Review: Zebra G-301 Gel

This review shows the value of reader input.  I received an email a month or so ago asking if I have ever reviewed the Zebra F-301 ballpoint pen.  The timing was great because I had just seen a tech in our office using that exact pen and I made a mental note that I needed to pick one up since I have never used one.  I went to Staples the next day, and while looking for the F-301 I stumbled on this G-301, which is the gel ink version of the same pen.  I had never noticed it on the shelves before, but for all I know it has been around for a while.  So I grabbed a 2-pack of the G-301 since I am a gel ink fan, and saved the F-301 for another trip.

My expectations were pretty high for this pen.  The barrel design is sharp and classy - great for an office setting where I see a lot of them.  I was hoping the gel ink cartridge would perform like the Zebra Sarasa models, but alas, this one was a letdown.  I normally like Zebra pens because of the sharpness of the line, and I feel this particular pen is lacking in that department.  It was a little shaky for an 0.5mm pen, and my handwriting was not as clear and clean as I like.  Too bad for such a good looking pen.  I quickly dropped these off on my co-workers desks and have seen them putting them to good use.

Correction:  As Mike in the comments correctly pointed out, these are 0.7mm pens, not 0.5mm as I mentioned in the written review.  Thanks Mike!

Giveaway: Pilot FriXion Color-Pencil-Like Erasable Gel Ink Pen - 0.7 mm - 6 Color Set

I reviewed the latest in the Pilot FriXion line last week and mentioned that I had some to giveaway, so here we go.  This 6 color set is from JetPens, and contains Black, Blue, Red, Yellow, Green, and Tea Brown.  JetPens is sold out of the majority of colors right now, so here is a chance to get this cool new pen before they restock.

The rules are as follows:

1. Leave one comment on this post anytime between now, and Thursday night at 11:59 PM Eastern Time.  You are limited to one entry.  Feel free to link this giveaway on your blog, or share it with anyone you feel is a true pen addict.  If you have a blog, I would love a link back, but it is certainly not required for entry into the contest.

2. For this contest, I will pick one winner at random from the comments section of this post.  The comments will be numbered in the order they are received, i.e. the first comment is #1, the second #2, and so on.  The Random Integer Generator at random.org will be used to pick the number of the winner.

3. The contest winner will be posted on Friday, February 27th.  The winner will have one week to email me at the address posted in the right sidebar.

4. I will ship internationally.  I know there are many international readers and fans of The Pen Addict, and I will gladly ship to you at my expense.

Thanks, and good luck!

Review: Pilot Hi-Tec-C Venet 0.4mm

I am bringing this review out today for two reasons:  1. I need to post a review anyway, and 2. I just came across a cool new blog whose first review was this very same pen.  Melinda from School Supply Dance (awesome name!) dropped me a comment on my Saturday Ink Links post, and I clicked over to her blog and loved what I saw so far.  She is just getting started, so be sure to drop by and say hi.

My love/hate relationship with the Pilot Hi-Tec-C runs pretty deep.  When the pen is on, it is one of my favorite pens to write with.  But when it is off, it leads to more frustration than any other pen I own.  I have sworn off buying more of the Hi-Tec-C's on too many occasions to count, but I keep going back to the inkwell for just one more color.  This time, the color is Venet.

I started off using this pen in an extra large lined Moleskine Cahier, and the color was a bit too bright for me on the ivory background.  Plus, I was having fits over what color it favored - was it green?  blue?  turquoise?  In the end, I decided it wasn't the right color for me.  The ink actually shows up darker on the white background of my Doane Paper.  While that is an improvement, it is not enough to make me a believer in the Venet color.  The pen wrote great, which is a plus, but I don't see a lot of uses for this pen right now.

A note on comments and emails:  I love communicating with the readers of this blog, whether it is through comments, email, or Twitter, so please feel free to drop me a line any time.  I read every mail, comment, and Twitter @reply I receive, and while it may take me a day or two to get back to you, I almost always do.  And if I don't, just yell at me when you get the chance - I can take it!  Reader interaction is what makes doing this so fun.  Plus, it would take me forever to learn about new blogs like Melinda's if I don't know they are out there.