Pentel Sliccies 2 Color Gel Ink Multi Pen + Pencil Review

Way back when the Pentel Sliccies were first introduced, I couldn't wait to get my hands on one. Converting one of my favorite single cartridge gel ink pens into a multi pen? Yes please! Unfortunately, my excitement was short lived, as the writing performance of the Sliccies multi pen couldn't hold a candle to that of the single cartridge variety.

So why go back to the well again with the Sliccies multi pen plus pencil combo? First of all, I'm a glutton for punishment (not to mention a certified pen addict), but more importantly I really want to like this pen so I was holding out hope that something might have changed with this latest release.

It hasn't.

There are two main issues with the Sliccies S+2 from my perspective, and they are the same as the original Sliccies. One, the ink cartridges come out at an angle. If it were very minor I could live with it, but this is annoyingly noticeable with the Sliccies. It is like the tip of each cartridge is bent it is so obvious. And two, the ink cartridge of the Sliccies writes differently than the single cartridge model. With the normal Slicci pen, the tip is very sharp and produces a crisp, clean line. With the Sliccies refills, the tip feels more rounded, leading to a line that is not as well defined.

At this point, the addition of the pencil cartridge is almost irrelevant to me because I can't use the gel ink cartridges. If and when I try to use it, all I can think about are the crooked tips and messy lines. I guess you could say this pen is in my head.

Click here for the XL review.

Review: Pentel EnerGel Euro Needle-Point Gel Ink Pen 0.35mm Blue

Well, wasn't this a great surprise in the latest JetPens new products upload!  Pentel is already in the sub-0.5mm market with the ever popular Slicci, and the not so popular Technica, but seeing a micro tip show up in the hugely popular EnerGel line is very cool.  After my railing on the industry just a week ago, is there hope for micro tipped pens in the marketplace after all?  Maybe, maybe not, but if this pen is successful, maybe that will lead Pentel and others to push the market a little more.

A little disconcerting is the fact that - like all of the good micro tipped pens - information on the EnerGel Euro is only found on the Pentel Japan site.  So will we see this pen on the shelves in the US?  All signs point towards no, but this is a very straightforward Energel build so I will keep my fingers crossed, because this is a very good pen, and I think it would do very well in the mainstream market.

On the performance front, the EnerGel Euro 0.35mm is top notch.  This pen reminds me a lot of the Uni-Ball Signo DX, even though it is a needle tip.  The barrel feels as sturdy, if not more so, and the writing quality is almost the same.  The 0.35mm tip writes more like an 0.4mm tip, but clearly finer than an 0.5mm.  The ink flow is flawless, the blue in ink a great shade, and it is impressively smooth.

I'll say it until the cows come home, and I'm going to say it again - thank goodness for JetPens.  These pens are available there, although the 0.35mm models are currently sold out.  Keep your eyes peeled though because I bet they will restock quickly for such a nice pen.

Click here for the XL review.

Products used:

Pentel EnerGel Euro Needle-Point Gel Ink Pen 0.35mm Blue from JetPens

Writing Pad from Doane Paper

Review: Pentel Vicuna Super Smooth Ballpoint Pen

The new Pentel Vicuna was a pen I had on my radar since it came out, and as luck would have it, my good pen friend Carmen grabbed one of these for me to try out on a recent trip to New York.  Thanks Carmen!

The Vicuna touts its new super smooth ink technology, and while sometimes claims don't always hold true, in this case Pentel delivers.  The 0.7mm tip writes very smoothly, and the ink is about as dark as you can get from a ballpoint type ink.  I'd love to tell you more about the ink, but the best I can do is the Japanese translation from Pentel Japan.  Regardless, the ink does a very good job.

This is clearly an attempt by Pentel to tap into the Jetstream/Acroball market, and I see no reason why it will not be successful.  Out of that style of pen it likely won't crack my personal top five -

1. Uni-Ball Jetstream 0.5mm blue
2. Pilot Acroball 0.7mm blue
3. Uni-Ball Jetstream 0.5mm black
4. Zebra Surari 0.5mm black
5. Uni-Ball Jetstream 0.7mm black

- but I think it is a pen worth checking out if you are looking for a ballpoint alternative.  JetPens has them in stock in black, blue, and red ink and in several different barrel colors.  At $2.25 each they are definitely worth a look.

Click here for the XL review.