The Pentel Smash is one of my personal favorite mechanical pencils, and Pentel of America hooked me up with a slew of them to give away. I’m going with the Orange Katakana SE this time, so read the rules below and enter away.
Posts filed under Pentel
Pentel Q1005 Smash Drafting Pencil Review
(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)
Some of the oldest mechanical pencils in my collection are from Pentel, which is a testament to how robust and useful they are. But that doesn't mean there's no room left to expand the collection. I'm always interested in what these companies are doing in the modern decade, and the Q1005 (styled as Smash) mechanical drafting pencil is a unique and interesting option in this crowded space.
The Pentel Q1005 is a lightweight and well-built mechanical drafting pencil that feels great in the hand and does a great job. There aren't many frills, but the extra features are tasteful and well done. My favorite feature by far is how Pentel implemented the lead grade indicator dial. In a lot of cases, it's easy to accidentally nudge the dial, which defeats the purpose of using it in the first place. With the Pentel Smash, this is fixed by using notches in the dial that keep it in place while the pencil is in use. If you want to change the dial, you have to unscrew the grip section from the pencil a few turns, pull the dial out a bit, and then rotate it to the appropriate setting before screwing the grip section back in place. It's a simple but great solution to this problem as opposed to just relying on friction.
Another feature of this pencil is the grip section. While it's not my favorite grip, it sure is comfortable. The grip and cone is one piece of plastic, which makes it smooth to grip and also means you can't accidentally unscrew the nose cone when using the pencil. There's also a separate rubber pieces that protrudes through the plastic grip in a grid pattern to provide some really unique feel when using the pencil. Since the rubber pads are under the plastic, they move a little bit while using the pencil. This felt weird to me at first in a way that shook my confidence in the pencil and the accuracy of the marks I was making, but my fingers quickly grew accustomed to the unique feel. I like using it now, but my only real gripe is that the two-part system is a magnet for dust and lint. So many tiny grooves and spaces for stuff to collect.
The clip on the pencil is fairly strong, but not overly so. It's easy to operate and also keeps the pencil secure wherever you clip it. The clip doesn't need to be that strong since the pencil is lightweight.
Even though the pencil is lightweight, it's still weighted in the right places — namely toward the grip and cone. This low center of gravity means the pencil is easier to control when making precise marks.
I have no idea if this is correct, but I'm guessing that the namesake of the pencil comes from the fun rubber piece that covers the lead advance button. This accordion-like rubber material is so much fun to mash down over and over again. I'm not sure if it offers and real functional benefit, but it sure is fun to play with. Underneath the cap / click button, you'll find an obligatory emergency eraser that tops off the lead refill tube. Pretty standard stuff for a mechanical pencil.
Pentel has done something different in bringing the Smash to the US market by opening a Pentel-branded Amazon Shop, which is the only place you will find (for now) the four new colors of the new Pentel Katakana Smash Special Edition (both links are affiliate links). At $17, they are more expensive than the traditional Black Smash, which you can find at JetPens for $12.50, which is a great value for such a well-made and unique mechanical drafting pencil.
(Pentel of America provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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!
Pentel Dual Metallic Brush 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!)
Between the glitter, the buttons, and the real brush tip, the Pentel Dual Metallic Brush Pens are some of the most playful pens I've ever used. They're very fun, and perfect for use in greeting cards or planners.
Unlike most brush pens, these have actual paintbrush tips instead of the foamy or felt tips I'm used to seeing. The tip is clean, at first--just white plastic fibers. To load the brush with paint, you press a button on the back of the pen, which releases some of the pigment into the tip. It takes a few presses and a small wait to saturate all the bristles, but you can see the paint working its way down, so you can tell when it's ready to use.
Once the tip is saturated, it works just like a paintbrush, ready to do some painting or fancy lettering. I'm not particularly skilled at either, but I enjoyed making swoops very much. Because this pen uses bristles instead of a felt tip, there is a feathering effect to the lines it creates when individual fibers stray from the path. It's a nice effect, unless you're particular about crisp lines.
As with a paintbrush, the pigment in the tip doesn't last long before you'll need to press the button for more. Each press of the button gives you another dollop of paint, but it can be difficult to gauge how much you're getting. Consequently, sometimes my lines felt dry and other times they were oversaturated. It may be something I'd get used to with more extended use, but I do get the sense that there is not as much control over brush saturation as there would be using an actual paintbrush. Also, considering how often I found myself needing to press the button for more paint, I'm not sure how long each pen will last. I also noticed the bristles becoming more frayed as I worked with them, as any plastic-bristled paintbrush would.
But dry or gloopy, the paint from these pens is always very glittery. The sparkle effect delivers! And the pigment did not bleed through my notebook paper, which was a pleasant surprise.
Overall, these are a treat to use, and I think they'll be the perfect thing to address my Valentines this year. They're definitely better suited to being used for a small flourish, rather than a larger project, and I don't think they're the right tool for artists who value precision, but they're wonderful for anyone who needs to efficiently apply some glitter.
(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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!
