It's easy to be suckered into a seemingly flashy pen near the register at big box stores. You can play with them. You've probably never had that pen before. They're cheap.

I fell for the trap, picking up the blue Post-it flag pen for $1.50.

Aesthetically, this shiny white pen is nice from a distance. It's thick near the plunger narrowing down toward the tip. There are 50 disposable blue flags at the top. Do I need the flags for anything? Maybe not. But do I have a pen that dispenses a tape and paper product? Nope.

So the non-functional components of this pen grabbed me.

The writing quality of this pen is about what you'd expect out of a standard ballpoint pen. The line it produces on the paper is like an old lumbering Cadillac – it's slow and thick but can be a workhorse. But be honest here, when is the last time you used a full cartridge on a ballpoint pen?

Handling the pen really isn't an enjoyable experience, and why I haven't gotten a lot of use out of it. It feels awkward with either the clip pushing into your hand or the flags flicking against your skin. The college-ruled flags are a unique touch, but as I'm not a student or someone flagging papers that need signed, they've gone unused.

If you can get past things strangely rubbing against you as you write, the grip is decent. It has little give, and but is still soft. It has seven ridges with the space between them widening as they go up the grip. Over the past week of use, the grip has developed a slight tackiness to it.

The other big negative about the Post-it flag pen is its weight. I prefer some heft in a pen and this one is pretty light. With the whole thing consisting of plastic (other than the tip), that's expected. Still, thicker plastic would have made for a better writing experience.

As I mentioned, this may not be a pen for me since I don't have a use for the flags. Speaking of me, and since this is my introductory post, here is a little bit about your's truly:

My main usage of pens comes at work. I'm a member of the mainstream media (boo, hiss!) and used to write in shorthand a lot. Because of that, I like a pen that writes quickly and doesn't require a lot of effort to hold.

I write a good bit of notes at work, but now my main area of pen use comes while watching college football. In my spare time, I run a website centered around the NFL Draft. It's an extremely nerdy venture that involves evaluating players and how they'll translate to the NFL. Because of that, I fill up notebook after notebook with notes on players. Weird, I know. I also journal some when time allows it. My current notebook is the Cambridge City business notebook.

The main pen I've been using lately is the Acroball 3 multi-pen. The pen I picked up the most in 2010 was probably the Sharbo X ST3. I used it a lot not just because it's a good pen, but I wanted to justify owning such an expensive writing utensil.

I'm always in search of the perfect spiral notebook. I've never really used fountain pens. My pens can typically be found in my desk, pants pocket or a bag I insist is a European handbag.

Everyone I know thinks my growing pen addiction is odd. But that's what attracted me to the Pen Addict. Every post here is a learning experience. I'm happy to be writing here, and hope you're happy to read it.

(Apologies for a lack of a writing example. Apparently my camera is not so hot on close-ups)

Posted on January 14, 2011 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Ballpoint, Dan, Pen Reviews, Post-it.

Review: County Comm Embassy Pen

I had been lusting after the County Comm Embassy Pen for a while, and needing to tell my in-laws something to get me for Christmas, I figured this would be a perfect fit. I really had no idea until Christmas day whether they actually bought it or not (they aren't big fans of the internet shopping thing), but I was pretty psyched to see a pen sized package heading my way that morning.

The packaging for the Embassy Pen was pretty unique. It comes in an oversized clear plastic tube - similar to a test tube - sealed with a screw off cap like you would find on a two-liter soda bottle. I would have taken a picture of the container, but my kids discovered that it was a pretty cool toy, and I haven't seen it since that fateful morning. Needless to say, it was unique looking enough that my mother in-law told me she had to do a double take when she first received it, not knowing exactly what this thing was.

Once I opened the tube and got the pen in my hands, it was everything I imagined it would be. It is extremely heavy duty, feeling almost like a mini-baton. It's not a pure tactical pen like some other pens on the market with the dedicated window breaker tip, but it is more than substantial enough to do some damage if that is your thing. Put it this way - I wouldn't want to deal with bringing this through airport security very often.

From a construction standpoint, the pen body is constructed from T6061 Type 3 Anodized Aluminum with a stainless steel clip, and a machine knurled body and grip. Short version: It is substantial. The stock ink cartridge is a medium black Fisher Space Pen refill, and while that is not my personal favorite, it is a perfect choice for this type of pen. This is essentially a field pen, and the Fisher Space Pen refill is almost mandatory. What I need to do is hunt down is a finer point Fisher refill, so I'll let you know how that turns out (and am open for suggestions).

One point to mention with the Embassy Pen - and it is clearly marked on their website - is that the cap is not made to post on the end of the pen, so you will be writing with the cap loose. Their exact quote is as follows, which is one part funny, and one part cryptic:

NOTE: The CountyComm Embassy Pen industrial design purposely DOES NOT provide for the cap to fit on the back of the barrel. There are several reasons for this, one will become apparent when someone asks to borrow your pen - loan them the pen while you hold the cap and you will get your pen back! Other more discrete reasons are best kept quiet! If you require a pen that holds the cap on the barrel while writing, there are thousands on the market to choose from. If you are looking for a rugged, failsafe, multi-purpose EDC pen, we hope you will choose our distinctive Embassy Pen.

In the end, I really love this pen. For me, it is not an every day at my desk writer, but I don't hesitate to grab it and clip it to my shirt or jeans, and write anywhere and everywhere I please. Plus, it looks cooler than just about any other pen I own.

Click here for the XL review.