When we begin the show giggling, and then end the show giggling, you know it was a good show. Myke and I have fun with my new “PEN”, Pilot finally putting some respect on the Decimo, my planned Toptober updates, and my inability to answer Ask TPA.
This episode of The Pen Addict is sponsored by:
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(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Bluesky. And her latest book, The Atropine Tree, is now available!)
Writech Gel Pens are easily taking over as the new favorites in my planner posse. With their varieties of colors, pen designs, and ink properties, there's something for everyone in their lineup. I've borrowed a few at our planner parties and was impressed (we have planner parties with our friends, right? Where we swap stickers, share pens, drink too much wine and end up labeling three days in a row as Saturday... If not, I highly recommend it). When I saw their products appear in the JetPens arrivals, I decided to try some of my own. I loved the dual-color set I reviewed before, and the Sprinkles appealed to me because I liked this color palette and I'm a sucker for ombre.
The Sprinkles model has a smooth cylinder body shape in opaque plastic with a lovely color fade design. They have a tinted clear plastic clip and clicker. The clip feels a little weak. I'd hesitate to stress it too much for fear it might break off. But the main body of the pen feels very sturdy. It is sturdy, I can actually say, as I've been hauling them all around work and tossing them in my tote bag with no problem at all.
The primary feature of the Sprinkles set is that they have a silent clicker. No click! No thunk! It's strangely disconcerting. If pen clicking annoys you or your coworkers, these might be the pens that save you. But I have to say, I miss the click. Sometimes I even forget to retract the tip because my brain doesn't register that I even deployed it at all. It's like the clicks of all the pens over the years have trained me, and without the click, I forget what to do. I think it's cool that this option exists, but I would take an obnoxious thunky clicker over a silent one every time.
I have, however, still been using these a lot, because even though they're suspiciously silent, they're great writers. The colors are bright and saturated, the no-smear ink behaves well, the tips are nice and precise, and the colors are perfect for my needs. The refill seems to hold a decent amount of ink, as I've taken a lot of meeting notes with the brown pen specifically, and have no signs of running low. Overall, it's a fantastic set of pens.
This set of five sells for $12.10 at JetPens, and individual pens are $2.45 each. That's a very fair price for a good set of gel pens. I foresee plenty more Writech pens entering my collection in the future. Just the properly noisy ones, though.
(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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The Pen Addict X Retro 51 2025 “PEN” has landed, and is now available in The Pen Addict Shop!
This project has been a blast to work on, and the results are perfect. This “PEN” is a follow-up to last years “PEN”, which is a shout-out to sneaker culture and the amazing innovation in that space.
The 2024 model took its design cues from the first ten sneakers in Vigil Abloh’s Off-White collection for Nike, and the 2025 edition is themed around one of my all-time favorite designs, the “QUEEN” Blazer. The Pink and Purple gradient, the Grey hardware, the bright Yellow accents - even the finial matches the sole of the sneaker!
The Pen Addict X Retro 51 2025 “PEN” is $75, and is a limited edition of 500. As with my other Retro 51 projects, I donate $1000 from the sale of the pen to charity. Since it was a September launch this year, I donated $250 to four different Community Campaigns that are raising money for St. Jude. Thank you to everyone who purchases a pen and makes this possible!
The latest “PEN” isn’t the only new product in the shop. I have added the Pen Addict Progress Pride patches from NoSo, a “PEN” themed fidget toy from Penquisition, and both of the new Baseball and Waffle House stickers.
And finally, do you want 25% off these, and most other, products in the Pen Addict Shop? Pen Addict Members receive a discount on nearly everything available (with a few exceptions,) with no limit on uses. Click on the link to find out how you can join, and learn about all of the other benefits available.
My thanks once again to Retro 51 for their work in making this possible. I can’t wait to get this “PEN” into your hands!
