(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. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold! Links in the below post are Amazon Affiliate links.)
Faber Castell has a real winner with these RX Gel pens in their lineup. While the pen body isn't the greatest, the refill more than makes up for it.
This 5-pack comes with gold, pink, purple, blue, and green. The pen bodies are plastic in a color that matches the ink. The clips, which are part of the click mechanism, are white plastic. The click is extremely satisfying, but it's loud. It's a fidget dream, but it will irritate everyone nearby. The plastic body has a very slight triangular shape with a gently ridged grip section. It's very light and not very well finished. There are rough edges and plastic spurs at the nosecone and a number of flaws in the plastic itself. There's also an overall flimsy feel to the pen. That all sounds kind of awful, but the lifespan of gel pens is short enough that I don't need them to be too nice. I'm also not likely using them for a long writing session--just for quick planner notes or lists.
Despite the kinda awful body, the refills in this pen make them worth looking into. What I want when I reach for a gel pen is smooth, bold, saturated ink. This ticks all the boxes. The colors are bright and bold, the tip glides like butter, and the .7mm line is great for writing or coloring. It's easy to forget the rattling clip and rough build when a pen writes in a way that's so satisfying. Of course, given that awesome ink flow, these are going to run out of ink quickly and they're not refillable.
This ink is also fade-proof and waterproof, and it's available in a wide variety of colors and in other line widths, .5mm and .38mm. I've had no issues with ink drying out, leaking, or clumping.
This pack sells for around $8.50, though that price may vary by store. I think that's a very reasonable, affordable price, given the great ink and flimsy build. Individual pens come in under $2 each. The price and ink are what earn my recommendation for these. Gel pens with nice refillable bodies are often my preference, but they're likely pricey, and the refills cost as much--and produce as much landfill waste--as these disposable versions.
If gel pens are your jam, these are definitely worth a try.
((Faber-Castell Malaysia provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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