Swarovski Crystalline Lady Butterfly Ballpoint Pen Review

Who loves a bit of bling?
I'd like to say me but it wouldn't be true. I'm not a girly girl. You only need to look at my battered canvas pumps and last seasons handbag to see that shopping isn't my favourite past time. I like diamonds but they are more of an acquaintance than a best friend and if you do ever happen to catch me wearing a dress it's probably because I'm on my way to a wedding. But show me a pen that dazzles and delights and I'm putty in your hands.
When House of Fraser offered me the chance to review the Swarovski Crystalline Lady Ballpoint Pen I jumped at the chance. What's there to think about? We all need at least one bling thing in our lives right? Be it bags, shoes, diamond rings or in my case, a gorgeous pen. Pen bling is the only kind of bling likely to turn my head and get my heart racing.

No matter how hard I tried I could not capture the true colour of this pen with my camera

When the Swarovski pen first arrived I sat by the window for a good long while turning it over and over, admiring the shimming pink crystals in the sunlight. There are around 140 Swarovski crystals neatly arranged within this pen and it's fascinating to look at. The body of the pen has a beautiful pearly shine to it. I'm undecided on the colour. I can't decide if it's pink or purple or both or neither. It depends on the light and which angle you view the pen from.
I knew this was going to be a pretty pen but I wasn't prepared for how quickly I would fall in love with the butterfly charm. If I had been presented with this very same butterfly dangling from a silver necklace I'd have been over the moon. Three of its wings are decorated with approximately 20 clear crystals and the other wing is rose gold metal plated and is so ridiculously shiny that I could see my face in it. This is definitely not your average pen charm.

This charm is good enough to be worn as a necklace

Not only does this pen look great, it feels luxurious too. Here's where you're going to think I've completely lost the plot. The most comfortable position for holding this pen is above the cone shaped tip, a good 20mm away from where the pen meets paper. You may have noticed my many ramblings about various pens with grips too far away from the tip and here I am, with a pen which has no grip and I'm happy about my finger positioning which may as well be miles away from the tip for all the moaning I've done in the past.

Uses the twist mechanism to retract the ballpoint

But it works. I think the pens slim frame and evenly balanced weight is a huge factor. It's the perfect fit for my fingers. As I write, the butterfly swings from side to side which originally I was sure would become a nuisance but in fact it amuses me slightly. Even the rhythmic tip tapping of the butterfly against the pen as it swings is endearing rather than irritating.
I noticed that during extended writing sessions slipping was only a minor issue. There may not be a grip but being able to hold the pen loosly without a battle with gravity meant the pen stayed put for the most part. Look at me gushing over this pen. Maybe the butterfly has hypnotised me into only being capable of paying compliments. I'd better find the boyfriend, it's been a while since I paid him a compliment, he'll love this.

Ok so I've made my point, I like the pen but will this ballpoint fall at the final and most important hurdle? It's time to test it's writability.

Writing sample

I've tossed my scribble pad aside for the time being as this pen has been producing ink, first time, every time so it's a great start. With a ballpoint I've come to expect a certain amount of skipping but actually, the refill in this pen isn't bad. Yes some letters appear a touch lighter than others but the ink never gave in and all my letters are complete. I really have nothing to complain about.
Those dreaded ballpoint blobs and gloops are nowhere to be seen, the pen is easy going on paper and writing is non eventful in the good sense.

Refillable

The pen uses Schmidt mini refills. So maybe I'll need to change the refill a little sooner than usual but that's ok, it's the way it has to be if I want to keep the pink crystals. Schmidt isn't a brand I've used before and I have to say I'm impressed. I'll definitely bear Schmidt in mind when refilling my ballpoints in the future.

The clip proudly displays the Swarovski name and so it should. Swarovski is a name I'd previously associated only with jewellery but it's clear they have so much more to offer. The clip has a small amount of flex in it. It's enough for me to be able to clip it to my pocket or notepad easily but not enough for it to be easily knocked off and lost. I'd have no choice but to walk the streets pinning LOST PEN signs to every lamp post if that were to happen.

I really wasn't expecting to be so excited by this pen. The more I use it the more I love it. This Swarovski pen is elegant, feminine and sylish and has used it's sparkly charm to bring out the girlier side of me which is something many have tried and failed to do.

Christmas is closer than you think so if you know someone who would love this pen then you can find it over at House of Fraser.

Thankyou to House Of Fraser for providing me with this pen for the purpose of this review. All opinions in this review are entirely my own.

Zebra Sarasa 0.7 Gel Ink Rollerball Review

I probably have more Zebras in my pen collection than any other brand. Not intentionally, don't get me wrong, I love Zebras but mainly because they are in most stationery shops I visit so they are pretty much unavoidable. Those naughty Zebras can be very persuasive when they want to be,  twisting my arm all the way to the check out.

The Zebra Sarasa has been part of my collection for a few months now. This pen was recommended to me on numerous occasions by different people so I felt I had no choice but to try it for myself. I wouldn't want to feel like I'm missing out on anything.

Zebra Sarasa

I wasn't blown away by the Sarasas appearance. It's a pretty name so I'd hoped for a pretty pen to match. I went online in search of a meaning to the name and found that Sarasa means Swan. When I think of a swan I imagine a beautiful creature gliding graciously across a lake, barely a ripple in the water. I also remember the countless times I've run from swans flapping their huge wings at me while I've been trying to feed the ducks but when they're not hissing at me I can really appreciate their beauty. The Zebra Sarasa doesn't really have any features that stand out so a swan wasn't the first image to come to mind when looking at it for the first time.

The Zebra Sarasa is made from plastic aside from the blue rubber grip. The transparent body of the pen allows me to keep tabs on my ink usage which is always a plus - no nasty surprises.
It is retractable using the clicker button.

The Sarasa weighs very little and is my ideal width for comfort. I could write all day with this pen, using only a light grip, never feeling any kind of discomfort associated with uneven weight
distribution or bulk.

Zebra Sarasa grip

The rubber grip could do with being a little closer to the tip but that's my own issue not the the fault of the Sarasa. I've been practising holding pens further away from the tip in the hope that I will get more enjoyment from some of my higher gripped pens. My progress is slow. Changing my pen holding habits after all these years is not easy but I'm giving it a good go.
The grip has a slight squashy feel to it. I do prefer grips with minimal movement when squeezed. Having said that, it is still comfortable to use. There isn't so much texture that I'm left with indentations on my fingers and it does keep slipping to a minimum so it's doing it's job.

The Zebra Sarasa has a medium 0.7mm point which although it isn't quite my favourite (fineliners will always be my number one) it's a close second. My lines are a decent width, not so thick that I feel I need to adjust the size of my handwriting accordingly so no complaints there. For those who are particular about point sizes, fine and a bold versions are also available.

Sarasa

The gel ink inside the Sarasa flows consistently without issues. No skipping or false starts, just good solid evenly inked lines. The ink is quick to dry. I was in a nitpicking mood so I tested it in every notebook I had and found that as with most pens, it's not completely immune to smudging but almost. A 1-2 second dry time on most of my pages is in my opinion not bad going and on others it was immediate. I didn't see any feathering or bleeding through the pages. As a left hander I was especially pleased.
The Zebra Sarasa takes to paper like a duck to water, moving across the page smoothly and confidently allowing me to really enjoy the experience. I can just zone out and write without any irksome distractions like scratching or too much/too little resistance. When I look down at my page and see that each and every letter is perfectly formed I realise that my uninspiring ugly duckling of a pen did indeed become a beautiful swan. Let this be a reminder that it's what's on the inside that counts.

Easily refilled

The fact that I've had this pen for months without breaking it adds to my joy when refilling it. The bond I've formed with my Sarasa doesn't need to be broken. I get no enjoyment from throwing an empty but otherwise perfectly good pen in the bin.
The Sarasa takes the JF Zebra refills which are placed in the pen by unscrewing just above the grip at the writing end. The refill just sits in, no faffing about. Be careful not to lose the spring (obvious but easily done!).

Zebra Sarasa clip

The clip is quite flexible so it's very easily attached to a notebook or pocket but unless it's clipped to something reasonably thick it's also just as easily detached. It would be fine clipped inside my pocket where it can't fall very far and I can keep checking it's there. Or maybe unlike me you are sane and think the pen would be no bother to replace if lost considering the reasonable price they can be picked up for.

Of all the Zebra pens I've had the pleasure of using up until now I'd say the Sarasa is my favourite. It's maybe not the most attractive of the Zebras but it definitely delivers when it comes down to the important part - the writing. Not every one appreciates the wet inky look but I absolutely love it.

In a weird, selfish kind of way I'm pleased the Sarasa is average looking. I feel like it's let me in on a secret ...

"Pssst, over here, I may look like a boring old rollerball but wait till you see what I can do on paper.. don't tell anyone though, I don't want everyone fighting over me"

Troika Construction Pen

I'm a sucker for multi-functional pens so when I heard about the Troika Construction pen with its ruler, stylus, screwdrivers and spirit level it went straight onto my wish list. It's good to be prepared for every eventuality right?

Troika Construction - Not just for men

From looking at the packaging you would be forgiven for thinking this is a mans pen, for builders, engineers, hard hat wearers and the like. It certainly looks like it belongs on a building site, clipped to a tool belt or nestled behind an ear. I don't do any DIY and I haven't a clue what half the tools in the shed are for but I'm pretty sure I can still make good use of this pen.

The ruler with its 4 different metric ratios (1:20, 1:25, 1:50, 1:100) is the pens most obvious feature. I may not be the one with the DIY skills in my house but now when I'm asked to fetch a 40mm screw I no longer need to fetch the whole tub. I'll get it right first time and maybe even do a victory dance while I'm at it.

Troika Construction - ruler

The stylus was the next thing to grab my attention. Conveniently positioned at the end of the pen it's handy to use at any given moment. I don't know about you but I don't find texting on a touch screen as easy as the teenagers make it look. I'm forever catching the wrong letter, adding the wrong contacts and pressing send before I've even finished composing. Using a stylus prevents any more embarrasing text typos. The stylus on this pen works perfectly on both my phone and tablet. I love how the colour of the stylus blends in with the pen. I can see it's there but it doesn't look out of place or stand out too much. It's a stylish stylus. The pens comes in a few different colours and the stylus on each pen matches it's colour. 

Troika Construction - Stylus

Neatly tucked away under the stylus is another of the tools cleverly incorporated into this pen, the double ended screwdriver which is revealed when the stylus is unscrewed.
Once I'd chosen which end I needed (Slotted or Phillips) I found it slotted easily and firmly in place. The screwdrivers are really only suitable for small screws but I managed to find many more unconventional ways to use them. The slotted side made a great letter opener and the TV remote that is usually a pain in the backside to prise open is now a piece of cake. It's also good for slicing modelling putty.
The Phillips is handy for those pesky toys that require you to unscrew several tiny screws in order to access the battery compartment. The RC car for example, the one that sends the dog into a barking frenzy and then runs over your toes painfully removing three layers of skin resulting in you  confiscating the stupid thing for the rest of the week.

Troika Construction - Screwdriver

Next up is the spirit level. Now occasionally I'm known to hang a picture or two and usually the stand back and admire from afar method works for me when judging if it has been hung straight or not. Now I can be absolutely sure that my handy work is spot on thanks to the spirit level very cleverly installed in this pen.

Troika Construction - Spirit Level

My boyfriend tried the spare bubble trick on me which I didn't fall for much to his disappointment. I think he's hoping I lose interest in finding clever and unusual ways to use my Troika tool pen and end up handing it over to him. Hmm, I think not. Nice try though.

The Troika Construction pen has already been useful to me in so many ways and that's before we've even been near a piece of paper. It is after all a pen, to be used to write with, a fact that can easily slip your mind when you're busy tinkering with household items.

Troika Construction

The body of pen is a hexagonal shape and is made from lacquered brass and is retractable using the twist mechanism. It's a hard wearing pen that will withstand quite a few drops and knocks. Weighing in at 40g it's one of the heavier pens in my collection. There is no real grip on this pen but if there was a grip where would it go without obstructing the ruler? On this occasion I'm willing to sacrifice comfort for novelty factor. I don't have any other pens that can be used in as many ways as the Troika Construction so that definitely counts for something.
The pen itself feels ok to hold in terms of finger positioning but the lack of grip combined with its weight and bulk forces me to tighten my grip causing aching hands and makes writing feel clumsy at times.

The ink inside this refill strikes me as a little weak. It appears more grey on the page than black and on closer inspection my lines are not as solid and sharp as I'd like them to be. The ballpoint is however smooth on the paper and the refills reluctance to give me any more ink than is necessary means my writing has been blob and smudge free.

Troika Construction - Writing sample

Changing the refill is quick and easy. The pen pulls apart as pictured below and the refill can be unscrewed.

Troika Construction - Refillable

The Troika Construction takes D-1 refills which are smaller than the average refill but the alternative would be no spirit level so again I'm happy to compromise this time. Frequent refilling gives me more opportunities to experiment with a few different refill brands and colours until I find my perfect match. Every cloud had it's silver lining!

Silver was my colour of choice. I thought it looked the most sophisticated but for those of you who love your pens to stand out from the crowd and reflect your personality the Troika Construction pen is also available to buy in yellow, black, blue and red.

As a pen collector I somehow manage to find something interesting about each and every pen I own but this pen is definitely one of my most interesting ones. It may not be the right pen for long letters or essays but when it comes to general note taking or list making it's more than capable. If I had to choose one pen to keep with me at all times it would be the Troika Construction. Half the fun is finding weird and wonderful new ways to make use of this pens fun features. I can't wait for that moment when someone asks "Anyone got a spirit level?" so I can whip my Troika out of my bag and go Tah Dah!

I kind of wish I'd kept this pen a secret from my family because the yellow or black version would have made an amazing novelty stocking filler for my boyfriend next Christmas or birthday but he's seen it now so maybe I can find it in me to let him borrow mine from time to time.

Thanks to Executive Pens Direct  for providing me with this fun pen to review.

All opinions in this review are my own. 

Wilko Dandy Scented Gel Pens & Exercise book

We're half way through the summer holidays and for once in my life I'm feeling organised. This year I won't have to go to 10 different shops to find plimsolls that fit or send my son to school without a jumper because the uniform shop has sold out, this year I'm on it and I'm nearly finished.
This is my sons first year at secondary school and in the never ending list of things to buy is stationery. Now that's one thing I have no problem at all shopping for.

We bought pens, pencils, a maths set, notebooks and many other fabulous things that now have pride of place in my sons brand new pencil case but it will come as no surprise to anyone who is aware of my stationery love affair that this cute little set found its way into our stationery stash.

How could I resist? Wilko Dandy

These are part of the Wilko Dandy set. I'd love to know why it's called Dandy. For now I'll pretend the cool shade wearing dog is called Dandy. I could have gone all out and bought everything. There were matching notebooks, pens, pencils, a cup, folders and more. Choosing just three was a difficult task.

I've noticed that sometimes when people buy an own brand pen their expectations are lower and if the pen has flaws it's somehow more acceptable because it's own brand. This used to be my way of thinking too but not anymore. I like to treat them all the same and if it's good it's good, if it's not it's not, regardless of the name on the packaging.

The A5 80gsm notebook has 40 pages and I already had a couple of these with different designs so I knew when I bought it that I would love it. Most of the pens I own are compatible with the paper and it's a great size for my handbag and sit nicely on my bedside table without taking over. Whenever I'm asked if I think I should stop buying notebooks as I already have lots I ask them what good is my massive pen collection without paper to use them on?

The eraser - no idea why I bought it. I have a pencil case full of them, most used only once or not all all. *Stands up*  - My name is Janine and I'm a stationery addict.

Cuteness overload - Wilko Dandy

The pens are seriously cute. I was originally attracted to the repeat pattern of Dandy the dog looking cool as a cucumber but when I realised they were colourful glitter pens and scented, I was sold. They come in their very own clear plastic zippable wallet which really pleases me for some unknown reason.
I've never used scented pens before. I knew they existed but they never interested me until Dandy helped me sniff them out. The packaging doesn't tell you what each scent is so I got to work sniffing the pens, smelling the paper, sniffing the pens again (then explaining to my concerned looking boyfriend that there was a perfectly good reason for the sniffing) and I can tell you I'm not 100% sure what some of them are supposed to smell of.

The black ink keeps giving me the faintest hint of chocolate but the second I smell it it's gone again so whether it is indeed chocolate or just my wishful thinking remains to be seen. The blue pen is giving me no clue. I'm definitely getting a whiff of something but I just can't work out what.

The yellow pen smells of bananas, the pink pen smells of strawberries and the green pen smells of apples. I was using the green pen for a diary entry and the apple aroma was quite strong once I'd filled the page but I must admit it became a little sickly after a while. Memories of apple shots and a night in the bathroom came flooding back. I've just experienced first hand how powerful a smell can be to triggering memories, even ones I'd rather forget. I'll keep my next diary entry short and sweet. 

Wilko Dandy Rainbow Snake

The colours are bright and cheerful and a lovely break from my usual black and blue. I love to see colour in my notebooks. My eyes are immediately drawn to it and the whole page appears friendly and inviting. The glitter adds a certain sparkle to my awful doodles although in a much more subtle way than I expected. When I look at my writing head on the glitter in the ink is barely noticeable but hold it up to the light or look at it from an angle and prepare to be dazzled.

The ink is slow to dry. About five seconds after completing my rainbow snake I wiped the side of my hand across the page and the result speaks for itself. This could mean messy business for left handers and possibly even impatient right handers. It's not so terrible if you are aware of it and prepared to give your masterpiece a little extra drying time.

So they were the main selling points and my reason for buying the pens but what are they like as pens in general?

Wilko Dandy

The pens are made of plastic, with no grip, similar to everyday ballpoints found in almost every home and workplace. They are not necessarily designed with comfort in mind, more for convenience and cost effectiveness. The lack of grip does mean I'm at risk of slipping after long periods of use but so far I have found the pens comfortable to use. Their light weight and thin bodies mean I can move across the page without any balance issues or aching hands.

The ink flow on the whole is acceptable. Every so often the ink flow would stop completely as if the ink had run out but after a good shake and a scribble it would return to normal but for the most part the ink flow was continuous and smooth without any skipping. The thickness of the ink was probably causing it to get clogged up and that's why the shaking helped bring the flow back.

The tip feels smooth against the paper with just the right amount of resistance to slow me down just a touch, enabling me to keep my handwriting in check.

Like most ballpoint stick pens these glitter pens are not refillable so will eventually find their way into my retired pot.

I definitely think these pens are worth checking out, especially for those young people who still appreciate the joys of pens and paper. The colours and glitter may not be suitable for the classroom but I wouldn't be surprised if they still found their way into pencil cases. Notes being passed round the classroom while the teachers back is turned still goes on in schools I'm sure and scented glitter pens will do the job nicely. Lets just hope the teacher doesn't have any apple related flash backs of their own or it will be game over and 100 lines at break time. 

If like me, you need Dandy the dogs scented glitter pens in your life then you will find them over here.

Stabilo Easy Original Rollerball + Extras

Being the pen addict that I am I like to keep my nose to the ground for any stationery related competitions that are occurring in the hope I might get lucky. There is always room for more stationery in my life and I struck gold with Stabilos #WinItWednesday twitter competition.
Both my friend and I won a Stabilo Easy Original Rollerball, a set of Be Wild highlighters, a highlighter in a tube and a set of Stabilo colouring pencils.

Before I review the pen I just want to quickly talk about the others as they have made quite an impression.

Stabilo colouring pencils

The colouring pencils are in a pack of 12 bright and cheerful colours and being thick pencils can cover quite a large area quickly. I had fun colouring in my random squiggles and my son who I think may be developing a mild stationery addiction of his own is now enjoying using them for his rap battle illustrations - Don't ask!

Stabilo Colouring

The highlighters are not just any old highlighters. They are funky, proud to have in your pencil case, ready to whip out and show off at every possible opportunity highlighters.

Be Wild

The Be Wild highlighters have a trendy animal print design which definitely stand out from the crowd. You would be forgiven for thinking the pink tube was paint. At first glance it's what both my son and I thought it was. I was obviously snoozing when these Neontastic babies were first revealed to mankind. Not to worry, they now have my full attention. The tube shaped highlighter is possibly a little awkward in terms of shape if you have limited pencil case space but for desk use - amazing. It stands up and is easy to spot and grab in seconds.

So now lets get to the pen, the Stabilo Easy Original right handed rollerball.

Stabilo Easy Original

The Stabilo is made of plastic with a smooth rubber grip and has a unique curved shape. If I were a child this would have probably been my favourite pen. It's bright, unique in style and the lid resembles a ducks head. What's not to like? My parents and teachers would have probably been driven crazy by me quacking loudly every time I removed the lid "Quack, my head, my head, Quack Quack". Just me then? Swiftly moving on ....

Stabilo Easy grip

Being a lefty I asked my right handed boyfriend to hold it so I could see the correct way to grip this pen and he looked at me as though I'd just asked him to find me some tartan paint. To start with he didn't believe such a pen existed. To him a pen is a pen and he saw absolutely no need for specific left or right handed pens.
I'm on the fence with this one but I ought to bear in mind that these pens are designed for young children just starting out and the positioning of the dips in the grip are there to guide the children into using the correct grip right from the start. This means that the extra time they would have spent learning the correct or most comfortable way to hold a pen can now be spent concentrating on the writing they are producing. The curved tail end of the pen should rest nicely against the side of the hand which helps with balance and weight distribution making it a comfortable pen to hold for long periods of time.
When I've looked at other pens which are used in schools, the Berol Handwriting pen for example, I liked the pen but the lack of a grip was an issue. So whether it's necessary to have specific left or right handed pens doesn't really matter, what matters is that these pens make learning to write easier and much more comfortable which can only be a good thing.

My son is now 11 and has gained plenty of experience with holding and using a pen but I was still interested to see what his thoughts were. They way he positions his fingers are slightly different to how the grip says the pen should be held so he found it a little strange to start with. He didn't like the shape of the pen or the way the dips in the grip were positioned and wasn't really prepared to give it much of a chance which was disappointing. He didn't like the look of the pen so I think he'd already taken a dislike to it before even trying it. Had he been 6 maybe the pen would have appealed to him more. When I pointed out that the lid looks like a ducks head I did see the ghost of a smile and he did have a quick peek before retreating back to his room so my baby boy is still in there somewhere.

Holding a Stabilo Easy

I actually liked the grip. As a left hander I had my first finger in the dip closest to the tip and my thumb on the smooth side of the grip so the curved end of the pen ended up facing the wrong way but it made no difference to my writing experience. A right handed person could hold it in exactly the same way if they didn't like where the dips were positioned. The distance between the grip and the tip of the pen suited me nicely and the pen although bulky in appearance felt light and comfortable to hold and use.

Stabilo Easy writing sample

The first thing I noticed when I started writing was the line width. For a medium is feels quite thick. I'm more of a fine line girl but my eyes soon adjusted and it didn't seem so bad after all. The only trouble with thicker lines is that my handwriting gets bigger without me even realising I'm doing it. With smaller handwriting the thick lines appear even thicker so subconsciously I'm probably trying to making my lines appear thinner. I doubt line thickness would make any difference to the children this pen is designed for. Children who are learning to write usually have larger handwriting when they first start out so a thicker line width is probably ideal for them.

I have been experiencing some skipping. When I join my letters up the pen writes beautifully but if I lift the pen from the paper, the first letter I write after can sometimes be a struggle. The ink just needs a second to start flowing smoothly again. It's nothing horrendous and doesn't spoil the appearance of my handwriting at all, it's just a minor irritation for me and not necessarily an issue with every Stabilo Easy.

Stabilo medium tip

The tip of the pen reminded me a little of the Berol Handwriting pen. It looks similar but that's where the similarities end. The Stabilo feels smoother and softer on paper. Every notebook I've written in with the pen has reacted favourably. The ink has been quick drying, there has been no feathering or bleeding though the page and it feels lovely. Almost spongy and absorbent, pen and paper melting into one another. I wouldn't have been surprised if one of my notebooks had snapped shut with the pen still inside so it could keep it all to itself.

The ink is erasable too but I didn't have an ink eraser so I was unable to test how well it erases. I would have quite liked the pen to have an eraser built in somewhere or provided with the pen as I'm sure it's a feature that children would appreciate but ink erasers can be picked up quite cheaply in  good stationery shops and perhaps I'm being a little greedy, especially considering the pen came with not one but three refills. 

Refillable Stabilo Easy

 I'm over the moon that this pen is refillable. This is a pen that a child will be using day in, day out so gone are the days of fighting around the pen pot for a pen that actually works. The pen unscrews at the end of the grip and the refill clicks into place. It's so easy.

Personalised Stabilo Easy

 Another great feature of this pen is the ability to personalise it. Stabilo have not only made sure with the three refills that you will get plenty of use out of it before having to spend any more money, they have also provided each pen with 3 name labels. When it gets worn out or damaged it can be replaced. Not only does this help prevent classroom squabbling over who's pen belongs to whom, it helps teach the children to look after their own belongings.

The pen doesn't have a clip but it's not something I think primary school children will be too bothered about. I did worry a little about the lid getting lost easily but I was surprised to find it does actually clip on quite snugly to the tail end of the pen should you wish to keep it safe. The lid is light and doesn't alter the balance of the pen when posted. The lid twists on and off easily. Stabilo have made this pen very easy to use so the name Stabilo Easy suits the pen perfectly.

If I had a child in Primary school I would definitely be speaking to the teacher to see if we could swap the Berol for the Stabilo. The Berol is still a great pen but the Stabilo in my opinion is better.

Pilot Frixion Clicker Erasable rollerball

Pilot Frixion

Check out my Pilot Frixion pen - thanks to the Pilot Facebook competition and lady luck who was on my side that day. It looks pretty smart in my opinion. The pen houses red ink so it's only right that the body of the pen should be red too, a bold colour and design which shouts out 'Yo, Frixion in da house!'.
The pattern is a swirly, tribal type pattern but also not dissimilar to a bit of cool graffiti which makes this pen perfect for school kids and students who like their pens to have a bit of edge and personality, just like them.

The pen is made mainly of plastic with a smooth rubber grip and a clear plastic clip which being clear doesn't intrude on the design at all.

The main attraction is it's ability to erase ink. The eraser is located at the end of the pen and is still confusing me as I keep trying to press it thinking it's my clicky button. It's not my clicky button, the clip is but because it's clear I keep forgetting it's there. I'll catch on eventually.

Frixion eraser

I will admit, I wouldn't usually go for an erasable pen. Mainly because I remember back in the day erasable pens had a habit of erasing the paper along with the ink and I never really bothered to find out if any progress had been made.

The pen uses friction generated heat to make the ink disappear like magic. I was actually pleasantly surprised at how well it erases. I did need to rub the ink quite fast and hard to create the friction but it definitely does as it claims and erases. I'd say it works just as well as I would expect a pencil eraser to work only I had the benefit of no rubber shavings. The funny thing is, although there are no left over rubber shavings I still wipe the area with the side of my hand as if I'm wiping them away. Again, I'll catch on eventually.

After erasing I could still very faintly see the words but I would have expected the same with a pencil to some degree so I was impressed. Once I'd written over the erased area I wouldn't have noticed any difference unless I was actively looking for it. Larger areas of colour were a little more difficult to erase convincingly but for normal text I can't really ask for anything more.

Another magical feature of the pens erasability is that if you pop your writing in the freezer for a little while your erased words will reappear. In my freezer test the writing did indeed reappear, even if it was a little faint and bitty but it came back. Not that I can see myself ever needing to freeze my work back into existence but the option is there all the same. Maybe you like to think of yourself as a top secret agent and the only way to get an important private message to someone is via erased Pilot Frixion. Then the freezer thing makes complete sense.

There are some interesting facts about the Frixion ink over here if you want to read more. I found it quite interesting that if you leave your notebook in the heat for a while, for example outside in the sun, you may find that your writing disappears. However it should reappear after popping in the freezer so maybe I ought to clear some freezer space as I may end up finding my notebooks in the freezer more often than I first thought. I suppose these small inconveniences are the price I have to pay for a decent erasable pen. I'll probably sit in the shade with this one.

Pilot Frixion grip

The smooth rubber grip feels nice beneath my fingers and does its job well. The pen stays put when I'm writing which I've learnt very quickly is not something to take for granted. The Frixion is light and evenly balanced which means I can use it for long periods of time before getting tired hands. The grip (yes I'm moaning about grip positioning again) would be more pleasing if it were a little closer to the tip.

how I hold a pen

I say this so often that I wanted to show you how I like to hold a pen so you can understand what the heck it is that bothers me so much. If you look at the tips of my fingers they hang over the edge of the grip. I get this alot. I've been holding pens this way all my life and I know I have complete control of the pen when I hold it in this way. When I'm having to adjust my positioning to suit the grip it takes me a little while to regain control and the quality of my handwriting suffers. I know it's me and I should probably adapt to each individual pen rather than whine about it each time but the stubborn side of me overpowers my reasonable side. Luckily the grip is smooth and soft so it is still comfortable to hold even when I've got my stubborn face on.

Pilot Frixion ink sample

The ink appears quite watery and wet at first but dries fast enough for me not to have to worry about smudges. The pen has its occasional skippy moment, usually when I'm writing in a hurry so slow and steady wins the race where the Pilot Frixion is concerned.
It feels great on paper. There's no dragging or scratching. It's just easy going, a smooth ride.
The 0.7mm tip gives a nice line width, likely to please most people including me. I get clear lettering no matter what the size of my handwriting and I haven't had any feathering at all so I can be fairly confident when using the Frixion on unfamiliar paper out of the house that it is unlikely cause me any embarrassment.

Pilot Frixion refill

The Pilot Frixion is refillable and available in a variety of bright and snazzy colours including my favourite - Green. I wouldn't mind giving all the colours a road test and my notebooks and doodles always look so much friendlier with a bit of colour thrown in amongst the black and blue.
The refill in this pen doesn't make it easy to see how much ink is left as it's made from red plastic so I have to hold it up to the light so I can see where the ink line is.

Grrr

To refill this pen, unscrew the body just below the grip and the refill will pop out easily. When screwing the pen back together do it with care, as my pen has ended up with a crack down the side of it and only needs screwing a tiny amount before it clicks out and comes undone again. It's one of those things, I'm not sure how it came to be cracked, I only noticed after the crack had appeared. I've noticed the tighter I screw the pen together the wider the crack becomes. It annoys me as I try so hard to take care of my beloved pens but sometimes it's just not enough.

Overall I'm pleased with my Pilot Frixion. I wish it was a little more hardy as of my pet hates is a refillable pen that is easily broken and can't even outlast the life of one refill.  Putting the annoying crack aside, it's a fun pen that can often be found on my sons desk thanks to its cool design and it's fun factor. I won't be taking this pen to work as I want to avoid having to keep tabs on who's desk it is currently being 'borrowed' at and the avoid any pranksters erasing my days work. It's a pen that is capable of creating quite a bit of entertainment for imaginative children, teenagers and adults no matter what age and I will definitely be seeking out the green for my collection.

If the Pilot Frixion were a classmate it would be the class clown and everybody liked the class clown whether they were prepared to admit it or not.

Zebra G301 Gel Pen

Zebra G301

The Zebra G301 is one of my latest Zebra purchases. I seem to be building quite a collection of Zebras but considering they are sold in pretty much every stationery shop I visit it's inevitable that the size of my herd will increase.

This Zebra has a stainless steel barrel and clip with a plastic ribbed grip. My first impression of the pen was that it looks clinical and cold. If it could talk I imagine it would give me a good telling off - what for I've no idea.

Zebra plastic ribbed grip

When I saw the positioning of the grip I had to stop myself from letting out a sigh of despair. The Zebra G301 doesn't strike me as the kind of pen to tolerate whinging so I decided it was time to learn to adapt and overcome. Which I managed - almost. The grip let me down a little. I wanted to hold it on the grip, I really did but every single time I ended up sliding closer towards the tip and wind up half on and half off it again. For me it was a case of slippy, not grippy. Luckily the grip sits level with the body of the pen so together with the fact that the pen is light weight and evenly balanced it is still a comfortable pen to hold and use.

Zebra G301 writing sample

I am totally in love with the ink in this pen. It feels exceptionally smooth on paper without being slippery, it flows perfectly, not a single hint of a false start or skipping and though the ink looks wet on paper it dries very quickly. Every single one of my notebooks has been compatible with the Zebra G301. The ink hasn't feathered or bled through the paper. I love it. It feels so good that I always manage to think of one more thing to write or doodle before putting it away. It's a bit like playing Mario - one more try at defeating Bowser turns into one final attempt, I mean it this time, just one more - next thing I know it's midnight and I have an early start in the morning.

refillable.......

The Zebra G301 is refillable and uses JK refills. When I get a new pen one of the first things I look at is the refill and how to change it. I like to know how my pen works. On this occasion I unscrewed the pen and pulled out the refill (which was so hard to pull out that I actually worried I was doing it wrong or that maybe it wasn't supposed to come out after all) took a pic, but it all back together, pressed the clicky button, pressed it again, and again and realised I'd broken the pen. I seem to have damaged the spring so my pen is no longer a retractable pen. No amount of faffing about was able to fix it. So I'm a little cheesed off. If the pen tells me it's refillable then I'd expect to be able to refill it without the fear of damaging it so easily.

Flexible Zebra G301 clip

The clip on the Zebra G301 is flexible and is easily clipped to thicker objects. Having said this I would still be careful as with a bit of movement the pen still moves about and did fall off when I shook my notebook. I know the shaking of notebooks isn't the norm but for me it's a good indicator of how reliable a clip will be under most circumstances. I know that if a pen stays put after a good shake the chances of losing it on any given non notebook shaking day is slim.
Many of my Zebra pens have Zebra written on the clip in some way or another and I am a fan of a bit of clip decoration so the plain clip on this pen only adds to my feeling of coldness.

So my overall opinion of this pen - I love the way it writes. For the past week this has been the first pick from my pen pot every time. I've almost emptied the ink I've used it so much. I'm disappointed that I've broken it so zero points for being refillable as my pen didn't even survive one refill attempt. I'd recommend using extra care if you do choose to buy this pen with the intention of replenishing the ink. For me, how a pen feels on paper always overrides how I feel about it's appearance so given it's reasonable price I am tempted to risk buying another in order to have a fully functional Zebra G301 again but if it breaks again this pen will definitely be crossed off my Christmas card list.

Zebra BE- a AX5 Arrow Tip Rollerball

Zebra BE-a AX5

This is the Zebra BE-a AX5 formally known as the Zeb-Roller AX5. It's the same pen, just with a new and more complicated name. The entire pen is made from plastic apart from the clip which is metal.

At first sight I wasn't blown away by its appearance. It's not a pen I could imagine myself looking twice at if I saw someone using it or at least it wasn't until I got it home and had a closer look. I'm generally of the opinion that if a pen writes well it doesn't really matter what it looks like but as I'm not just a user of pens but also a collector of pens I can't help but want it to be good looking as well as good at it's job.

So I'm looking at this pen and as I examine the lid I notice something. It's a shark.

Do you see it too? Or am I just a crazy lady?

But not just any old shark, it's the coolest shark that ever was. Call me crazy, but that's what I see and now I've seen it I can't unsee it. Just look at it's cute little face ... (please ignore the reflection of my boyfriend who at the time was mocking me for seeing a pen as anything other than what it is, a pen)

Look at it's face!

 So we've established that it's a shark but is it friend or foe? Let's get reviewing ..

O.5mm fine point

The plastic body of the Zebra BE-a AX5 is extremely light. Many pages of my notebooks have been filled with this pen and its light weight allows me to carry on writing forever if I want, never feeling the need to tighten my grip and without the need for regular breaks to stretch those aching fingers. The smooth plastic grip area dips in slightly from the barrel and although there isn't a grip as such, it doesn't matter. My grip of the pen is the perfect distance from the tip giving me complete control at all times without slipping or having to readjust.

writing sample

I'm loving the 0.5mm tip which gives me a 0.3mm line. I find my handwriting halves in size when I use this pen, because I can, I know the pen can handle it. The lettering is clear and readable even with tiny handwriting. No need for a Specsavers appointment just yet.

I managed to get a quiet moment for a scribble session and noticed the lovely scratchy sound it makes when I write. I say lovely because although it sounds scratchy it feels amazing. The pen takes to paper like a fish to water, moving across the page effortlessly. Smooth but providing me with that tiny bit of resistance, just the way I like it. 

The liquid ink just keeps flowing, never giving up, never letting me down. The appearance of my handwriting differed slightly depending on the paper I used. 80gsm paper gave the best results. I was able to produce clear, fine lines,with no feathering.  The 100gsm notebook I used for the sample caused the hairiness that you may be able to see in the picture. That's one of the reasons I love to have plenty of different notebooks at hand. I'd hate to dismiss a pen for one poor performance in one notebook if it behaves perfectly well in all the others.
 

Not refillable

This is not a refillable pen. I much prefer a pen I can use again and again. It's the small signs of wear and the familiar feel that make the pen truly mine. Once I've had a pen for a while I can usually tell my own pen from another identical pen. So to let it go, accept it's no longer any good to anyone is a shame.

Something look odd to you?

The clip made me chuckle. The Zebra lettering looks like it's upside down. It never matches up with the wording on the barrel unless the lid is posted which it does nicely by the way. I felt like I'd found an undated 20p coin, a rare design flaw, but a quick search on google images made me realise they are all the same.
The clip keeps my Zebra BE- a AX5 safe and sound so at least I can be assured that although the pen won't last forever, I won't be parted with it accidentally or otherwise before that dreaded day comes.

I like this pen. It writes well on most paper, it feels great to use and it's quirky even if it's not immediately obvious. So now when I see someone using this pen I will look twice, maybe even three times, and then I'll scurry away before I get the urge to scream "Shark!".