Paper Mate Flair Ultra Fine Review

(Everyone say hello to Sarah, the latest addition to the Pen Addict writing crew! Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter.)

My first impression of the Paper Mate Flair felt tip pens didn’t leave me with very high expectations. The packaging is a flimsy vinyl pouch in a cardboard sleeve and the pens themselves are very light plastic. They feel and look cheap, and they are, in fact, fairly inexpensive. They pretty much shattered this impression once I started to play, though.

These pens are fun little workhorses. The colors are bright and vibrant in acid-free water-based ink. The ultra fine tips are very precise. They performed well with doodling, coloring in, and plain writing, offering smooth feedback and no skipping. They remain well-balanced when posted, which they do very securely.

With such teeny tiny felt tips, I expected some dry-out after longer periods of being uncapped, but I had no issues, even when I felt like I was surely pushing the limits. I used this set to create an elaborate, color-coded chore chart for my family. With the UF tips, I was able to fit tyrannically long lists of chores into each square, and even then I could not stymie the pens. When I made the chart, I outlined it first with pencil, then retraced my lines with the Flairs. When I erased the pencil lines, there was no smudging of the ink at all. There was also no show-through on the Rhodia paper I used.

Next I tried coloring. So many of the new coloring books coming out have itty bitty spaces to fill in, so I thought I’d take these teeny tips for a spin on my art deco coloring postcards. The Flair’s UF tips definitely performed well for teeny coloring, though the cardstock I was working on isn’t the best paper for this sort of ink. There was a bit of feathering, and there are some over-saturated areas where too much ink soaked in. And here is also where the lighter weight became an advantage. I don’t know what your particular coloring practices are, but when I sit down to color, I’m planning on being there a while. The light pens never caused my hands to fatigue or cramp the way my beloved colored pencils sometimes do. Even when filling in the itty bittiest of teeny tiny spaces. As a disclaimer, the grip section is quite narrow. It suits my small hands very well, but may un-zen the zentangles for those with larger hands.

I think I’ll be getting a lot of use out of these pens. They’re perfect for doodles or zentangles, great for color coding planners and charts, and super useful for tiny coloring. I think they’d even be great for class notes. In the end, I have no real criticisms on their functionality. I think I’ll even be picking up a few more colors. And if the cheap-feeling plastic is what keeps these worker bees affordable enough for me to have lots of them, well maybe that’s more of a pro than a con, too.

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

Kaweco AL Sport Light Blue Fountain Pen Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

The Kaweco AL Sport is a familiar pen to the pen community for its stellar design, portability, and rugged durability. With a lot of different pen lines, you might buy one and think that you're done buying anymore from that line. Then, the manufacturer goes and releases an awesome new color to the lineup that's irresistible. That's exactly what Kaweco have done here with the all new Kaweco AL Sport in Light Blue.

From the inside out, this is a standard AL Sport. The only difference in this model is the color. Before we jump into the color, let's do a brief recap on the AL Sport itself.

If you've never had the pleasure of using a Kaweco AL Sport, you really should seek one out at some point. While they aren't exactly cheap, they're not really on the expensive end of the fountain pen spectrum either. Made of aluminum, they have a solid feel in the hand and do extremely well in regards to durability. You can throw it into a bag or pocket on its own, or you can install a small pocket clip to keep it secured. Hands down, this pen oozes quality, and it's a joy to handle and use.

The nib units of all AL Sports (and other similarly-priced Kaweco models) are easily interchangeable, which means you can have a nib customized to your liking, and move your custom nib to a new pen when you're ready. It's as simple as unscrewing the nib unit from one pen and inserting it in another. Piece of cake.

Of course, the Kaweco nibs are fantastic when they arrive in a usable state out of the box. However, they have been known to have some quality control issues that require some DIY tuning in order to get a useable pen. That said, these pens are great writers and will likely outlive you.

The nib I received with this review unit is an EF, and it wrote like a charm write out of the packaging. Smooth and crisp — exactly how they're meant to be.

Now, back to the color. The light blue is a beautiful shade that looks different depending on the lighting conditions. In some lighting, it looks like a cool light gray, while in others it may look slightly violet. Most of the time, though, it has a pleasant sky blue hue that makes me smile. All of the other hardware is a silver color, which compliments this cooler color.

There are several colors available in the Kaweco AL Sport line, including a similar silver color, but this Light Blue is my current favorite. Even though autumn is approaching, this color reminds me of spring and summer. It's light and joyful, and I can't help but keep it close even when not using it just so I can catch a glimpse of the color throughout the day.

If you've been on the fence about trying an AL Sport, this is a perfect one to start on! And, if you enjoy collecting all the colors, then this is a no-brainer. Stock may be a little difficult since they're brand new, but you can find one eventually when stock starts to normalize.

The light blue Kaweco AL Sport is a new favorite thanks to the beautiful new color. It's a great match with the Diamine Turquoise I currently have inked, but my next ink will probably be Iroshizuku ama-iro to match the body more closely.

At JetPens, you can find the Kaweco AL Sport in Light Blue with an EF, F, M, or B nib size for around $80 at the time of this post.

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

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Pilot FriXion Ball Slim Biz Gel Pen Review

The FriXion is Pilot’s playground. I think that is why I like this pen so much. They nailed erasable ink technology - which no one has been able to duplicate - and they keep playing around with all kinds of barrels and colors to use it in.

The FriXion Slim Biz is the latest addition to an ever expanding lineup, and is is a nice as all who came before. The barrel is skinny, as the Slim name dictates, but has a nice feel to it due to the stainless steel material used. It is retractable as well, with a blue plastic accent between the clip and the eraser.

Erasable gel ink is the biggest feature of the FriXion of course, and you can tell that Pilot has been tweaking the formula since the pen first launched. It has never worked better in my opinion, with less pressure needed and cleaner results. The ink vanishes easily and completely, at least until you pop it in the freezer.

What impresses me most about the Slim Biz is how well the 0.38 mm refill writes. It reminds me of the Uni-ball Signo DX in fact, which is about the highest praise I can offer. The lines are sharp, clean, and mess-free. And the black ink is black. There was a time in the early days of the FriXion where the black was light in color, and even leaned a little brown. That time is gone, and this ink is great.

And you can erase it!

I like this pen a lot. At $18 it is by no means cheap, but the pen is nice and fun to use. If you have never tried a FriXion pen before, the FriXion Ball Knock is the best place to start, and you can branch out from there with different tip sizes, colors, and barrels. If you are a FriXion pro then I think you will like the Slim Biz as well.

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

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Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, which I am very grateful for.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!