[Pen/Pencil Review] Bullet Train Ballpoint Novelty Pen
A couple of weeks ago, my day job office hosted a high-speed rail meeting, which reminded me of the pens I bought for my dad and myself at Daiso for Christmas stockings. These are bullet train pens with LED lights in the car. His was red. Mine is green – for obvious reasons. Because they are from Daiso, they were super inexpensive which I love in a novelty pen. These are adorable, somewhat functional, and just cute. This pen has been sitting on my desk since that meeting because…why not. But maybe it’ll stay home now.
This sucker is long. It’s not quite 7.25″ inches long with the cap on and just under 7.0″ with the cap off. The cap does not post. There’s nothing really to post to. It’s wider than one would normally be comfortable with – but, come on, we’re not getting this pen to write novels with. The train barrel is white with green window panes. When you look at the ends from the top, it kind of has faces. The LED lights have an on/off switch and do cycle through all the colors in the grip but it’s mostly green through the windows.
The point tapers to a round clear plastic grip that makes it not horribly uncomfortable in a rectangular train shape. The ink is a fine point black ball point ink with a stainless-steel point. The ink flows well and has a smooth action. It writes really well for something that should be more awkward than it is.
The Numbers.
1. How does it work? – 0.5 – It’s better than I expected. The flow of ink is nice. It’s not super comfortable but come on…it’s not supposed to be.
2. Look and feel – 0.5 – It’s not bad for a novelty pen. It’s long and has a weird shape with a ridge, but not as a huge detriment to the writing experience.
3. Material – 1 It’s a fun novelty pen. It’s plastic but has a decent point and workable flashing lights. I
4. Overall Design – 1 – It’s an awesome high-speed rail pen has fun lights. It is what it is.
5. Price Point – 1 This was at DAISO right around Christmas and somewhere between $1.50 and $3.00 because…DAISO.
4 out of 5 bronze pencils.
[Write the Story] A Story That Takes Place in One Room
Prompt: A Story That Takes Place in One Room
Words: petting zoo, handsome, unbound, annoy, weekend, invest, immortal, piglet, cocktail, camp
Story
“So, what do we do now, Pooh?”
“I am not your Piglet in this story, Ray.” Chloe plopped down on the hay bail. “Being locked in a petting zoo was not the weekend I anticipated when you asked me to come with you.”
Ray smiled in a way she found it hard to be annoyed with him. Darn his immortal, handsome…everything. “I didn’t quite plan it this way, either. I imagined a cocktail or two, maybe a camp fire, but not…” He waved his hands around the goat pen. “…this.”
Chloe laughed then, startling the chickens and making the ponies whinny and the cows stomp in their stalls. “So, you didn’t plan this?”
“If I was going to invest in a scenario to provide unbridled passion,” Ray gestured around them again. “A BARN would not be my first or one hundredth choice. Been there. Done that. The colloquial ‘roll in the hay’ is not all it’s cracked up to be. Straw is itchy, dirty, and frankly hurts if you get it in the wrong places.”
Chloe laughed again, a pure, joyous sound. Ray watched a moment, confusion playing across his chiseled features.
“What’s so funny?” he asked.
Chloe took a deep breath to stop laughing. “It’s just that after all the time you’ve lived, you can still make rookie mistakes. Come on, let’s find a window to shimmy out of, then we can get those drinks.”
Chloe led the bemused Ray out the back of the stable. Maybe he’d found a challenge after all this time.
Word Count: 256
Written: 1/24 & 25/19
[Pen/Pencil Review] Dong-a U-Knock Retractable – Black Ink 0.5mm
I love having friends in Korea and access to the internet. That way I have access to things like the Dong-A line (which the 12-year-old boy in me always finds HILARIOUS). This week’s pen is the Dong-A U*Knock retractable pen made in Korea. Dong-A is a Korean line. This is a gel ink pen in the same vein as the Sarasa and Jetstreams but harder to find in the US even online.
Pretty sure this came from The Francis Family on one of their trips in from Korea – because they live there and know I’m a sucker for this kind of thing. You can find like 12-packs at Amazon and Ebay. But it’s a decent everyday pen and comes in a 0.5mm point. This is a black retractable.
The ink is good for so fine a point. You’re going to lose some depth/darkness in an ink tone the finer the point. This sometimes feels like it’s a finer point than a 0.5mm but I still like it. Amazon says it has patented “U-spring†technology that allows for smooth ink release. Seems good to me. The conical tip means it’s not as scratchy feeling than some needle points. But it’s a nice color.
These pens run about 5.5″. The mechanism is smooth. The rubber grip is textured and seems to be only a slight nod to comfort. The barrel is fine but not EXCEPTIONAL – the barrel has a transparency to it and the grip is slightly rubberized for a nod to ergonomics. It’s a cool pen for what it is, which is a good editing or notation pen if you need something easily transportable and super fine.
Let’s see the numbers…
1. How does it work? – 1 – it works well. The ink dries quickly – especially being such a fine point, but it doesn’t feel that fine and has a solid width with a slightly transparent barrel.
2. Grip and feel – 0.5 – The length is typical for a retractable pen. The barrel is slightly rubberized. But there are no real ergonomics.
3. Material – 1 – It’s a plastic retractable pen. It’s all plastic. The retraction plunger is kind of cool.
4. Overall Design – 1 It’s a decent design for a plastic retractable pen. The ink is decent and dark for a 0.5mm, it’s a smooth decent line. The mechanism works well. It does what it’s supposed to do.
5. Price Point – 0.5 – For a retractable gel pen, it’s good. I did find some refills online – so refillable. From the dozen box on Amazon, they seem to run $1.60 a piece which is just fine.
That’s 4 bronze pencils out of 5.
[Write the Story] Magic in Everyday Occurrences
Prompt: Magic in Everyday Occurrences
Words: Krav Maga, touch screen, litter, vendor, doorbell, finish, hungry, aversion, signature, sweatband
Story
“Drew’s going to be home from Krav Maga soon.†Jennifer swiped through the tablet.
“Then we’ll have to get busy. Drew’ll be hungry,†Max said handing her a cloth to clean the touch screen. “If you haven’t picked a recipe by now…â€
The doorbell interrupted the pair. They both trooped to the front door to find a vendor standing there.
“Good afternoon!†And before anyone could stop him, the salesman launched into his spiel on the world’s greatest kitty litter. Max and Jennifer couldn’t get a word in edgewise. All they could do is wait for him to finish. “All I require is your signature.â€
There was something compelling about the man, the voice, and before Max or Jennifer were even aware, a slam of another door jarred them back to the present.
“Oh, cool! Are we getting a cat?†Drew bounced in, pulling off a sweatband. “I thought you had an aversion to cats, Mom.â€
Jennifer blinked as she noticed the buckets in the foyer. “What the…? Max?â€
“We’ve been…familiarized.â€
A plaintive meow from the kitchen caused the family to troop in to find a cat sitting in the middle of the tile floor, an empty dish at its feet.
“Oh, all right.†Jennifer muttered a spell and the kitchen came to life preparing dinner for a family of four.
The cat’s purr rumbled and sounded a lot like, “We’re going to get along just fine.â€
Word Count: 237
Written: 1/18/19
[Pen/Pencil Review] Zebra Sarasa Multi – 4 Color + Pencil 0.5mm
On my Christmas trip to Kinokuniya, today’s multi-function pen caught my eye. This is the Zebra Sarasa Multi 4 color gel ink Multi-Pen with Pencil – all 0.5mm. I got the black barrel.
This is rapidly becoming a favorite and a “go to†instrument. I keep my Uni Jetstream in my purse – but this might be my go to at work – where things can spin up quickly. Having the four color AND pencil option in one case is almost a necessity when you might need to change color or medium for whatever reason on the fly. This one turns out to be totally worthwhile – and the pencil was easier to figure out because of the Jetstream before. The clip is the Sarasa binder clip style.
This is a beautiful gel ink pen, unlike the Jetstream which was ball point. The green is strikingly dark for 1) a ballpoint, and 2) a 0.38mm. All the colors are equally robust. The roller in the super fine conical point (not needle – CONICAL) is smooth. They don’t scratch, skip or glop. The cap with the eraser is the advancer for the pencil. That’s not immediately intuitive, but brilliant to get all the function possible out of one instrument.
The black barrel is just a classic color. The matching cap at the top covers the white, refillable eraser that’s a touch crumbly but otherwise good. The grip is a black rubber for a bit of comfort. It’s a plastic body with little seaming at the connection and push plungers for the activators. It’s just over 6†long, which makes it a comfortable length. It’s got a 13mm (I know I’m mixing my measurements) diameter barrel which is comfortable for long use.
The barrel is obviously wider than a normal barrel to house the reservoirs, but not so wide as to be uncomfortable. It’s got to be to handle all the reservoirs. This pen is refillable with the Zebra NJK Sarasa Multi Pen refill. The refills come in a variety of colors and tip sizes. The instrument is refilled by twisting open the barrel and pulling out the reservoir and replacing either ink or lead.
It’s not cheap at the outset, but being refillable and an instrument that could see lots of use? It’s worth the outlay.
The numbers:
1. How does it work? – 1 – It works surprisingly well for a fine point. The plungers may take a bit of getting used to, especially since the lead mechanism is the clip. You can leave lead advanced while having the point retracted. The lead and ink flow smoothly. The clip is secure.
2. Grip and feel – 1 – For a multi-function, it’s actually comfortable. The diameter is comfortable. There’s very little ridge between grip and barrel to be uncomfortable because of the decorative band. It’s long enough to fit comfortably in the hand. I’m actually surprised by this.
3. Material – 1 – It is plastic and base metal…however with the nice inserts, and sturdy feel, it’s decent. The transparent plastic of the barrel lets you see ink levels. Some might think it’s expensive for plastic and base metal, but it’s environmentally conscious and FIVE good quality writing instruments in one.
4. Overall Design – 0.5 – I am going to knock a half point off here just for the pencil refill. It’s not intuitive. I kept looking for the pencil refill to be through the cap, but it’s not. I had to find out how to do it by looking at another review and trying that and figuring it out. And I had to teach someone how to use it.
5. Price Point – 0.5 – It’s not cheap, but it is SUPER useful. I used it a ton last week when I needed a pencil, and this is what I had. It’s refillable. The ink makes it worth the price. It’s cheaper than the Jetstream. I got mine at Kinokunyia for $9.95, But it’s also available online and at JetPens, it’s $8.25 with refills running $1.95. But for something you might use A LOT? It’s probably worth the investment. This one is one I’m keeping handy – like always in my purse or with a notebook.
That’s 4 of 5 bronze pencils.
[Write the Story] An Alligator on the Loose
Prompt: An Alligator on the Loose
Words: New York City, Chewbacca, typical, beard, walkabout, interrupt, clang, belly, cockatoo, stroll
Story
“Don’t be stupid, Earl, you’re going to get caught.”
“Come on, Wanda, you never let me have any fun.”
Wanda dropped the pot lid with a clang. “It’s bad enough you want to do a walkabout, Earl, do you really have to do it in New York City?”
Earl spread his stumpy, scale-covered arms. “Come on, Wanda, where else can I stroll without being noticed? Heck, I could probably even have a cockatoo on my shoulder, and no one would blink twice.”
Wanda studied him through beady eyes and tapped a talon on her pointy teeth. “Well…”
“I’ll start packing!” Earl interrupted, twirling on his tail and bolting.
“Typical,” Wanda muttered as she flipped through her Betty Crocodile Cookbook. “What would make a good last meal?”
Days later, Earl stomped up the stairs from the subway onto Times Square. He pulled his Chewbacca t-shirt down over his belly and tried hard to not scratch the fake beard hiding his muzzle.
“Mommy, look! That alligator is dressed up like a redneck!”
“Come along, Tommy, that’s not a nice thing to say about someone who doesn’t look like you.”
“Yes,” Earl said with a toothy grin. “Besides, I’m a crocodile. Big difference.”
The child screamed as his mother pulled him away. Earl was going to like New York.
Word Count: 216
Written: 1/10/19
[Pen/Pencil Review] Korean Souvenir Ballpoint Pen and Metal Bookmark
I’ve been horrible about the pen blog. There’s been…Life stuff. I think I must’ve challenged the Universe or something. EVERYTHING has been busy or time consuming. I have to learn to do these earlier and more consistently.
This week’s pen blog is one set of Gongyenara Korean souvenir ballpoint pen and metal bookmarks brought to me from Korea by my dear friends, Dave and Sandy Francis. I’m hard on my bookmarks, so I haven’t used these, but they’re pretty much all adorable – this one is a beautifully enameled Korean couple that remind me of the “Love Is…” couple but with clothes.
The pen is about 6″ long with a patchwork of Korean icons, characters, etc. The grip is metallic, ribbed plastic. The whole pen is plastic. The clip is solidish with Korea on the clip. The whole clip cap is the plunger for the retraction person. The ink is black with probably a 0.7mm metal conical tip. The ink is … meh. It’s a very liquidy gel type ink. There is definitely smearing on slick paper (like what I used) and some glopping. But it’s still a very serviceable pen – and adorable and directly from Korea.
The numbers:
1. How does it work? – 0.5 – It works like it’s supposed to. The barrel is light but balanced with a good feel. The cap feels like it might come off, but it stays all right.
2. Grip and feel – 1 – It’s an inexpensive plastic retractable pen. There’s a bit of a nod for ergonomics but it’s not meant to be that long-term use of a pen.
3. Material – 0.5 – It is what it is, a plastic basic fountain pen. It’s light but comfortable. The ink is okay – on rougher paper.
4. Overall Design – 1 – This is a fun pen from Korea that meant to be a fun souvenir pen. That’s what it is.
5. Price Point – 1 – I have no idea what these run. This was a gift from people I love. That makes it priceless to me. But I have a feeling they’re pretty inexpensive…IF you’re in Korea.
That’s 4.0 of 5 bronze pencils.
[Write the Story] Parents Solve a Problem Together
Prompt: Parents Solve a Problem Together
Words: rhinoceros, umbrella, announcement, petal, feather, fruit, placemat, sketch, wobble, boil
Story
“Well, if we sketch out the game plan then maybe we can fix this.” Jeff slid a placemat under the fruit plate to silence the china wobble.
“We still have to address the rhinoceros in the room,” Sarah said.
“Isn’t the phrase elephant?” Jeff backed away from Sarah’s glare.
“Pedantic doesn’t become you. Besides, this is more rampage-y than an elephant. We have to nip this in the bud before Petal gets in real trouble. Will you check the pasta pot? It should be ready to boil.”
“I can’t believe you got the teacher to come for dinner.” Jeff dumped a box of noodles into the pot.
“Never underestimate the power of free food.” Sarah headed to the door as the chime rang through the house. She invited the teacher in, taking her coat and umbrella. “Thank you for coming, Ms. Hopkins.”
“I appreciate you taking the situation seriously. Petal’s announcement about being a superhero alien is just one in string of increasingly outlandish stories she’s been telling. Imagination is important, but so is truth. We need to nip this in the bud.”
A timer chimed. Jeff and Sarah excused themselves. Sarah’s eyes glowed as they drained pasta. “Truth indeed! Bud nipping! We have to tell her.”
Jeff smoothed Sarah’s feathers. “Are we ready to do that? There’s no going back after. Crap. Let me toast the garlic bread.
Hopkins’ shriek filled the air as she saw Jeff toast bread with lasers from his eyes. Jeff and Sarah shrugged. Problem solved.
Word Count: 251
Written: 1/4/18
[Pen/Pencil Review] The Blog that Didn’t Happen
I really meant to do the blog. I really did.
Family took priority and Day Job is busy. Everything is fine – or at least moving that direction – but just took some time away from everything else.
This is most of the new additions from Christmas. It’s what you’re going to see coming in the weeks ahead. It’s going to be smoother.
The blog will continue to happen. Promise.
[Write the Story] A Story Told Through Emails
Prompt: A Story Told Through Emails
Words: philanthropist, symmetrical, terminate, noodle, emoticon, reference, sunglasses, moonlight, borrow, newsletter
Story
Doyle opened her laptop and clicked the icon for her mail. She bounced on her sofa as a string of email poured across her screen. Her story round robin had taken flight. It had all started with her first line and all these people had added a line. She sipped at a mug of tea.
When does an emoticon become more than a reference for a concept and become a thing of its own?
The philanthropist folded his organization’s newsletter and shook her head. The things people chose to invest in made her head hurt.
So she donned sunglasses before heading out into the full moonlight. She still had time to terminate the contract.
Besides no one really cared that much about noodles, did they? It’s not like pasta could bring about world peace or bring an end to world hunger…right?
The more circular her thoughts began, the more she needed symmetrical thinking. She needed to borrow some clarity.
She headed into the tribal temple of the Spaghetti Monster and offered her offering of rigatoni, then asked for guidance into the end of hunger through whatever means – both the world’s and her own.
She felt her soul being sucked through the tiny hold of the Devine Colander. Her offering was lacking. Her request denied. Or was it?
Word Count: 217
Written: 12/11/18