(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.)
Of all the pen breeds, ballpoint is my least favorite. I still think they're fun, because pens, but I don't love them with the same manic fervor as I do other kinds. Except for this one!
There's something about the Retro 51 Buzz design and these crazy smooth Retro 51 Easy Flow 9000 ink cartridges. The pen will take any Parker-style ballpoint refill, but I've never used one that's better than this. It writes butter-smooth and never skips, but the line is crisp and as dark as gel ink--without the smearing. It has all the utilitarian properties of ballpoint ink but eliminates all my pet peeves about it. It's nicely saturated and doesn't feel dry or require hand-cramping pressure.
When you take a refill that good and put it in a pen this beautiful, well. That's just pure fantastic-ness. The body of the pen is acid-etched in a honeycomb pattern, enameled with honey-gold colors and adorable wee bees. The accents are in brushed copper. It has the classic Retro 51 knurled twist mechanism and sturdy metal clip. The finial is decorated with a hungry looking bear who has just found his favorite snack.
On top of all that, the proceeds from each sale go to the NW Honey Bee Habitat Restoration. So if you needed one more reason to push you over the edge, there you go. These would make excellent gifts, too--especially for people who like pens but don't want anything fussy or who need that ballpoint ink for work. It's just a good pen and this edition does good for the world. It is sweet as honey in every aspect.
(Pen Chalet provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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