Pentel Sliccies 2 Color Gel Ink Multi Pen + Pencil Review

Way back when the Pentel Sliccies were first introduced, I couldn't wait to get my hands on one. Converting one of my favorite single cartridge gel ink pens into a multi pen? Yes please! Unfortunately, my excitement was short lived, as the writing performance of the Sliccies multi pen couldn't hold a candle to that of the single cartridge variety.

So why go back to the well again with the Sliccies multi pen plus pencil combo? First of all, I'm a glutton for punishment (not to mention a certified pen addict), but more importantly I really want to like this pen so I was holding out hope that something might have changed with this latest release.

It hasn't.

There are two main issues with the Sliccies S+2 from my perspective, and they are the same as the original Sliccies. One, the ink cartridges come out at an angle. If it were very minor I could live with it, but this is annoyingly noticeable with the Sliccies. It is like the tip of each cartridge is bent it is so obvious. And two, the ink cartridge of the Sliccies writes differently than the single cartridge model. With the normal Slicci pen, the tip is very sharp and produces a crisp, clean line. With the Sliccies refills, the tip feels more rounded, leading to a line that is not as well defined.

At this point, the addition of the pencil cartridge is almost irrelevant to me because I can't use the gel ink cartridges. If and when I try to use it, all I can think about are the crooked tips and messy lines. I guess you could say this pen is in my head.

Click here for the XL review.

Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto Five Cartridge Barrel Review

First it was the two cartridge, then the three, then the four, and now the five cartridge Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto has arrived. What's next, an eleventeen cartridge Coleto? If there was, I would still probably buy it, because the Coleto line is probably the best bang for your buck gel ink multi pen on the market today.

I love the versatility of multi pens, and because of that, I have tried as many as I can get my hands on. Compared to its closest competitors - the Uni-Ball Style Fit and the Pentel Sliccies - the Coleto is the undisputed champ in my book. The barrel has a great feel and design, and the many ink colors are vibrant and write wonderfully. If there is any knock on it, it is that the ink cartridges run out too quickly, but that is the case with many gel ink multi pens.

I was actually a little hesitant to pick up the five cartridge model, worrying that it was going to be too wide of a body for me, but it is not bad at all. The two cartidge Coleto is obviously the skinniest of the bunch, while the three and four cartridge barrels are nearly identical in width. The five is only slightly wider than the three and four, but completely comfortable to write with. That said, the four cartridge barrel is my Coleto sweet spot. With the width of the three and an extra slot to boot, what's not to like (I promise I will get them all together for a family photo shoot soon).

Pliot has been doing a great job of late with all of the different Coleto bodies, and I am having a fun trying them all out.

Click here for the XL review.

Products used:

Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto 5 Color Multi Pen - Pen Body - Clear Black from JetPens

Writing Pad from Doane Paper

Review: Sailor Pica Kirei Anti-Bacterial Multi Pen

An anti-bacterial pen? Call me skeptical, but that is what the Sailor Pica Kirei Anti-Bacterial ballpoint multi pen presents itself as. How does it work? The product page at JetPens has all of the details:

This pen utilizes material developed by Tokyo Advanced Technology Research Center and Fujitsu Research Lab. The pen body material is a combination of photocatalyst titanium apatite and silver apatite, materials commonly used in advanced air purification systems. This composite can absorb and decompose microorganisms and various other substances such as bacteria, pollen, fungus, and more. The apatite adsorbs contaminants even without exposure to light. The material adsorbed by the apatite is decomposed by the photocatalyst titanium apatitet on exposure to sunlight (ultra violet). Silver apatite inhibits growth of the germs and keeps this anti-bacteria effect without sunlight.

Can I verify this with my own lab tests? Of course not, but it does sound like a really good idea for doctor offices, schools, restaurants, or any other place where the public is in repeated contact with the same pen.

From a writing perspective, I am generally a fan of all Sailor products, and this one is no different. The ballpoint ink cartridges are nice and clean, with little to no skipping.  I actually enjoyed writing with it, regardless of whether I was spreading cooties or not. Maybe its not a pen you want to use every single day, but it wouldn't hurt to leave one around the house or on your desk for when those germ laden hands come calling.

Click here for the XL review.