The Pen Addict

Pentel EnerGel X 0.5 mm Blue Review

(This is a guest review by Brian Draghi. You can follow Brian on Twitter @sketchscape)

I have been using the capped Pentel EnerGel Euro Needle version of this pen with some excellent results. I wanted to try out the retractable version for work to write down quick notes without having to worry about losing the cap. The Pentel EnerGel X retractable pen exceeded my expectations with it's comfortable grip and smooth, quick writing quality.

Needle points make all the difference in the world, and this pen is no exception. At first glance, this pen looks very generic with its disposable plastic body like many office brand pens. Looks are really deceiving here, as this pen's writing quality writing is smooth and works consistently every time. This is also is ideal for anyone with larger hands as it's slightly longer than most plastic body pens and the grip feels just right. It also works quite effectively for any of the left handed writers out there. The ink usually dries in about 4 to 5 seconds without any noticeable smearing on the page.

If you happen to be writing long notes for work or school, then this pen is for you. The EnerGel X has a latex-free Comfort Zone grip that is extremely comfortable for long writing sessions. Your hand smoothly glides across the page without any strain or any noticeable effort needed.  The clip is made out of the same plastic material as the pen body and is sturdy and wide enough to hold effectively in the pocket of your shirt. The top retractable plunger is slightly wider then most pens making it easier to extend and retract.

Overall

I really can't say enough about this pen because it just works perfectly. This is the one pen I would recommend to any college student that prefers taking hand written notes over using a laptop or other device. Personally, I tend to remember my hand written notes better than I would anything typed on my laptop, so something like this pen is ideal. The only thing I would like is if Pentel would make a retractable .35 needle point version of this pen similar to the Euro Needle version. I can’t imagine loving this pen even more but a smaller point would probably do the trick.

Rating 

4.5 out of 5 pens 

Pros

- Smooth writing
- Comfortable grip
- Quick drying ink for Left handers
- Super cheap
- Ideal for larger hands

Cons

- Generic plastic body
- Needs a .35 needle point

Pentel Sharp Kerry Mechanical Pencil Winner

I smiled when I saw this comment come in as an entry for the Pentel Sharp Kerry giveaway, and thought wouldn't that be funny if he won. Well, the lords of the random like to play tricks sometimes, and wouldn't you know:

Believe me, I have neither the time or the interest in playing around with the contest results for a good story. Never have, and never will. But this turned out pretty cool I must say.

So Rip Van, you have one week to claim your prize. Please leave a comment on this post, and email me your shipping address using my address on the sidebar. Don't sleep on it!

Pentel Sharp Kerry Mechanical Pencil Giveaway

I just reviewed this pencil yesterday, and while I expressed my never ending love for it, I don’t want it to get lost in the shuffle of pens and pencils here at Casa de Pen Addict. I want to give my bright red Kerry a good home, so this is your chance.

This giveaway is for my review sample of the Pentel Sharp Kerry reviewed right here. The pencil is not new in the package, but is essentially brand new outside of my testing and review, and is in perfect condition. Here is how to enter:

1. Leave one comment on this post anytime between now, and Wednesday night at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. You are limited to one entry. This contest is limited to US residents only.

2. Please follow @jetpens on Twitter and “Like” JetPens on Facebook. This is not mandatory, but I sure would appreciate your support! Feel free to follow me @dowdyism and on Facebook as well.

3. 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.

4. The contest winner will be posted on Thursday, August 25th. The winner will have one week to email me at the address posted in the right sidebar.

Thanks and good luck!

Pentel Sharp Kerry Mechanical Pencil 0.5mm Review

I have seen the Pentel Sharp Kerry around JetPens for a while, but never really had a reason to try it out. I am a Kuru Toga guy after all right? This red body Kerry showed up in a box of samples I got from work two months back, and even then I kind of set it to the side and wasn’t anxious to review it. I had no idea how much I was missing out on.

Not knowing anything about the Kerry model before getting this one in my hands, I didn’t even realize it is a capped mechanical pencil. It is fully capped at that - just like a nice rollerball pen would be. The unique part about that is you can advance the lead with the cap on or off. The engineering and design of the click mechanism works flawlessly in either position.

The build quality is excellent as well. The color sections are plastic and are surrounded by silver chrome accents. The tip of the pencil has a nice matte finish, which makes for a beautiful overall package. When writing, the pencil is perfectly balanced in the hand. With the cap posted, it is a little shorter than a standard mechanical pencil, but is more than long enough for a comfortable writing experience.

I really can’t say enough about how pleased I am with this pencil. It has top notch styling, comfort, and performance, and is one of the best pencils I have reviewed.

Pentel Vicuna 0.7mm Sky Blue

I have enjoyed my regular black ink Vicuna pen, and raved about my Vicuna Multi Pen, so I wanted to give the new colored ink Vicuna pens a try. I went with the Sky Blue ink, and I am wishing I would have tried a different one first.

The issue was noticeable almost as soon as I started writing. At least once or twice a line a glob of ink would hit the page, usually at the start or stop of a letter. You can see the dark spots in the written review above very easily. The black inks I have reviewed before don’t have this problem, either because 1. They really don’t have this problem, or 2. The base ink color is dark enough so it is not noticeable. Unfortunately, the light shade of Sky Blue ink doesn’t hide the dark spots.

I was hoping it was a breaking in issue, but it didn’t improve over time. Maybe it is just this particular pen, so I would like to try another one, as well as some of the other colors like purple and orange. The Pentel Vicuna is a great pen, but you might want to rethink the Sky Blue.