This is my third go-round with a Pilot FriXion pen, and after not liking the first two I tried, what would make me think I would like this one any better? I have no idea, other than I am a glutton for punishment, and at just $1.95 a pop for the new model I could handle the pain of not liking it. As it turns out, the Color Pencil Like (is that really it's name?) model has made great strides over its predecessor.
My issues with the original Pilot FriXion are as follows:
-- Ink color - Much too light for my tastes. Both the blue and black I previously tried looked washed out.
-- Eraser location - To actually get to and use the eraser, you had to keep the cap unposted, or take it on and off each time you wanted to get to the eraser. Highly annoying.
-- Eraser performance - It was poor at best, taking too much effort for too little erasing.
The combination of all three issues made the Pilot FriXion a novelty act in my mind, but the new model has changed that. I noticed immediately that the ink is darker - even before noticing that the eraser is now in the proper location, meaning the pen cap can remain posted when writing. To top it off, the eraser actually works. If you can make it out in the photo, the words I erased in the eraser test came off cleanly with minimal effort. The colored blocks didn't erase as well, but I think part of the problem is that I was erasing too firmly, taking some of the paper with me. The words erased with light pressure.
Now the bad news - JetPens is sold out of nearly every one of the 24 colors available in this pen. Yes, I said 24 colors, but they are usually quick to restock. I picked up a Purplish Red one as well just because I like saying Purplish Red. I also had sense enough to grab a 6-pack of these to use as a giveaway, so look for that in the next week or two.
Related posts: Erasable Pen Olympics
