Posts filed under Sun-Star

Sun-Star Decot Overwriting Marker Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Bluesky. And her latest book, The Atropine Tree, is now available!)

I don't know what sort of sorcery they're practicing over at Sun-Star, but the Sun-Star Decot Overwriting Markers are pure magic. I was entirely skeptical of these when I first saw them. I expected smudging, bleeding, muddy marker tips... all the things one usually sees when trying to layer marker over marker. Instead, I was genuinely shocked at how well these work.

The marker looks perfectly normal, with no hint of its arcane superpowers. It has a white plastic body with an oval profile. The flattened round shape stops it from rolling and is very comfortable to hold. The marker has two tips. One is a thicker chisel tip, and this end has a broader cap with a plastic clip on it. The other end is a fine point marker, and it has a smaller clear cap. The marker body is also marked with lines and colors to show the thickness and color of the different tips. It's a nice design and has a super 90s vibe that takes me back to my school days.

Sun-Star Decot Overwriting Marker Writing

But this is no ordinary two-color marker. The inks are somehow formulated so that the narrow tip overwrites the thicker one. You can either use the thick tip to create a line and then write with the narrow tip over it, or you can write with the narrow tip and highlight over it with the chisel tip--either way, it works. The colors are vibrant and have bright contrast, so it's easy to see one against the other. The effect is very Lisa Frank. As a bonus, they didn't even bleed through the Hobonichi paper. Pure sorcery.

The markers are sold individually at JetPens and cost $2.95 each. That's less than most other two-ended markers, and those ones aren't even magic. And these are just good markers, even if you have no need of the overwriting feature. They're perfect for notes, planners, scrapbooks--or for astonishing your coworkers with office supply magic tricks.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on May 8, 2025 by Sarah Read and filed under Sun-Star, Marker, Pen Reviews.

Sun-Star Stickyle Stamp Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Bluesky. And her latest book, The Atropine Tree, is now available!)

I'm always on the lookout for any tools that can help me reign in the unbridled chaos that is my task list. I do tend to keep things in list format, so these Stickyle Stamps from Sun-Star seemed like a fun way to add some color-coding to my planner.

There are both pros and cons to these, and one person's pro might be another's con, and vice versa, depending on how you use your tools.

These stamps come in a lot of color varieties. Each stack of stamps has five colors, and they're all nicely themed and complement each other well. Some sets have closed circles, some have open circles, some have squares, and there are even hearts. The five colors are stacked so that the bottom of each stamp is the cap of the next color, and the final cap at the top of the stack has a metal clip. Joined together, they make a nice shape that fits well alongside pens and markers.

The five stamps connect with a single twist. You line up the join and twist them in place, instead of snap caps. This ensures that they're always properly aligned. I've only had them a few weeks, but the single twist cap does seem to keep them properly sealed. I've had no drying out. Which is actually kind of a bummer, because my main complaint about these stamps is that they're too wet.

With the Tomoe River paper in my planner, I'm used to ghosting, and a bit of show-through doesn't bother me at all, but these stamps bleed aggressively, even through thicker and coated paper. I would go so far as to say they're not useable for anything where you need to use both sides of the page. Still fun for single-sided lists, though I'd lean more toward the open circles than these closed ones. The saturated ink in these makes it hard to mark off tasks.

But that's just an issue with how I've used them. I wanted to use them in my planner to make task lists to check off, and they haven't worked for that. But they'd still be good for color-coding notes or marking important calendar dates. A set with lighter colors might have worked better for me, too.

In any case, they're well made and reasonably priced. Each set is $7.50, which is right in line with similar products from other makers. I may try some of those other stamps eventually to see if they work better for my uses. Perhaps, with the power of polka dots, I will finally become master of tasks. That's all it is, right? It's not the crush of overwhelm that's preventing success, it's just the wrong dots. All problems can be solved with stationery!

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on April 17, 2025 by Sarah Read and filed under Sun-Star, Stamp, Accessories Review.

Sun-Star Metacil Pocket Pencil Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And her latest book, The Atropine Tree, is now available for pre-order!)

There are a number of reasons why pencils haven't made their way into my daily use. One, the leads are always breaking. Two, they always seem dull or like they need to be sharpened. Three, they get used up so quickly and need to be replaced often. I still enjoy them, but I don't rely on them. I was intrigued by this Sun-Star Metacil Pocket Pencil because it seemed to solve all three of my pencil woes. And it mostly does, though it comes with a few of its own.

This unique pencil has an aluminum body faceted like a traditional pencil. It is very light and feels great in the hand. Best of all, it isn't consumed as the pencil is used. This model is the short, pocket-sized version, which is the perfect length for a purse or pants pocket. It comes with a leather tip protector to keep it from marking the inside of your pocket.

The reason the pencil body isn't consumed is because this pencil never needs to be sharpened. Instead of a wood and graphite tip, the tip of this pencil is made from a blend of graphite and metal. While it does wear down slowly after much use (the package promises 16 kilometers of writing), the tip itself can be replaced with a new one.

The writing experience is where this pencil falters a bit. One of the highlights of pencil use is the texture of writing with the lead and the way its softness shades, getting darker with pressure. This pencil doesn't do that. While the friction of writing isn't unpleasant, it doesn't feel pencil-like. And the writing is much fainter than most pencils. It's comparable to the hardest, faintest pencil leads I've used--ones that aren't usually used for writing, but for shading in sketching. The lines are readable, so this still works great as an in-a-pinch/just-in-case writing tool, but I wouldn't want to write pages and pages with it. At that rate, it's going to take me a long time to wear down that 16km tip.

The lead can be erased like pencil lead, though the pencil doesn't come with an eraser--another fact that moves it more solidly into the quick-jot tool category, rather than something I want to spend time writing with.

If I stop holding this wee pencil to the same expectations I'd have of a standard pencil and just think of it as its own thing, I can appreciate it more. It definitely has handy potential. I think it would be great for camping or travel, or for craft purposes, like marking wood cuts. I even think it could be perfect for some sketching. And it still does solve my issues with pencils, so it earns a spot on my desk, for sure. I just won't be writing whole books with it.

If you're as curious about this small wonder as I was, you can get one at JetPens for $10.25, and after 16km of writing, you can replace the tip for around $4.05. I do think it's worth the cost. And if you don't mind the faint lines, it might be the perfect thing for you.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!