Review: Pentel Hybrid Technica 0.5mm Fluorescent Orange

Color me very very surprised by this one - in a good way of course.  The Pentel Hybrid Technica is a pen I have used before with varying degrees of success, but this fluorescent orange model really impressed me.  The way the ink performs on the paper is great.  The gel ink is neat and clean, making for some impressive lines, and the ink color is FLUORESCENT ORANGE!

Now, there are plenty of other bright ink pens that may works as well as this pen (there is a Uni-Ball Signo DX in pink that comes to mind), but this Pentel is just downright fun to use.  I don't know that I would use it for strictly note taking, but as a highlighter alternative, it is just about perfect.  I am an underliner as opposed to a highlighter anyway, so this pen fits my needs.  In fact, this pen is part of the "Go Team" that I carry with me in my main pen case.

Fluorescent pink and yellow will be on their way from JetPens shortly.

Click here for the XL review.

Review: SKB SB-1000 0.5mm Ballpoint

The SKB SB-1000 0.5mm ballpoint pen was featured on Cool Tools last week, but I missed it when it was originally posted.  It wasn't long after that post that a reader asked me about the pen and if I had tried one.  I of course hadn't at the time, but I did email SKB and they were nice enough to send me some pens to review at no charge.  Thanks Mariah!

The SKB ballpoint does have a bit of a following in the art world, and is actually referred to as the "James Jean pen" by many (see samples of Jean's artwork right here).  My first impression of the pen was that it is a glorified Bic Stic, but that would be selling the SKB very short.  While the barrel is nothing special - standard clear plastic barrel with a bit of taper in the grip area - the performance of the tip and ink are very nice.

If there is such a thing as a needle tip ballpoint, this is about as close I have seen.  Does anyone remember the old extra fine PaperMate ballpoints?  I used them back in the 80's, but after some quick Googling, I don't see that they are manufactured anymore.  They were likely 0.5mm and came to a needle type tip, at least in comparison to a standard ballpoint.  The SKB does a much better job with tip design.  When the pen hits the page, this pen really stands out.  It lays down a smooth, skip-free line, with a nice, dark black ink, which isn't always easy to find in a ballpoint.  Be sure to see the large writing sample to see how cleanly it writes.

While this pen isn't going to replace the Uni-Ball Jetstream, Zerbra Surari or Pilot Acroball in my arsenal (mainly because of the nicer barrel options), I do find that it writes better than pens like the Zebra Technoline.  For the price ($11 per dozen), it provides a great bang for the buck, and is a very enjoyable pen to use.

Big thanks to SKB Pens for sending me these pens, and for throwing in plenty of extras for me to share with readers of The Pen Addict.  You can find SKB pens on the web at www.skbpens.com, and they also have a Twitter account @skbpens, although there isn't much action there yet.

Click here for the XL review.

Review: Zebra Penpod Mini Keychain Pen

As I delve further and further into all things EDC (Every Day Carry for the uninitiated), I am always on the lookout for cool additions to my arsenal, and the Zebra Penpod Mini Keychain Pen looks right up my alley.  Not only is it compact, functional, and sharp looking, it has a nice little secret upgrade that makes it all the better.

I try to keep my keychain as minimal as possible, so I was hesitant at first to add this to the ring (why I didn't take a photo of it for this post I have no idea - I'll get that done soon).  Luckily, the Penpod is light enough and compact enough that I didn't really notice the extra bulk in my pocket.  To access the pen, all it takes is a quick press and twist from the base, and out pops the pen, while the cap of course remains attached to the keychain.

The standard black ballpoint ink cartridge is really really nice - better than many traditional ballpoint pens I have used.  The line is solid and the pen stays mess free.  The real key to this pen - for me at least - is the off the label refill cartridge that works for the Penpod.  I didn't realize this until reading some of the comments on the JetPens product page, but the Zebra Sharbo X refills fit this pen perfectly.  I have a few extra sitting around, so in went the Emerald Green, and it couldn't have worked any better.

With the five different barrel colors of the Penpod, plus the dozens of Sharbo X refills available, you can customize this keychain pen to your hearts content.  Have fun with it!

Click here for the XL review.