Sakura Mixline Highlighter Review

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

When it comes to highlighters, I certainly wouldn't consider myself a power user. Most weeks, I don't even use a highlighter. But I still understand the value and purpose that highlighters provide for so many people every day. They're essential in stationery, but you'd be remiss to think that all highlighters are the same. I thought I had seen it all, but the Sakura Mixline has shown me a new trick that I'm still not sure I need.

The Sakura Mixline is a combination highlighter and fineliner that also packs in a hidden feature on the highlighter side. Along with a chisel tip highlighter, there's a small fineliner tip nestled on the bottom side of the chisel tip. So, when you highlight something, you also underline it with the fineliner tip. Amazing! To make it stand out even more, the two tips are different colors that provide a nice contrast on the page.

The back side of the pen has a dedicated fineliner tip, which is the same color as the underliner. Thankfully, the fineliner tip colors are darker, making them easy to write with and see on the page. You can even highlight them with the highlighter color on the other end of the pen to create more visual contrast. All of the colors work together quite well.

These lightweight pens are easy to stow in bags, and there's a clip on the larger highlighter cap so you can securely store them on a pocket. Even though the caps are different sizes, they can somehow post on each other! I didn't think this would work, but Sakura thought this one through. Last thing you need is to lose a small cap for a pen that will dry out quickly if left uncapped for an extended period.

So, how well does this highlighter system work? Do you have to hold it just right to get the optimal highlighter shade and underline on the page? In short, no. It's pretty forgiving and easy to use as long as you use a firm pressure and focus on keeping the angle correct. I was able to get perfect highlight + underline every time I tried after a few practice tries.

A downside of this firm pressure is that it can cause some smudging on certain inks that you're highlighting over. It isn't major in my testing, but it's noticeable.

The fineliners on the back of the pen work great. The lines are really crisp and the colors are bright while being dark enough to easily read.

The colors can be difficult to list out since there are two different colors in three places on each pen. Here's how the Juicy 3-pack colors work:

• Yellow highlighter with blue-green underline and fineliner
• Blue highlighter with orange underline and fineliner
• Coral red highlighter with red underline and fineliner

The colors all contrast well and make a great set. If you need more colors, Sakura offer a Natural pack with three more combinations.

This is a really cool product. I know it's not something I'll reach for because it's a highlighter that also underlines stuff. I'll reach for it because it's a great fineliner tip and a great highlighter. I really don't have any use for underlining stuff that I'm already highlighting. But stationery doesn't exist to fulfill my limited uses — there's obviously a market for this product, and I love that there can be such nichè products in this hobby. It's awesome knowing that this highlighter fits someone's needs exactly for what they want to do.

At $9 for the 3-pack, these are on-par with other highlighter packs. Time will tell how long the ink lasts, but the tips seem very durable. I'm sure the ink will run out before the tips wear down. If you don't want the 3-pack, you can also purchase these pens individually, though the price is a little higher at $3.30 each.

I hope that this review finds someone that needs this product that wasn't aware of its existence before. If you need a highlighter that simultaneously underlines, Sakura have you covered!

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

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Hardy Penwrights Model 10-R Retro Fountain Pen Review

“Swing by the table later. I’ve got something for you.”

When a pen maker stops me in the hallway of a pen show and drops that on me I instantly have a new number one priority at the show.

In this case, Greg Hardy of Hardy Penwrights was speaking my love language, and I made a point to drop by his table at the earliest opportunity.

What he had for me served two purposes. One, he wanted me to test a specific design of his that he thought I would like, and two, he wanted to got full “Pen Addict” on the design just for me. Needless to say, both of those things had me pretty excited.

The pen model is the 10-R Retro, which Greg designed to take on the size and feel of vintage fountain pens. In short, from the product page:

“the Retro is designed for our customers who appreciate the size and feel of vintage pens while wanting the ease of using a modern pen.”

The funny thing is that if Greg never told me the inspiration behind this pen, the words “vintage” or “retro” would have never crossed my mind. My initial thoughts were that this is a perfectly shaped pen for my tastes. It features a slightly narrower than standard barrel, a slightly shorter length cap and grip section, a classically shaped stainless steel clip, and a #5 Bock nib (more on that in a minute.)

The most important part of the 10-R is what you can’t see: an integrated metal sleeve beneath the grip section. This makes every bit of difference in this pen. I knew it felt great when I uncapped it, but I didn’t know exactly why until Greg told me to unscrew the barrel. There, I saw the insert that made all of the difference.

So yeah, this is a smaller, narrower fountain pen. If you like that style like I do then the 10-R Retro is one to look at.

Kaweco Sport #5 nib (left) vs. Bock #5.

The nib is another consideration. As I mentioned, it is a Bock #5, which is slightly wider across the shoulders of the nib than comparable nibs from Jowo or Schmidt. This one is firm and fine, and writes well. It should, as Greg had it tuned by Kirk Speer at Pen Realm before giving it to me.

At this point, if it sounds like Greg was setting me up for a review that couldn’t fail, well, you would be right. I mean, did you see the Orange Sherbert material by Tim Crowe at Turnt Pen Co. that he used? Oh by the way, Greg made a custom finial, too. All. The. Things.

Price wise, the 10-R Retro checks in at $275, which I think is at the top end for this pen. That makes sense as it is made in smaller batches compared to the 10-T Traveller, which runs $185 but has certain economies of scale built in to allow for a lower price. For me, I prefer the 10-R design, and the differences it has over standard barrel shapes.

This pen was a gift from Greg, and I’m thankful for the opportunities I have to meet makers like him, and share in his creations. Thanks Greg!

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Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

Tactile Turn 8-Bit Standard Slim Side Click Review

8-Bit is the latest Tactile Turn Seasonal pen release, and has caused quite the wave of nostalgia among the cross-section of analog users and video game fans.

If you aren’t familiar with their Seasonal program, Tactile Turn releases a themed pen that is available to purchase for a three month window of time, and then that design gets shelved in lieu of the next one. So, these pens are limited by their three month order time frame, not quantity, which is a nice way to handle special or limited releases.

Each of the 10 pens released so far use Tactile Turn’s popular Side Click retractable mechanism, with the exception of Stealth, which used their traditional bolt mechanism. The knock on the end of the barrel engages the refill, and the side button retracts it. It’s a fun and functional mechanism. On top of that, you can order this model in three different barrel sizes:

— Standard, for Pilot G2 and compatible refills.

— Short, for Parker-style (International G2) refills.

— Mini, for the Pilot G2 Mini 0.7 mm refill.

With the launch of the 8-Bit, they also added a pencil model.

Size comparison, from top: Standard, Standard Slim, Short, Mini Slim.

Over time, I’ve tried to use each of their barrel sizes to see what was the best option for me, and to help answer questions for others. I went with the Standard size first, in the aforementioned Stealth model, for use with some of my favorite gel ink refills. It’s a big pen, but I thought it was a good starting point. After that, I went with the Short model for the GT, which I adore, and followed that with a Mini in the Trailhead model to round out the sizes.

Trailhead also marked the addition of the Slim barrel to the lineup, with only that barrel diameter available during its season. Two editions later, with Winter 2023’s Deep Space, both the Standard and Slim models were available to order.

Since I love the refill options for the Standard barrel, asking Tactile Turn for the Standard Slim was the easy choice when they inquired if I was interested in reviewing this release. Not knowing what other sizes and shapes they will release in the future, it’s difficult to say it is my all-time favorite size, but of the six currently available I think it is the best for me.

For starters, the barrel diameter (0.43" vs 0.365”) makes a real difference in the way the pen feels in your hand. It is lighter, too, dropping the weight from 1.2oz to 0.83oz. Those are significant numbers when discussing writing instruments. I think the Standard Slim size gives the pen a better “grab and go” feel, as opposed to the bulk of the Standard. This is the size I want to use every day.

Broader refill compatibility doesn’t hurt, either. In my Stealth model, I swapped in an 0.38 mm Blue Black Pilot Juice refill, but I’ve kept the standard 0.7 mm Pilot G2 loaded in the 8-Bit so far. The wider tip works well with the longer pen, although I won’t hesitate to swap it out when I want something finer. Do note there are some exceptions and modifications that some refills may require. Tactile Turn keeps a full compatibility list here.

While the majority of this post has focused on the various pen sizes available, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the design theme for this release. Hit me right in the retro feels, why don’t you? I grew up with the original Nintendo system that some of these design elements are inspired by, and couldn’t be happier with the execution. The clip is a real standout, and is area which Tactile Turn does tend to focus on. And the red “Reset” button? Perfect.

Is this version perfect for you? Maybe, maybe not. That’s the beauty of seasonal releases. There is no need to rush into buying one, especially since these are expensive pens. 8-Bit runs $149, which is is on the high end, but I find them worth the price for the quality and design, especially when you find one that suits your style as perfectly as this one might.

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

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