Pens!
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This article marks the first instalment of Pen Spinner, an extended review of several pens which is featured in every edition of the GloBELL Roar. If you ever find yourself in a tight spot, where no pens can satisfy your needs, be sure to check out this article before you make your purchase! All pens reviewed in this article were supplied by Staples Business Depot on Richmond Road, offering a range of pens from the unique Sharpie Pen, to the elegant Signo 207. Be sure to check it out!
Sharpie Pen
Sharpie undoubtedly dominates the market of permanent markers, and has released several permanent markers over the past few years. However, Sharpies are well known for their penchant to bleed heavily through paper, and write in terribly thick lines, in addition to having a strong odour. In an attempt to banish this unflattering stereotype, Sharpie has released its first pen, which uses similar materials to their Sharpie markers, but is “markedly” different from its predecessors.
The Sharpie Pen is the first sign pen I have reviewed for this series. For those of you who are not up in their pen terminology, a sign pen is a pen which uses a felt tip instead of your traditional metal nib, roller ball, or gel pen. Although sign pens are usually associated with thick lines and bleeding ink, the Sharpie Pen makes a notable difference. As you have probably figured out by now, the Sharpie Pen does not bleed through paper at all (although you will still see the darkness of the line through light paper), despite its lines having the look and feel of a marker or sign pen. Furthermore, the Sharpie Pen comes in 0.5mm, which is thin enough for the average student to cram plenty of notes onto a sheet of paper.
One of the marked advantages of the Sharpie Pen is its bold colours and strong lines. Although this has been said before for other pens, it cannot be overstated for a pen made by Sharpie. The lines look as if they were written using a permanent marker, and not a pen. In fact, the Sharpie Pen’s most notable difference is that its tip writes like a marker or sign pen, and not like your typical gel or ballpoint pen. Although this sensation may be uncomfortable for some (especially for those who are newly initiated), I strongly recommend everyone to give this pen a shot.
The body of the Sharpie Pen is rather plain, hard plastic. It does not appear to be injection moulded, which is certainly an advantage over many other pens made by companies such as Bic. Although the pen is not particularly aesthetically appealing, nor does it have a grip, it is extremely functional and practical. The tip is very hard (it almost feels like plastic), yet the ink flow is consistent. The pen also feels a little scratchy when you write with it, which is certainly a benefit in my opinion.
The Sharpie Pen was a pleasant surprise for me. It wrote much smoother than I had anticipated, was not painful to use for long durations of time, and appeared to be very durable (but not necessarily high quality). However, where the Sharpie Pen had advantages in function, it was not the most aesthetically appealing of pens. I recommend these pens for any students who are required to do note taking, particularly if they are looking for something outside of the roller-ball or gel ink spectrum. You can pick up a 4-pack of these pens at Staples for $7.99.
Signo 207
The Signo 207 is produced by Sanford Uni-Ball, a subsidiary of Rubbermaid Designs. Uni-Ball is renowned for producing leaky pens which bleed through paper and feather terribly. However, its foray into the gel ink pen market, with its Signo brand, has been moderately successful, and has produced such excellent pens as the Signo 207.
The Signo 207 is an excellent pen in terms of aesthetic appeal, and is a good upgrade in terms of aesthetics and sophistication on more conventional clicker pens, such as the Pilot G2, and anything made by Bic. The Signo 207 has a clean construction, with well-fitting parts, with no flash lines present. The barrel is mostly made of clear plastic, which allows the writer to see the ink barrel inside to gauge how much ink remains. The pen also features a rubber grip, a copper metal tip, and a decent clip (assonance!), all in a matching scheme of chrome and black.
Although the pen writes very fluidly, the ink flow is not the most consistent. When writing quickly with the Signo 207, the pen leaves a distinct “trail” through the center of every line, where the roller-ball was not completely covered with ink before passing over the paper. However, when writing very slowly, the ink flows copiously onto the paper, filling in every space. This problem is not as prevalent with the 0.5mm size, but with the 0.7mm versions I have, the trace is particularly noticeable.
However, the selling point of the Signo 207 is its “super ink”. The ink of the Signo 207 is reputably the most “secure” on the market, and Uni-Ball boasts that it cannot be washed or removed in any way, including through the use of water, bleach, acid, light exposure, and time. This is particularly useful when writing cheques or signing important documents. One time, I dropped my notebook in a pond, and all of the pages were completely soaked, to the point where the blue lines on the paper had washed off, in addition to most of my writing. However, on one page, I had written using the Signo 207 and the text remained as clear as ever, despite having all the blue lines fade away. I believe this is the most important and useful feature of the Signo 207.
I find that the Signo 207 is an appreciable upgrade on many other pens in its price range, since it looks more sophisticated, in addition to having very secure and dependable ink. Although it may not be the best pen for long notetaking sessions, it is the perfect pen to clip onto one’s breast pocket when going to an interview, or signing off important documents. You can pick up a 3-pack of these pens at Staples for $7.58.
Papermate PhD Ultra
Although I usually condemn and denounce every pen produced by Papermate and Bic, I can make an exception for the PhD Ultra mechanical pencil. This is the first pencil I have ever reviewed, simply because I have never had too much respect for pencils in general. In my opinion, the pencil was always as good as the lead, which was very much replacable. I have had my fair share dealing with various types of pencils, including shaker pencils, pencils which can adjust the length of lead extended with every click, and pencils which could hold multiple leads of different sizes to do the job. When I first picked up the PhD Ultra, I was not expecting too much.
The PhD Ultra has a very heavy build, and is quite wide compared to most other pens. However, its large size means that it is very easy on the hands, particularly for taking extended notes or solving problems. The pencil also includes a “Tuff Stuff Jump Twist Eraser”, which is particularly useful because it has a much longer lifespan compared to many other mechanical pencils on the market.
However, the thing which surprised me the most about the PhD Ultra is its ability to write. As I mentioned, I have had much experience with many different types of mechanical pencils, and when I first picked up the PhD Ultra and began to use it, it felt no different. However, over several weeks, the pencil began to grow on me. I found that its clicking action was particularly smooth, to the point where the lead felt like it extended as far as I pushed (comparable to the secondhand action of a Rolex., rather than extending in jerky jumps like most mechanical pencils.
This is my most favourite pencil of all time, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a durable, high-quality, longlasting mechanical pencil. Although its cost is relative to its quality (approximately $11.00/pencil), this is an excellent investment if you have long-term use in mind. If you are prone to losing your pens and pencils (although it is harder to lose a pen this bulky), this may not be the right pencil for you. I have been using it for almost three months, and in having survived multiple drops on the desk and ground, this pencil is remarkably durable. Until I review otherwise, this pencil will be at the top of my list for best pencil for its value.