The Pen Addict

Review: Pilot Hi-Tec-C Putimo 0.4mm Orange

If any pen line needed a five or ten pack of rainbow colors, it would have to be the Pilot Hi-Tec-C Putimo.  Sure, you can buy all types of colors individually, but this is a fun pen, and it would be great to see it packaged for gift giving (although it looks like JetPens is no longer carrying these).  What I like most about this pen is that while it is shorter in length for portability, the barrel width, tip size, and cap and clip size all remain the same.  Is is essentially a half-length Hi-Tec-C, which is just fantastic.

The lyrics at left are from the song "Rose Parade" by Elliott Smith, on of my favorite singer/songwriters.  Smith died tragically by his own hand a few years back, but his music is is still as pertinent - and haunting - as ever.

Review: Pilot Hi-Tec-C Slims Multi Pen

I had wanted to order the Pilot Hi-Tec-C Slims from JetPens for the longest time, but I was a little slow in getting around to it.  What kept me from ordering it months ago was 1. I was a little concerned about the size, and 2. I already love the Pilot Hi-Tec-C Cavalier and wasn't sure I needed it.  As it turns out, the size is less of an issue than I expected, and while I do prefer the Cavalier model over the Slims, the Slims definitely has a home in my arsenal due to its multi pen functionality.

Compared to the Pilot Hi-Tec-C Cavalier, the Slims is approximately 1/2" shorter, and a little bit lighter.  I don't have large hands, but I am always concerned about how smaller profile pens sit in my hand, and the Slims gives me no trouble in that area.  As long as I can get a bit of clearance over the palm rest in my hand I am happy, and the Slims clears that with ease.  The multi pen aspect of the Slims works great as well, with a twist to the right snapping out the black cartridge, and a twist back to the left brinngs out the red.  Standard Hi-Tec-C performance is the norm here, which for some is great, and for others frustrating.  I like the pens enough to where a little priming doesn't bother me because I like the end result so much.

Gun to my head, I would take my Cavalier (as shown in the picture at left) over the Slims, but that is not to say the Slims isn't good pen, and I find myself using it quite frequently.  It always provides a good writing experience.

Click here for the XL review.

Product Links:

Pliot Hi-Tec-C Slims from JetPens

Doane Paper Idea Journal

Top 5 Pens - Fall Update

It has been many moons and many pen reviews since I posted an update to my top 5 pens list.  There is a newcomer in the top spot, and some fresh takes on some old standbys, so there is a little bit of everything in this list.  For those who haven't seen this list before, here is what it is, and what it isn't:

The top 5 list is:  A snapshot of my current favorite pens.  This is not an end-all be-all list, but rather these are the pens I am using the most day in, and day out for the past weeks and months.  At home, at work - pretty much in any situation.  I like the variety that multi pens represent, so they will always have a place on my list, right along side of the finer point single cartridge pens.  This list is always in some state of flux.

The top 5 list isn't:  A one stop shopping list for what pens you should buy.  As anyone who reads this blog knows, pens are a very individual thing.  What is great for me may be terrible for you, and vice-versa.  If you ever have any question about what the best pen is for your situation, please shoot me an email and I can make some suggestions.

The Zebra Sharbo X - Top notch Danny!

1. Zebra Sharbo X

Number one with a bullet.  I have been very pleased with my first Sharbo X purchase.  So pleased that I have already purchased another one, this time with a white barrel.  I love the feel of the pen in my hands.  It is perfectly balanced, and a wonderful writer.  My one wish list item for this pen is to have three ink cartridges instead of two plus a pencil, but I bought some blue lead for each of my barrels and I am much happier with that than the standard pencil lead.  Customization FTW!

2. Uni-Ball Signo DX 0.38mm

The old standby, and I don't see this pen moving out of the top 5 anytime soon.  It is very durable, and has some of the sharpest, cleanest lines around.  The wide range of colors this pen comes in makes it a huge winner in my book.

3. Pentel Slicci 0.3mm

Take what I wrote about the Signo DX above, copy it down here, and that pretty much sums up my feelings on the Pentel Slicci.  One thing about the Slicci that I like better than the DX is that I can use all tips sizes (0.25, 0.3, and 0.4) with ease, while I have a tough time with the DX 0.28 on occasion.  I think the DX barrel is far superior though, so that is what keeps it one spot ahead.

4. Pilot Hi-Tec-C Cavalier

It seems that I always have one Pilot Hi-Tec-C pen on my list, but this time the single cartridge Cavalier replaces the multi pen Coleto model.  I find myself reaching more and move for the black 0.4mm Cavalier because I like the feel of the barrel.  It may be too thin for some, but the weight offsets that nicely.

5. Sharpie Pen RT

The Sharpie Pen always has a place in my arsenal, and the new RT model has taken over for the original.  I really like the new barrel design, and Sharpie was able to keep the performance of the tip intact from vesion one.  Improving the ink colors for the red and blue pens didn't hurt either.

Review: Pilot Hi-Tec-C Slim Knock 0.4mm Orange

I have reviewed the Pilot Hi-Tec-C Slim Knock 0.3mm in the past, and I like this 0.4mm orange model much better.  The 0.3mm was a bit too scratchy for me to use regularly.  Since I consider this a portable pen - meaning I'll just grab it and go, sliding it into a pocket or small notebook - I want it to work right when pen hits paper.  As with many Hi-Tec-C pens, they sometime take a bit of priming to get going, but I haven't found that to be the case at all with this one.  This is one of the better performing Hi-Tec-C pens I have used period, and now I think I am going to have to try the 0.4mm size Slim Knock in a few more colors.  It is a very comfortable writing experience for such a compact pen.

Click Here for the XL review.

I've mentioned on Twitter that I think The New Pornographers are the most underrated band around, but The Mountain Goats rank a close second in my book.  Singer/songwriter John Darnielle tells amazing stories through his lyrics, and his guitar play is a perfect fit.  The list of songs I could suggest goes on for days (he is quite the prolific writer), but "Dance Music" is one of my favorites.  Check out this live performance:

Review: Pilot Hi-Tec-C Muscat 0.3mm

Can you make that out?  No?  Lean in a little closer.  A little more.  Still no?  Yeah, me neither.

I had a conversation a few months back - I can't remember if it was on the comments section here, on Twitter, Flickr, or where exactly - but we were talking about favorite/least favorite Pilot Hi-Tec-C colors.  I mentioned I would review my least favorite color soon, but I didn't want to give it away until I finished.  Well, here it is in all of its glory - Muscat.

If you think the picture is hard to make out, you would be interested to know that it is just as hard to write with.  I honestly had to keep stopping to go back to read what I just wrote because I wasn't able to make it out on the page.  The Doane Paper doesn't help, but the Muscat would be too light even on a plain white background.  And you can forget anything resembling the off white of Moleskine paper - it's as good as invisible ink on there.

But in all seriousness, this really isn't a color I should be writing with anyway, which is my day in and day out requirement for all of the pens I review.  This is a pen that I could see being used by artists and doodlers alike for shading, coloring in, texture, etc.  Just not so much for writing, at least in my book.

What makes pens so great is that we all have our own little individual traits that make us love or hate a pen.  Color, feel, performance, durability, the list goes on and on, and we will all defend our favorites until the end.  Just like the person who I was talking to about what her favorite Pilot Hi-Tec-C color was.  Yep, Muscat.

Click Here for the XL review - where you may actually have a chance to read it.

Battle Royale: Pilot Hi-Tec-C Putimo vs. Pilot Pockel

Two Pilot mini pens - only one will survive.  Who will make it into the backpack to be loved, and who will find themselves in the desk drawer to be lost?  Let's find out!

I have reviewed both of these pens in the past in black ink - the Putimo here and the Pockel here.  I love them both and they both have a lot to offer.  But I carry enough pens around as it is, and I wanted to cut down how many mini pens were in my backpack, so I needed to decide.  The first step, of course, is to order new ones of each in different colors.  That's what any normal person would do when they had two perfectly good ones previously reviewed, right?  RIGHT!

The next step was to compare them side by side, which is shown at left (as always, click on the image to see the larger view, and click below for the really big picture).  They both write great, and in the end, the Putimo wrote a cleaner line and was more comfortable to write with than the Pockel.  The only real issue with the Putimo - which is found in all Hi-Tec-C pens - is that it is sometimes a slow starter.  I left the perfect example of what I am talking about on the page where I wrote "Pros".  That crops up from time to time, even with the cap on, but the end result is nice enough for me to overlook it.

The Pockel is a fantastic mini pen, but the Putimo is the one for me.

Click Here for the XL review.

How I Work - Doane Paper + Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto

I mention frequently on Twitter that I use more than one pen on any given day, so I thought I would post a quick picture explaining why.  I am in the IT field, so most of my writing during the day consists of quick hit notes, and a few planning layouts, like in the picture above.  This is where the Pilot Hi-Tec-C comes in handy.  I like to take my base notes in one color, add or append any details with another color, and sometimes scratch things out with a third.  The colors in use are 0.4mm cartridges of Clear Blue, Apricot Orange, and Blue Black.  It's nice to be able to get this done all with one pen barrel.

This is pretty basic stuff for me everyday.  Sorry for the blown out colors in the photo and the wrinkled paper.  This has been floating around in my backpack for a couple of weeks.

Pilot Hi-Tec-C Couleur Giveaway Winners

Random.org decided on this beautiful first day of spring that numbers 78 and 112 were the winners of the Pilot Hi-Tec-C Couleurs.  Apparently the number generator was fond of Tanja'a addiction and Joe's directness:

must..have..more...pens... no.. yes.. no! YES! count me in! :)
Posted by: Tanja | March 17, 2009 at 04:20 PM

This time I'm going to win. Seriously.
Posted by: Joe's Liver | March 17, 2009 at 09:39 PM

Congratulations to both of the winners!  Here is what you need to do:

1. Leave a comment on this post - first one to respond gets their choice of barrel color.  Please mention that in your comment.
2. Email me your shipping address using the email link in the sidebar

There is a one week deadline to claim your prize.

March Giveaway Madness: Pilot Hi-Tec-C Couleur (x2)

I reviewed the Pilot Hi-Tec-C Couleur just a couple of weeks back and realized that it is not the pen for me, but for a lucky reader - or two in this case - you can find out if it is right for you.  Up for grabs is the Violet body as shown in the photo (thanks JetPens!), and the Soft Blue body, as I reviewed earlier.  I will be picking two winners from the comments section, and once the winners have been posted, the first to respond to that post can choose the color they like best.  You know the rules, but here they are for all the new players:

1. Leave one comment on this post anytime between now, and Thursday night at 11:59 PM Eastern Time.  You are limited to one entry.  Feel free to link this giveaway on your blog, or share it with anyone you feel is a true pen addict.  If you have a blog, I would love a link back, but it is certainly not required for entry into the contest.

2. For this contest, I will pick two winners at random from the comments section of this post.  The comments will be numbered in the order they are received, i.e. the first comment is #1, the second #2, and so on.  The Random Integer Generator at random.org will be used to pick the numbers of the winners.

3. The contest winners will be posted on Friday, March 20th.  The winners will have one week to email me at the address posted in the right sidebar.

4. I will ship internationally.  I know there are many international readers and fans of The Pen Addict, and I will gladly ship to you at my expense.

Thanks, and good luck!

Review: Pilot Hi-Tec-C Couleur 0.4mm

The latest and greatest from the Pilot Hi-Tec-C line, the Couleur is marketed as a portable, thin gel ink pen.  The size lends itself to throwing it in a purse or a pocket and hitting the street, but I just couldn't get comfortable writing with it.  The barrel is much too thin for me, and the finish of the pen makes it slide around a bit in my dry fingertips.  This made for tough writing - I really had to try hard to write well, and that is not a good thing.  It is unfortunate that I could never get locked in holding it because this is a very well made pen.  If you have ever used the Hi-Tec-C Cavalier model (which I love), it is like a mini-model of that pen.  It has a good weight to it and feels sturdy for such a small package.  I think in the right hands, this would be a very good option, but it isn't for me.