[Pen/Pencil Review] Pentel EnerGel-X Rollergel 0.5mm Black
This week’s pen review goes back to Pentel. I still have several of these to review, so it’s about time to get to it. This one is one of the big box they sent me months ago, it’s the EnerGel-X Roller Gel Pen in 0.5mm black ink.
This has ended up as a “go to†pen, especially at work. I’ve been gravitating more to retractable pens since I tend to leave them out on my desk a lot. This one has gotten a lot of use because it is a 0.5mm point (which I LOVE) and it’s a dark, fast drying gel ink. And though I don’t typically care for needle tip pens, Pentel is changing my mind. They have good, sturdy steel tips that don’t feel like you’re going to bend them if you put pressure on them. That’s a saving grace for me.
The EnerGel-X is part of Pentel’s Recycology line – that means the barrel and mechanism is made of 84% recycled plastic. Yay. The pen runs about 6†long both retracted and extended. The barrel is smoky but clear enough to see ink level. There’s enough of a grip to be fairly comfortable over long writing time. It’s refillable but also inexpensive enough to be disposable or stolen without much issue.
This is a good “workhorse†pen. The ink lasts a while – in fact, I’ve “harvested†the ink and put it in another stick barrel that’s “cute†but had crappy ball point ink. The EnerGel inks might start replacing Pilot G2 refills for universal refill “go toâ€. There’s still some experimenting to do there.
The numbers:
**Since I can’t give 0.75…these are rounded up, and I did find myself going to it as a default, the rounding up is probably justified.
1. How does it work? – 1 It’s decent. No frills. The ink is dark and the roller smooth. There can be some smearing, but it’s liquid ink. It happens.
2. Grip and feel – 1 – It’s an inexpensive, plastic, no frills pen. It has a grip that’s pretty comfortable. The length and balance are good for what it is
3. Material – 1 It’s recycled plastic, but it has a good mechanism and good ink. If you’re ecology conscious or just want to help keep plastic out of landfills, this is a good thing.
4. Overall Design – 1 -It’s a basic retractable liquid gel ink pen. It’s refillable or disposable. It is what it is.
5. Price Point – 1 – Not a bad price for what these pens are. They’re no-nonsense pens that run $1.50 – $2.00 a piece ($1.95 on the Pentel website). They come singly, in packs of 5, or by the dozen about the same price ranges.
5 out of 5 Bronze Pencils
