#OnePenOneDay - EnerGel, Sakura, Kaweco, Zebra

The #OnePenOneDay project keeps rolling on - here are the four latest pens to make it through the day:

Pentel EnerGel Euro Needle 0.35mm Blue -- This pen got heavy use on its selected project day, and it is just as good as ever. I took three full pages of notes with it, and it performed flawlessly. This is one of the best pens going, and may take over as my most recommended pen to those new to micro tip pens. Watch out Uni-Ball Signo DX 0.38mm!

Sakura Pigma Micron 03 Black -- See, I really do have a lot of these laying around. If it hasn't already, this pen needs to be added into the pantheon of all-time great pens. The performance is great, and the barrel is sleek and comfortable. Still a winner after all these years.

Kaweco Sport AL -- This was a risky acquisition seeing as I am not the biggest fountain pen guy on the block, but wow is this a great pen. In retrospect, I would have bought the blue black ink instead of the aubergine, but even after sitting around for weeks unused, the ink flows from the nib immediately.

Zebra Regal Roller NR5 -- I liked this pen a lot when it came out, and I still like it a lot, but when I was running it through the challenge I was longing for a finer tip. That is not a knock on this pen at all - in fact it still compares well to the Pilot V5 needle - but it is not going to make my heavy rotation.

Pentel Hybrid Gel Roller 0.7mm Review

One of the best parts about running a site like The Pen Addict is that you get to hear from a lot of readers about their favorite pens, pencils, and stationery. Even more fun is when they actually send you their products to try out, like Pen Addict reader Joshua, who sent me this now discontinued Pentel Hybrid Gel Roller. Thanks for letting me give this pen a spin Joshua!

One of the reasons he sent it to me is that he was looking for a pen recommendation to replace this one. The Hybrid Gel Roller is a long, sleek, 0.7mm gel ink pen, and Joshua was wanting something similar. My first thought was the Pilot Choose, which has a similar barrel design, but then it hit me. The Pentel Hybrid Gel Grip at JetPens is pretty much he same pen, but with an 0.8mm tip. That being said, Joshua stepped out of the box and tried a few of the more popular gel ink pens like the Uni-Ball Signo DX and the Zebra Sarasa Clip (I think the Signo DX 0.38mm was his favorite btw :).

So, what are my thoughts on Joshua's Hybrid Gel Roller? It's just average. The ink is nice and dark, but it wasn't near as smooth as other 0.7mm gel in pens I have used in the past. It wasn't scratchy, but it felt like the tip dragged across the page as opposed to gliding like most other similar pens. I did like the length of the barrel when writing, but the overall package just wasn't there for me.

Thanks for sending me this pen Joshua - it is much appreciated! I actually have another user submitted pen review ready to roll on Wednesday, so if you have a favorite pen that I haven't reviewed previously please let me know and I'll try to pick one up.

#OnePenOneDay Project Update

Things have been going pretty well so far with my #OnePenOneDay project. I have made it through several days in a monogamous relationship with my writing utensil of choice, despite the difficulties. I will say that this cannot be an every single day of the year project though - there are just some days where it is not feasible. But on the days that I consider "project days" I am 100% committed to that pen, and that pen only, for the entire day.

Here are some of the pens I have revisited so far:

Pentel Tradio EnerGel Combo Pen -- I liked this pen a lot the first time around (links go to the original reviews), but the cap not staying posted is still an issue. It is hard to beat the EnerGel ink from a performance perspective, but if I am picking up an EnerGel right now it is the Euro Needle.

Uni-Ball Jetstream Sport 0.5mm Blue -- Still one of my all-time favorites. Nice, clean barrel design, great grip, and an 0.5mm tip with performance to die for. Many people believe this pen is too scratchy, but for me, it is almost perfect.

Pilot Hi-Tec-C 0.3mm Black (with Grip) -- This is the one pen that I can't get enough of for note taking purposes. The line is super-fine and I love how my handwriting turns out on the page. Yes, there are sometimes startup issues when you first get writing, but one it starts up it is one of the best pens around. (In writing this, I now realize I have never reviewed this exact pen. I'll correct that soon.)

Copic Drawing Pen F02 -- I have no idea what is going on with this pen, but it is frustrating me. I was worried about it from the get go since it had been months since I used it. The ink started flowing well enough right out the gate, and for the few hours following. After that, performance was all over the place, leaving me to wonder if the ink had dried up on the inside.

Sharpie Pen -- A classic pen on top of a classic book. The Sharpie Pen is one of my all time favorites for sure. I always enjoy writing with it, and despite the new barrel styles and colors being introduced, the black ink original is still the best.

Well, that is it for this first round of #OnePenOneDay. I'd love to hear your comments and suggestions for this project, and I'll also take requests for pens you would like me to run through the gauntlet once more. Just let me know below.