Sakura Kakikata Felt Tip Pen Review

The Sakura Kakikata gets it done with simplicity. No bells, no whistles, no frills, Just excellent performance at a fair price. What more can you ask for?

The Kakikata looks like a throwback to marker pens from the 70's and 80's that you would find by the dozen in some beat up box in an office supply closet or desk. They may have even had dust on them when you saved them, but after popping the cap off and scribbling a few test lines you knew you were on to something. Where is the love for a simple pen like this?

This is another one of those pens where I'll take two or three of them, stash them in the places I like to write, pick up from time to time, and remember how nice it is to write with. The fine felt tip is clean and sharp, and the lines are dark. The ink is water and fade resistant too, so artists will enjoy them as well.

Will this pen replace the Pigma Micron, Uni Pin, or some of my other favorite art pens? Not likely, but its a fun pen and a reminder that you don't need much to make something awesome.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

Bexley Sleeve Filler Fountain Pen Review

Bexley is a brand I was familiar with in name only until my friends at Vanness Pen Shop gifted me this beautiful Bexley Sleeve Filler last year. Not only that, they added a few tweaks just for me that had me grinning from ear to ear.

Based in Columbus, Ohio, Bexley has been making pens since 1993 and have an excellent reputation in the market. Their designs harken back to the heyday of fountain pens in the US in the early-to-mid 1900's. My tastes lean towards more modern styles, but seeing a pen like this makes me wonder what else I am missing.

The main feature of this pen is, of course, the filling mechanism. The rear of the pen - aka the sleeve - unscrews to reveal the filler bar and ink sac. You dip the nib into an ink bottle, give the filler bar a couple of presses to intake the ink, twist the sleeve back down, and you are ready to write. It's a very simple system that is implemented well and works perfectly. I was actually surprised at how much ink I was able to drawn in with only one or two presses.

As nice as this Bexley is, what Vanness did (without my prior knowledge or input) to make this pen special for me was really great. First off, Vanness has the ability to engrave and customize pens in their shop, so they borrowed the logo from Nock Co. and zapped it onto the end of the pen. Secondly, they had local pen maker Shawn Newton, who has worked on several of my pens, grind the broad 14k nib the pen comes with into my favorite cursive italic grind.

How awesome is that?

The pen looks cool, writes great, is personalized, and has a great story behind it. I'm so thankful to have met Lisa and Wendi from Vanness Pen at last years Atlanta Pen Show and really appreciate what they did for me with this pen.

The Arkansas Pen Show runs today and tomorrow, so if you are in the area stop by and tell them hi for me and check out their goods (which may or may not include Sailor Bung Box ink!) You can also see what else they have to offer online at Vanness1938.com.

Uni Pi:s And Zebra Mackee Double-Sided Marker Showdown

Markers make my handwriting look awesome. Maybe it's the larger, faster arm movements that are required to keep pace with a wide tipped, fast flowing pen, or maybe it's as simple as the design of the tip itself. Either way, pens like the Uni Pi:s and Zebra Mackee are fun to have around for when you need them.

When you actually need markers like this is the key. These aren't every day writers like the Sakura Pigma Micron. They are task specific, meaning you should know how you will be using these pens before getting started. Both the Uni Pi:s and Zebra Mackee are made to write on many surfaces, such as paper, fabric, glass, metal and more. The oil-based ink allows for this, and makes them water resistant as well.

What sets these two pens apart? Not much to be perfectly honest. They are very similar in design - so much so that I have to find the brand logo on the barrel to determine which one I am using. Each is double-sided, both with fine and extra-fine tips, with the tips on the Zebra being slightly firmer and finer. I doubt I could tell the difference in a blind test though.

The Zebra does have the lone differentiator in the pens with refillable ink cartridges. For a pen like this that is a big deal because you will burn through markers if you use them heavily. The cartridges are a long cylinder with wide openings on each end for good ink flow.

And the ink flow is huge, as you would expect with this type of pen. Any use of these pens on normal paper will result in bleed and feathering. Writing with them is fun, but they are most suited for heavy duty materials like posterboard, fabric, and plastic.

For $2 a pop, the Uni Pi:s and Zebra Mackee both come in a rainbow of colors and will make your inner artist squee with delight. Check them out the next time you have a project that calls for some color.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)