Sakura Gelly Roll Metallic Ink Gel Pen

The pack of Sakura Gelly Roll Metalic Gel pens was another by-product of my after meal trips to Michael's (aka my third home, my second home being CVS). When used with the 50% off coupon they issue occasionally (when they have it, it's usually for the whole week so I plan all of my above-5-buck purchases then), I managed to get the whole set for 8-9 dollars. Michael's is the best place to buy sets like that.

Each pen is slim and come with frosted plastic barrel that are easy to hold. There is matching lid with a clip that's more decorative than practical. Anyway, the pen is pretty enough to look at and very comfortable to hold (given that you don't use it to write for a period of time). As you can see from the tip, all the pen are quite wet/runny (for a gel pen) that not only the ink coats the tip. When it's writing, it also form a puddle on the start of each stroke and takes noticeably longer time to dry.

Why yes, there are two gold ones in the same pack.While these metallic Gelly Rolls are not the best pen for fancier daily writing (I mean, I take notes with lime green inks so this is not too far from that), the ink colors are fairly complex (the glitter gives a nice dimension to each colors and don't appear too chunky or tacky). Overall: They are very nice for adding accents to drawings and writing cards, not so much for writing (too wet/costly and too slippery).

Sakura Permapaque Opaque Pigment Marker in Green

 

 Sakura Permapaque Fine Point Marker has a name that really puzzles me. It's not fine (looks like normal marker width to me), opaque or paint-like. The pen has a marker point that's fairly firm and just wet enough, it's shaped like a bell version of the cylinder, which means that when used sideway,  (thanks to the curve) contact area with the paper isn't that much broader than the 1mm tip (being squished).

For a disposable marker pen, the Permapaque is barrel is nice, solid and weighty (for a marker) and the plastic on the cap and grip are both hard and resistant to scratches.  I like the rib on the cap that makes it easier to take off/put on.

The pen itself is kind of like generic marker (haven't used enough of them to see a difference) and the smooth tip leaves a semi-opaque (it looks 75% opaque in the picture but the actual stroke is see-through enough to be used as a highlighter) and consistent line. The color green is more of an emerald green than neutral one.  The pen is alright and there seems to be an interesting selection of colors, I just didn't like how fast the tip wears out: After several pages of doodling, the tip was already losing the stiffness and became less precise.

Overall: It's a bummer that the outside fares much better than the cord. At least I found it at Micheal's clearance bin for 30 cents (normal retail price is $2.39) so it wasn't a waste of money.

The Mechanical Pencil Menagerie

I remember a few years back (from elementary school to high school), I was quite obsessed with mechanical pencils (there is something magical about the simplicity and efficiency of the clicking mechanism). It's no longer the star of my stash, thanks to my hands of salamander (pencil writing get smeared way too easily), forgetfulness (in my case, erasers disappear like hair ties and bobby pins) and the distraction by fountain pens. Anyway, I do have four of them so let's take them out for some sunbathing and blab about them for a bit! 

Pentel Graph Gear 500 Drafting Pencil 0.7mm - I found it on clearance at Target for $1.49 (down from 5) so I bought it on a whim (turns out that I actually need a pencil that very same day!)

 It has a tough metal sleep with a heavy ribbed and textured sleeve, which adds a nice bit of weight to the otherwise light pen. It's rather comfortable to hold and I think it looks quite attractive for the price. I use Pentel HB lead with it and serious have no clue what to say about the writing experience...

 Staedtler Mars Technico 2mm lead holder (regular retail at $9, I used a 50% off coupon in Michaels) - Heavier body and a more scratch-proof plastic. The 2H lead leaves a hard and faint line, which is great for drafting and pencil sketching. There is a detachable pointer at the back but it's not very user friendly as it takes several back and forth trips (the thing wouldn't sharpen unless the lead is advanced a few mm beforehand and the clicker doesn't advance the lead unless the pointer is attached to the back...)

Sakura 127 0.7mm (comes with the Pigma Sensei/Pigma Micron set) - Nothing special beside the black plastic scratches quite easily. It does get the job done and it hasn't fallen apart.

Tizo 天卓"Card-filler" pencils (1.5 Yuan in Chinese stationery store and online, which is around $0.25 US) - This flat lead-holder is specifically designed for speedy form-filling in one or two swipes. It's somewhat light weight but I have one that lasted me for years (beside the golden paint "Specifically for computerized exams" that get rubbed off over time). There are four shades available (black, blue, gray and brown) but I only saw two in that store I visited.

 The Tizo refill  is also readily available in Chinese stationery stores at 1.5 yuans for 6 leads (the same price as the pencil). The lid is not well-shut so I usually tape it over when I buy new ones.  Overall: Beside the Tizo one (which I highly recommend) , I don't have much to say about the rest...Now I just wish they come in prettier colors.

 Short writing sample of the four pencils (which already got smeared a bit when I touched the paper)