above, but it bears repeating here - you can thank Chad Doane for this review.  I read in his recent "What's on Their Desk" interview at Office Supply Geek that his daily arsenal consists of the Sharpie Ultra Fine Permanent Marker in Black and his own Doane Paper Flap Jotter.  I had some black Sharpies laying around the house, but I figured I would order a few of the more non-traditional colors from JetPens since they recently started stocking them.

One of the things I have always enjoyed about the Sharpie Ultra Fine markers is how rich the colors are, and this brown is a perfect example.  The way it lays down on the page makes it look almost as if it were painted on.  That being said, you also know going into it that you are going to get some bleed through the page.  If that is acceptable to you, then you are looking at a marker that can accomplish a wide variety of tasks on a daily basis.  It's no wonder why Sharpies are the marker of choice for so many artists and designers around the world.

What do you use your Sharpies for?

Click here for the XL review.

Review: Sharpie Liquid Pencil

My friend Brian (aka the Office Supply Geek) recently did a bang up review of the new Sharpie Liquid Pencil.  He pretty much covered it all, from design to performance and with tons and tons of photo samples.  For a super in-depth review of the Sharpie Liquid Pencil, be sure to check his review out, because I am going to take this one in a little bit of a different direction.

I am not going to ignore the performance of this pencil, but I am not going to belabor the point either: the Sharpie Liquid Pencil writes horribly.  It is inconsistent, streaky, messy, and the barrel rattles when writing like there is no tomorrow.  Being the tech nerd that I am, I relate the quality of this pencil as similar to an alpha release of software.  It feels nothing at all like a finished product.

I could continue bagging on this pencil until the cows come home, but that would be a waste of time, because all things considered, this pencil makes me happy.  "How in the world can this pencil make you happy if you hate it so much" is what you are probably saying at this point, but hear me out.  I think by putting a product out like the Sharpie Liquid Pencil that is different than anything else on the market is a bold and innovative move.  Sharpie is showing the office supply community that they aren't going to rest on their laurels and just keep pumping out the best permanent ink pen on the market.  That would be so easy for them to do, wouldn't it?

Ever heard of the Sharpie Pen?  I assume so if your are reading this blog.  Think about the Sharpie Pen and then think about the last time you saw something new and innovative on the store shelves from Pilot or Uni-Ball or Pentel?  The mass market American consumer doesn't like change apparently, because every time I go to the store, all I see are the standard G2's or 207's or Energel's that have been on the shelves for years.  B-O-R-I-N-G!  Why do you think I shop at JetPens anyway?  But Sharpie put out four versions of the Sharpie Pen in a reasonably short time frame, and they have all been a huge success.

While my overall experience with the Sharpie Liquid Pencil has been poor, I am glad to see Sharpie taking risks and putting new products out on the market.  I hope this model succeeds or there is a version two in the pipeline.  The last thing I want to see is for Sharpie to stop innovating.  Maybe the other brands will follow suit in the American market like they do overseas.

Big thanks to Sharpie and especially @SharpieWhit for sending me this sample for review.

Click here for the XL review.