[Pen/Pencil Review] Return of the Pilot V7 Green
This is, indeed, a rerun… but a holiday-ish one. Yesterday got away from me – but this (like most Decembers) is all about the red and green ink. I actually used this one quite a bit today.
The last pen review of 2014… where does the time go? And DUDE who’d’ve thought we’d be here? This is Science Fiction years. But here we are. This last pen for 2014 was something I saw in passing on JetPens and then bought as stocking stuffers for Jimmy and myself. I give you the Pilot V7 Hi-Techpoint roller ball pen.
The Pilot V7 is one of Jimmy’s all-time favorite pens. He has used the red ones for years and years. And though we both prefer the V5, this V7 needed to be explored. I bought the red for Jimmy’s stocking and the green for myself – and should probably get the blue and black. Just for kicks.
This pen has a 0.7mm roller ball point in a needlepoint tip. The barrel and cap are plastic with a view port in the barrel to see ink levels. The barrel and cap color match to the ink. The cap posts fairly securely for plastic. The pen is just over 5.5″ long with the pen capped and just over 6″ with the cap posted.
So what makes this pen different from a typical V7? One, it’s part of the BeGreen line – which means it’s made of 71% recycled materials. Two, it uses a liquid ink instead of a gel or other type of ink. And three, the liquid ink comes in a cartridge, making this V7 refillable. The write up on JetPens says it can be refilled up to 10 times. The refillable aspect ties into the BeGreen line – because you have less waste than a non-refillable, it’s also more economical. The pen itself is affordable – about the same price as the non-refillable, and the 3-packs of ink refills are very affordable.
The ink dries very quickly for a liquid ink. The rollerball is smooth – though I had to prime my point a few times when it didn’t pick up ink right away – which may have been air bubbles in the liquid ink. But the green ink is dark and rich.
The refills are marked for V5 and V7 – which makes me hopeful that there WILL BE a V5 version of this pen. If there is? I’m probably buying two of each color. The V7 is nice, but I’m really looking forward to a V5.
The numbers:
1. How does it work? – 0.5 – It works really well – except for the fact that it did kinda skip on me a couple of times. I was able to prime the ink back into the tip, but it’s enough to nock a bit.
2. Grip and feel – 1 – It’s a good length. There are no ergonomics, but the diameter it comfortable. It’s not bad for an inexpensive plastic pen.
3. Material – 1 – It’s a basic, plastic rollerball pen. The needlepoint feels sturdy so there is that. I don’t feel like I’m going to bend it.
4. Overall Design – 1 – I like it for the classic design with the refillable aspect. That makes it kinda cool and awesome.
5. Price Point – 1 – It’s a good price. The pen itself runs $2.75 on JetPens – which may be a bit more than what you’d pay for a regular V7, but it’s worth it for the cartridge design. The refills are $1.70 for three ink cartridges. If you lose it (or it’s swiped) you’re not out a huge investment, but you can also very economically use it for a very long time.
That’s 3.5 of 5 bronze pencils.
[Write the Story] A Support Group Meeting
Prompt: A Support Group Meeting
Words: novelist, fountain, snow, lady, pastoral, communicate, scene, sprout, carve, whisper
Story
Colleen scanned the area, making sure no one saw her approach the fountain. This was no place for a lady or, so she was told. Good thing she was no “lady”. The scene was nearly pastoral with snow gently falling and covering the harsh-edged reality with a patina of innocence.
She pulled in a deep breath and pushed down the fear. She double-checked the address on the scrap of paper, plucked up her courage and stepped through the darkened doorway.
Sickly yellow light carved harsh shadows on cracked tile and stained beige walls. She followed the corridor to the crossroads then followed the whispers. She paused outside the door, hand hovering over the handle. She couldn’t bring herself to take the final step to open it, but she’d come this far. She took the final step.
Heads turned her way as she came in. For a moment she felt like she’d sprouted a second head. She let the thought pass as she joined the circle. At a nod from someone who seemed to be in charge. She swallowed.
“My name is Colleen, and I’m a novelist.”
“Hi, Collen,” the group chorused.
“I have a need to communicate through fiction stories.” Nods of encouragement let her know she was not alone.
Word Count: 210
Written: 10/1/17
[Writer Blog] Taking On a New Project for Charity
It’s Wednesday. It’s blog day. My head is in NO kind of game today. There are a variety of reasons, none of them are important. Houseguests are in flux. House is ready (again) for the holidays for the most part. Personal appearances are over for the year.
Stuff needs to get done – and yet, I’m about to add something to my plate. It’s for a good cause, but still really don’t need a new project but here we are.
I’m going to edit an anthology with the proceeds going to The Cancer Support Center of North Texas. I – we all – have known too many people stricken with cancer – friends, family, etc. No one’s going to get paid, but we’ll have a product that can encourage, entertain, and hopefully help out some folks who really need it.
The anthology is currently nameless, but that will change. I’m open to suggestions – though I’m keeping the f-bomb out of it. The anthology will be open but not spread far and wide, if you’re interested, let me know and I can send them to you. The most important parts are “unpaid†(because for charity) and deadline is December 31, 2017 (because momentum and hard deadlines are good) – everything else is pretty fluid.
So, yeah. That’s where I am right now. Yikes and away. Let’s go do some good.
[Pen/Pencil Review] Pentel Flash Multi-Pack Stick Pens
This is yet another Pentel, I’ve had these for a while. I bought them just before I went off-line late in August through September and am just now getting to them. These are a type of Pentel EnerGel that I don’t normally get – stick pens. But these are the “Flash” collection.
These pens are vibrant. The colors are dark and rich – including the orange, which is difficult. They’re a “medium” point which is a 0.7mm in this line – which makes me very happy. The ink does dry pretty quickly – which is great. The lines are smooth, and the rollerball doesn’t skip or clump. I can tell they work well, because I had them out during a big thing at work and folks kept grabbing them to use – the black one disappeared really fast. If I want the whole 8-pack again, I’m going to have to get another set.
The collection runs 5.75″ long capped and 6.25″ posted. The caps post securelyThese pens have a ribbed grip that gives it some ergonomics. Pentel has done a good attempt to round off all the edges to keep edges from digging into fingers. The octagonal barrels are color matched to the ink with a translucent cap. It’s part of the Recycology line. It’s not refillable.
If you do use these pens on glossier paper, give the ink a bit longer to dry. No gel ink is that fast on slicker paper. But on regular paper, the quick drying is pretty accurate. These are really good, functional pens.
The numbers:
1. How does it work? – 0.5 It’s decent. No frills. The ink is dark and the roller smooth. It claims to dry really fast and good for left-handed folks.
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 point and vibrant ink.
4. Overall Design – 1 -It’s a basic liquid gel ink stick pen. It’s disposable. It is what it is. The colors are bold, and the grip is comfortable.
5. Price Point – 0.5 – These eight-packs run between $9 and $12 (depending on where you get them). That’s not bad for a multi-pack, and they’re made from recycled content but a touch expensive for not being refillable. I’ve just seen them in one place, and I can’t remember where.
4 out of 5 Bronze Pencils
[Write the Story] A Family-Run Farm
Prompt: A Family-Run Farm
Words: temporary, invent, trust, horse, burst, pulley, signal, dam, punch, chicken
Story
“It’s only…â€
“Don’t you dare say it’s only temporary, or I will punch you right in the face.â€
Andrew bit his lip, suppressing laughter until it seemed like his mirth dam would burst. Sarah took that as a signal to walk away. Which she did over to the barn to pull on the rope feeding the pulley system that dumped more hay on the pile. She watched an elderly horse amble over to start munching.
“Too bad we can’t train Trigger to do that himself.†Andrew wiped sweat from his brow with a checkered handkerchief. “Or maybe we can invent a mechanism to automate…â€
Sarah shook her head. Trust her brother to dream up high tech ways to do low tech work. He always had big ideas when there were simple chores to be done. She headed to the chicken coop. Though she did give credit to Andrew for the LED lights on the nest boxes that turned on when the hens laid eggs. That came in handy.
Andrew still prattled on about innovations and science and other things Sarah couldn’t follow, but he worked while he talked so she let him. It’s what Dad and Granddad would’ve wanted. Which reminded her to take flowers to the family cemetery when she mowed tomorrow. They were all part of the land now.
Word Count: 221
Written: 8/18/17 & 8/23/17 – this weird delay led into Harvey, so there’ll be a bigger jump in the next one.
[Writer Post] Waxacon, Power Rangers, and Plot Bunnies
This past weekend was Waxacon – a first year comic con in Waxahachie. Waxahachie is a commuter community just south of Dallas that also is the home of Scarborough Renaissance Festival and Screams. I found out about this show at Marvelous Nerd Year’s Eve and was an early adopter. This was my last show of 2017, which is a good thing. I need the next few months of “close to home” to get some stuff done that’s been piling up, as well as get to the “to be written pile”. I need this time. I feel like I’ve been treading water the last couple of months.
So…Waxacon. Waxacon was a “Good News/Bad News” type of show.
Good News – Easy access to the celebrities. The layout was such that the celebrities were in the same room as the rest of us which was a good move on the organizer’s part. I was able to use the line “To find me, go to the Power Rangers and turn around.”
Power Rangers setting up – Jack Guzman and Phillip JeanMarie directly across.
Bad News – It was a first year show in a commuter community, the celebrities were what the organizers could afford (which was a good move), which aren’t the “A-Listers”
Good News – I wrote four pages of a brand new short story inspired by a comment made during the Saturday panel I was on with Steven Brust. A friend of one of the voice actors gave me a couple more elements.
Bad News – I had time on Sunday to write four pages of a short story.
Good News – The folks who were there were willing to spend money.
Bad News – There were very few folks there. Some of the lack of attendance was beyond the organizer’s control – TWO major local events landed on his dates (one promised not to but did, the other he didn’t find out about until the weekend of).
The people who were there were a lot of fun. I named one character of my short story after the two actors across the way from me. (And this weekend I need to watch a Netflix movie because I promised and it sounds hysterical.) Another character is named for the guy who gave me elements. I need to get back to that because, even though it’s four pages of kind of stream of consciousness (first person, so allowable to a degree) it’s pretty good and I want to see where it goes. And also, because of that pesky “Finish Stuff” mantra that plagues me. Though I didn’t need a new project right now, there are so many that need my attention, but I can’t ignore a plot bunny of this magnitude.
I am going to give Waxacon one more year – there was a discount, and the organizers made the right sounds about how to address the issues. I always give a benefit of the doubt. Here’s hoping next time is better.
[Pen/Pencil Review] J. Herben Lie De The Ink Rerun for Thanksgiving
I fell down on the whole pen blog thing yesterday – for reasons. My day off turned out to be quite full with stuff that went on all day after two days of Good News/Bad News comic con (not it’s name and I’ll talk about it tomorrow). So… today’s a rerun…about brown ink for Thanksgiving this week.
*********
So last week, I talked about the J. Herbin roller ball hybrid pen that I really like. Because I have some family stuff to deal with this week, I’m just going to add to that by talking about the Lie de Thé (Tea Brown) ink from the same company. You saw it a bit in the last review, and it’s also from JetPens.
The J. Herbin Lie de Thé (Tea Brown) ink comes in the standard short international cartridges, giving you a wide range of pens in which to use the ink. This ink comes from the “Jewel of Inks” series, which has been around since 1700. The ink is water-based, lightfast, and non-toxic. It’s also called “pH neutral” so I would assume that means “acid free” for archival issues.
The ink does dry fast. It’s got a good, rich pigment. I struggle with brown inks. Sometimes I like them, other times not so much. I do like this one. It’s a good chocolate-y mocha brown – not too dark. Not too light. There is a disclaimer on the website that cautions about freezing – this is a water-based ink, it will expand when frozen so it might cause leaking, but unless you keep your pens and ink outside in the winter or in your freezer, I don’t see that as an issue.
The ink comes in a charming metal canister holding six cartridges. The canister, though nice, does affect the pricing of the ink. But if you’re really picky about the ink? It really might be worth it. This ink does seem to last a lot longer than other inks I’ve used in similar cartridges. I’ve used it pretty frequently in the roller ball pen, and I still haven’t come to the end of the first cartridge – so there is that to also consider. You might pay more, but if it does last, then it might be worth it.
The numbers:
1. How does it work? – 1 – I like it. The color is rich. It’s smooth and lasting – at least in the roller ball. I haven’t used it in a fountain pen.
2. Grip and feel – 1 – Obviously there is not “Grip” to an ink cartridge… but the feel of the cartridge is good. Unless you freeze it, there’s no indication that any of the plugs or seams are going to give.
3. Material – 1 – It’s a good quality international cartridge with an extremely good quality ink. The pigments are rich, the water-based design lets the ink flow out of the cartridge easily. The pH balance is nice.
4. Overall Design – 0.5 – It’s a classic design for an ink cartridge, just has the aluminum container – which though cute, the lid doesn’t stay on as tightly as I would like. I have to keep track that cartridges aren’t spilling out somewhere.
5. Price Point – 0.5 – These are only really available on JetPens, so you have to order them. The canister only holds 6 cartridges – and the container costs $5.50. That’s more expensive than Pilot or Kaweco by quite a bit, and I don’t know if that’s a direct correlation to the container or the quality of the ink.
That’s 4 of 5 bronze pencils.
[Write the Story] A New Love Blooms in Old Age
Prompt: A New Love Blooms in Old Age
Words: inheritance, walk, dust, dapper, husky, squirrel, planation, berry, silk, shovel
Story
“I don’t know how much time…†Maggie couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence.
“Don’t think about the future, just concentrate on today. Now. This walk.†Matt squeezed her hand while they strolled through the plantation grounds.
“But I’m not ready to …it’s not enough. I didn’t realize how much…how attached I’d get.†Maggie dabbed the corner of her eyes with a silk handkerchief. Surely the tears were irritation from the duct they kicked up – not emotion.
“Oh, look. It’s Casper’s newest friend.â€
Ahead, the white-muzzled husky dapper in a bow-tie festooned collar frolicked with a gray squirrel. They chased each other around through a berry patch until Casper collapsed in a panting heap, tongue lolling from a grinning muzzle.
“We’re doing a good thing here, Maggie,†Matt said. “I can’t think of a better way to invest our inheritance. Look how happy he is. How happy we can make all these old dogs.â€
As he spoke, a Labrador sauntered over and plopped down next to Casper, nosing at his neck until Casper made a move to play. The lazy back and forth ended as the two elder dogs nodded off in the Southern sunshine. There would be no need for the shovel for a while, but until then, hopefully, the old dogs would learn love and new trick in their sanctuary.
Word Count: 222
Written: 8/14/17
[Writing Post] In Search of Whelmed
It’s Wednesday and suddenly I thought, “Holy Cow! Blog day! EEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKK!†Because not I have to be pithy, well, maybe not pithy. Coherent maybe. Coherent is a good goal.
Today I want to talk about “whelmednessâ€. That’s currently my goal. I’m trying to reach a point of “whelmâ€. I’ve been UNDERwhelmed by amount of output because of reasons I’ve already talked WAY too much about. But I’m also OVERwhelmed by the amount of STUFF currently on my “to do†list – both Day Job and Writing. The Shoulda/Coulda/Woulda/Oughtas (the Brain Weasel Brothers) have set up shop in my head and here we are.
I look at the List of Things and don’t even know where to start. I look at the length of the List of Things and the To Be Read pile and I don’t know what to pick up first. The Time Management Monkey is sitting on the shoulder saying, “hey, you can always set timers and work on one thing at a time for X-number of minutes†– which for some things might work really well, for other things? No.
So then there’s time spent trying to figure out if there’s something small that can be accomplished to chip away at that list. My Monday calendar at work starts with “Water Lucky†(Lucky is my bamboo plant. He’s called that because 1) he came with a tag that said lucky bamboo and 2) he’s lucky to still be alive – I have a brown thumb.) Why? So I can mark it off the list and start my week with a sense of accomplishment. How sad is that?
The rest? I have to admit there are days I “ostrich†and don’t deal. There are others I try to muddle through on one thing or another. By golly, I’m going to get steps or get to yoga, or something that helps chip away at that wall of “EEEEKKKKK! TOO MUCH STUFF!â€
Yesterday, that wall of “Overwhelmed†chipped just a little. I managed to make progress on things in small steps. Today maybe a little bit more until the “over†part erodes down to a state of “whelmedâ€. I live for the state of “whelmedâ€. A nice, even-keeled “whelmedâ€. Let’s get it done.
[Pen/Pencil Review] Sheaffer Star Wars Pop Collection
This is another Star Wars pen collection – this one from Sheaffer (which if you notice in the writing samples…I CANNOT spell correctly). I ordered these from iPenStore when they were available for pre-order. They’re now available in retail stores like Office Max (if you can find one) and likely Office Depot as well. Sheaffer put out pens for Darth Vader, R2D2, and Yoda in both fountain and rollerball. They are the Star Wars Pop Collection.
These are higher end pens than the BIC line, and thusly cost more. The barrels are plastic with idealized designs and metal accents. Darth Vader look like armor. R2D2 is almost schematic like. Yoda boasts the great phrase “Do or Do Not. There is No Try.†All three have the iconic colors. The caps post pretty securely. The rollerballs run about 5.5†long. The fountains are about 6.5â€.
The fountain pens have “medium†stainless till nibs and come with classic black cartridges (though I didn’t/don’t use black in the R2D2 – he calls for blue). The rollerball is also a “medium†point in the Slim Rollerball refill. The inks are dark and smooth. The nibs are flexible but not too fragile. The chrome clips have cut outs in the “white dot†design but are sturdy.
There’s a nod to ergonomics on the grips. There’s a slightly spongy rubber grip, but the grip rotates, so it seems like the point is not secure, but it is. There is a ridge where the grip meets the barrel that can dig in. The barrel diameter is just on the good side of being too wide for comfort. And just heavy enough to be well-weighted without being too heavy.
I’ve been using these pens pretty consistently for a couple of weeks and am totally enjoying them. They not only write well but are a lot of fun. There’s a bit of jury out on the Yoda rollerball because I’ve had issues with the rollerball ink in the past drying out or running dry rather quickly. With fountain pens, it’s expected because liquid ink and finite cartridges, rollerballs I expect more from. So we’ll see how that goes.
The numbers:
1. How does it work? – 1 – They work great. The ink feathers only a little bit on porous paper. And liquid inks are going to smear on shiny paper no matter what. But the flows are good and pigments rich.
2. Grip and feel – 0.5 – There are ridges that dig in after a while and the “not quite too wide†can get tiring after a while. I would have preferred a slightly longer and narrower barrel.
3. Material – 1 They’re plastic barrels with chrome accents and stainless steel nibs or tips.
4. Overall Design – 1 – They’re fun, functional, and if you’re a fan, or a kid or kid-at-heart, it won’t matter. These are too awesome for words just on a visual level. The fact they also work well is almost a bonus.
5. Price Point – 0.5 – These are not cheap. They’re running in the $20 EACH range. The roller ball is often cheaper than the fountain pen, but it’s a decent average. They are refillable (already on the second cartridge of Darth) so that makes them better about the price point. But these aren’t toss away BICs.
4.0 out of 5 Bronze Pencils
