(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!)
There's too much plastic in our everything, but especially too much in our waterways. There are lots of options for ways to reuse this surplus of waste, but arguably one of the best ways is to make a cool pen. Okay, there are probably more practical, efficient ways to solve this problem, but every little bit helps and this was a neat idea, so let's run with it.
The YSTUDIO Ocean Sustainable Rollerball pen is made out of discarded nylon fishing nets, preventing them from ending up in waterways or landfills, where they might snare wildlife. The body is crafted from these recycled nets in a way that reduces 83% of carbon emissions, and the core of the pen is made from brass and aluminum. The metal gives it some weight, though it's much lighter than their original brassing rollerball pen. The body material has a slight texture to it, which makes it easy to grip. It has the classic Ystudio hexagon profile, with a tapered section and a snap cap. It does not have a clip. It comes in a minimalist recycled paper box.
The body is available in a variety of colors. This model is Dawn Yellow. There's also Sea Indigo, Evening Purple, Sunset Orange, and Sky Blue. They're all pastel hues, apart from the indigo. The pen comes with a Schmidt 5888F Rollerball cartridge and can easily be refilled by twisting the brass cap off of the bottom of the pen. It's a bold refill with a wet flow, so it may show some ghosting on thinner paper. It's also compatible with some of my favorite gel refills like the Pilot G2, UniBall One, and Pentel Energel--so you have endless ink color options, as well.
As a sustainable, well-built, sturdy pen body with all the best ink refill options, this pen is well worth the $50 price tag. It might not be for everyone (the hex barrel is not a comfortable fit for all paws), but it looks fantastic, and it's a part of a movement that turns hazards into helpers. We need as much of that as we can get, even if it's just one pen at a time. Better yet, use the pen to write to your representatives.
(This product was purchased from Goldspot at a discounted price.)
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