(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)
It's been quite a while since I've tested out the Pilot FriXion pens. I'm not normally in need of any erasable options, so these pens just don't get the exercise they deserve. With the latest Fineliner version from Pilot, I decided to give it another go.
The Pilot FriXion Fineliner is an erasable pen with a fine plastic tip that works great for drawing lines that retain crisp lines around the edges. These pens really remind me of the Staedtler Triplus and Paper Mate Flair pens, which is fair since they share the plastic tip designation.
It's hard to describe — any Pen Addict will understand — but the Fineliner is a delight to use. The ink flows well, the plastic tip is crisp but smooth, and there's even a small bit of shading present in the light blue and red ink colors that I'm using. I've been using these pens quite a lot in my everyday use, and I haven't seen any degradation in the tips. I'm fairly confident that the tips will outlive the ink supply. Since these aren't refillable, that works out great.
Writing, drawing, and scribbling with these pens is great fun, but what about the other signature feature of any FriXion pen? How well does it erase these nice markings? Wonderfully. I've used FriXion pens in the past and have mixed feelings about their ability to erase. In the case of the Fineliner, I've been impressed with how well it works. I think the main difference in the performance is that the plastic tip doesn't create as much of an impression on the paper compared to a metal roller ball. Whatever it is, it's magical.
Along with the great writing and erasing experience, the dry time is also remarkably fast. You can write something and erase it almost immediately without blurring anything. And, if anything does blur, you can just wait a couple of seconds for the ink to fully dry and then erase away the mistakes.
Everything else about these pens is remarkably simple. The slim body is lightly decorated and branded, the cap is small and able to post securely, and the eraser on top of the cap matches the color of the rest of the pen. It's a great package!
Now, with any FriXion pen, there are some drawbacks. The main one being that this is not permanent ink. It's funny to point that out since the main marketing feature of this pen is that the ink is erasable, but I'm referring to the archival properties. You can't rely on this ink to last in notebooks for years and decades to come. Maybe it will be fine, but there's also no promises that it will endure.
The Pilot FriXion Fineliner is available in a variety of fun colors for just over $2 a piece. You can even pick up a six-pack or twelve-pack if you want to round out a complete set while also saving a couple of bucks.
(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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