Pentel Vicuna Super Smooth Multi Pen + Pencil

I'll cut right to the chase: The Pentel Vicuna Super Smooth Multi Pen + Pencil is an excellent pen.

I want to make that point early on, because I didn't have high expectations of this pen going into it, but I was pleasantly surprised. In fact, I have had a hard time putting it down.

My experience with the single cartridge Vicuna was completely fine, but not exceptional. I say not exceptional, but only in the fact that I would put it behind several of the Jetstreams and Acroballs I use so frequently. I'm not sure if it was the grip, or if the ink wasn't just right, but whatever it was, none of it bothers me in the multi pen version.

I cannot find my original Vicuna to compare this one too directly, but first of all, the grip seems better on the multi pen. It is a little softer, more comfortable, and overall allows for a better gripping experience. The ink performance was better than I remembered as well. The lines were much cleaner and tighter, and there was no mess to speak of. And look how vibrant that red ink is!

The Vicuna Multi Pen may never be a Top Fiver, but this is a pen I highly recommend. In fact, I have done so several times already.

Pentel Vicuna Video Review

This is a guest post by Bryan Gushikawa.

The Pentel Vicuna is Pentel's entry into the already saturated market that was started by the Jetstream and is now crowded with major players like the Zebra Surari and Pilot Acroball.  Can Pentel capture any market share with its neon-colored entry?  Read the review to find out!

The appearance of the Vicuña is the first thing that is noticeable when the pen is picked up.  The crazy and bright colors and accents make it look like a 100 yen shop cheap special, but the plastic in the barrel is actually quite nice to hold.  It's ridged on the grip area, but the barrel is not elastomerized, so it's not that spongy stuff that attracts dirt and dust.  The handling of the pen is also quite good:  the weight is mostly forward and the tapered design works in the pen's favor.  The refill itself is a slender type with a gel matrix grease ink that is reputed to be super smooth.  The refill inserts via the rear when the click mechanism is twisted off.

As far as writing performance goes, the ink IS super smooth.  It's very similar to the Jetstream in that it's glassy smooth and skip free.  It's also very dark dye ink and lays down a very solid and pleasant line.  You won't have any trouble writing page after page with this pen!  The width is right at about 0.4mm and there is no bleedthrough on the paper.  A quick dry time is good news for southpaws and the consistent line width makes this pen a good daily workhorse.

Where does the Vicuña fall short?  One is the design that doesn't have the same classy styling of a Jetstream.  The neon colors might be really unsuitable for office use.  The ink also blobs a little bit when writing loops, although the ink dry time is short enough to make this just a little annoyance.

Overall, this pen IS a very good entry and, if you don't mind bringing a brightly-colored, plasticky pen with you, then this is a pretty good deal!  A definite recommend on the strength of the writing performance, with reservations on the styling.

#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.