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.

Fantasy Football Draft List

How is this pen related? For the most part it isn’t, but I did put a new pen in action to help me keep track of the team I drafted last night.

This is the lone “jellybean” league I play in, which is a 14-team PPR league. I had the 10th overall pick, and since the Sportsline.com draft interface leaves a little to be desired, I tracked my roster with good old fashioned pen and paper.

I talked about the Bic Z4 Porous Tip a few weeks back, and I ordered a dozen of the new body style from Amazon to see if they are any different. From a writing perspective, it is the exact same pen, but the body has been updated nicely. The grip section is much better, and the overall design is great.

I am pretty happy with how my draft turned out. Good luck to all of the other fantasy footballers out there!

#OnePenOneDay Bic Z4 Porous Tip 1.0mm

The Bic Z4 Porous Tip pen was one of the first few pens I reviewed on The Pen Addict. It has long been a favorite of mine, and I wish it was more widely available. Heck, I wish all pen brands would have more porous tips available. I love the feel of the plastic tip on the paper, and the sharp dark lines it creates. Yes, it is a much wider tip than I normally use, but is very versatile. If you happen across one be sure to try it out.

Update: I have been asked where to buy these. If you are lucky, you can find them at one of the big office supply stores like Staples. I checked on Amazon this morning, and they have the new body style for $9.95/dozen, which is a great deal.