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.

I won the May Ryman Blog Party!

How are you all coping with the football madness that has gripped the world?
Football isn't really my cup of tea and I'll be looking for ways to escape when it all gets too much.
After winning the Ryman Blog party I was invited to write a guest post for their wonderful blog where I talk about the ways I've found to cope with being a football widow, not being able to watch my favourite soaps and you can bet your life savings that some very cool stationery will play a part. Check it out here: http://blog.ryman.co.uk/guest-blogs/guest-post-pen-collection-geekery/

Dex by Kingsley Scarlet smooth soft inkliner

As someone who is never far from a pen and notebook I'm always looking for pens that help me improve on my handwriting. Handwriting practice is not just for school children. Adults can also benefit from a little practice now and then. I have spoken to so many people who type their work straight onto PCs, tablets and other devices and they tell me that when they find themselves with a pen in their hand it no longer feels natural and they realise that their handwriting isn't what it used to be.

Dex by Kingsley

When I came across the Dex by Kingsley pen which claims to encourage correct grip along with confidence and enjoyment in handwriting I thought it was definitely worth looking at so I added it to my wish list. And now thanks to the very kind people at The Pen shop I have one.

peep hole to keep an eye on ink usage

The pen is plastic with a metal clip and a soft touch grip.
The Dex is so light to hold that I had complete freedom to move across the page, nothing was holding me back and the grip made such an easy task even easier.
Sometimes even when a pen has a grip my fingers slip into an uncomfortable position but the contoured grip on this Dex makes slipping almost impossible. The grip flicks out slightly near the tip preventing my fingers from going any further. Each time I use this pen my fingers instantly snuggle into the grip as if it's where they belong. It's the same feeling I get when I sit on my side of the sofa that over time has moulded itself around my shape. Instant comfort and familiarity.

Dex writing sample

To begin with I experienced quite a bit of intermittent skipping, even when I'd been writing for a while so I know the ink was given plenty of time to reach the nib. The ink would flow nicely for a while then skip like crazy for a few sentences then work fine again and so on. I tried altering the angle at which I was holding the pen and nothing seemed to make a difference. Just when I'd given up hope I tried one last thing - pressing harder onto the paper. It worked. The ink flow was much more consistent. The pen just needed a firmer hand. The fact that it's light and comfortable made me think I could loosely hold the pen and let it do all the work for me. I'd become lazy. I'm pleased the Dex had pointed out my laziness as I found myself slowing down and concentrating more on my grip, pressure and neatness, creating much neater handwriting.

Refillable with Dex cartridges

The Dex pen uses Dex ink cartridges which instantly transported me back to being 11 on my first day of secondary school with my brand new fountain pen and stash of cartridges in my pencil case.  I haven't used a fountain pen for years, I much prefer the simplicity of a rollerball but if fountain pens are your thing then the Dex by Kingsley can also be purchased as a fountain pen and is available in a range of colours.

The cartridge is so easy to fit. The pen stores 2 cartridges, one spare and one to use. Place the spare in the barrel, narrow end first and then place the one you will use on top of it, narrow end up. When you screw the pen back together the top cartridge will be pierced and in place, ready to write. No more double checking to see if the cartridge is secure. It's a fool proof method.

There is a little peep hole on the grip so I can keep an eye on my ink usage. It will take me about a week to empty one Dex cartridge based on my average usage which might consist a journal entry and a couple of lists or notes per day. The cartridges are fairly cheap for a pack of 6 so I'm happy to keep my Dex in business.

 When the ink dries it will look a couple of shades lighter than it does when it was first placed on the paper.

On a couple of my notebooks the ink feathered a little but it's to be expected with wetter inks. It's a matter of finding which paper best suits my pen and using the same notebook every day is boring anyway. Ink drying times averaged at about 5 seconds across most of my notebooks.

The Dex has a habit of making a very odd squeaky/squelchy sound at times. It is only noticeable if there is no background noise. I'm not sure what causes the sound so if any of you have a squeaky pen and you know why it squeaks I'd love for you to get in touch and enlighten me. I'm always willing to learn where pens are concerned. 

reliable clip

When the pen is not in use I would recommend storing it upright. I returned to my pen after leaving it laying on my desk for a couple of hours, popped off the lid and sprayed ink everywhere. I should have engaged a bit of common sense. The ink is very wet and runny in the cartridge and quite wet when it's first applied to paper so it makes sense that it would leak. I thought I'd mention it so that none of you end up wasting precious ink needlessly. The clip on the Dex is a good sturdy clip although if I do take the pen out of the house I will try and make sure it stays clipped in an upright position just in case.

The Dex is pen that demands respect and wants to work with you rather than for you. If you store it correctly, apply the correct amount of pressure and give it quality paper to sink it's ink into the Dex will do it's very best to provide you with an enjoyable writing experience. If you carelessly leave the pen lying around or expect it to do all the hard work for you it will certainly teach you a lesson.

I love using this pen for my journal entries. It's a place where I can write whatever I want, experiment with my handwriting styles and really get lost in my own thoughts and just enjoy using my Dex.

Once again, Thank you to The Pen Shop for providing me with this pen. It is definitely a pen I will reach out for when my handwriting takes a nose dive and I need a crash course.


 Despite receiving the pen for free all opinions in this post are entirely my own and I have not been influenced in any way.

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!".

Parker Jotter Ballpoint Pen

Parker Jotter

How I came to be in possession of this pen is a very disturbing and upsetting story. You may wish to remain seated while I tell this terrible tale.

It began on an ordinary visit to my parents house one Sunday afternoon. I'm sitting in the garden and my Mum says she has something for me. She disappears into the house and returns with this Parker Jotter. It was missing a refill but along with the pen she handed me an unopened Parker Fine point refill which I immediately opened so I could bring the pen to life and test it's capabilities. It was then that my Dad drops the bombshell. It was my brothers pen and he was going to throw it in the bin. Now why on earth would he do that? He has a sister who he knows has a mild,small, slight, OK who am I kidding, huge pen obsession, so why deny me the pleasure of another pen to put through its paces? What was it about this pen that offended him so much that he thought the only place for it was the bin? Thankfully my parents were there to save the life of this Parker Jotter so my mission is to review it and see if I can get to the bottom of why it was so cruelly cast aside.

This Parker Jotter is made from stainless steel. It's one of the more neutral Jotter designs which means it's ideal for just about any setting and is unlikely to cause offence with it's colour  (unless you're my brother). Maybe my brother just wanted a pen with more personality, in which case he could have gone for one of the coloured options or even the Premium Parker Jotter which looks just that little bit more special.

Slim body

The pen is a small size at 13cm long. It's slightly shorter than most of the pens in my pen pot but not as much as I first imagined it would be. I think it feels smaller than it actually is.

It is lightweight so I feel I can move freely across the paper and if it wasn't for the barrel being so thin I would barely even notice I'm holding a pen at all. The body of the pen thins towards the tip and the lack of a grip can make it feel slippery after a while. My fingers overlap when I try to grip the pen on the thinner end which makes it quite uncomfortable and awkward and the whole thing becomes an ordeal. Holding the pen on the thicker section helps to keep slipping at a minimum and makes it much more comfortable to use.

Parker Jotter ink sample

The pen responds well to paper. It's smooth but offers just enough resistance without feeling scratchy to give me a sense of control. I'm all for exceptionally smooth pens but there is such a thing as too smooth and Parker have ensured that this pen doesn't fall into that category.
The ink flow is typical of that of a ballpoint, occasional false starts, the odd skip here and there but nothing so bad that I feel spoils my writing. They are flaws that if I'm honest I've come to expect in a ballpoint and with this Parker I must say the occasional blips are far and few between so it is one of the better ballpoints in my collection.

Parker's signature clip

The Arrow clip which makes a Parker instantly recognisable is definitely my friend. I can clip this pen to anything I want, be it a single sheet of paper, the thick cover of my notebook or onto my pocket and trust that the clip will keep my Parker safe. One drawback of the super secure clip is that it clings to a sheet of paper so tightly that it sometimes leaves a mark so if you need something to stay in pristine condition don't clip the Parker to it. Otherwise go ahead, your pen is safe. The Parker's small frame has it's benefits, this pen slots perfectly into any of my pockets without the slightest hint of discomfort.

This is a Parker don't you know!

The Parker Jotter has a clicky button with P for Parker just in case anyone missed signature clip.
One small annoyance, the pen rattles ever so slightly if you shake it. I know what you're thinking, then don't shake it, but I can't help it. It's the refill inside rattling about. I did have a look inside to see if maybe I'd missed something and the refill wasn't secured properly but as far as I can see it just drops into the slot in the barrel. There's no way to secure it.

Make this pen your own with the many refills available

The Parker Jotter is refillable and there is a selection of different refills available so you can really make this pen your own. I've used a fine point ballpoint refill in black as it's what I was given with the pen but at some point I might try it with a Parker Gel ballpoint refill just for fun.

Overall I'd say it's an alright pen. It's reasonably comfortable to hold once I got used to it's petite frame. It's portable, it feels smooth to write with, the ink flow is perfectly acceptable and it doesn't  follow in the footsteps of some ballpoints which seem to go out of their way to infuriate me. It does what I ask of it most of the time. As the name suggests this pen is great for jotting. Jotting down notes, numbers, job lists for the other half, whatever you want to jot, the Parker Jotter is ready and waiting and it certainly doesn't belong in the bin.

Zebra Airfit 2+S Ballpoint Multi function pen

Zebra Airfit 2+S

I'm a sucker for gadgets and cute and quirky little contraptions, and this Zebra Airfit 2+S is no exception.
It's cute, it's cool, and it's multi functional. A pen that can multi task is always worth a look in my view.

The S in the name had me stumped. I knew it was something to do with the pencil but I couldn't think what. I just couldn't let it go so I contacted Zebra to ask and they very kindly replied and let me know that it stands for sharp. I'm sure you will all sleep better tonight knowing that. I certainly did.

The barrel is mostly made of plastic, with a rubber air cushioned grip, a few small metal parts in clip and the bullet shaped metal part at the end of the pen which captured the image of my nosey son brilliantly.

spot the nosey child interrupting my photography session

Unlike many multifunctional pens which have a slider for each colour, this pen uses a rotating clip. Just rotate the clip so that it points to the colour you need and away you go. To make it pocket safe, have the clip pointed in between the markers and the pen tips will be tucked safely inside. I found myself spending far too much time turning the clip to watch the colours pop in and out, very much like people walking through a revolving door.

Airfit cushioned grip

The air cushion grip felt a little strange to begin with. It's squashiness beneath my fingers while I was writing wasn't what I was used to but it wasn't long before I began to actually like the cushioned feel. I realised that the little bit of extra comfort compensated for the fact that the barrel is wider and heavier than a typical ballpoint. It absorbed some of the extra pressure that I find myself applying to keep a comfortable and steady hold.  Bulky pens are usually a great excuse for me to have a good whining session about how uncomfortable and clumsy they can feel but the cushion grip distracted me and my whine was forgotten before it even began.

The S in the name means sharp

By now you may know that fine point pens are always my first choice where point size is concerned. This Zebra Airfit 2+S contains a fine 0.7 black and red refill and a 0.5 pencil and although they are ballpoints which are not usually my first choice, this pen felt good both to hold and on contact with paper. The fine points make my handwriting appear clearer and much more readable.

This pen is so much fun to use

This pen glides across the paper with total ease. It hasn't left me one unsightly blob, it doesn't smudge and every single time I use this pen it writes first time, with no messing about. Ballpoints are known for their occasional false starts so I was over the moon when this pen proved that there are some good ballpoints out there.
I must admit the ink flow isn't 100% consistent. When I looked really closely at my writing sample I noticed that the pen does seem a little skippy. I was so happy with how it felt to write with, it's smoothness, it's comfort, it's fine lines, that I was quite cross at having to come crashing back down to earth and admit that this pen isn't perfect. I consoled myself with the fact that the skipping isn't immediately noticeable, unless you're looking for it.

replaceable eraser

The Airfit 2+S has a replaceable eraser hidden neatly away under a clicker button at the top of the pen. When the pencil is in use, pressing the clicker will expose more lead, just like a mechanical pencil. The clicker button is for pencil purposes only, it has no effect on the pens.

Spring clip could have been a little tighter

The spring clip works like a clothes peg. Pressing it in opens it up which makes it super easy to use. The clip is great for thicker items, like a thick notebook cover or a stack of paper but when I clipped it to my pocket I was able to slide it off far too easily for me to be able to trust it completely.

The pen is refillable. It has no problems carrying 4 lead refills and takes Zebra SK 07 ballpoint refills.

So the pen may not be perfect but for a multi pen it's probably the best one I've used so far. It's a smooth writer, it's convenient, its stylish and it just feels good. It's a pen that now lives in my handbag or my pocket when I'm at work so I can use it for all of my daily scribbles. I just hope the clip doesn't let me down as this is a pen I'd feel sad about losing.

Berol by Paper Mate Handwriting Pen

Ready for SAT's

SAT's week is upon us and as my 11 year old son goes through the stressful time of tests and revision homework I thought it would be fitting to review the Berol by Paper Mate handwriting pen. It's the pen he was issued at school after earning his Pen Licence. I went out and bought a set for this review, and when I'm finished he can have them, so he can avoid having to explain to his teacher why he's lost yet another Berol.

I was also a user of the Berol Handwriting pen in primary school some 20+ years ago so schools across the country obviously feel strongly about the quality of these pens otherwise surely they wouldn't continue to use them.  I remember it was luck of the draw, who picked a working pen from the pot and who got lumbered with the ones that had completely dried out and having to make that trip to the bin to sharpen their pencil.

Berol by Paper Mate Handwriting pen

The Berol Handwriting pen is made of plastic, including the plastic tip. Although the pen is designed for children, the barrel isn't an attractive one. I'm undecided as to whether that's good or bad. Would a more attractive pen catch their eye and make them want to use it outside school hours, for pleasure? Or would it distract the children from their school work and disrupt their flow of thought? I'm not sure. Maybe the children don't care either way. I asked my son what he thought and he shrugged and said it's just a pen.

Plastic tip - pen is not refillable

The pen does write very well. The ink flow is consistent, there is no skipping or blobbing to spoil the childrens hard work. The ink looks nice on paper, no feathering or bleeding through the page unless you leave the tip on one spot for more than a few seconds. The ink dries in less than a second, which is perfect for those left handers who are still learning the best way to write without smudging. There is a small amount of resistance on the paper (not the scratchy type) which is good as it encourages the children to take their time, helping them produce a beautiful piece of writing.

I asked my son to provide me with a sample of his handwriting. It's a pen aimed at children so I thought a child should show us what it looks like. I said he could write anything he liked ....

No one was harmed before, during or after this sample was written

The pen is lightweight and comfortable to hold when held right. At the tip there are a couple of steps and the best place to hold the pen is on the largest step. There is a tiny bit of added texture on the largest step although not enough to say it has any function as a grip. I would have liked to see a rubber grip on this pen. My son has said that he experienced slipping after a heavy writing session and the steps dug into his fingers so he had to keep readjusting his grip and position. A rubber grip would have prevented this. As it is lightweight and easy flowing, not much pressure is needed to write, preventing any aching in the hand after writing for long periods of time.

Lid posts well

The lid posts well and doesn't alter the balance of the pen too much so lids that have rolled off the table, never to be seen again needn't be an issue.

The ink will wash out of most fabrics. This matters to me. A few weeks ago my son came home with a smiley face drawn on his school shirt which is still there today after much scrubbing and huffing and puffing.  If he'd done it with a Berol it wouldn't have mattered. I'm sure to him it seemed like a good idea at the time!

I can see why the Berol Handwriting pen has become the school pen of choice. It's comfortable, it's smooth and consistent without being too inky and allows the children to concentrate on the quality of their writing and not be distracted by issues with the pen. Its a medium point so a good line width, not to bold or too thin. And they are robust. The nibs are strong and the barrel isn't going to bat an eyelid at being dropped on the floor ten times a day.

One final thing - The Berol Handwriting pen claims that it "will not dry out for at least 14 days if the cap is left off". I'm having difficulty believing it so I'm going to try it. I'm going to leave one of the pens with the lid off at room temperature for 13 days (so I'm definitely within the time frame) and see what happens. I won't touch it at all until the 13 days are up. I'll update you with the results. Do you think it will dry out or not?

Good Luck to everyone taking exams this week. You can do it!

UPDATE:  
As I stated above, I wanted to test Berols claim that the pen would still work if left uncapped for 14 days. I said I would leave it 13 days but it was a busy few days and I ended up not testing the pen until day 15. 
As the saying goes - A picture speaks a thousand words - 

It works! It was touch and go to start with but as you can see, only 4 words into the sample the pen had woken up and was as good as it was on day one. I couldn't believe it. If I'm honest I didn't think the pen would work at all and I have to say, I'm seriously impressed. Well done Berol!