Review: Pentel Slicci 0.4mm Purple

Is this the long lost review you have all been waiting for?  Well, not exactly, but it boils down to the fact that I did this review in April - of 2009 - but never posted it to the site.  I found it in my Flickr stream, and as I re-read the review, I realized it touched on a few points that are worth updating since I originally wrote it.

First of all, I talked about how excited I was about the Pentel Sliccies line.  That excitement was pretty short lived after using the Sliccies for a while though.  They aren't terrible pens by any stretch, but they fall short of the standard single barrel Slicci.  I like the wider barrel, but I don't feel the lines are as sharp.  Also, in the three cartridge barrel, I feel that the tip of the cartridge comes out at too much of an angle, which annoys me on a lot of levels.  The ink colors are really vibrant, but the single barrel is the Slicci for me.

Secondly, I mentioned that the Slicci was ahead of the Hi-Tec-C at the time, but those roles have reversed for me recently.  I have become hooked on the grip model Hi-Tec-C pens, and while I still fight with them on the stopping and starting issue, the barrel is so much more enjoyable to write with.

For the Purple Slicci reviewed here - it is a really nice pen.  They are some of the most consistent writers around, and lay down a clean, sharp line.  As long as you can handle the skinny barrel diameter, you should enjoy it very much.

Click here for the XL review.

Product links:

Pentel Slicci Gel Ink Pen - 0.4 mm - Purple Ink from JetPens

Large Writing Pad from Doane Paper

See also:

Review: Pentel Sliccies Multi Pen

Review: Pentel Slicci 0.25mm

Giveaway: Uni-ball Alpha Gel Kuru Toga Combo Mechanical Pencil - 0.5 mm

The Uni-ball Alpha Gel Kuru Toga is a relatively new product at JetPens, and while I haven't reviewed this exact model, I have reviewed the individual parts that make up this Frankenpencil.  The body style and the grip come from the Alpha series, of which the black Jetstream model is one of my all time favorites.  I have also reviewed the original Kuru Toga Pencil, as well as the Kuru Toga High Grade.  They are now the bar to which I compare all other mechanical pencils to.  So, the Uni-ball Alpha Gel Kuru Toga Combo has to be completely awesome, right?  Well, I will let one winner find out.  Here's how:

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, June 25th.  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!

Guest Review: Uni-Ball Mitsubishi Boxy Eraser

We interrupt this program to bring you a special review! Hello hello! My name is Alex Youngblood, and I have the privilege of doing the first eraser review on the site! I want to give a super-bigtastic thanks to The Pen Addict for the chance to do a review!

In general, I like to write with pens as I assume most others do on this site. However as we all know there are always those few times where a pencil can be quite handy. Why is a pencil handy? Well because unlike (most) pens you can erase it! That's where Uni-Ball Mitsubishi's "Boxy" eraser comes in.

Boxy isn't the only black eraser on the market but it still definitely stands out. Like many other Japanese products the mission statement is printed on the package; "The Basic Concept of Boxy Always Aims at a Simple Life Style" and they stick to their mission. The design is very clean. The package serves as a holder for the eraser as well as protecting the unused part of it. Overall I think it's a very attractive little eraser.

I've used quite a few different brands before and I've always had the same problem with the standard stationary eraser. It smears and leave a big gray blob on your paper. However in my experience with Boxy there has been no smear whatsoever. Another problem with most erasers is that after your done erasing your left with a bunch of debris from your eraser but Boxy also solves this. The debris left behind generally bundles up into one string or ball making clean up extremely easy and simple.

So the big question is how well does it erase? Well I'll let you judge yourself by the picture but in general it does a pretty top notch job. I found that it helps to break it in a bit and have a bit of a rounded edge for erasing dark lines. I've seen other brands erase slightly better but they normally leave smears and smudges as well as leaving a big mess.

Overall for about a buck a piece for the EP-60BX, which is the smaller version, you get a fantastic deal. It's the cleanest eraser I've ever used all around and does a great job at erasing not to mention it looks great. They wear down fast but when you can pick them up for so cheap it's very forgivable. So if your in the market for a decent eraser pick up a few. I have about 10 in my personal stationary box because I liked them so much.

(Thanks for the great review Alex!  If anyone else is interested in doing a guest post on The Pen Addict feel free to send me an email.)