[Pen/Pencil Review] Daiso 2 in 1 Pen and Stamp Set
I love Daiso. So much so that I just had to introduce my friend, Nora, to this amazing place when she came down. You see, Nora and I love a good bargain – resale shops, dollar stores (the good ones), and she had never heard of Daiso. This had to change. She LOVED it, and I love the stationary section and tend to overboard it there.
This is one of those times. This time I picked up the multi-pack of the 2 in 1 pen and stamp pens. This stemmed from the fact I forgot to take my weird $1 bin stamps that I bought last year for a writer thing to this year’s writer thing – WORD in the Field this time. They do a bingo card. I could’ve used these there.
These pens are half 0.7mm fiber tipped pens/markers (THAT much I can read on the package and got wrong in the writing samples) in primary colors – red, green, blue, and orange – and half 5mm self-inking stamps – heart, musical note, star, and flower – in contrasting shades/colors. (Wow that’s a huge sentence.) These pens are pretty long, 6.5″ both capped and posted. The pen tapers to a textured grip and guard to the fiber tip. The tip seems pretty sturdy.
The ink takes a second or two to dry. The writing tip dries more quickly (which seems obvious) than the stamp ink. The symbol of the stamps are designs on the cap. The stamp cap doesn’t post, but the pen end does. The colors are bright and a somewhat vibrant – though it’s water-based ink, so don’t get it wet.
They’re just…adorable. And they’re Daiso, so $1.50 for the package? Nothing beats that.
Now to the numbers:
1. How does it work? – 1 This pen works well. The ink flows well and is pretty dark and rich. The stamps work the way one would expect.
2. Grip and feel – 0.5 – It’s plastic. Well done plastic but completely plastic. There are some ridges for the cap lock that can dig in.
3. Material – 1 It’s all plastic but for the most part the detailing and design are pretty nifty. I half expect something on it to dry out pretty quickly – likely the stamp ends first.
4. Overall Design – 1 – Okay, I like it since it managed to surprise me. The ink and design are well done. I see this as a solid, fun pen and stamp.
5. Price Point – 1 – You can’t beat this. 4 pens plus stamps for $1.50 at Daiso. Even if they all dry out in less than a week? TOTALLY worth it. I hope I can keep them around or find them again the next time I need something for like Writer Bingo.
I give it a 4.5 out of 5 bronze pencils.
[Write the Story] The Main Character Witnesses a Crime
Prompt: The Main Character Witnesses a Crime
Words: Christmas, almond, paisley, lion, pipe, scream, fade, French horn, inflate, maple
Story
“Hello, 911? I think a crime’s been committed. Please send the police. I think it’s a robbery?”
“So, what do you think was stolen?” the police officer asked an hour or so later.
“It’s not that anything was…stolen…it was left behind?”
“Excuse me?”
The officer was understandably confused but trying to explain it made me want to scream. “Come with me. Let me show you.”
I took Officer Skeptical into the parlor. There, scattered everywhere were…things. A stuffed lion with a jaunty paisley bow. A gleaming French horn. And more.”
“Oh, one thing is gone,” I said. “An entire plate of almond cookies.”
“Did you see who did this?”
Finally! He was taking me seriously. “I only caught a glimpse, and it was weird. It was an older guy, and he didn’t so much break in as like inflate from nothing. He had white hair and a beard with a pipe that smelled like maple syrup. Then when he was done he seemed to fade out.”
The cop closed his notebook and gave me a sad, pitying look. “This wasn’t a crime, ma’am.”
“Then what was it?”
“Christmas, ma’am,” he said. “It was Christmas. You saw Santa. These are gifts. Have a nice night, ma’am.”
As the cop left, I swore I heard bells and a ho, ho, ho.
Word Count: 219
Written: 4/4/19
[Pen/Pencil Review] Conference Edition
So, yeah, I missed yesterday because I have been at a work conference.
The conference pen haul and some souvenirs.
It’s been a great conference. Lots to think about and be better at in terms of online Whole Community communication. One speaker proposed a concept that I think for her was either an analogy or a metaphor but really needs to be a thing – Universal Design for Communication. Mind blown.
Everything will be back to normal (I think) tomorrow afternoon when I get back to Texas. Tennessee has been great but I am ready to come home.
[Write the Story] Conspiracy Theorists Convention
Prompt: Conspiracy Theorists Convention
Words: crop circles, vacation, possum, filibuster, mutiny, scour, compass, drift, drawback, electric
Story
“I can’t believe this is what you call a vacation.†Amanda yawned and stretched. “Though I did get a good nap during that filibuster.â€
“You mean the keynote speaker? How can you say that? Dr. Cunningham’s research on crop circles is electric.†Noah picked up the pace, following a compass out of the hotel and into thick foliage. Amanda had to scurry to keep up.
“No to cause some kind of mutiny here, but where are we going?†she asked.
“Possum Caverns. All the research says there’s proof of other civilizations there. PROOF!â€
“Then why hasn’t it been blown all over the media?â€
Noah deflated a little. “That is one of the drawbacks. I’ve had to scour a lot of data streams to find this information. It’s like it’s being suppressed. There are others who believe it, too. That’s why we’re going now. I want to take something b ack for my panel after lunch break.â€
“Okay.â€
Amanda drifted behind Noah as he plowed through the trees to the caves, knowing he’d never make it back to the hotel. She’d have a harrowing tale for the mysterious disappearances panel after all.
Word Count: 191
Written: 3/19-20/19
[Pen/Pencil Review] Green Donut Novelty Pen – Black Ink
Sometimes I just love going to Dollar Tree. You can find some really fun things – and some things are worth just what you pay for them – this is a fun thing. And Dollar Tree is KINDA like Daiso, but not quite as cool.
Not only is this just a silly fun pen, it is also a fine point gel pen – not more than 0.5mm, MAYBE a bit finer like a 0.4mm, but the package doesn’t say. It is a needle point with a faceted, clear plastic guard. It’s about 6.5†long, which makes it long enough to be comfortable. It’s fairly comfortable, but top heavy with the cute, sprinkle-endowed donut cap. It’s a completely smooth barrel with an edge before the faceted grip – so there are edges that can bite into fingers. It’s not a long-term writing pen.
The ink is dark and smooth – it does take a bit to dry, especially on the slicker paper. But for the price point the ink is good and the needle point seems pretty sturdy. The cap is clear plastic, but doesn’t post. It’s going to be relatively easy to lose if I’m not careful. It’s a super fun little piece for a totally worthwhile price – $1.
To the numbers:
1. How does it work? – 1 It’s decent for what it is – a fine, needlepoint gel pen with decent ink on rougher paper – it smears on slicker paper but dries pretty quickly
2. Grip and feel – 0.5 – It’s an inexpensive, plastic pen. The barrel is smooth. But it’s a bit top heavy with the donut.
3. Material – 1 It’s a novelty pen. It’s plastic with an adorable decoration.
4. Overall Design – 1 -It’s a perfectly functional, totally fun donut pen
5. Price Point – 1 – It was $1. Doesn’t get much better than that.
4.5 out of 5 Bronze Pencils
[Write the Story] A Suspected Affair
Prompt: A Suspected Affair
Words: marriage, checklist, songbird, mango, ranch, stroke, magpie, scowl, simper, commotion
Story
“Let’s go down the checklist.” Marie pulled out her notebook. “Have you noticed any changes in his behavior?”
“Like suddenly drinking mango tea?” Ellen worried the paper napkin into shreds.
“Is that odd for him?”
“Plain tea was all Chester ever wanted from me in all the years of our marriage. He always said he never anything shiny or frou-frou. He wasn’t a magpie.”
“And now?” Marie dipped a snow pea into ranch dressing to give Ellen time to answer. Marie had done dozens of these interviews. Which often led to clients. This was one of them by the scowl on Ellen’s face as she finished her story of woe.
Marie found the alleged temptress who’d caught Chester’s eye easily enough. The old “not a magpie” had found himself a colorful songbird. She followed, photographed, looked through trash until she had enough.
“Are you sure you want to be in on the confrontation?” Marie asked. “These things often cause quite the commotion.”
“I want to look her in the eye and watch her try to simper her way out of wrecking my home.”
Marie sighed and followed. Ellen was in for a shock. Chester had been hiding something, but it wasn’t an affair. He’d had a stroke and the woman was his rehab nurse.
Word Count: 214
Written: 3/12/19
[Pen/Pencil Review] Zebra Tect 2way Light – Green – 0.5mm REVISIT
One of the best parts of having an excessive stash of writing instruments is that you can dig something out and almost have a brand new experience with it. This month I’ve been revisiting some of my green pens – whether just the barrel or also the ink. I stuck a pencil in this month’s stash because there’s one thing at the Day Job I prefer to use pencil for – then I fell into a pencil mood. I’d forgotten that I liked this one. I haven’t really used it since the review I did in 2017.
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Today’s review is a day late because I took a four-day weekend for my birthday. It was a nice, quiet, restful weekend that was exactly what I wanted. So besides that, let’s talk mechanical pencils. This one is from Tokyo Pen Shop and Zebra – its’ the Zebra Tect 2Way Light 0.5mm in light green.
This is pencil is just fun. I picked the light green because… duh, green. It’s a sturdy plastic body with a bit of ergonomic grip as darker green rubber rings near the metal tip. The pencil is about 5.8″ long and has both a click mechanism to advance lead and the new(ish) shaker mechanism that also extends the lead. However, there’s a twisting “lock†at the top of the lower third of the barrel that switches the pencil from click advance to shaker. Personally, I’m always a bit iffy on the shaker aspect so I like the choice. There was a bit of a learning curve with the locking part, but I have a tendency to overthink and have fumble fingers. But once you realize the lock is a relatively narrow ring, it’s fine.
NOTE: I’ve kept it locked since this first review because I do prefer the manual advancing instead of the shaker style
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This pencil has a translucent barrel that lets you see some of the mechanisms. And it comes with standard HB lead, but with a fairly high density. I don't see it breaking as much as past leads. It’s long enough to be comfortable with enough nod to ergonomics to not be overly tiring – and I used it a lot over my birthday weekend to finish hand-writing the zero draft of the story. I didn’t had any more lead, and I’m still going (though I’ll replenish it with high-density B because I like darker lead) with what came with.
Next week, I hope to have a really interesting story to share on the blog – or it could just be another review. Stay tuned.
The numbers:
1. How does it work? – 1 It’s a decent mechanical pencil. The lead by clicking or shaking and retracts easily. The lead seems sturdy and less prone to breaking.
2. Grip and feel – 0.5 – It’s a plastic mechanical pencil with a nod to ergonomics. It attempts to be comfortable and generally succeeds but it can be tiring.
3. Material – 1 It’s plastic but solid metal accents in the clip and tip. The locking mechanism is decent when you figure it out.
4. Overall Design – 1 -It’s a mechanical pencil. It’s got a good lead mechanism and a retractable eraser. It is what it is.
5. Price Point – 0.5 – This one is more expensive than what I expect from Zebra – and available pretty much through online retailers like Tokyo Pen Shop. I’m not seeing it on the US website. It’s $10.00, which for a plastic mechanical pencil is a bit more than I want to spend, but it’s solid and decent and pretty cool.
Update: The price has come down to $7.50 on Tokyo Pen Shop, which is still a bit pricy but better.
4 out of 5 Bronze Pencils
[Write the Story] A Night at the Opera
Prompt: A Night at the Opera
Words: Air Force, crane, orchestrate, leotard, stubble, pinpoint, placate, machete, photo, pivot
Story
“Places, everyone. Places!” the stage manager bellowed through the backstage areas.
The singers and dancers scurried in all directions in a flurry of tulle and leotard.
“Air Force One has landed. We go in five!” The stage manager rubbed his three-day stubble. He found it difficult to orchestrate The Crane on a normal show night, but having the President in residence? That took a machete to his carefully laid plans.
They were already twenty minutes late for curtain. At least it was the House Manager’s job to placate the rest of the audience, not his. His job was to pinpoint any other problem that could cause the show to pivot from success to catastrophic failure.
If he performed his job flawlessly no one would notice. Others would get the credit. He would never be known or remembered. He smiled slowly. Show time. Go time. The Crane was an intricate and all-consuming show with lots of moving parts. He checked the photo on the back of his clipboard one last time, adjusted his headset and moved into position.
“Just another night, Booth?”
“Only the Ford’s Theatre’s best.” Booth stared out across the stage. “Presidents or not.”
Word Count: 195
Written: 3/2/2019
[Pen/Pencil Review] The PaperMate InkJoy – GREEN – 0.5mm
Today’s blog post is a revisit that isn’t a revisit – again. Today we meet the Paper Mate InkJoy GREEN GEL pen. This retractable pen is something that makes me happy -it’s a solid, dark, vibrant green ink this one in the 0.5mm. You know…for Spring.
The ink is really good. I do give Paper Mate that. I ended up with the 0.5mm 8-color set at some point. Pretty sureI picked this one up at JetPens.com. Not sure when, but I still love these.
The Paper Mate InkJoy gel pens are 5.75″ long retracted and extended. The barrels are slightly thicker than your typical retractable stick pen. The barrel is smooth and is mostly rubberized plastic for a comfort grip. There’s a clear-ish hard plastic front panel that lets you see the level of ink in the refill that also includes the clip – which could snap if you mess with it long enough. The tip is conical and metal, and so is the plunger on the retraction mechanism. The tip screws off to refill the ink and sets smoothly to avoid any ridges.
The deal with the InkJoy gel pens is supposed to be really smooth and quick drying – compared to Pilot G2 (which is a lofty goal – G2 is pretty much THE standard). So do they measure up? Actually yes, they do. These pens have good ink reservoirs with rich tints to the ink. The conical tips are smooth and lay down a solid line. The feel is good. The ink does seem to dry quickly – except in my moleskine calendar which has really slick pages. EVERYTHING smears on that. GREEN is a particularly difficult color for inks – most of the time they are LIGHT. Or fade easily. Or something that lessens their appeal. Not THIS ink. This is a serious green ink.
Finally an InkJoy that DOES bring me joy. If you don’t want to invest in multipacks, JetPens is selling 0.7mm individually for $2. I’ll be getting some more of these. They’re also at Staples and Office Depot -sometimes you can find them in the singles bins with the Sharpies and such.
To the numbers:
1. How does it work? – 1 The ink is AMAZING, and comes in decent point sizes. The retraction mechanism is solid
2. Grip and feel – 1 – It’s fairly basic retractable pen, but long like a stick pen. The rubberized plastic goes all the way around and up the back of the pen to give a comfortable feel for long-term use.
3. Material – 1 – It’s rubberized and translucent plastic pen. It’s solid for what it is.
4. Overall Design – 1 – It’s an InkJoy that I can get behind. The pen is colorful, comfortable, and solid.
5. Price Point – 0.5 – These run close to $2 a pop which is about on par but seems a touch high. They should be refillable, but I’m not seeing refills for these yet. If they do end up having the refills, then they will be a solid pen for everyday use. The 8-colors are about $15.
4.5 out of 5 Bronze Pencils
[Write the Story] A Dinner Party
Prompt: A Dinner Party
Words: phoenix, canvas, homesick, evening, spicy, rooftop, cicada, orthodox, ding, spruce
Story
“Do you ever get homesick?” Daniela popped a spicy cicada into her mouth and crunched down on the exoskeleton.
“For Phoenix?” Tania snorted. “No. You?”
“I miss spruce trees. Especially in the evenings, but I don’t miss everything orthodox about my family. Now I have a blank canvas for the rest of my…whatever this is.”
A ding drew their attention to the head of the table. Their host made a grand entrance to the rooftop dining room.
“Welcome on and all. Welcome to the rest of your afterlife. This is your ‘last supper’ wish. Tania, Daniela you both picked an identical list of people to have dinner with. Enjoy your meal and the conversation. Ask any question. You’re in the ultimate AMA.”
Tania rose her hand timidly. “Can we ask who you are?”
“My name is Michael. I’m your host, but not nearly as interesting as Abraham Lincoln, Marie Curie, Jimi Hendrix, JRR Tolkien, or Michelangelo.”
“What about languages?” Daniela asked.
“Don’t exist here. Did you understand Tania?”
“Yes.”
“Phoenix is in the United States. She speaks English. You’re Portuguese. It’s covered. Enjoy your meal.”
Word Count: 185
Written: 3/2/2019