(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.)
The fifty-year legacy workhorse of felt-tip pens has a new set of colors out! The Paper Mate Flair Candy Pop edition adds a few fun colors to their portfolio. Blueberry Bubblegum, Grape Gumdrop, Gummy Green, Raspberry Fizz, Strawberry Lollipop, and Salted Caramel are all lovely shades, and though the palette is a little purple heavy, it's nicely coordinated. The colors aren't too similar, so they work well together for coding lists or planner entries.
The build of the pens are the same as the standard Ultra Fine Flairs. They have a silvery matte plastic body and ink-coordinated lids. The sections also match the ink color, so it's always easy to tell what you're reaching for, whether caps are on or off. There are no color names on the barrel, which I feel is a bit of a bummer for a limited color line. The UF tip is a plasticky felt with a metal needlepoint reinforcement. The tips will wear out after a while, but they're priced to be easily replaced (though the limited edition colors may be harder to track down for seconds--better stock up).
The sections are flared and smooth, but not too slippery. They're comfortable to hold and to write with for long periods of time. The clips are stiff and the underside of the metal is sharp--so be careful if you're trying to pull the clip open to slide it onto something. The caps snap in place securely and post well. The pen itself is so light that posting doesn't affect the balance at all. The lightness does give it a bit of a cheap feel--as does the imperfectly-molded plastic--but these pens are tough and reliable.
The tips write smoothly with no skipping. They don't dry out when left uncapped for a coloring session, but the ink dries quickly on the page. It is water-based and acid-free, but it isn't waterproof, so it may not be the best choice for lining a drawing before adding paint or ink, but they are excellent for sketching in their own right. The colors are very bright and saturated and the pigments are designed to resist smearing and bleed-through. They're perfect for scrapbooks and planners or coloring books--or any time you need a reliable felt-tip pen. They haven't changed much in more than fifty years, but they haven't had to.
(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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