Review: Zebra Tect 2way 1000 Mechanical Pencil

Since I started my recent drafting pencil kick, I couldn't wait to try out the Zebra Tect 2Way 1000 because I thought it was one of the coolest looking pencils on the market.  While the looks are what sold me, the feel and functionality of the pencil are what keep me coming back for more.  This is a really good pencil, but there are a few too many little things that prevent me from getting more use out of it.

One of the big selling points of the Zebra Tect 2way is the 2way-ness of it.  No, there is not an additional pen cartridge making this a multi pen, but rather there are two ways to advance the lead:  the traditional click advance, or the updated shaker mechanism.  I think I would actually like this pencil more if it was one or the other, because I am not really digging the ring around the barrel that locks the pencil into the type of lead advancement you want.  It just seems extraneous to me, or a case of trying to hard.  It does its job, but is it neccessary?  Plus, you have to shake the heck out of it to advance the lead.

Secondly, I didn't really consider that the grip would be an issue by the looks of it, but it kind of is.  The orange plastic rings encircling the grip are very firm, and they rise above the underlying metal grip higher than it appears.  That's ok for short bursts, but I could see that getting tiresome over long writing or drafting sessions.

Finally, I wish the barrel of the entire pencil was metal.  The silver grip area is, but the upper body is resin based (essentially plastic).  It does have a nice balance in the hand while writing, and as nice as it feels, it is just a little but off.  It could be mental on my part though.

That is a lot of small marks on what is otherwise a good pencil.  Unfortunately for me, those things add up, and push this one to the back of the drawer.

Click here for the XL review.

Review: Sharpie Liquid Pencil

My friend Brian (aka the Office Supply Geek) recently did a bang up review of the new Sharpie Liquid Pencil.  He pretty much covered it all, from design to performance and with tons and tons of photo samples.  For a super in-depth review of the Sharpie Liquid Pencil, be sure to check his review out, because I am going to take this one in a little bit of a different direction.

I am not going to ignore the performance of this pencil, but I am not going to belabor the point either: the Sharpie Liquid Pencil writes horribly.  It is inconsistent, streaky, messy, and the barrel rattles when writing like there is no tomorrow.  Being the tech nerd that I am, I relate the quality of this pencil as similar to an alpha release of software.  It feels nothing at all like a finished product.

I could continue bagging on this pencil until the cows come home, but that would be a waste of time, because all things considered, this pencil makes me happy.  "How in the world can this pencil make you happy if you hate it so much" is what you are probably saying at this point, but hear me out.  I think by putting a product out like the Sharpie Liquid Pencil that is different than anything else on the market is a bold and innovative move.  Sharpie is showing the office supply community that they aren't going to rest on their laurels and just keep pumping out the best permanent ink pen on the market.  That would be so easy for them to do, wouldn't it?

Ever heard of the Sharpie Pen?  I assume so if your are reading this blog.  Think about the Sharpie Pen and then think about the last time you saw something new and innovative on the store shelves from Pilot or Uni-Ball or Pentel?  The mass market American consumer doesn't like change apparently, because every time I go to the store, all I see are the standard G2's or 207's or Energel's that have been on the shelves for years.  B-O-R-I-N-G!  Why do you think I shop at JetPens anyway?  But Sharpie put out four versions of the Sharpie Pen in a reasonably short time frame, and they have all been a huge success.

While my overall experience with the Sharpie Liquid Pencil has been poor, I am glad to see Sharpie taking risks and putting new products out on the market.  I hope this model succeeds or there is a version two in the pipeline.  The last thing I want to see is for Sharpie to stop innovating.  Maybe the other brands will follow suit in the American market like they do overseas.

Big thanks to Sharpie and especially @SharpieWhit for sending me this sample for review.

Click here for the XL review.