Penmania

Zebra Sharbo X TS10

2010-01-22T19:45:00.000-08:00

I will in this review be comparing this zebra sharbo x to the new Lexus LFA, possibly Japan's first supercar to Japan's best superPEN. The Lexus costs $375,000 to the sharbo's $150 price tag. Both were born in Japan, a nation which manufactures its products to very high standards.

The zebra's best trait is it's ability to be customized by its owner. That's right the zebra is a multipen. The sharbo can house 3 pen components and 1 pencil. You can choose to fill your zebra with 14 possible ballpoint refills, 3 pencil components with different lead sizes, and 22 rollerball options. This pen becomes even more remarkable when aside from the great customization you get when you buy it, you also get one of the smoothest running pens ever. The quality is better than my mont blanc, this is a zebra for crying out loud! You turn the bottom half of the pen around to change refills. Unlike some multipens this is a continuous twist mechanism. Every time you hit a new refill you feel a smooth subtle bump. It's a heavenly mechanism. Changing refills is not to complex, you just unscrew the bottom half and pop out old refills and change them with the new ones. The refills write well, and last a fair amount of time. The clip is very good, spring-loaded and smooth. The weakest point of the pen is its tiny eraser. To get to the eraser you unscrew the very top of the pen to find a tiny black eraser. The body is made of anodized aluminum, a durable scratch resistant material.

The lexus lfa is made of carbon fiber. It is powered by a V10 550 horsepower engine that is lighter than an average 280 hp v6 engine. Crazy engineering like that propels the lfa to a top speed just over 200mph. While the lfa is sexier, faster, and more expensive the sharbo is the winner of this dogfight as the pen is still mightier than the.............car.

Penmania Rating

Zebra Sharbo X TS10 Lexus LFA

Writability 28/30 0/30

Clip 10/10 0/10

Value 16/20 14/20

Mechanism 10/10 ?/10

Looks 6/10 10/10

Durability 10/10 ?/10

Final Grade 80/100 24?/100

Note about final grade, my grading scale has become much harder, on the old scale this pen would of recieved a 97/100

I am back

2010-01-22T19:40:00.000-08:00

I am finally back to write reviews about my pen collection. While gone a few new pens have arrived at my doorstep that I hope are soon to be reviewed.

Bullet Space Pen: Black Titanium Nitrade

2009-09-18T21:51:00.000-07:00

The ability to write underwater, on grease, and in space was way to appealing for a penmaniac like me so I gave in and finally bought a fisher space pen. I bought the titanium nitrate version because titanium nitrate is the composite material astronauts used in space to plate regular titanium in conditions like space. The pen is basically all brass with a thick titanium nitrate coating. Being brass the pen is fairly weighty for its small size. Average pens are usually 5 1/2 inches, but the space pen when capped is only around 3 3/4 inches. When uncapped and you leave the cape posted, the pen measures 5 1/4 inches. The extra length is great for balance and gives you a comfortable writing instrument. The grip is basically smooth titanium nitrate with a few grooves.

Space Pens were invented in 1948 by Paul Fisher, an important figure who helped invent the ballpoint pen. Space pens were first used in space in 1965 by N.A.S.A and later by the Soviet union space pen programs.

Bullet space pens are fairly smooth and round pens meaning they can roll very easily, especially the versions like mine that have no clip. The pen writes fairly well and smooth, because of pressurized ink. The refill is pressurized and use a special thick ink that turns into liquid when it reaches the long lasting tungsten carbide pen tip. The ink is permanent and instant drying allowing the pen to write on most surfaces and underwater.

Overall- The space pen is very cool, and fits together really nicely.

Rating

Writability 44/45

Clip N/A

Value 20/25

Mechanism 8/10

Looks 4/5

Grip 4/5

Overall........80/90 or 88.9%

Photos Thanks to http://www.hsv.k12.al.us/schools/high/hct/Hunch/news.html

http://www.spacepen.com/

Parker Latitude Fountain Pen: Medium Nib Stainless Steel Finish

2009-09-06T15:39:00.000-07:00

Fountain pens for me have always been mysterious creatures. I had owned a few cheap disposable Pilot Varsities and found them not to my liking. I decided to venture out and buy a real fountain pen that was refillable and one that echoed character. I did not want to get some over expensive one above 100 dollars that i would lose within a week probably. Instead i decided to go to staples, a place were many expensive pens are on discount prices. The first dilemma was "do I get the Parker Latitude or the Waterman Phileas?" Both companies are owned by sanford and are fairly reliable. Also both pens are made in France which is rather cool and means they probably are not some piece of crap rip off. Both pens retail around 70-75 dollars, but staples sold them for a respectable 50 dollars. I decided to go for the latitude because the phileas was discontinued and I wondered if it was dicontinued for problems of some sort, so any how the latitude was the clear winner. Getting to the pen now-

The latitude has a fairly stylish looking body, especially the clip speaks character. The clip itself is also fairly functional being nice and somewhat flexible. The pen has a fairly neutral balanced weight, a little hefty as the body is made out of steel. The pen is stick style, meaning the nib is non-retractable and has a cap like most fountain pens. The cap is comes off the main body of the pen pretty easily to reveal the nib. The nib is made of sturdy durable stainless steel and writes really smoothly, but of course I can only compare it to a pilot varsity and my sisters lamy safari. The nib is medium width and writes a fairly bold line also. The grip of the pen is decent being made out of black smooth plastic. Overall the build quality of the latitude is nice, everything fits pretty well together and stuff like that. The main problem with latitude for me is the messy factor. I might not be filling the pen right, but my pen has leaked multiple times. Overall however I like the latitude.

Penmania Rating

Writabiliy 28/30

Clip 9/10

Value 18/20 for the 50$ price I paid

Mechanism 10/10

Looks 9/10

Grip 6/10

Durability 9/10

Final Grade 89/100

http://www.penheaven.co.uk/hires/113.jpg

Name change

2009-08-26T17:14:00.000-07:00

I changed the blogs name to penmania, due to the fact that i found another blog named penmaniacs

New Poll

2009-08-21T08:35:00.000-07:00

I have recently put up a new poll on what type of clip is the best for writing utensils.

Unlike many polls, my polls are free of fraud so please vote. The poll is at the bottom of the blog near the fish.

Thanks, Wynne and Wes

Photos Courtesy of http://www.marshall-wi.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7B3158EADD-C907-4094-A190-B167D2C33007%7D

http://captaindigital.net/?tag=incumbent

http://civicalert.wordpress.com/2008/02/09/screw-voting-why-superdelegates-might-get-to-decide-who-wins/

Lamy Safari: Yellow Medium Nib

2009-08-20T21:17:00.000-07:00

This was the first semi-expensive pen I purchased, and I was not all too disappointed. The Lami Safari performed as I expected a quality German pen would. I am a fan of fountain pens, however I would not recommend them as an everyday “go-to” pen, as in the past I have found them to be somewhat unreliable. Occasionally I like the thick and heavy ink flow opposed to the fine and sharp lines that I typically veer towards.

This Lami has a somewhat modern look and comes in a variety of colors. I chose the bright yellow. Wes dislikes the clip on this pen, and I must agree that the Lamy Safari aims to be stylish rather than functionable. Don’t get me wrong, the mechanics of the pen are what you would expect for the price, however the Lamy really shines in the looks department. Expensive fountain pens such as mont blancs, or pelicans can be found at $1000.00. My friends at the fountain pen network have said that the safari writes close to better than these high price products.

There isn’t much of a grip, so continuous use could be problematic. The pen is made of sturdy ABS plastic. I personally have the medium nib, which I tend to like in fountain pens. It is available in extra fine, fine, medium, left handed, or broad nib and comes in seven colors.

I’d say that the Lamy Safari is slightly overpriced, coming in at $30.00, but can be found online for as low as $17.00 on the internet.

Overall- this pen is definitely a great fountain pen for the price

Writability 26/30

Clip 8/10

value 15/20

mechanism 7/10

looks 8/10

grip 4/10

durability 7/10

Overall 75/100

Review written by wynne

Photos Courtesy of http://writinginstrument.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/safari-21.jpg

"what is more annoying" poll recap

2009-08-19T08:47:00.000-07:00

The poll i had just put up finished with few votes, but their is still one definite leader at the top of the poll.

THE RESULTS

Pencil with eraser 2 votes (14%)

Pencil with non retractable lead sleeve 7 votes (50%)

Messy fountain pen 2 votes (14%)

Pens that last one day 2 votes (14%)

These stupid polls 1 vote (7%)

Good thing that only one person voted for "these stupid polls." The clear winner of the poll was "pencil with non retractable lead sleeve" recieving 50% of the vote. I can clearly see why having a non pocket safe pencil can be really annoying, thats why voted for that one myself. All the others in the poll were extremely close. A new poll is on the way expected in 2 days. If any of you readers have a suggestion for a poll just let me know with a comment.

written by wes

Zebra Steel Telescoping Ball Pen

2009-08-18T21:19:00.000-07:00

I was out on a pen safari when i found a zebra dressed in steel and lustrous gunmetal grey plastic. The economical version of the zebra telescoping ball pen has been out for many years now. Staples recently stocked a more luxurious version of the pen. The two pens differentiate with there clip, and the steel used in the nicer version.

The pen writes fairly well and swell. The ink comes out very smooth in a nice even fashion and never skips. The telescoping mechanism is very smooth also, but when you extract the tip of the pen out the grip turns terrible. The clip is not spring loaded but very functional and made out of steel.

Overall-

this pen was very good for its low cost of 6.99$.

Writability 27/30

Clip 9.5/10

value 17/20

mechanism 8/10

looks 9/10

grip 4/10

durability 8/10

Overall 82.5/100

Mont Blanc Generation Rollerball

2009-08-09T08:56:00.000-07:00

My pencil and pen obsession had started in around fourth grade when i pretended that my Dixon mirado black warrior was a spaceship fighting a revolution an winning against all odds. It seems that my ink and lead obsession climaxed when i received a Mont Blanc as my main birthday gift last year. Mont Blanc's in many lives are just status symbols that let your co-worker know, "hey Darla, look I'm the stuff." Mont Blanc's are handmade by factory workers in Nuremberg, Germany, or at least that's what their well laid out and organized website says. I received my Generation with a huge surprise, the generation as most mont blanc's is incredibly beautiful.

The looks of the generation destroy the competition, especially that white star emblem on the pens tip.

The generation is a rollerball, therefore it is capped. The cap is comes on very easily, it s snap on. Precious resin is the main material of the pen making the pen fairly light weight. The clip on mine is particularly sturdy and not to functional. Butter is what you will say while using this pens smooth rollerball. Although their are better rollerballs, this one is still very good. The grip on the generation is basically just smooth fancy plastic mont blanc calls precious resin.

Overall-

This pen is very good looking and is also pretty functional with its reasonable weight and great writing ability.

Using the penmaniacs scale which has been changed to accommodate the durability category, this pen receives a

Writability 29/30

Clip 6/10

Value 15/20 -----250$

Mechanism 10/10

Looks 10/10

Grip 7/10

Durability8/10

Overall..........85/100

Photos courtesy of http://www.elegantpens.com/index.php/pens/mont-blanc-pens/mont-blanc-pens.html/attachment/mont-blanc-generation-rollerball-pen-13420-2

Lamy Dialog 2 Capless Rollerball

2009-08-04T08:20:00.000-07:00

The lamy dialog 2 is a very plain looking pen with the exception of a few minor rivets and rings on the grip of the pen. These characteristics equal a classic lamy pen plain looking and beautiful in the simplicity of their product. This lamy however has a secret like Bruce Wayne and Peter Parker. The lamy dialog 2 has a retractable clip "huh whats that for?" Lamy states that the retractable clip is a safety measure as if you leave a rollerball with an extracted tip, then the pen will bleed all over your shirt pocket. But with no clip to clip, you cant clip the pen into your shirt pocket first 0f all. The clip in reality however is not stiff enough to be functional. To retract the clip you twist the pen 180 degrees which also reveals the rollerball. The rollerball is incredible, in side to side tests the lamy beat out the next pen I will be reviewing, the mont blanc generation.

The dialog is made out of either palladium, or rhodinized stainless steel. The UsA says that the dialog is made out of rhodinized steel and germany says palladium. The dialog also comes in an awesome case made out of beechwood. Smaller features of this pen include to small dots that align when the pen is extracted. The pen is very well balanced, heavier than most pens. The grip is decent, you grip rings of very smooth metal.

Overall-

The dialog 2 is a really nice pen, the only downfalls i can thing of is the grip, otherwise great pen.

Rating

Writability 45/45!

Clip 6/10

Value 18/25 125$

Mechanism 8.5/10

Looks 5/5

Grip 3/5

Overall 85.5/100

Pilot G2 Retractable Gel Ink Rolling Ball

2009-08-01T17:51:00.000-07:00

Having always harbored a passionate fondness for writing instruments, I can attest to the glee experienced when putting a pen to the paper and discovering that the ink runs smooth and the grip just feels right. Until about two years ago, I feared I would not be able to find a reasonably priced pen with the magic touch. I first encountered a stray Pilot G2 Retractable Gel Ink Rolling Ball in an empty classroom. It looked sad and lost, much like an abandoned kitten, and its silent cries beckoned me closer. Being ever the opportunist, I lifted the lonely pen from its resting place on the floor and deposited it in my pocket for later use. Upon writing with the precious pen, I felt pure bliss. The words seemed to flow from my fingertips effortlessly.

No other writing implement has captured my heart since. Being a fan of thin, sharp lines, I am especially fond of the 0.38 ultra fine version, however the 0.5 extra fine style is agreeable as well. If this pen were a person, it would be the equivalent of a soul mate, someone you’d like to spend all of your time with. I’ll begin by describing the superb ink quality. The point delivers a very precise line. The smear-proof, relatively fast drying ink is perfect for everyday writing. Coming in a variety of colors and points, this pen can be somewhat personalized.

The grip is what can be expected for a relatively cheap pen. It gets the job done but doesn’t dazzle. I have encountered one problem with this pen on a few occasions, however not frequently enough to shake my faith in it. The difficulty involves a lack of steady ink flow from the point.

This pen is comprised of plastic, so while it won’t be winning any awards for durability, it is fairly lightweight. The clip is very standard. The retractable spring action tip is convenient. I would say that this writing utensil is well worth its price. I am not surprised that the G2 is America’s #1 selling gel ink pen. The retail price of an individual pen is about $2 but much better deals can be found buying in bulk.

Using the Penmaniacs Scale, I would award the following points:

Writability: 43/45

Clip: 3/10

Value: 25/25

Mechanism: 7/10

Looks: 4/5

Grip: 2/5

Overall: 9/10

Porsche P3110 TecFlex Stainless Steel Pencil

2009-07-21T12:34:00.000-07:00

Porsche cars are flat out sweet, functional, and sexy. Porsche Design is the men's jewelry branch of Porsche specifically aimed at male porsche owners. I don't own a porsche because I am to young to drive, but one day, probably a ways a way i will be running down the highway in a Porsche 911.

Today though I am burning lead writing down the paper highway of tests and homework. Porsche design claims that their products are designed according to the belief of "These products are designed in accordance with Ferdinand Alexander Porsche's personal philosophy: timeless good design is not just a matter of superficial styling. It is a process that takes place from within, as part of the formal implementation of a functional principle."

Getting to the pencil now- When you pick up the pencil, you notice the sheer weight of this

pencil and the unusual barrel material. The barrel is made of TecFlex, fine stainless steel

threads woven into the roughest, toughest, most durable cloth you will ever feel. TecFlex was

designed as a hosing material for important cables inside the Porsche Racing Car. The looks of

this pencil could and will kill with there sheer coolness. My theory on why the pencil is so heavy

is that its body is made out of brass. The brass is then coated with silver and a thin layer of

palladium. Palladium has a cool feel to it, palladium is extremely smooth and sleek with a sort

of grey luster to it. The pencil's clip is great, spring loaded, but not wobbly like the lamy 2000

clip. The pencils mechanism is push click and on the top. The mechanism is very sturdy, you will

need a strong hand to activate it. When you activate the mechanism the TecFlex actually flexes,or or

bundles up a little bit.

The lead sleeve is non retractable but not that sharp. The pencil comes in a cool large black case. Under the mechanism is a pint size eraser that is not very functional.

Overall-

This is a really cool looking pencil, its upsides are its looks, brand name, and a great clip. Its

downsides are its mechanism, non retractable lead sleeve, and tiny eraser. Using the Penamniacs Certified Scale, this pencil recieves

Writability 35/45

Clip 10/10

Value 20/25

Mechanism 5/10

Looks 5/5

Grip 5/5

Total 80/100

How I RATE writing utensils

2009-07-13T13:34:00.000-07:00

I have developed a complex formula to rate writing utensils out of ten. I have a total of 100 achievable points. 25 points can be earned through the pens value, "is this pen worth what it costs." Writability is 45 points possible eg. "how well does the pen write." The clip accounts for another ten points eg. "is this clip really functional?" The mechanism on the pen ads another ten points eg. "how do you extract the pen and is it smooth?" Looks are worth 5 points eg. "does the pen look styling?" Grip accounts for the final 5 possible points earned eg. "will this pen give me blisters if i write a 3000 word document with it.

EXAMPLE:

Pilot G2 limited-

Writability 35/45 points

Clip 5/10 points

Value 10/25 pt

Mechanism 2.5/10

Looks 4/5

Grip 2.5/5

Overall 6/10

If you have any grading suggestions for me, please let me know

Pilot G2- Limited Edition Gold

2009-07-12T22:13:00.000-07:00

The G2 Limited edition is basically the premium luxury version of the famed G2. My G2 limited is gold finish. The material on the barrel looks metal, but is sadly plastic with a cool lacquer type feel. Weight wise this pen is medium to light weight. The pen also has attractive looking chrome finishes which are on the clip, a ring at the top of the grip, the clip, another ring below the clip, the clip, the clip itself, and FINALLY the mechanism cap. Visually this pen definitely beats out the regular G2. The clip is made of sturdy plastic and i would say is decent, a little to stiff for my taste. The refill of this pen is standard G2 refill, writes good but not GREAT. The mechanism is not very good, I would expect pilot to give the G2 lime ted a good mechanism but the mechanism on the limited is cheap and not smooth to my standards. The grip is very good rubber with a little give to it. What one must ask themselves is if the G2 limited worth 10.99$, i think not. The body is plastic as well as other parts of the pen and the mechanism just doesn't gel well with the rest of the pen. This pen is more of a collectors item as it simply is not worth 10.99$. The boxing of the pen is plastic and comes with a 3$ rebate card. So pilot is basically saying "hey were ripping you guys off."

Overall-

This pen is a good pen but is not worth ten dollars. I was let down by the plastic barrel, the stiff clip, the bad mechanism, and finally the value. Pilot i feel ripped me off selling this product for an expensive 10.99$. The G2 limited is basically a regular G2 with better looks which is why out of ten this pen receives a bad 6/10

Pilot Dr.Grip center of gravity

2009-07-06T10:03:00.000-07:00

The Pilot Dr.Grip center of gravity is designed for people with arthritis. Pilot advertises the Dr.Grip center of gravity to be the most adequately balanced and comfortable pen to hold on the lower price range market. Look-wise I find this pen very appealing- the pen has a see-through plastic case covering a metallic rod were the mechanism is contained. The tip, the clip, and the top clicker of the pen are chrome finish. The clip is sturdy plastic and sort of flexible. Weight wise this pen is bottom heavy and is very easy to maneuver around paper. The refill is ballpoint and will glide smoothly across the paper. The ballpoint almost writes like a gel-pen, that's how smooth it is. When you buy this pen you also get a free refill. My Dr.Grip i have used a-lot and i still have an almost full refill. To replace the refill of the pen, you un-screw the top half of the pen and simply take out the old refill and place in the new refill. Dr.Grip is this pens name for one reason......this pen has a great grip! The grip is thick firm rubber and will never be slippery to the hand. I imagine that a doctor helped invent this fantastic grip. The mechanism of the pen is OK, not very smooth, but not terrible.

Overall-

This pen is very light-weight but durable. The best pints of this pen are the smooth writing ballpoint and the great grip. The downfalls are the clip and the mechanism.

Value- this pen sells for 7.99$ at most stores

Score- this pen recieves a 8.8/10

Sharpie Permanent Marker

2009-07-05T17:58:00.000-07:00

Ahh i am finally reviewing a classic pen. Some reports tell me that cavemen used sharpies to do there caveman drawings. So i am reviewing the classic sharpie non-retractable permanent marker in black. The sharpies body is made out of nice, durable, but ugly grey plastic. On the plastic is the sharpie logo. The cap is made out of midnight plastic. At the top of the cap is the clip: the clip is made out of flexible, but non resilient plastic. The clip basically sucks! The tip of the refill is made of felt. The refill also tends to run out of ink in a matter of days which is very disappointing to me. The worst feature on this pen is its grip. The grip is way to small and is slippery.

Overall-

The sharpie is one of the most common pens in the world and an instant classic. However this classic pen has many flaws including the clip, the refill which dries out quickly, and the non-existent grip. This pen receives a shameful 5/10

Lamy Tri-Pen 756

2009-06-29T19:24:00.000-07:00

I bought this pencil because I thought this pencil would be my everyday multi-pen. This assumption proved to be correct. This unique pen is not only a pen. This pen includes a 0.5mm pencil, a 0.7mm black ballpoint pen, and a 1.0mm orange hi-lighter. The 0.5 mm pencil has a very nice top ratchet mechanism. The lead writes very smooth but is a little bit light in color for my taste. The ballpoint refill is top lamy quality and writes very nice. The orange is hi-lighter writes like a good smooth gel-pen. To switch between refills, you twist the pen until you get to the write refill. A colorful band helps tell you which way to twist. The outside of my pen was very modern. The pen is made out of black titanium oxide. The titanium is covered in a midnight black lacquer. The lacquer gives the pen a nice grip. The clip is made of stainless steel and is spring loaded, a great clip.

Under the pencil mechanism is a small eraser. The pencil also has a good weight to it, i would consider it a medium weight pen, but lighter than most other multi-pens. The pencil also comes in a really cool presentation case. The pencil was designed by Gerd Muller in 1974 and is very modern. I have not seen a multi-pen ever with a hi-lighter, pen, and pencil.

Overall-

I rate this pencil a great 9/10. This would be my choice for a daily use pen simply because it has everything I need in school. The price of this pen is what brings its ratings out of a perfect ten. This pen retails at 85 dollars!

What is the difference?

2009-06-29T10:09:00.001-07:00

You probably all know that there is not just one type of pen. There are multiple types of pens including ballpoint, rollerball, fountain pen, gel pen, quill, and so on. I hope this post will help distinguish one from the other.

SO CONFUSING

Ballpoint Pen-

Ballpoint pens are probably the most common pen in the world. The way a ballpoint pen works is a ball usually made out of brass or steel sits in a pocket at the front of the refill. This ball rotates while writing. Behind the ball is the massive ink reserve which the ball picks up and rotes onto the paper. Ballpoint ink is about the same consistency as hair gel and is oil based.

A ballpoint pen should be recommended for a person with a heavy hand as a ballpoint pen must be pressed down on paper harder than our next pen type a rolleball.

Rollerball Pen-

A rollerball operates basically the same as a ballpoint does.

The only difference is that rollerballs use a water-based ink. The water based ink is the consistency of water so ink will flow much more easily from pen to paper. Overall I recommend a rollerball pen for a person with a lighter hand who does not push down on the paper to hard.

Gel-Pen

Gel Pens use the same rolling ball technology of a ballpoint pen and a rollerball. The only thing that differs once again is the ink. Gel-Pens use a water based ink with the consistency of gel.

Yes its true the famed pilot G2 is a gel pen

I would recommend a gel pen to someone who likes both rollerballs and ballpoint pens because a gel pen is basically half rollerball and half ballpoint.

Quill-

A quill was one of the first writing utensils known to man. A quill is usually a large bird feather. A quill must be repeatedly dipped in a water based ink

People from the middle ages and ancient times used quills. I would recommend a quill to a history buff. A quill however is not very practical in actual writing.

Fountain Pen-

A fountain pen has a tip much like a quill. The huge difference though is that a fountain pen has an ink reservoir. A fountain pen is a mix of old and new technology.

I would recommend a fountain pen to someone who likes to write alot and likes history.

Hope this helps

Written by Wes

helpful links

2009-06-29T10:05:00.000-07:00

our blog is fairly new and we only have around 6 posts at the moment. So if you are looking for more reviews for pens and pencils then try these links.

For Pencils

Dave's Mechanical Pencils

Pencil Revolution

For Pens

penreviews.net

Pen-Wikepedia

Fountain pen Network

Pentel Energel

2009-06-29T09:28:00.000-07:00

This pen has been a friend of mine since I purchased one about 6 months ago. I was drawn to it by the color because I am an artsy girl in high school. It is sturdy, very affordable ($1.69), and writes like butter. It has been an honor to have written with this pen. The energel is one of pentel's newest products being released in 2007. The energel comes in a variety of colors including purple, green, blue, black, and red. The Pentel Energel appeals to kids in school (very useful for writing notes) and people who are looking for a cheap, durable pen. The body of the pen is made entirely out of plastic. The plastic has a nice look to it as it is shiny and cool. The grip is nothing to write home about, but it is very acceptable for the price. The clip is a very good engineering and flexible. The mechanism to retract the rollerball is decent as well.

OVERALL:

This pen has very good durability and comes at a reasonable price. The rollerball writes as good as most expensive pens (there's pentel for you). I like everything about this pen except the measly grip, but I cannot penalize too much for this type of grip is expected for an economy priced pen. For these reasons, I rate this pen a 9.5 out of 10. Congrats Pentel!

Written by Maggie

Pentel Client Ballpoint Pen

2009-06-28T19:36:00.000-07:00

I went through a phase were Pentel pens were everything to me. So basically i just had to have the Pentel Client. The pencil is of durable metal construction with a very nice looking metallic blue finish. The other parts of the pen are chrome finish. The refill writes surprisingly smooth for a ballpoint pen. I would say it writes much nicer than my 55$ Waterford pen. The pen is a little bit heavier than most plastic pens, so if you are looking for a cheaper weighty pen then this is definitely the pen for you. The clip of the pen is flexible metal. The only week point in this pen is the grip. The grip is kind of small. Also the grip is high up on the pen so some of you may not find this grip appealing at all. This is a retractable ballpoint pen. The retracting mechanism rivals mechanisms of much more expensive pens.

Overall-

I rate this pen a solid 9 out of 10. This pen is only three dollars, but is worth 10 dollars. The pen has an amazing refill and writes very good. The mechanism is outstanding also. What brings this pen out of being a ten is its mediocre grip.

Rotring Tikky by PaperMate

2009-06-28T18:49:00.000-07:00

I had never owned a rotring before i picked one out at a bookstore. I had high expectations for Rotring as they are German and claim to be technically very precise. I have the rotring tikky 3 in 0.7 lead. Rotring advertises the tikky as a professional drafting pencil. The body is made out of plastic. The shape of the pencil is hard to describe, the front of the pencil is triangular and curve into a circular shape at the grip. The grip is not the best. It is soft rubber with plastic circles on it. it has a non-retractable lead sleeve that is 4 mm. long. The mechanism is on the top and is quite solid i must say. It is very tight fit and makes a pleasant click sound while clicking it. Under the mechanism is a small eraser. The clip is made of metal but is a little stiff .Overall

I rate this pencil a solid 7.5 out of 10.

I bought this pencil for a reasonable 4$. The pencil has a solid mechanism and is strong enough to be considered an everyday pencils. The downfalls are the clip, the terrible grip, and its lead sleeve being non retractable.

Lamy 2000 pencil

2009-06-28T16:58:00.000-07:00

When i first held the lamy 2000 in my hands, I noticed something. I had never felt any pencil that had as good a feel as this old lamy model. They are made using fiber glass reinforced makrolon. Makrolon is bayer's polycarbonate. For those who do not know what polycarbonate is-Polycarbonate is a synthetic polymer. It is a soft and resilient material that is often made into bullet-proof glass because of its durability and clearness. Because of polycarbonates softness it is reinforced with fiberglass to make it dent and scratch resistant.The lamy 2000 pencil is black with stainless steel accents. The stainless steel and plastics are brushed to give the lamy a nice look and great feel to it. The clip is solid stainless steel. It is springy and flexible, a very nice clip in an in-just world were plastic clicks that snap under pressure rule the world. The lamy 2000 was released in 1966. However, it should not be considered obsolete by pen connoisseurs such as myself. By my standards I would consider the lamy being quite modern. The pencil was designed by Gerd Muller and has received numerous awards. The mechanism is on the top of the pencil and is a very good mechanism and is nice and smooth. Under the mechanism is a small eraser with a cleaning needle. My lamy 2000 has yet to have a lead jam.

OVERALL

rating out of 10-9.7 The 2000 became one of my favourite pencils of all time the moment i had the luxury of holding it. Overall i rate this pencil durable and tough enough to be an everyday pencil. Also another good part about this pencil is its weight. It has a very light weight to it. I also like its torpedo like shape. But the reason i wouldn't give this pen a 10 is its price and its non retractable lead sleeve making it not very pocket safe. It retails at an expensive 65 dollars.