Posts filed under Pen Reviews

Mark's Tokyo Edge Days Metal Gel Pen Review

(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. And her latest book, The Atropine Tree, is now available!)

Take the classic hexagonal design of a woodcase pencil, but make it aluminum and a gel ink pen, and you get the Mark's Tokyo Edge Days Metal Gel Pen. It's very sturdy but lightweight, and the shape keeps it from rolling off a desk.

The pen comes in a variety of colors: silver, black, red, yellow, green, blue, and this lovely purple. The six sides all have a lot of text on them, partly brand info, but mostly a clever list of the days of the week (Saturday and Sunday share a side) in several different languages. Hence, the "Days" in the pen's name.

The click button has a very satisfying clunk and it deploys the needlepoint tip of the Ohto 0.5 mm gel refill. The tip writes very smoothly with no skips and the ink is nicely saturated. Inkwise, it's very pleasant to write with.

Design wise, it wasn't the best writing experience. It's a fairly wide pen, and the hexagon shape is a bit tricky to grip. There is no grip section or texture to it, so my fingers often slipped, creeping closer to the paper as I wrote. The angles and weight of the pen also led to frequent readjustment of how I was holding it. It works great for quick notes, but I found myself setting it aside for other options when it came to longer writing sessions, like for meeting notes.

While my hands didn't care for the design, the pen does look great. It's interesting; modern but with a vintage vibe. It's gotten several comments from my coworkers, which delights me, as I slowly convert them all to being pen people. It's also not super expensive, so I don't have to worry about the price scaring new pen fans away from the hobby. It runs around $20 dollars, which is very fair for a metal pen with a great refill.

While it wasn't quite my cup of tea, one coworker of mine thought it was awesome and already plans to buy one--so it may very well delight you, too. Realistically, most people write short notes, and this pen is great for that. I'll enjoy admiring the design from across the table as my coworker takes their first leap down the Pen Addict rabbit hole.

(Brad purchased this pen at the London Graphic Centre.)

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Posted on August 15, 2024 by Sarah Read and filed under Mark's, Pen Reviews.

OHTO Minimo Ballpoint Pen Review

(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. And her latest book, The Atropine Tree, is now available!)

The wee OHTO Minimo Ballpoint Pen takes the cake as the miniest of minimal travel. The 3.7 mm diameter and 3.5 inch length makes this pen about the size of a Q-tip, minus the fluff. It slides into a clear plastic sleeve that is attached to a plastic card that fits easily in a wallet pocket.

Typically, even when I'm traveling light, I have a decent pen on me. At the very least, my Spoke Roady is always in my wallet, and then there's usually at least one other pen within arm's reach. So why do I need the world's tiniest pen? Because it's cute, that's why.

I figured this would be a last-resort pen--the emergency, better-than-nothing pen, but it's actually a decent writer. Not terribly comfortable, but a perfectly decent choice for making quick notes.

The pen's body is plastic, and while it's sturdy, there's just not enough of it to be really strong. It does feel delicate in the hand, and I wouldn't want to be too rough with it. It has a thin, flexible metal clip, silver metal accents, and the teeniest click mechanism ever. The click deploys the ballpoint tip, and you're ready to write very small notes. To retract the tip, press on the little bump of wire exposed on the side of the pen.

You probably won't want to write for a long time with this pen, but if you should manage to write out the ink supply, this pen is actually refillable. It takes a standard D1 refill, which are available from many brands in a bunch of fun colors. The pen itself is available in several colors. I picked black, but there's also orange, green, and pink.

There's not a whole lot to this pen. Its whole deal is just being the most simple version of a simple tool that you might need while on the go. And while it will totally fit in your wallet, it won't drain it. This wee treasure is only $7.50 at JetPens, which is fair, I think. It could be less--there are bigger pens for a third of that cost--but the specialty parts that have to exist just for this one pen likely explain that difference. Pretty much every millimeter (few as there are) of this beauty is proprietary, I'd imagine.

What am I going to do with this strange wee thing? It's going in my work badge. It will be the perfect tool for when I need to make a quick note when I'm running around my library, four floors away from my desk and pen cup. And I think it's perfect for the hardcore minimalist travelers who want to lighten the load at all costs and may only need a pen for customs forms and singing up for adventures. Hooray for tiny pens!

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

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Posted on August 8, 2024 by Sarah Read and filed under Ohto, Ballpoint, Pen Reviews.

Tactile Turn Vice Side Click Pen Review

Nearly four years into their quarterly Limited Edition release cycle, Tactile Turn is showing no signs of letting up. In fact, with their latest release “Vice,” they are showing that they are having more fun than ever creating these fantastic pens.

As you could imagine with the name Vice, these pens take on the bright and colorful synth wave vibes from South Florida in the 1980’s, aka the Miami Vice era. And notice I say “pens,” because there is more than one with this release. “Night” gives off a nightclub vibe with neon popping across the dance floor, and “Day” gives off that blinding beach look when exiting the club at 7:00 a.m. - you know who you are.

Deciding which pen to choose is always the challenge with Tactile Turn, even with single pen releases. With two exterior designs, and three barrel length (and refill compatibility,) options, you are sure to find a model to your liking.

Design was easy for me this go-round. I considered Day for a minute because I don’t think there are enough great light color pen barrels on the market. That said, the bright Pinks and Blues of Night - set off perfectly with the splattered black barrel - is one of my all-time favorite color combinations.

With color out of the way, what barrel would I choose? For Vice, I think Standard might be the right choice for most people. You want a fun, bright, gel ink refill for this pen, and its Pilot G2 compatibility gives you the most options. That said, I had ulterior motives with my choice.

I ordered a few Schmidt Standard P900 refills last year when I saw they released fun colors such as Magenta, Purple, and Turquoise. These refills had been sitting in my review bin just waiting for their opportunity to be used, and I’m happy to say that now is their time. The Short model of the Vice Side Click is compatible with Parker-style, or International G2, ink cartridges, and I was stoked to ink it up with Magenta as soon as it arrived.

In comparison to the Standard (5.8 in., 1.2 oz.) barrel, I prefer the Short (5.3 in., 1.1 oz.) simply from a weight and length perspective. I have to be in the mood to use Tactile Turn’s Standard model, and when I do, it’s usually sitting at my desk. The Short works well at the desk, and better as carry pen for my needs. You could drop all the way down to the Mini model (4.6 in., 0.9 oz.) for size purposes, but refill compatibility is the most restricted with the Pilot G2 Mini refill. I have one each of the Standard and Mini pens that I use sparingly, but my choice is primarily the Short.

The Tactile Turn Vice Side Click pen runs $149 in any barrel size and color combination. Maybe you need one of each so you have a daytime pen, and a nighttime pen. You know, to go along with your daytime phone, and nighttime phone. Y’all do that too, right? 🤣

Regardless of which pen design or size you choose, you will be happy with the quality that Tactile Turn provides in each of their products. And even is the Vice isn’t for you, you are sure to find something else interesting in their full lineup of products.

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

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