[Pen/Pencil Review] Pentel EnerGel Clena Retractable – 0.3mm
This week’s pen review goes back to Pentel. It’s the EnerGel Clena Retractable Rollerball in a 0.3mm needle tip from JetPens.com. I was on an uber-fine kick in my last order from them. And, let’s face it, I do a lot of Pentel EnerGels… I doubt I’ll become the collector that Jimmy is with the Pentel 205s – but we do tend to be a Pentel family at heart.
I kind of forgot that I bought this one, and DEFINITELY forgot that it was red ink, or we’d be having this conversation sooner. I’ve been doing editing and such and kept pulling out the black super-fine pens or the multi-function I reviewed last week. This was almost a surprise to me. So yay?
Though I do prefer conical points for solidity, I’ve lost my aversion to needle-point pens. They’ve made them a lot more durably in the last years, especially Pentel. I no longer feel like I’m going to bend/break needle-points. The pen has a great line and ink saturation for a 0.3mm. For red, it’s a good solid color with little skipping or smearling. And the point is smooth, not scratchy like some conical points at this size can be. In the description on JetPens, it calls the ink “dye-based, quick-drying, smear-resistant†– I don’t know what “dye-based†means, but the rest is true. I’ve not had smearing or glopping issues with this pen.
The barrel titles said Red Body – come on, folks, that’s salmon at best with pin-stripe detailing near the clicker and yellow accents. The rubber grip gives some cushion for long use. The plunger and clip are solid metal. The pen is refillable with the Pentel EnerGel LRN3 refill. The pen is 5.8†long and well balanced with a comfortable diameter.
The numbers:
1. How does it work? – 1 It’s decent, especially for the tip size. No frills. The ink is rich and the roller smooth. The ink dries fast, has some of the least smearing.
2. Grip and feel – 1 – It’s an inexpensive, plastic, pen. It has a grip that’s pretty comfortable with a nod to ergonomics. The length and balance are good.
3. Material – 1 It’s plastic, but it has a good mechanism and good ink. It’s also refillable.
4. Overall Design – 1 -It’s a good, solid everyday retractable pen with a very fine point (my favorite) with comfortable dimensions.
5. Price Point – 0.5 It’s $3 and only available online. Which isn’t bad, but it’s not the most economical Pentel EnerGel there is. It is refillable, the refills are $1.25 – that’s not horrible. The pens come in blue, black, and red individually, no multis – and are available in 0.3mm, 0.5mm, and 0.7mm.
4.5 out of 5 Bronze Pencils
[Write the Story] A Camping Trip in Which No One Has Ever Been Camping Before
Prompt: A Camping Trip in Which No One Has Ever Been Camping Before
Words: constellation, ketchup, royal, gear, atmosphere, expand, livid, example
Story
“Why did I let you talk me into this again?†Maureen asked as she pulled gear out of the SUV. “We’re form the city. What do we know about outdoors?â€
“How else are we going to see the constellation?†Royal asked. “Besides, how hard can it be? People do this for fun. We’re here on a mission in the moonlight.â€
Maureen snorted. “Fine, then you start a fire. I’ll try to set up the tent.â€
Royal snorted. “Fine. How hard can it be?â€
Famous last words. Neither were laughing later. Maureen tossed down the tent poles. “I give up. The example in these instructions don’t match the parts.â€
“I hope you like ketchup, because we forgot matches or a lighter. No fire.â€
“The better to see the stars?†Maureen tried to sound positive, as the luminous light of the moon faded behind cloud cover.
Royal spewed forth a sudden stream of livid anger and profanity. Maureen was almost impressed, she certainly had her vocabulary expanded.
“Well, we could enjoy the atmosphere?†She tried to sound cheerful as the wind kicked up and rain started to fall.
Maureen and Royal shoved everything back into the SUV and shivered in wet clothes until the heat caught up. Royal put the car in gear and spun out. They were stuck in the woods once more.
Word Count: 222
Written: 1/04/18
[Pen/Pencil Review] Uni Jetstream 4 & 1 Color 0.38mm – Navy Body
Not too long ago I got on a seriously fine point kick on Jetpens, and today’s multi-function pen caught my eye. This is the Uni Jetstream 4 & 1 Color 0.38mm Ballpoint Multi-Pen plus 0.5mm Pencil. I got the navy barrel. I was intrigued by the fineness of the points, so I had to get it.
This is rapidly becoming a favorite and a “go to†instrument. Especially with my day job 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 – with a touch of a learning curve. I had to show one of the higher ups how to use it on the fly when it was snatched out of my hand in a meeting.
What astonishes me about this is the vibrancy of the ink colors with such a fine point. I keep forgetting this is a BALLPOINT pen and pencil and not a gel ink. 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 clip is the advancer for the pencil. That’s not immediately intuitive, but brilliant to get all the function possible out of one instrument.
I chose the navy barrel because I like the rich 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. There’s a rounded metal band between grip and body that smooths out any ridges. It’s a plastic body with metal accents and push plungers for the activators. It’s just over 5.75†long, which makes it a comfortable length.
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 Uni SXR-90-30 refill. If this is too fine a point for you – they also come in a 0.5mm and 0.7mm – but is there really such thing as too fine a point? 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 super 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. But it’s only available online and at JetPens, it’s $11.25 with refills running $1.55. 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] Having the Boss Over for Dinner
Prompt: Having the Boss Over For Dinner
Words: cerulean, chair, joyous, meatloaf, pallid, brioche, monthly, thirteen, forehead, video
Story
“Take the cerulean chair, Mr. Roland. I’ll just go bring in dinner. I hope you like meatloaf.”
Rebecca normally hated the swinging door between the farmer’s kitchen and the formal dining room. But today she was grateful for it.
“Thank you so much for this, Rebecca. It could mean so much for my career.”
“Oh, joyous day, I’m sure, Thomas.” Her tone dripped sarcasm. “Warning would’ve been nice.”
Thomas had the good grace to appear embarrassed, a slight flush to his normally pallid complexion. “I am sorry. I’m not even sure how it happened. We were in a meeting about monthly budgets and before I knew it, I was inviting him to dinner. I didn’t expect him to say yes.”
“Grab the salad.” Rebecca wiped sweat from her forehead. “And the green beans. I’ve got the meatloaf and potatoes. One of us will have to come back for the brioche rolls.” She saw his confused look. “I got the recipe from a cooking video. It’s fine.”
But it wasn’t. It was odd. Mr. Roland ate all of thirteen bites of his dinner. Rebecca couldn’t remember much more than that. She awoke the next morning with a pounding headache and no memory of how the evening progressed. If anything, Thomas seemed even paler. That’s when she felt a burning pain on her neck and vaguely heard.
“You’re fully vested in the company now. I’ll see you for dinner every Thursday night. Red meat is best.”
Word Count: 244
Written: 1/2/18
[Pen/Pencil Review] Pentel Superb Mini Ballpoint Pen – Blue
I’ve written about the RSVP fine point stick pens. They still remain among some of my all time favorites. Today, I’m focusing on a slightly different Pentel stick pen – the Superb MINI. This one is blue.
This is an moderately inexpensive “everyday†pen. The pen is short – hence the “mini†aspect. It’s 4.6†capped and 5.2†posted, which makes it ALMOST the same length posted as a retractable, but not quite. It also not as wide as a RSVP – but along the lines of a traditional stick pen with no ergonomics at all. Straight plastic all around – except for the metal tip.
This one does come with a 0.7mm ink, which is why I decided to try it. The barrel is transparent so you can see your ink level. The blue is a decently dark blue with a smooth action on the conical metal tip. The ink dries quickly and doesn’t tend to glob – which I like about Pentel ink. Sadly, this is one of the few Pentels that is NOT refillable. The clear cap has a solid plastic clip.
The Superb Mini is a good choice for a pocket notebook or journal pen. It’s not uncomfortable for it’s size, but it’s not an all day, every day pen. But it’s good to have for quick notes or a grab and go pen. There’s a goodly reservoir of ink for its size.
The numbers:
1.How does it work? – 1.0 It’s a basic , 0.7mm ballpoint pen that also happens to be short.
2.Grip and feel – 1 – It’s an inexpensive, plastic, no frills pen. The cap posts securely.
3.Material – 1 It’s okay for what it is. But it is what it is. A “knockabout†pen. One that you don’t mind disappearing or breaking.
4.Overall Design – 0.5 – Because the perfect pen doesn’t exist. It’s short and a bit narrow. You can’t refill it.
5.Price Point – 0.5 – It’s just under $2 on JetPens, which is affordable but still not refillable and short. But it writes well and I think is worth the price.
4 out of 5 Bronze Pencils
[Pen/Pencil Review] Pilot Juice Up 04 RT in Violet
I did the first JetPens order for the year a couple of weeks ago. Picked up some 0.4mm tip pens because I like to live dangerously. And because it’s an interesting size – some are really thin and light, some are darker/thicker like the 0.5mm. This one in particular is kind of in the middle. It’s a newer model of a pen I reviewed previously – the is the Pilot Juice Up 04 retractable gel ink pen in violet ink
.
The Pilot Juice Up collection are retractable gel ink pens. This line comes in up to 22 colors – both in individual pens and in sets. The pastels come in six color sets, the darker colors come in 10 color sets. These come in 0.38mm and 0.4mm tips – which might not seem like much but can be pretty big difference.
The Juice pens are about 5.5″ long retracted and with point extended. The barrel is black with a violet rubberized grip and a violet accent in the translucent accent at the black plunger. That color-coded accent lets you see if the tip is retracted without looking at the tip. There barrel is as close to seamless as a refillable pen can be. It’s relatively comfortable and a good hand feel.
The tip is a new style Pilot calls “Synergy” which they say “combines the precision of a needle point with the durability of a conical point.” There’s a gasket like seal around the stainless-steel cone and the actual tip that does hold the ink steady. The fine, needle-like point feels solid.
The ink is rich and vibrant for such a thin line with a smooth roller that doesn’t skip or scratch. I enjoy writing with this. I’ve used it for a couple of solid days at work – adding things to a paper calendar and such. It’s a solid working pen – and if you’re doing paper edits, it’s a good fine line for getting edits in between lines. The ink is a water-based pigment ink that’s supposed to be waterproof (I’d likely call it resistant since little is “proof”) and fade-resistant.
I will likely pick up a few more colors over time. I’d like to check things like the red for editing or the blue-black (because there are days I want something traditional but not).
The Numbers.
1. How does it work? – 1 – It’s a slightly fancier than basic, retractable gel in pen in a very fine point. The mechanism is smooth and the ink is rich.
2. Look and feel – 0.5 – It’s not bad for a nearly basic retractable pen. There’s a bit of cushion but it’s more for color and show than actual squish. It’s an attractive look though
3. Material – 1 It’s a decent plastic, retractable pen. It’s not expensive, but not cheap. The advancement in the synergy tip. It’s more solid than the needle tip should be.
4. Overall Design – 1 – This barrel is fine. The clip is good. The mechanism is smooth. The colors are fun and give the pens some nice accents. The tip is what’s really nice.
5. Price Point – 0.5 – These run $3.60 individually on JetPens. Just under $27 for the 10 pack and just under $17 for the 6 pack of pastels. You can only get them by ordering online. They’re not available in US stores. So that makes them a bit more difficult to come by. But they are refillable with the Pilot LP2RF from between $1.50 and $2.25.
4 out of 5 bronze pencils.
[Write the Story] A Babysitter Snoops and Finds Something Unexpected
Prompt: A Babysitter Snoops and Finds Something Unexpected
Words: newspaper, cardinal, cotton, document, tiramisu, blackened, prediction, borderline, freedom, female
Story
“We’ll be home by Midnight. Help yourself to anything in the fridge. The baby’s asleep. You should have an easy night.†Those Famous Last Words rang in Mistie’s ears as she scrapped the last of the tiramisu out of the bowl. But so far, the mental prediction of wailing child hadn’t materialized. Her boredom melting with borderline freedom prompted her to start digging around the posh apartment.
“This is probably a really bad idea.†But something drew Mistie to explore the dark corners of the bedrooms and even the antique wooden chest in the guest room closet.
She teased open the lid and smiled at the blue cotton lining patterned with cardinals. She shuffled through the contents, reveling in the age and character of some pieces of vintage jewelry. She couldn’t help but try on the tiara, a bit dusty but still sparkly. But something else caught her eye.
She gently pulled out the newspaper-wrapped bundle. It was wide, thin, and blackened around the edges. She carefully unwrapped the bundle to find a document folder. She had to keep going now, she’d come too far to leave whatever secret this held.
Inside the folder was something she could barely identify as female…maybe.
“Find what you’re looking for?â€
Mistie jumped, barely keeping from dropping everything. She stammered and apology.
“Now you know.â€
“Know what?†Mistie never got an answer. Everything went black with a hint of newspaper.
Word Count: 236
Written: 12/14/17
[Pen/Pencil Review] Post Convention/Birthday Drive By
This past weekend was both ConDFW and my birthday (thanks to everyone who came by the convention and wished me a happy birthday whether in person or online). But that made for a very busy weekend, so today’s day off was full of catch up — and seeing Black Panther because…well, BLACK PANTHER!!!!
This was a transition year in pen pilgrimmages and such. Paradise Pen Company is gone, which is sad. But I was fortunate that at ConDFW I met David Doub (Sr, for those who know the Dusk Comics David Doub). Doub Sr makes wood, metal, and acrylic pens. Doub Jr convinced Sr to apply appliques to the arcylic and create comic book (and other themes) hand-turned pens, mostly in the cigar style. I ended up with TWO of his creations – one was a purchase (MINIONS!), the other (Wonder Woman) was a birthday gift from Jimmy.
Then Floyd and Sarah Brigdon gifted me with an amber glass necklace that’s a skull and spinal cord. The spinal cord is curved to fit the hand (sort of) and with a glass fountain pen nib. It’s a first attempt and the designer (who was a vendor at the convention) and it works – after a fashion. So it needs some evolution and refinement, but for a (currently) one of a kind/unique, and let’s face it… BAD ASS pen, I don’t care that you can’t use it except for demonstration purposes.
The Doub pens are classic Parker-Style refills – currently with what feels like a 0.7mm but is probably bigger – black ballpoint ink in both pens. They work well, and will be well loved and used.
These are SO COOL!!! But almost impossible to rate. The Doub Pens are, and I may come back to these, because he is really reasonably priced, but today there is a blog post.
AND SO MANY HEARTFELT THANKS!
[Write the Story] An Intern Meets Someone for Lunch
Prompt: An Intern Meets Someone for Lunch
Words: father, continent, favorite, comfortable, highlight, drive, salesman, pair, mail, level
Story
“Are you comfortable with the tasks I’ve given you?”
Megan scanned the list. “Yes, sir. It’s straightforward. But…are you sure?”
“If you wish to keep this internship, that’s the job.”
“Yes, sir, Mr. Rinaldi.” Megan turned to go. “Sir? What this note here?”
“A lunch appointment I need you to keep. Be at that restaurant at noon. Sharp. I have reservations there.”
Thus began a whirlwind morning of driving, running, and convincing a salesman to let her have the order set aside for Mr. Rinaldi. She rushed to the post office to mail a pair of packages she thought should’ve gone by FedEx, but she was just the intern.
Just before noon, she staged into Level 42, the trendy, newest favorite spot for people like Mr. Rinaldi who had homes on the Continent. She had no business being in such a high-end place, especially since her internship with Rinaldi was unpaid.”
“May I help you, Miss?” the maître d seemed stereotypically stuffy. After she stammered out her incoherent story, he gestured. “This way.”
Megan was led to a table with Mr. Rinaldi and another stately gentleman, who rose. The second man was her father.
“Megan! Happy First Day. Give us the highlight of your morning.”
Megan had a feeling her challenges had just begun.
Word Count: 214
Written: 11/30/17