Pencils from Pencils.com

Up for a look today are several items I received in a sampler pack from Andy at Pencils.com. Pencils.com is the web store of the California Cedar Products Company, which produces well-known brands such as Palomino, Generals, and Kum. Thanks to Andy’s generosity, I have a Spangle “Mini Jumbo”, Forest Choice, Prospector HB, Golden Bear Triangular HB, Palomino HB, and a Palomino Blackwing to try out today!

First off, we have the very blue Spangle “Mini Jumbo”. It’s a beginner’s pencil, manufactured specifically for little hands with its thick body and lead. It is larger than the normal sized pencil sharpener (I had to sharpen it with a razor knife which happened to be laying beside me on my leather table), but after sharpening wrote very well (although it did smear a bit).

Secondly, we have the ForestChoice pencil. Made from FSC-certified Incense cedar with a natural finish, which sharpens beautifully and smells amazing (unless, of course, you’re allergic to real cedar like my mother-in-law-to-be, which sucks, lol), this pencil is sure to a favorite. The #2 HB lead writes amazing well, with very little smearing.

Next up, we have the Prospector, CalCedar’s cheapest pencil. At less than $.15 each ($.13 to be exact), these pencils offer excellent quality while not breaking your budget. These green coated pencils (which also come in green triangular form and a natural finish) sharpen well and write very smoothly, especially for a budget pencil.

Fourthly, we have the Golden Bear. CalCedar claims this pencil to be “equivalent to, perhaps, a Dixon Ticonderoga”, and I can definitely agree! With a beautiful orange finish with gold foil lettering, this triangular pencil really stands out in a crowd. While the sample I was sent is triangular, it’s also available in regular orange and regular blue forms.

Next, is the Palomino HB. Termed “the pencil that started it all” by CalCedar, this pencil is definitely a piece of work. With a glossy, lacquered, Incense cedar barrel surrounding a deliciously smooth graphite core, you can expect a beautiful, dark line with very little effort and a tip that stays sharp for longer than the average pencil.

Lastly, we have the crème de la crème, the recreation of a pencil long sought after by collectors and enthusiasts alike, the Palomino Blackwing! Based on the original design of the Eberhard-Faber Blackwing 602, the Palomino Blackwing’s frictionless, buttery lead lays down a dost, smooth, dark line. The unique eraser ferrule and eraser allow you to extend it for longer use, and the matte black body with gold accents makes this an instant conversation piece. Want to add prestige to even the most mundane Post-it? Grab a Blackwing. Want to add class to a quick note to a friend? Grab a Blackwing. Got the picture yet? Get some Blackwings! They truly are beautiful pencils (albeit a little costly), but they are definitely worth the price!

Pencil Test Sheet

Note: I am not an employee nor and I am in any way affiliated with Pencils.com or the California Cedar Products Company. This review is in no way affected by the fact that this item was a free sample from Pencils.com or the California Cedar Products Company.

Zebra Sarasa SE Model 0.7mm Retractable Gel Pen

Zebra Sarasa SE Model 0.7mm Retractable Gel Pen

So today, for the first time in this blog’s history (at least to my knowledge), I have managed to be one step ahead of both Dowdy of PenAddict.com as well as Brian of OfficeSupplyGeek.com. Neither of them have yet to review this fine writing instrument, so I shall claim first on it (unlike the 101, which OSG reviewed just hours before I went to post my review).

The pen we are looking at today is basically a standard Zebra Sarasa gel pen which has had several modifications (all which were wanted/decided upon by the consumer, based upon over 50,000 people who were surveyed). The new features include a textured (small raised dots and three liens) grip, engraved metal clip, and the brand and size are painted on the barrel, rather than on the clip (see side-by-side comparison of an original and an SE in the gallery below.

Other than those minor changes, it’s still a Zebra Sarasa. The only things that have truly changed are purely cosmetic. The ink is still the same, and although I like Zebra’s ink, it smears a bit too much for me (being a leftie). The new grip is relatively comfortable, although I’m not perfectly sure about long-time use. Otherwise, I’m not sure I can truly see the point of paying $6.99 for 4 souped up Sarasas. Sorry Zebra, I’m gonna have admit that I don’t really like your Special Edition Sarasas. Better luck next time…

Guest Review over at the Pen Addict…

So, I was going to write a review today (and I still may), but for now you’ll have to satisfy yourself with a guest review that I wrote for Dowdyism over at the Pen Addict. The topic of today’s review? The Jetstream 101 Gel/Ball/Roller…

Guest Review (PenAddict) – Uni JetStream 101 1.0mm Blue Ball/Gel/Roller

Koh-I-Noor Progresso Woodless Colored Pencils

Koh-I-Noor Progresso Woodless Colored Pencils

I know, I know… This wasn’t on my list of things that I said I was going to review, but I actually have this huge backlog of stuff that I never got around to, so… Yeah… Anyhoo, before you we have the Koh-I-Noor  Hardtmuth  Progresso Woodless Colored Pencils. Woodless you say? Yes, tell me more…

 The Progresso Woodless Pencils feature a graphite core which is coated in what I’m assuming is paint, which represents the pencil color. These came packaged in a nice little carton of twenty-four, and I grabbed them at Michael’s a while back with one of my 40% off coupons.

As I mentioned before, when you sharpen these, there truly is no wood residue… Period… In fact, I usually even save the sharpenings to use as blender/shader (applied by taking a pinch in between my fingers and carefully rubbing into the area I’m working on) since it’s pure color, other than the slight coat of paint which easily goes away after you’re finished blending. I actually enjoy using these, although the slick paint can be a little slippery if your hands sweat at all.

Now, a little bit of info about the following pictures. I only took a picture of one pencil (my favorite color, btw, and one of the best pencils in the bunch) in order to show the label and the texture of the graphite tip. Also attached are photos of my ink/lead catalog that I just started in order to keep track of the different colors of ink, lead, and other mediums I’ve experienced. The numbers beside the color names refer to the number stamped on the corresponding pencil by Koh-I-Noor…

“Chinese Still Life” – Five Minute Doodle while waiting for my lunch… 🙂

Brush Pens, Brush Pens Everywhere…

One of my random purchase from JetPens, I decided to pick up a few brush pens… Why? I can’t write in an Oriental language, so they are useless in that regard. I can’t really draw with them (although many people do), just not my style. So why did I buy them you ask?

I was curious…

Yup, simple as that. I was curious as to how different they were from regular pens, why they came in so many different colors and styles. Some say curiosity killed the cat, but I consider curiosity an asset at times, and I’m glad to say that I learned about brush pens and the fact that I’m worthless when using one… 😛

So, here we have several examples of brush pens… We have a Akashiya Corporation ThinLine Watercolor Brush Pen in Chitosemidori (Pine Tree Green) which has and artificial “hair” brush and watercolor dye-based ink. Next, we have two Kuretake brand brush pens, one which features an actual hair brush in green and another that is “hard tipped” (brush fibers do not seperate) in blue.The last is a Pilot Double Sided Brush Pen, which features to “hard-tipped’ (these are more like porous point pens) brushes in black and gray.

L to R: Akashiya, Kuretake (green), Kuretake (blue), and Pilot (black)...

As I mentioned, I have absolutely no experience or any foreknowledge about the use and quality of brush pens, so this is really just an informative post rather than a formal review. Below is a photo of the paper I scribbled on with each of the brush pens I currently have…As you can see, each brush is capable of several different line widths, although the “hard-tipped” were much more steady and predictable in their line widths and the amount of ink put to page. I will openly admit that I favor the “hard-tipped” (I’ve actually added the Pilot to my daily carry pens). While the Chitosemidori ThinLine truly is a beautiful olive color (not really pine tree green in my opinion), it’s very hard to do anything with such a fine brush as it tends to ben and splay around rather than retaining any firmness. The green Kuretake thended to do the same. Still, my curiosity is now sated, and I don’t really have any desire to purchase any more brush pens, unless they happen to be the Pilot double-sided, which I have come to like…

Pentel Tri Eraser – Mechanical Eraser

Y’know how I mentioned how much I like coming home to surprises in my mailbox (the good kind mind you)? Well, imagine my surprise when I found a package from Pentel containing an prize I won in a Twitter contest a while back. I am now the proud owner of a Pentel Tri Eraser!

This nifty little piece of equipment is the newest in Pentel’s line of “mechanical erasers”, a handy companion to any mechanical pencil. The one I received was blue (my favorite color) and white and works remarkably well. The eraser is triangular shaped so that you can use the edges to erase fine sections or use the bulk of the eraser to rub out large mistakes.

So, I decided to test this fine little tool out. I grabbed my newest addition (a Field Notes Brand pencil) and quickly sketched out an “eraser test” as well as a doodle telling my opinion of this fine product from Pentel. So below is my friend Mr. Kilroy holding my opinion, as well as a picture of the eraser after use…

Note: I won this item in a Twitter Contest hosted by Pentel. I am in no way affiliated with Pentel of America nor did I receive any monetary reimbursement for my opinions. All opinions stated are my own.

Reasons for Lack of Recent Posts and a Surprise Find…

So, I’m sure that some people are kinda wondering why I have basically disappeared off the face of the earth for a while… Well, where to start. Firstly, I work a full-time job, which takes up a great deal of my time. Secondly, I run my own web design/maintenance business which takes up a good bit of my “spare time” (and I call it a business, but I’m so kind-natured that most “customers” get everything for free, lol). Add to that the fact that I’m getting ready to start a new semester in college and am having a bit of difficulty sorting out my financial aid for this semester, and you can probably guess that I’m in a bit of a mess. To all that add the fact that I go to church twice on Sundays as well as once on Wednesday evenings, and my time margin grows even smaller. Last, but definitely not least, add to that fact that I have a wonderful girl who I love getting to spend time with and try to do so at every available opportunity (that and church are actually the only two things on this list that I truly enjoy). And don’t even get me started on sleep…

So, anyway, my schedule has been pretty booked up lately. Have I lost my interest in pens? No… Do I plan on not blogging anymore? No… I simply will probably not be blogging as much as I usually do… I’m going to attempt to (after this mess I call my life settle down, lol) post about two times a week if possible and maybe more if time permits…

Well, enough of that… I mentioned the surprise find in the title of this post, and it truly was surprising. I was walking through my local Dollar Tree the other day, looking for anything random that might have caught my eye, when I strolled down the aisle that had books, pens, and paper, and such in it. Normally, they only carry their cheap, economy ballpoints and stuff, so imagine my surprise when I saw these staring back at me…

You better believe I was excited! Uniball Signo bit 0.7mm Gel Pens in a two-pack for $1.00 US! Sure, they didn’t have black, but they did have red and blue, plus four other stunning colors. While they are a little broad for me (the 0.7mm tip seems more like a 1.0mm), I must admit that I still love them. The packaging listed them as “Assorted Pens”, so I’m guessing that maybe these are “factory seconds” in which the ink wasn’t full enough, or the color was off a little, but I’m willing to settle for that so long as I get a great writing experience! 😀

‘Til next time guys!

Pentel Hyper-G 0.7mm Retractable Gel Pen – Black, Blue, Red, and Violet

Pen #60.
Pentel Hyper-G 0.7mm Retractable Gel Pen – Black, Blue, Red, Violet

So, another Pentel review… I’m not sure what it is, but I seem to have a lot of Pentel pens lying around. Not that they’re my favorites, but simply cause they seem to be the ones I find most often on sale. I picked these up at my local Staples and decided to give them a try.

In this four-pack assortment came a black, blue, red, and violet pen. I immediately passed the violet on to my girlfriend (who has a nice start on a collection of violet and pink pens), since it was really just another ink color and kept the other three to review. The ink in these gels is dark and dries pretty quickly, and the ink flow is very smooth with very little skip and scratch.

While I love the grip (don’t know if the pictures do it justice), with all it’s contours and comfort, there’s one thing that just about ruins it for me… From the edge of the barrel tip extending on up to just above the lip of the grip is a plastic ridge about 1/8″ high, making it hard to hold the pen in any position but the one obviously “designed”. Definitely a turn-off for me, since I’m left-handed and tend to hold my pens differently…

40/45 = 4.4/5

The Offending “Ridge”

Pentel Rolly C4 0.7mm Ballpoint Multi-Pen – Black, Blue, Red, and Green

Pen #59.
Pentel Rolly C4 0.7mm Ballpoint Multi-Pen – Black, Blue, Red, and Green 

As I was picking out some free stuff from Staples (gotta love Reward programs), I noticed the Rolly C4 hanging on the shelf. Well, I hadn’t ever seen it before, so I assumed it was a new item that they had just started carrying. So, of course, I picked one up… 

The Pentel Rolly C4 features four different ballpoint ink colors (black, blue, red, and green) and it’s 0.7mm tips write relatively smoothly, albeit a little light for my taste. The ink also wasn’t very dark (if you’ll look at the review form you’ll notice you can hardly even see the green at all). 

My main problem with this pen was design. The grip ends suddenly (with a cliffhanger edge) instead of tapering to meet the tip of the barrel. Also, the mechanics don’t seem very sturdy. While I was writing with selected tip, if I pressed down very hard (almost a necessity with a ballpoint) the ink cartridge would flex and bend inside the barrel, causing weird writing angles, wrist strain, and scratching…

 

Final Score: 36/50 = 3.6/5

 

 

 

Bic Triumph 537RT 0.7mm Retractable Gel Pen – Black, Blue, and Red

Pen #58.
Bic Triumph 537RT 0.7mm Retractable Gel Pen – Black, Blue, and Red

So, time for our first review using the new review scale/form. Let’s see how it goes…

I picked these up at Staples the other day (at $6.99 for a pack of four, they were a little pricey) while picking up some school supplies for my younger siblings. I had purchased/reviewed the 537R Rollerballs before and was kinda looking forward to reviewing these and seeing how they compared.

I will admit, that I really love the design on these much more than I did the design of the 537R. Featuring a partially transparent barrel, allowing you to visibly check the ink supply, ending in the grip on the business end and a silver-ish line pattern on the plunger end, it definitely seems to be in better taste. The 537RT also features a nice rubber grip traction-enhancing grooves as well as a metal clip and transparent plunger.

The ink performed well, writing smoothly without any skipping or scratching (although there was a bit of white lining at first, perhaps due to the fact that it was brand new). One thing I did notice was that the ink was dark… The blue almost seemed like a black-blue and the red, while not dark, was very vibrant and eye-catching. With a three-second drying time, it’s also pretty good for lefties…

While these were a little pricey, they were ultimately worth the money in my opinion. Definitely would recommend these and most likely will be adding them to my daily-use pens…

Final Score: 43/50  =  4.3 out of 5 Stars…