Posts filed under Pen Reviews

Gravitas Delrin Fountain Pen 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 latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)

I'm continuously surprised and delighted by Gravitas Pens. I've rarely seen a pen creator dive into the job with such playful abandon. Ben Walsh is trying something new every few minutes and the results have been phenomenal.

The newest model to cross my desk is the Delrin. It's similar in design to the Sentry, but made of engineered plastic, with an Orange Cerakote-coated stainless steel grip section. The body is slightly tapered, and both finials come to an angled point. The cap screws on and it posts securely if you're the posting type.

The body of the pen feels smooth but it's lightly textured, so it's easy to grip. It's also extremely lightweight. Nearly all the weight of this pen is in the steel grip section. It feels perfectly balanced when writing, as the weight of the pen sits in your hand and the length helps keep it stabilized.

The grip section is gently ridged to keep your fingers from slipping, and the Cerakote has a rough texture to it. It's comfortable and gives great control when writing, but it does get ink in it, leaving some marks that are a little tricky to wash away. It doesn't bother me, but if you like your pens looking pristine, this one might not be for you.

My pen came with a medium nib that writes very well, with smooth writing and great ink flow. It's a #6 Jowo nib, with some scrollwork but no branding.

The pen comes with a converter, though it can also take standard cartridges, and it can be eyedroppered (though some additional silicone grease is recommended if you do this).

Like many Gravitas pens, this one is underpriced at 95 Euros. I appreciate and admire the affordability, even if it feels a little wrong.

Of all the Gravitas pens I've tried, I like this one a bit more than the metal ones, and only slightly less than the polycarbonate ones. It has a special quality to it that when I pick it up, it makes me want to write even when I don't feel like writing. Maybe it's all of Ben's wild creativity traveling through his creations to other creators. Whatever it is, I can't get enough of it.

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

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Posted on November 3, 2022 by Sarah Read and filed under Gravitas, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Faber-Castell Fast Gel Z 0.5 mm Gel Ink Pen Review

(This post contains Amazon Affiliate links.)

How important is the grip when choosing a pen?

For some, it is the first or second consideration. If you fall into that category, then you will want to read on for my thoughts on the Faber-Castell Fast Gel Z ink pen.

Before I dig into the grip, let’s talk about the first thing I want to know about any traditional ink pen: the writing performance. How does it write? In this case, pretty well!

I shouldn’t be surprised, as Faber-Castell has been making pens for decades, and have been in business as a stationer for centuries. Yes, literally. But I have far more experience with their fountain pens and inks-even pencils-that I do their standard pens.

The Fast Gel Z, along with many other recent Faber-Castell products, were sent to me by Faber-Castell Malaysia, who had a strong belief that I would like what they are selling. And so far, they have been right. This pen is an 0.5 mm black gel pen with a needle tip, and writes very well. The ink is dark and smooth, although the lines need to be slightly sharper if it were to crack any Top 5 Gel Ink Pens list.

That’s rare air, as I don’t even rate the Pilot G2 or the Sharpie S-Gel that high either, but I would rate those two pens ahead of this one.

That line sharpness is a real differentiator at the 0.5 mm tip size, and finer. If you aren’t a tiny print writer like myself, I think you will enjoy this pen, or it’s 0.7 mm tip relative. Heck, I’ve really enjoyed it myself when I want to leave some dark marks on the page.

As far as that Fast Dry time claim? Yeah, it’s pretty good. I lined it up against the Uni-ball Signo DX 0.5 MM, Pilot G2 0.5 mm, and Pentel Energel 0.5 mm, and, despite being the widest, wettest line, the Faber-Castell had the lightest smudge mark in my quick dry time test.

While writing with the Fast Gel Z is good, the grip makes the feel of the pen great. This is the softest, most comfortable gel or ballpoint ink grip I’ve tested in recent memory. It’s soft and cushioned, and you can feel it give under your grip with each word. I love it. I do wonder how it will hold up over extended use, but I see no reason that it wouldn’t outlast the refill in essentially the same condition it started in.

The Fast Gel Z is currently available on Amazon for around $17 for a 10-pack of pens, which is accurately priced in my mind. This is a good, solid, middle of the pack gel ink pen, with a couple of minor features (soft grip, fast drying) that may push certain users toward it as opposed to the competition.

(Faber-Castell Malaysia provided this pen at no charge for the purposes of this review.)

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Posted on October 31, 2022 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Faber-Castell, Gel, Pen Reviews.

Faber Castell RX Gel Pen Review

Faber Castell has a real winner with these RX Gel pens in their lineup. While the pen body isn't the greatest, the refill more than makes up for it.

This 5-pack comes with gold, pink, purple, blue, and green. The pen bodies are plastic in a color that matches the ink. The clips, which are part of the click mechanism, are white plastic. The click is extremely satisfying, but it's loud. It's a fidget dream, but it will irritate everyone nearby. The plastic body has a very slight triangular shape with a gently ridged grip section. It's very light and not very well finished. There are rough edges and plastic spurs at the nosecone and a number of flaws in the plastic itself. There's also an overall flimsy feel to the pen. That all sounds kind of awful, but the lifespan of gel pens is short enough that I don't need them to be too nice. I'm also not likely using them for a long writing session--just for quick planner notes or lists.

Despite the kinda awful body, the refills in this pen make them worth looking into. What I want when I reach for a gel pen is smooth, bold, saturated ink. This ticks all the boxes. The colors are bright and bold, the tip glides like butter, and the .7mm line is great for writing or coloring. It's easy to forget the rattling clip and rough build when a pen writes in a way that's so satisfying. Of course, given that awesome ink flow, these are going to run out of ink quickly and they're not refillable.

This ink is also fade-proof and waterproof, and it's available in a wide variety of colors and in other line widths, .5mm and .38mm. I've had no issues with ink drying out, leaking, or clumping.

This pack sells for around $8.50, though that price may vary by store. I think that's a very reasonable, affordable price, given the great ink and flimsy build. Individual pens come in under $2 each. The price and ink are what earn my recommendation for these. Gel pens with nice refillable bodies are often my preference, but they're likely pricey, and the refills cost as much--and produce as much landfill waste--as these disposable versions.

If gel pens are your jam, these are definitely worth a try.

((Faber-Castell Malaysia provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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