The Pen Addict

Review: Beta Inkless Pens from Jac Zagoory Designs

My good friends from Jac Zagoory designs contacted me recently and sent out some samples of the Beta Inkless Pen and the Beta Pocket Inkless Pen.  When the package arrived, I really had no clue what to expect, but I was definitely intrigued by what was inside.

First off, as with the other Jac Zagoory products I have reviewed, the product design is fantastic.  Both the Beta and Beta Pocket Inkless pens are drool-worthy in the looks department alone.  The full size model is long and sleek, with nary a mark to be found on its silver body.  The Pocket is much shorter and wider, but is just as much of a looker as its big brother with its pocket clip and threaded cap.  But an "inkless pen"?  How is this going to work?

Surprisingly enough, it does a pretty good job for what it is designed for.  The line it lays down looks very much like a pencil would, but it does not smudge, nor is it erasable without you taking off the page beneath it.  There is definitely some drag feedback - after all, you are dragging a piece of metal across the page, not a medium fountain pen nib - but you don't have to exert too much pressure to write with.  I tried my best to write as I normally would, and both pens performed well.

Here are a few details from jaczagoory.com:

The pens  can be used on most paper surfaces, at any temperature or in any weather condition and will never need to be sharpened.  There is no ink so it will never dry up or leak. Doesn't smear. I have so many pens that sometimes they dry up and the pencils aren't always sharpened, so when I am stressed it is comforting to know that I can reach for this pen for reliability.

This isn't a pen I see myself using on a daily basis, but either one would make one of the better pen related gifts I have seen for that person who has it all.  If I only had to choose one, I think I would choose the full size just because of the long barrel length and comfort when writing.  With the Beta Pocket, you really have to get it wedged into the palm of your hand to have a comfortable writing experience, but the Pocket model may be the ultimate emergency pen.  You could keep this in the car, or any kit you have and never ever have to worry about it drying up or breaking, and it will write on just about any paper you throw at it.

There is just a cool vibe about these pens.  I'm going to go play with them some more and see what else I can come up with.

Click here for the XL review.

Jac Zagoory Scroll Pen Winner

I put Random.org through the machinations this morning, and the end result was commenter #35 Harry C. Marks as the winner:

        Harry C. Marks said...

        I love convergence devices!

Congratulations!  Here is what I need from you:

1. Leave a comment on this post.
2. Email me your shipping address using the email link in the sidebar

There is a one week deadline to claim your prize.

Giveaway: Jac Zagoory Scroll Pen

It was a busy holiday weekend, but it is good to be back in the saddle, and I figure what better way to get the week started than with another great giveaway.  The Jac Zagoory Scroll Pen was provided by Jac Zagoory himself, and I am excited to share his love for writing instruments with one lucky reader.  Here are the pen details from jzpen.com:

Scroll pen in silver. Contains over 2 feet of refillable paper. The barrel (bottom of the pen) pulls out and extends itself so you can use it to write a note. Tear it off and give it to someone or simply scroll it back in to read like a journal later on. Perfect for spontaneous inspiration. This self contained office allows poets, artists and thinkers to capture precious fleeting thoughts. Handsomely boxed and includes two additional paper cartridges.

Again, big thanks to Jac Zagoory for providing this pen to me.  The giveaway rules are as follows:

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 one winner 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 number of the winner.

3. The contest winner will be posted on Friday, May 29th.  The winner 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: Jac Zagoory Pocket PC

I have been very fortunate of late to strike up a discussion with Jac Zagoory of Jac Zagoory Designs, who designs some of the coolest pens and desk accessories around.  He has offered Pen Addict readers a 15% discount at his online store JZPens.com for the month of May (use the code "mayiswarm"), and graciously has sent me a few items for review.  First up is the Pocket PC, a great play on the lost art of writing.

Design: The design of the Pocket PC is definitely its biggest selling point.  This is not to detract from the other elements of the pen, but rather to enhance them.  If you are buying this pen, you are buying it for looks, to be talked about, and for its overall coolness factor.  It really is a looker too.  The keyboard design is done extremely well and accurately, and Jac even throws in some of his flair with his JZ logo where the Windows or Apple key goes.  I'm a details person, and I love taking in everything this pen has to offer.

Did I mention the pen box/packaging that this comes in?  Killer design and a great way to show off Jac's handiwork.  (See additional photos at the bottom of this post)

Performance:  What are looks without performance?  Fortunately, this pen delivers in that area as well.  The ink cartridge is a Schmidt Safety Ceramic Roller model #888 F, which is a high quality German ink refill used in many rollerball pens.  The width of the line is approximately 0.7mm, and the ink flows effortlessly with no skipping at all.  The Pocket PC writes like a champ.

Construction:  This is easily the heaviest pen I own, but that is mostly because I use disposable gel ink pens with plastic barrels, and this one is made of metal.  The weight of the pen feels great in my hand, but with the cap posted it is a bit top heavy.  The size and the feel of the pen with the cap unposted give me a better writing experience, but your mileage may vary.  Other than that, the build of this pen is spot on.  It is a screw on cap, so it will always be secure when on, and has the same threaded connection when opening up the barrel to replace the ink cartridge.  There are no shakes or rattles to be found either - it is dead quiet when writing.

Overall:  This pen is a real pleasure to write with and to look at.  Like many of Jac Zagoory's pens, the looking at is one of the most important aspects, and the Pocket PC will not disappoint in that area.  I am enjoying this pen on a daily basis, and it now has a prominent place on my home office desk to show off and use often.

Huge thanks to Jac Zagoory for sending me this pen for review.  Be on the lookout for something else he sent me next week...

Click on any image for a larger view.