[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
[Pen/Pencil Review] Zebra Spiral Ball Point 0.7mm – Rerun/Revisit
I took out a bunch of my green and green body pens for March (St. Patrick’s Day and all) and have been using them at work. One of the ones I picked out was the Zebra Spiral – which I’m remembering why and how much I liked it the first time, so I’m rerunning the original post (because of the music review on Tuesday and my dad’s birthday last night. I am pleased to see on Zebra’s website that they’re still around.
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This is another pen from my last Office Depot spree, and I found this in the Clearance section – so I hope they’re not discontinuing them completely, just changing packaging or will be available in other retailers. This is the Zebra Spiral Ball Point pen in a Fine point 0.7mm black ink.
This is an interesting pen because it take ergonomics and frivolity and puts them into one pen. The need for ergonomic comfort comes at all ages, but only now are the pens designed to relieve writing fatigue getting some style to them. The Zebra Spiral takes the style to a whole new level. Where the Dr. Grip Full Black is sleek and classic, the Spiral is fun, flirty and colorful.
![IMG_2744[1]](https://www.rhondaeudaly.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_27441-e1407782003694-300x72.jpg)
I bought (shocker) the lime green version of the Spiral. The barrel has a soft rubber grip area with a comfortable amount of squish and rounded contours going to the point. The diameter is that nice middle ground where you don’t feel like you’re strangling your fingers, but no so wide as to feel like you’re using a kindergarten crayon. Where it gets interesting is in the resting part of the barrel. That is translucent color to match the grip with enough clear to see the white mechanism housing. This is where the pen gets its name. The barrel is twisted into a spiral pattern that gives a smooth groove where it rests in the thumb web – for both righties and lefties. It’s well balanced and feels sturdy for plastic.
This pen comes with a 0.7mm black ink insert that is smooth and dark (and fine line to make me so very happy). The pen is refillable with the Zebra F-Refill (which does come in a 0.7mm blue ink). The clip is plastic, but sturdy feeling – you’ll have to work hard to snap it. The grip is nice, but not QUITE as squishy as the Dr. Grip – but with a much nicer price point, in my opinion.
I really like this pen – so much so, I went and bought the blue one just to have a spare in case they are going away (which I really, really hope not). If you write a LOT and want a spiffy yet comfortable pen – please check this one out.
The numbers:
1. How does it work? – 1 – It works well. The ink flows well with minimal smearing. The retraction mechanism is solid. It’s well balanced and solid feeling
2. Grip and feel – 1 – This is surprisingly comfortable. You’d think with the twist to the barrel something would dig in to fingers, but it doesn’t. It’s a good diameter with a really good feel.
3. Material – 0.5 – For a plastic barrel pen, it’s pretty well-made. The barrel is really solid yet smooth. The mechanisms work well. The ink is great. For a pen that is designed to reduce writing fatigue and promotes ergonomics, there might not be ENOUGH squish in the grip. It could be a bit softer – like the Dr. Grip…
4. Overall Design – 1 – It’s an amazingly good design. It does what it says – it’s comfortable, it has good ink, and it is suitable for long-term writing. What makes it super cool is the attention to making it DIFFERENT. The spiral part not only makes it comfortable, it makes it CUTE.
5. Price Point – 1 – This one isn’t as expensive as the Dr. Grip. It sells on the Zebra website for $6.44 – which for an ergonomic pen that’s refillable isn’t bad at all. It’s fun, it’s useful, and is actually probably appropriately priced for the amount of material in it. It’s a SOLID pen. Not HEAVY, but it doesn’t feel cheap. This should last a while.
That’s 4.5 of 5 bronze pencils.
[Music Review] The Bilge Pumps – Planned Piratehood
A few weeks ago (longer than it should have been) Craig Lutke from The Bilge Pumps asked if I would review their newest 2-disc album project, Planned Piratehood. I was up front that I haven’t reviewed music in a very long time and they’d be better off with someone with more reach in the whole piratical, musical scene – but still he wanted me to give it a listen.
I have apologized for the fact that I have delayed getting this done because of a whole slew of cheesy, lame excuses. Some of which was sheer procrastination (I have long ago given up my amateur status when it comes to crastination, I’m a TOTAL pro.) BUT… I’m here now. Let’s get this review started.
Planned Piratehood was recorded between July 2014 and December 2018. It’s 38 tracks of beautiful ridiculousness – which is something one comes to expect from The Bilge Pumps. Only 34 of them have names on the liner notes. These tracks are a great combination of classic rock and Celtic folk music – all with the unique twists and marks of this band’s comedic tastes.
I will admit there is one track I didn’t listen to – and won’t – because it’s my most unfavorite song of all time no matter WHO does it. Disc 1 – “Delivery Room” contains “House of the Rising Sun”. I don’t know why I can’t stand this song, but I have NEVER, EVER, EVER liked it. Still don’t. It’s my okra of the music world. Sorry guys. Disc 2 is called “Nursery”.
But that one track aside, there are so many more to love. I sang along (in my head, I hope) to the Irish/Celtic classic “The Old Black Rum” while on the elliptical. “Southern Cross” got me though traffic with great harmonies. I actually thing Jimmy Buffet would be proud of Bilge’s cover of “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes”. And OMG, Rippy the Gator is the BEST absolutely WORST “childrens’ song of all time. Many of the traditional Celtic/Pirate type songs are adapted to be more… piratical.
There are lovely originals as well. “A Pirate Lullaby” is beautiful. You can learn to talk like one of them with “Piratical Talk”. And “The Captain’s Daughter” and “One more on a Dead Man’s Chest” are what you’d expect from a group of rapscallions.
It’s just a ton of fun. So if you’re in need (and you are, you totally are) of good, fun music with strong harmonies, flutes, mandolins, drums, and guitars. So check out their website – http://www.thebilgepumps.com – to order the cds and check out their show schedule. Tell them I sent you – it won’t matter – but then they’d know I did the review, finally.
[Write the Story] A Conversation Between Artists
Prompt: A Conversation Between Artists
Words: skull, galaxy, expression, trash can, deployment, visitor, brushstroke, decade, forgot, ponder
Story
“And with a brushstroke, the galaxy becomes just an expression…” Thomas gestured with the chopstick.
“Are you trying to channel Bob Ross or did you get a bad Crystal Skull vodka?” Aldous took a pull of his beer.
“Says the guy who took a commission to paint a trash can.”
“Trash CANS, multiple. Many multiples for the Visitors Bureau.” Aldous tried not to sound smug but couldn’t keep a straight face. “It’s the contract of the decade.”
“”They’re trash cans.” Thomas tossed back his drink. “It’s a low-brow, sell out…”
“Oh, right, I forgot you’re Thomas Seavey the One True Artist. The one who can’t seem to do anything but paint in your cellar. Let me ponder that…Hmmm.”
“You’re funny. I have a showing just next week.” Thomas harrumphed. “Next week!”
“Oh, that’s awesome, but doesn’t your deployment start tomorrow?”
Thomas slid off his barstool and straightened his uniform. “Then I guess you’ll have to hang my art for me, won’t you?”
“Why me?”
“Because I’m serving so you don’t have to, brother. It’s the least you can do.”
Word Count: 179
Written: 2/28/19
[Pen/Pencil Review] Fisher Space Pen – Lime Green Rerun
The last couple of weeks have been…hectic. ConDFW, birthday, hosting a class at Day Job and working as an evaluator at another one all this week – plus some family stuff have stretched me pretty thin. I haven’t been home much this week. So, I went back to an oldie but a goodie… The Fisher Space Pen. With some new links now that Paradise Pen Company is no longer with us.
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Today’s pen is the Fisher Space Pen. I think I had one years ago, but where it ended up is anyone’s guess. This one I picked up at Paradise Pen Company as part of the Birthday Pilgrimage. I was looking for something a bit more affordable this time around that was still cool… and this one is iridescent lime green. We had a winner.
This pen came with a PR4 Medium Point Black pressurized ink cartridge. This is what makes the Fisher Space Pen unique. The medium point is a 1.1mm ball point, which really makes me want to change it out to a 0.9mm FINE point. However, for a broader point than I like, it’s still an interesting pen. The pressurized barrel of the ink lets this pen write in more environments and angles than other pens, and touts a longer lasting ink life. I’m still working on that….
Fisher has been creating more “festive” pens over the years. Many are variations of their classic “bullet” style, which is what I bought. The Bullet pen is brushed aluminum with various colors. I chose the lime green one, because well, me. I hesitated before purchasing. With the cap on, the Fisher Bullet is only about 3.75″ long, which makes me wonder if it’s going to be comfortable. When you post the cap, it telescopes to about 5.5″ long, making it long enough to be comfortable.
The grip is etched aluminum with chrome plating for something to hold on to. A rubber O-ring seals the barrel and the grip and smoothes out any ridges that might dig in. It has a decent diameter, so you can write with it for a period of time. There is no clip, so you have to be careful or the pen will roll off an uneven surface.
It also comes in a cute box. The nearly transparent plastic box is lined with a felt insert in a moonscape pattern with literature on the pen. Though it isn’t necessary, it does add to the experience.
The numbers:
1. How does it work? – 1 – I haven’t tried writing with this pen underwater or in zero gravity, but it does write at all angles. I’d show you, but it’s hard to get that proof. The ink flows well. It does what it says it does.
2. Grip and feel – 0.5 – It’s got traction, not a “grip”. The grip is a ribbed etching in the chrome plating. Though the O-Ring does alleviate any edges, it’s all metal. And borderline comfortable on diameter and length
3. Material – 1 – It’s aluminum. So it’s a sturdy but light pen – for the barrel. The colors and design make it a lovely pen that can stand up to some beating.
4. Overall Design – 1 – It’s well-designed for what it is. The bullet pen is compact, but long enough to be relatively comfortable. It can be used in any condition. The pen seals up well capped and feels secure with the cap posted. And it does write in a lot of ways.
5. Price Point – 0.5 – It’s not cheap. This one runs $29.00 at Paradise Pen Company (it’s now $23 at Amazon). You can probably find it cheaper or on sale in other places. Refills are available – in a wide array of colors, and even some different point types for common colors – for $6-$7 a pop depending on where you get them. That’s not cheap, but for the length of time they’re useable and how many ways you can use the refills, it makes this a long term use pen that evens out the investment.
That’s 4 of 5 bronze pencils.
[Write the Story] War on Foreign Soil
Prompt: War on Foreign Soil
Words: amputated, global, curtain, banana, carbonate, calisthenics, patriot, fixture, Bluetooth
Story
“Is this what you signed up for, Stratton?”
“What?” Doing calisthenics in a banana republic? Or being a patriot serving my country?” Stratton popped up out of his last push up, barely breathing hard.
“We’re protecting walnuts.”
“And until the brass back home tells us that walnuts are no longer important to global security, Porter, that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”
The two soldiers double-timed it to their posts on the base perimeter, orders starting to come through Bluetooth devices. They had moments to reach the edge of the foliage curtain to wait for the next incursion.
Stratton thought about what Porter said. Was it worth guarding the last stand of walnut trees? Was this grove of nut-bearing trees really the fixture of civilization everyone made them out to be? Granted they were amazing in food, and the wood was versatile, and the shells could be ground up and used to carbonate stuff or some such nonsense. But was it really worth the bloodshed that came with war.
“Here they come!”
And just like that, the aliens swarmed the perimeter, their insect exoskeletons clattering into the electromagnetic field, zapping many, but others got through guns took care of them. The battle ended in a cloud of gas and smoke. Cries rose up as soldiers, including Stratton, found themselves wounded. The bugs’ laser weapons amputated limbs without pain or notice – only Stratton tried to stand did he realize he no longer had a leg.
Word Count: 244
Written: 2/13/19
[Pen/Pencil Review] Pilot G-Tec-C 0.4mm Purple
It’s a super busy time (I know, I know, when is it NOT super busy). Between birthday week (and yes, it’s a week), ConDFW, and working with two different classes at the Day Job… yeah. I’m a little behind. Shocker. This one is a slight variation on a them. I’ve done a couple of reviews on versions of the Pilot Hi-Tec-C. This is the “international versionâ€, according to Jetpens, the G-Tec-C. This is the 0.4mm purple/violet one – because February colors.
It’s chance to revisit this pen again. I’ve wrote about the Hi-Tec-C and the G-Tec-C is pretty similar. I really do like the Pilot G-Tec-C line – in any color because they do points like 0.4mm (and smaller). It runs just over 6″ with the cap posted, and 5.4″ capped. This pen has been comfortable in my had in other incarnations and remains so now. The cap is plastic but posts securely. The cap and barrel are transparent but with color matching cap top, spot on the clip and barrel plug.
The purple ink is rich for a fine line. It’s a gel ink, so there’s a bit of smearing on slick paper but it dries quickly. The G-Tec-C needle points and rollerballs have little to no skipping or bleeding. The point isn’t all that scratchy either. You can see the amount of ink left through the barrel, which I like. There’s some ribbing on the grip but not a lot in terms of ergonomics.
I don’t remember when I actually bought this pen. I’ve had it around for quite a while, and the ink still flows like new. There seems to be no change in color or flow. It’s definitely got legs.
Now to the numbers:
1. How does it work? – 1 This pen works well. The ink flows well and it’s moderately comfortable.
2. Grip and feel – 0.5 – The grip is actually textured into the plastic. It’s ribbed. For the kind of pen it is, it’s okay.
3. Material – 0.5 This is an inexpensive, plastic pen. It is what it is. It’s a serviceable specialty color gel ink.
4. Overall Design – 1 -It’s a good pen for everyday use. It’s a go-to pen. Pilot makes a good pen
5. Price Point – 0.5 – For a possibly disposable pen (though it does have refills) and the fact that you can only order it from JetPens, it’s not the least expensive pen on the market. It’s $2.10 a piece. That’s not horrible, but the refills are $2.50 – which is more than the original pen.
I give it a 3.5 out of 5 bronze pencils.
