Pen #68.
Stainless Steel Sharpie (Refillable)

An impulse buy from Quill.com the other day, this Stainless Steel Sharpie came into my hands mainly because it was on sale and came with a free refill (not counting the one already inside the marker case itself). I will admit that I’ve been on a stainless kick for a while, having purchased almost every single member of the Zebra stainless line as well as any other alloy-based pen on the market (Pentel Energel, Bic Steel, etc.). While I’m not an enviro-nut (sorry guys), I am into the concept of stewardship, so any time I can get a “refillable” pen that has refills readily available, I will more than happily use and reuse.

The first thing that comes to mind when I see the SS Sharpie is the sheer elegance of it. You can tell just by looking at its polished stainless surface, shiny ring and clip, and styled Sharpie logo that it has much greater aspirations than quick homemade signs and writing on CD-ROMs (although it’ll do those great too)…

So, is there truly any difference, other than aesthetics, from your normal everyday Sharpie? Yes, there actually is… Firstly, it’s refillable, which automatically promotes a little bit of enviro-sustainability. Secondly, it’s a bit longer than the regular Sharpie (see reference photo below). Thirdly, it handles a little bit differently than a regular Sharpie. There’s a lip where the refill cartridge meets the pen body which allowed me to get a better purchase on the marker. The refill “grip” section as well as the tip is also a little longer than the regular Sharpie, and the coolness of the stainless on my hand while I’m doodling/marking/writing is actually a little soothing.

All in all, an excellent offering (and a much needed boost in my confidence) from Sanford’s Sharpie line…