[Pen/Pencil Review] The Kikkerland Wooden Ballpoint Retractable Pen – Blue Ink

I did get a set of pens for Christmas – though it really was a very light holiday on the pen front (my fault). What I did get was the Kikkerland Wood Ballpoint Pen Set of Three. These are ballpoint retractable pens that have blue ink but look like your classic wooden pencil. We picked these up at Container Store from the Stocking Stuffer bins.

And they are cool looking. The “barrel” is the classic wooden hexagon shape with probably a little lacquer to keep it smooth. This set came with lime green, pink, and blue accenting points and “erasers”. And yes, the click top of the retractable pen is probably the same eraser as on the mechanical pencils just like them.

The pen is wider than a typical #2 pencil. It actually reminds me of the “kindergarten” pencils designed like big crayons for early writers. That does make it a bit wider than expected, but it’s not uncomfortable. The pen is about 6.5″ long retracted and about 6.75 with the tip out. The ink is a bold blue with some glopping or smearing. On shiny paper there will be some smearing until it dries. It feels like a 0.7mm point – finer than most common ballpoints, but not super fine.

The pen tends toward the light in weight. It’s decently balanced but it looks heavier than it is. The eraser cap connects to the pencil with a corrugated aluminum band to keep the pencil theme going. They’re a lot of fun and depending where/when you find them, run $2 -$4 apiece.

The Numbers.

1. How does it work? – 1 – It’s better than I expected for a ballpoint. It’s decent ink and flow. It’s wider than I like.
2. Look and feel – 1 – It’s long enough to be comfortable, but wider than I expected. If you don’t know that going it, it takes a while to get used to. It’s slick and has no ergonomics.
3. Material – 0.5 It’s wood and plastic. It’s got a soft rubber stylus. I’m not sure what the life span is on this one, but I wouldn’t try to refill it. I’m not sure how that would go.
4. Overall Design – 1 It’s great for a novelty pen. It’s cute and nostalgic and works pretty well.
5. Price Point – 0.5 – This is not a cheap novelty, but it’s not overly expensive. You can generally find them between $2 and $4 a piece – IF you can find it. The pencils are easier to find than the pens. These we found at Christmas but are gone now.

4 out of 5 bronze pencils.