Posts filed under FriXion

Pilot Frixion Colored Pencils Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her first novel, The Bone Weaver’s Orchard, now available where books are sold!)

Well, these aren't all bad. The textured coating on the body feels great and provides excellent grip, and the design overall looks lovely. That's the extent of the 'pro' column. The 'con' column lists every other feature of the Pilot FriXion Colored Pencils.

The lead is waxy and brittle with poor pigmentation. It only lays down very faint color and even that has messy inconsistency. The soft tip wears down quickly and breaks when you attempt to sharpen it.

The FriXion magical eraser does remove all color, briefly, from the colored area, but it does not remove the waxy residue--just its coloration. So you can't easily go back over the area with anything else, whether that be another pencil or mixed media. Also, after a few minutes, the color begins to creep back into the erased area.

These Frixion pigments suffer the same weakness as their pen inks--the erasure is a heat reaction, so changes in temperature to your work can also affect the visibility of your notes/sketch/journal. I tested it by putting my page in the freezer, where much of the pigment reappeared, and then also taking the page with me while I ran errands and left the paper in my hot car, where most of the pigment disappeared.

I know the Frixion line is beloved by many. I, personally, am averse to writing anything in disappearing ink. I know that, in theory, it can always be re-appeared, but it still makes me nervous. And while I understand the unique advantages of an erasable pen, an erasable pencil is ... well, most of them. And this doesn't erase any better than the others. I think it's safe to say that other pencils erase more completely, as there isn't a waxy residue left behind.

These are priced at $22 for the 12-set, and over $3 each open stock. That's over a dollar more, apiece, than many high-quality artists' pencils. That's actually a bit alarming, and way overpriced. Even if these worked pretty well, that would be expensive. But, alas, they don't, and that makes these a product that I recommend avoiding.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on June 27, 2019 by Sarah Read and filed under Pilot, FriXion, Colored Pencil, Pencil Reviews.

Pilot FriXion Fineliner Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

It's been quite a while since I've tested out the Pilot FriXion pens. I'm not normally in need of any erasable options, so these pens just don't get the exercise they deserve. With the latest Fineliner version from Pilot, I decided to give it another go.

The Pilot FriXion Fineliner is an erasable pen with a fine plastic tip that works great for drawing lines that retain crisp lines around the edges. These pens really remind me of the Staedtler Triplus and Paper Mate Flair pens, which is fair since they share the plastic tip designation.

It's hard to describe — any Pen Addict will understand — but the Fineliner is a delight to use. The ink flows well, the plastic tip is crisp but smooth, and there's even a small bit of shading present in the light blue and red ink colors that I'm using. I've been using these pens quite a lot in my everyday use, and I haven't seen any degradation in the tips. I'm fairly confident that the tips will outlive the ink supply. Since these aren't refillable, that works out great.

Writing, drawing, and scribbling with these pens is great fun, but what about the other signature feature of any FriXion pen? How well does it erase these nice markings? Wonderfully. I've used FriXion pens in the past and have mixed feelings about their ability to erase. In the case of the Fineliner, I've been impressed with how well it works. I think the main difference in the performance is that the plastic tip doesn't create as much of an impression on the paper compared to a metal roller ball. Whatever it is, it's magical.

Along with the great writing and erasing experience, the dry time is also remarkably fast. You can write something and erase it almost immediately without blurring anything. And, if anything does blur, you can just wait a couple of seconds for the ink to fully dry and then erase away the mistakes.

Everything else about these pens is remarkably simple. The slim body is lightly decorated and branded, the cap is small and able to post securely, and the eraser on top of the cap matches the color of the rest of the pen. It's a great package!

Now, with any FriXion pen, there are some drawbacks. The main one being that this is not permanent ink. It's funny to point that out since the main marketing feature of this pen is that the ink is erasable, but I'm referring to the archival properties. You can't rely on this ink to last in notebooks for years and decades to come. Maybe it will be fine, but there's also no promises that it will endure.

The Pilot FriXion Fineliner is available in a variety of fun colors for just over $2 a piece. You can even pick up a six-pack or twelve-pack if you want to round out a complete set while also saving a couple of bucks.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on April 3, 2019 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Pilot, FriXion, Pen Reviews.

Pilot FriXion Ball Slim Biz Gel Pen Review

The FriXion is Pilot’s playground. I think that is why I like this pen so much. They nailed erasable ink technology - which no one has been able to duplicate - and they keep playing around with all kinds of barrels and colors to use it in.

The FriXion Slim Biz is the latest addition to an ever expanding lineup, and is is a nice as all who came before. The barrel is skinny, as the Slim name dictates, but has a nice feel to it due to the stainless steel material used. It is retractable as well, with a blue plastic accent between the clip and the eraser.

Erasable gel ink is the biggest feature of the FriXion of course, and you can tell that Pilot has been tweaking the formula since the pen first launched. It has never worked better in my opinion, with less pressure needed and cleaner results. The ink vanishes easily and completely, at least until you pop it in the freezer.

What impresses me most about the Slim Biz is how well the 0.38 mm refill writes. It reminds me of the Uni-ball Signo DX in fact, which is about the highest praise I can offer. The lines are sharp, clean, and mess-free. And the black ink is black. There was a time in the early days of the FriXion where the black was light in color, and even leaned a little brown. That time is gone, and this ink is great.

And you can erase it!

I like this pen a lot. At $18 it is by no means cheap, but the pen is nice and fun to use. If you have never tried a FriXion pen before, the FriXion Ball Knock is the best place to start, and you can branch out from there with different tip sizes, colors, and barrels. If you are a FriXion pro then I think you will like the Slim Biz as well.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on September 5, 2016 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Pilot, FriXion, Pen Reviews.