(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 latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)
This limited edition glitter fest from Pilot's FriXion line is sure to delight fans of the erasable gel ink. I have mentioned before that I am not one of those fans, but even I am taken in by the Pilot Kese Lamé Erasable Glitter Gel Pen.
It's not really a surprise that the FriXion ink makes me uncomfortable. I'm a librarian and an author--the idea of writing that disappears is literally the thing I have nightmares about. The fact that the ink's appearance is thermally controlled, and I live in a thermally brutal place, adds to that anxiety. As I write this, the outside temperature is -19 degrees. And that's not the coldest it's been today. Needless to say, whatever I erase is not going to stay erased, if I use these pens.
That being said, if you live in a moderate climate, or you are writing something that never needs to leave your home, but also doesn't need to be preserved or archival in any way--these are really fun pens.
They're also very well made. The bodies are sturdy plastic in a pearlescent white that gradients to a clear portion at the middle. There is a white rubber grip section and a frosted clear nose cone. The clip is clear plastic that is very subtly tinted the color of the pen's ink, which is very helpful while in keeping with the overall aesthetic. The gel eraser on top looks like a wee frosted bubble. There is quite a bit of branding on the pen, but it's tastefully done and not visible when you're holding the pen to write. They're cute and classy at the same time.
The clip is also the tip deployment mechanism. It slides down with an addictively satisfying click, and then depresses to retract. Because the clip does so much for this pen, it does rattle a bit, which can be heard and felt when writing. But these pens weren't made for extensive writing. They're very much accent pens.
The tint in these inks is very subtle, so the colors appear pastel, but with plenty of expressive glitter to make it pop. The 0.7mm tip and generously flowy ink also help make the paler colors readable (though notably difficult to photograph). It should be noted, however, that the glitter does not erase. Just the color. So any erased areas of your writing will still be disco-ready even after you've FriXion-ified the text.
I still struggle with the use case for these pens a little. I don't want to use them for anything I intend to keep, so they're good for lists, as long as those lists stay on my desk and aren't like grocery lists that need to be carried out of the house. They're great for chore lists, and add a bit of fun sparkle to an otherwise mundane task. And they're good for coloring or doodles, or general stress-relief. They're just fun, and who doesn't need more fun in their life?
They aren't inexpensive, though. Individual colors are available for $3.80 on JetPens, and this set of 6 costs $22.80. For me, that puts them a bit on the steep side, but in the "it's worth it if it's worth it to you" category. If you like FriXions and love glitter, you probably need these.
(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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