Review: Sailor Gel Ink Pen in Black, Blue, & Red - 0.38mm

Overall Look	6
Writing Smoothness	9
Overall Value	9
Overall Rating	8

I've always had an affinity for paper goods, office supplies, and stationary but these Sailor Gel Ink pens were probably my first Japanese pens that I collected. It's been a while since I have used or seen these because I have since moved on to other pens. They've been buried beneath several other pens in a box that I keep in my room, but I'm glad I've found them again. 

Like many of my pens, I first found these Sailor Gel Ink pens from a Japanese dollar store. These are from Daiso Japan.

I really do like these pens, but they don't look as great as other pens that I currently buy.
The barrels are clear, plastic like most other gel ink pens but are shaped funny because the ends are thicker than the middle portion, which makes it difficult to keep too many of them in a small pencil case.
Part of the barrel and also the grip has deep ridges, which is not something seen on any pen that I've encountered recently.

Aside from the fact that they're oddly shaped, the Sailor Gel pens are very long. Here's my retractable  Sailor Gel in black next to a Zebra Sarasa Clip and Pilot G2.
You can also see the Sailor Gel's dumbell-like shape and ribbed sections.

These pens may look a bit funny, but they for sure make up for it with how nicely they write.

Compared to other 0.38mm gel ink pens that I own,  the line is a slightly thicker. But I actually like that about these pens.  The lines look a little bolder, which makes my hand writing look less small. haha. 

The ink flow is smooth, but does smear. 
And I've had minimal problems with the ink skipping or blotting while I write.

Considering that I bought these pens for $1.50 each, I don't have much to complain about. The ink flow is smooth enough and it writes well more often than not. It also comes in a few non standard colors, which I will review in a later post. One thing I do dislike about it's design is that the cap is easily snapped on the inside from pushing the pen too far. A few of my pen caps don't stay on the pen too well because the inner part is broken. 

I was looking for these online, but I couldn't find them, unfortunately.
The pen brand, Sailor, only makes fountain pens and has one line of multi-ballpoint pens.
I do have a black and blue ink, capped version still in package that I'll save for something special. :)

Review: Pilot Hi-Tec-C in Black, Blue, & Red - 0.28mm

Overall Look	9
Writing Smoothness	8
Overall Value	6
Overall Rating	8

Finally opened these Hi-Tec-C Gel Ink pens last week after having letting them sit for a couple months still in their box.
I know that these are a favorite in the pen community but I'm still not totally sold on them.
Overall though, I am satisfied. One thing to note is that I've titled the post as 0.28mm even though the box says 0.3mm.
I tested the black in Hi-Tec-C next to my 0.28 Uni-ball Signo and my 0.38 Uni-ball Jetstream. As I expected, the line made by the Hi-Tec-C was more close to 0.28mm, so I just rounded up.


I bought the 10 color set of Hi-Tec-C gel ink pens a while back from a Maido Stationary Store.  They were on sale though and I ended up paying roughly the same price that Jetpens.com sells this same set, which is $32. The colors included in the set are: red, orange, yellow, green, light blue, blue, violet, pink, brown, and black. In this review, I will focus on black, blue, and red ink. Check back soon for the review of the non-standard colors.

The Hi-Tec-C pens are very simple in their look. Their clear plastic bodies showcases the ink inside. The tip of the cap and bottom of the barrels are colored the same as the ink. I really like the colored dots on the the pen cap next to the simple Hi-Tec-C logo -- its cute. 


There are a few drawbacks to this pen. 
The barrel is made of plastic, as is the grip. So, this pen is not ideal for long periods of writing, like essay exams or taking notes for a lecture heavy class. If this is a real problem for you, there are always those soft or rubber grips you can slip onto a pen or pencil. Or actually, there is a line of Hi-Tec-C pens that have a grip.  The downside to those are that they are only sold in black, blue, and red.
Another thing that irks me about Pilot's Hi-Tec-C Gel Ink Pen, is the pen's tip.

The tip is incredibly small in comparison to other pens that I've used. My normal handwriting is cursive, so if I'm not putting enough pressure on the point while writing with the Hi-Tec-C there is a very faint, thin line connecting all my words. It's especially noticeable when I dot my i's and cross my t's. A little frustrating because it makes my very small handwriting look messy -- which it definitely is not! But the tips can be fragile, so I'm always afraid that putting too much pressure on the point might break it. 

These are also capped...I'm not a huge fan of capped pens.

As for the Hi-Tec-C's writing ability, I like it...mostly.

It took a couple lines of writing before the ink would flow smoothly. Even after that, the tips scratched against the paper still. The line it lays down is very fine and nice once the ink "gets started".   
A few reviews that I've seen mention that their Hi-Tec-C just stops working even though the barrel is full of ink. Though I have not yet encountered this problem, I hope that I never will. 

If you are thinking of getting yourself a Pilot Hi-Tec-C, I'd say go for it. 
Though they are one of the more expensive gel ink pens I own, at $3.00-4.00 per pen, the Pilot Hi-Tec-C is a very popular choice among pen enthusiasts.
They come in a variety of colors and in four different point sizes (0.25mm, 0.3mm, 0.4mm, & 0.5mm); I'm sure one of them can end up as your favorite.

Pen Review: Pilot G-2 Gel Ink Roller Ball Pen - 0.38mm

Overall Look	9
Writing Smoothness	10
Overall Value	9
Overall Rating	9

The Pilot G2 pens are probably the most common pens I see being used around campus.  I definitely used these pens too, way back when I didn't have much of a preference for what kind of pens I liked. The point sizes that I usually see are the 0.7mm (pilot g2-07) and the 0.5mm (pilot g2-05) so I was pretty excited when a friend mentioned that Pilot G2 pens are also available in 0.38mm.  

There isn't much to complain about with regards to the look of these pens. Like most gel ink pens, the body is clear plastic with colored rubber accents.  The rubber grip on the pilot G2 is softer than my Sarasa Clip pen, which is nice if you're writing for long periods of time. 

For a 0.38mm point pen, the ink deposition is really smooth.  I usually have problems with the ink bleeding, smearing, and blotting on the paper as I write with smaller points.  I am thoroughly satisfied with how well the ultra fine point Pilot G2 pens write. These pens aren't scratchy either! 

I first saw these pens at Target, which is where my friend mentioned she had bought her pilot g2 pens.  
Target sells them in a 3 pack of pens for ~$7, which comes out to $2.30 per pen -- which is a  reasonable price when compared to the Sarasa Clip zebra pen or the pilot juice, both also gel ink pens. 
Pilot G2 pens in 0.38mm, which pilot classifies as "ultra fine point" can also be purchased from office supply chains like Staples or Office Max.  I was browsing through Staples the other day and found these in a 5 pack for $7.79, a much better price than what I paid at Target.

Ultra fine point Pilot G2 pens only come in standard pen colors (Black, Blue, Green, Red).
If you like having color options, the Pilot G2 -07 come in 15 different colors, but that is a larger point size.

I really like these pens, and I'm glad that there is a 0.38mm point pen that I can buy without having to go to a Japanese stationary store (which is where I usually buy my finer point pens). 

If you like fine point pens, but 0.5mm is still too thick for your liking, the 0.38mm Pilot G2 pens are just the thing you need!

Written with my new favorite 0.5mm Sarasa Clip Gel Ink Pen in Cobalt Blue.

Hopefully my handwriting isn't too terrible! 
Find me on instagram and twitter !

Review: Zebra Sarasa Clip Gel Ink Pen in Cobalt Blue, Light Pink, & Red Orange - 0.5mm

Hey everyone!
Sorry for the lack of posts this past week or so.
But I am back after a long, relaxing spring break and a very hectic week of project work.

I have already reviewed the Sarasa Clip pens, so click the link if you want an in depth review.
This review will only cover these three new colors I picked up a couple weeks ago at a Japanese store.

As I mentioned in the first review, I absolutely love how bright the colors are in these pens.
I love all three of them, but the cobalt blue is the color I use most frequently.  The color is what I typically think of when I see blue inked pens -- or in America at least.  Japanese blue-ink pens are much darker.

One reason I have so many of these pens is to help organize my notes and planner.  Having multiple colors helps me prioritize and format things in a similar way that I would on a word processing program -- or on blogger!
But another reason is because I just really like colors.
I mean...look how pretty!  haha.

I found them at a Japanese dollar store for $2.00, but you can also find them online on Jetpens.com and other online retailers. 
They are well worth the money, if you're in the market for some new pens.

Pilot Juice vs. Zebra Sarasa Clip: Which is the better gel ink pen?

There is no doubt that I absolutely love the Sarasa Clip gel ink pens by Zebra. 
But I was definitely interested in the Pilot Juice pens when Jetpens.com started stocking them. 
Both pens are incredibly similar, so which of the two are better?

**Please note that this review only discusses these two pens in 0.5mm points.

Specifications

	Pilot Juice	Sarasa Clip
Body Material	Plastic with rubber grip	Plastic with rubber grip
Length (without point)	14.0cm	13.9cm
Refillable?	standard pen colors only	standard pen colors only
Available Point Sizes	0.38mm, 0.5mm, 0.7mm	0.3mm, 0.4mm, 0.5mm, 0.7mm, 1.0mm

Appearance

If you can't see the labeling, the Sarasa Clip and Pilot Juice look almost identical.
The most obvious difference is in their clip.  The Zebra pen's clip matches the color of the pen's ink but the Pilot pen has a clear clip. The clip on the Pilot Juice also has a small hole to string pens together with a loop or lanyard - a convenient feature, but one that I do not use.

Another difference, though not readily visible in this picture is the rubber grip. 
Though both grips match the color of the pen's ink, the grip on the Zebra pen is more opaque. Whereas the Pilot pen has a grip that is slightly translucent. The opacity of the rubber grip on makes the color more vibrant, which in my opinion makes the color also more vibrant. 

Writing Performance

For the most part, there are minor differences between the two -- at least, in my experience with them.

One thing I will note is that the Pilot Juice pens seem to glide across papers better than the Sarasa Clip.
But that is not to say that the Sarasa Clip doesn't write smoothly, because it certainly does (for me)!
I have not experienced skipping or ink blotting with either of these pens, so points to both for that. 

Other Noteworthy Points

Both brands come in a crazy amount of colors.  Zebra Sarasa Clip pens come in 29 different colors. With only metallic colors and standard pen colors (black, black-blue, red) available in 1.0mm. Pilot Juice pens come in 36 unique colors, but metallic and pastel only available in 0.5mm points. 


The price for these pens vary across the web and in store.
Jetpens.com offers the Sarasa Clip for $2.20 and the Pilot Juice for $1.65 -- and as always, free shipping on orders over $25!
JStationery.com sells both pens for $1.60, but limited selection on point sizes.  They also offer free shipping, but on orders over $20.
If you're lucky enough to live near a Japanese Stationary store, like Maido, they ususally have great selection of these pens.  However, they are more pricey.

Final Verdict

I love having multiple shades of of one color for writing class notes - which is one thing that love about Pilot Juice pens.
Aesthetically though, I much prefer the look of the Zebra Sarasa clip pens. 

From week or so that I have been using both pens, I am still very partial to the Zebra Sarasa Clip pens. 

However, if you're looking to buy a gel ink pen, I would consider buying a couple of the Pilot Juice.
These pens may not be my personal preference, but for the price you pay, these pens are great.

Review: Uni-Ball Roller™ Roller Ball Pen - 0.5mm

Overall Look	8
Writing Smoothness	7
Overall Value	9
Overall Rating	8

I found a box of these in my room. I haven't used them in a while, but they were my go-to pens a couple years ago -- long before I started using Japanese pens.

However, the Uni-ball Roller was not an instant favorite for me.
I did like that the pen had a simple and sleek design, and was thin enough to fit comfortably in my pencil case, which at the time was much smaller. 
I also liked that the pen wrote smoothly with any type of paper I used -- just as it advertised on the box. 


But what I didn't like was how unbearably inky the pens were for the first few uses.
Though this wasn't the case with all the pens in the box, it was a good number of them.
The ink would bleed through and blot on the paper while writing. 
Often, it would look like the lines were far thicker than the 0.5mm the box claimed. 
The ink bleed through would eventually stop after enough use, leaving a nice, bold line without skipping!
 

Aside from black, Uni-ball Roller pens are also available in blue, red, and green ink.
And for you ink lovers that prefer a larger point size, Uni-Ball Roller pens can be bought in 0.7mm points.
Another great aspect about these pens is that the ink is smear free -- which is often not the case with my other pens. 

Major office supply chains carry these pens in 12 count boxes.
The cheapest price I found online was at Staples. They sell the box of dozen pens for $8.89; with each individual pen costing $0.75. 
Hopefully not all Uni-Ball Roller pens start out as inky as mine were.
Let me know if you've ever used these pens before and had the same experience!

Either way, I think these pens are worth the cost.
If you've been looking for a new pen for your everyday writing, I'd definitely consider the Uni-ball Roller!

Review: Pilot Juice Gel Ink Pen - 0.5mm

Overall Look	8
Writing Smoothness	9
Overall Value	9
Overall Rating	9

I had no intention of buying these pens before walking into the store last weekend, but I saw them on my way to the register and couldn't help myself.  Last time I visited the store they weren't carrying these pens, so I was pleasantly surprised when I noticed them. 

One of the first things I noted about the Pilot Juice was how similar they looked to my go-to Zebra Sarasa Clip pens (Look out for my comparison post in the near future!)  One thing that they both have in common that I really like is the clip! But there are definitely some differences between the two though. Most notable, for me, is how many colors this pen comes in! Pilot Juice pens are available in an impressive 36 different colors.  I am a big fan of having different shades of one color while writing, and with so many options and colors the Pilot Juice pens already win some points from me. The store I purchased the pens from didn't have all 36, but they had a decent selection.

I bought a total of five pens, if you remember from my last post.

And you can see these are the colors I picked up last week.

I started using one of the black in pens on Monday, and to be honest, I wasn't super into it.  Unlike other reviews I've read for this pen, it didn't scratch my paper -- which is good.  But it seemed like it was depositing more ink than I was expecting for a 0.5mm pen.  I opened up the blue, red, and green pens to test them out and didn't have that problem.  I hope that the other black pen that I bought doesn't have the same problem though.  

I paid $2.00 for each pen, which is a fair price.  Jetpens.com lists their stock of individual Pilot Juice pens $1.65 but also have color sets for $9.90 or all 36 colors bundled together for $59.40.

I haven't quite decided if I like these pens that much, but when I get a chance I will definitely be buying a Pilot Juice in dark red, and maybe checking out the 0.38mm Pilot Juice pens. 

New Pens! : A Follow Up Post

Check out the new pens I scored today.
Here's what I picked up, all of them are 0.5mm:

• 3 Zebra Sarasa Clip pens in cobalt blue, red orange, and light pink.  
• 5 Pilot Juice pens in black, blue, red, and green. 
• 2 Uni-ball Jetstream black in pens in the apricot & sky blue barrels.  

I looked up the prices for each pens online, and I bought all except the Pilot juice pens at a price less than the online retailer's selling price.  Not bad, if you ask me!

I can't wait to start writing with them.

New pens!

I checked the Ichiban Kan, a Japanese dollar store, on my usual Sunday trip into the city and saw that they carried both new Zebra Sarasa colors in 0.5mm and the uni-ball jetstream pens in 0.5mm! They also started carrying Pilot Juice pens.

I couldn't resist and bought a few of each.
Check in later this week for their reviews !

Review: Pilot Neo-Gel, Gel Ink Roller Ball Pen - 0.7mm

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Overall Look	7
Writing Smoothness	5
Overall Value	6
Overall Rating	6

I found a dozen of these pens in my room and figured I've test them out in a review.

Since I found these in an unmarked box, mostly untouched, I don't believe that I had bought them myself. (otherwise, I would have used them already! hah)  My guess is that someone in my family or a friend bought these and gave them to me for whatever reason.  But anyway, back to the review. 

At first glance, I was not that impressed with these pens. 
In comparison to my other pens, which also have clear barrels, there is just something about the Pilot Neo-Gel that is unappealing to me. 

Maybe its the colored plastic of the caps.  Maybe its the caps themselves (the curve of the clip bothers me a bit). Whatever it is exactly, I would not have picked these up if I was browsing the pen section at an office supply store.

One of the first things I noticed when writing with the Pilot Neo-Gel pen was a strange scratching sound.
It doesn't happen every time I write, but it happens more often than not. It's probably because it is a roller ball pen.
Aside from the scratching noise, in my normal cursive handwriting, this pen does not cut it. 

It may be partly because when I write, I don't put much pressure on the point but even when printing the ink skips or does not lay down a solid line. 

For a 0.7mm point, I knew it was going to be thicker than I normally write with, but for some reason the lines made with the Pilot Neo-Gel seem bigger.

Like I said, I'm pretty sure I'm not the one who bought these.
But Looking online, these pens are available in 12-count boxes for $13. 
Not a bad price, but I would not spend my money on them.  

I definitely won't be using these to take notes or anything.
The Pilot Neo-Gel is the kind of pen I would lend out to people that I knew would not return it to me. 

That is how much I dislike this pen.

But if you like gel ink pens and are have a habit of losing pens frequently, these pens aren't the worst pens you can choose.

Souvenir & Novelty Pens from Disney Land

This is sort of a late post, but I spent my President's Day weekend on vacation in Disneyland. 
My family visits often, so I don't always notice what is being sold in the gift shops.
But with this blog in mind, I made it a point to check out to the kinds of character and souvenir pens the stores carried.  


Click the jump to see what kind of pens I found ! 

Review: Zebra F-301 Ballpoint Pen - 0.7mm

Overall Look	8
Writing Smoothness	10
Overall Value	7
Overall Rating	8

Looking for a ballpoint pen that is both durable and reliable?
Then check these out! 

Unlike pens I've previously reviews, the F-301 sports a slim, stainless steel body; this feature makes these pens extra durable but still light enough to carry around in your bag. The grip is plastic and it's color matches the color of the ink. Though the metal body and plastic grip look great, it is not so great when using this pen for extended amounts of time.  In my experience, using the pen becomes a little uncomfortable because the grip is just plastic and not cushioned as with rubber grips.  But hey, maybe that's just from the way I hold my writing utensils?

For a ball point pen, the ink flows really smoothly from the point and doesn't smear!
These pens have yet to fail me by skipping either, which happens often when I use ball point pens. Another thing that I like about these pens is that when writing with it, there is a sort of weight behind it.  I'm not sure how to describe it exactly, but it feels like you have something in your hand whereas some of my pens are very light and feel like there is nothing there!

0.7mm is the finest point available for the Zebra F-301; the other available sizes are 1.0mm and 1.6mm, which are much too thick for my liking. I was comparing the line made from these pens to my 0.7mm Uni-Jetstream, the only difference is that the Jetstream makes a more precise line. 


Zebra's F-301 can be bought in any major office supply store.  I bought these from Staples for about $4, and they came in a 2 pack. 


Overall, Zebra manufactures pretty solid pens, and the F-301 is no different. 
Not my favorite pens to use, but 10/10, would recommend.

Review: Uni-ball Jetstream Standard Ballpoint Pen - 0.38mm and 0.7mm

Overall Look	7
Writing Smoothness	9
Overall Value	10
Overall Rating	8

I acquired both these pens last year; it was love at first write! Not totally in love with their look, but they write incredibly well.  These pens are honestly my favorite pens to use everyday. 
The barrels are made of plastic and are very light weight. Depending on the point size you want, the barrels do come in different pastel colors, white, or black. If you haven't noticed from my pen collection yet, I'm a huge fan of colors. And had I not been gifted the 0.38mm pen, I would have definitely opted for the apricot colored body.

The rubber grip is comfortable when writing. On the colored barrels, the grips are little translucent and can look a dirty at times.  But they are easily cleaned with a little alcohol.
The reason I only awarded these pens a 7, is because the barrels look a little too large for my tastes.  But the look of this pen does not take away from how well this pen writes.

When writing with the 0.7mm pen, the point just glides across the paper.  The ink, on both pens, is super smooth.  I haven't had problems with ink clumping or bleeding on the paper.  The only complaint I have with my 0.38mm pen is that when I first started using it, it scratched and skipped a bit.  But this is common with super fine point pens, and it is no longer an issue.

Of the two sizes, I like the 0.38mm better.  0.7mm is just a tad too thick for my liking.  Once I finish either of these, I will be checking out the 0.5mm Jetstream pen, which should be more my style. 








My one serious complaint about these pens is that they don't hold as much ink as I would like them to.  The ink reservoirs are shorter than some of my other pens, for sure. But fear not! Ink refills can be purchased for these pens, if you'd rather refill than buy a new pen.

As for the price, I believe I paid around $4 for the blue bodied 0.7mm pen, but these pens can be found online for cheaper (~$2.50)

The Uni-ball Jetstream pens are great pens for both pen enthusiasts like myself, and those just looking for a good pen to write with.  Definitely check them out!

Hey Krista! What's in your pencil case?

Seeing as how my blog about pens, it only makes sense to show off the pens I carry around in my pencil case, right?

Click below to see the kinds of pens & other writing utensils I use the most!

Review: Zebra Sarasa Clip Gel Ink Pen - 0.5mm

Overall Look	10
Writing Smoothness	9
Overall Value	9
Overall Rating	9

I bought the 10 color pen set from Jetpens.com at the beginning of last year with the intention of using them to help organize my class notes, but they easily became my favorite pens for everyday use.

What first attracted me to these pens were their vibrant colors -- there are 29 colors to choose from. Though I use black ink the most, my most frequently used colors magenta pink and blue green.  

Against the clear plastic of the body, the different colors definitely stands out.

The pen’s plastic barrel makes it durable and light weight.  And the matching rubber grip not only adds to the pop of color, but is comfortable for long periods of writing. Another great feature of this pen is the flexible clip that allows it to clip onto thicker objects without breaking.  


For a long time, I didn’t particularly like writing with gel ink pens because they tended to smear.  But with the Sarasa Clip, the water based ink flows smoothly and doesn’t scratch the paper like some other pens.  Honestly, I have very little problems with skipping or having the ink run dry in the middle of writing a sentence while using these pens. The only complaint I may have is that letters look way close together when writing in cursive with the 0.5mm pens, but its mostly because my handwriting is really small. 

I have only used the 0.5mm pens, but Sarasa Clip pens are also available in 0.3mm, 0.4mm, 0.7mm, and 1.0mm (metallic colors only). 
And if you’re one to hate wasting pens once the ink is finished, refills are available for black, blue, black-blue, and red 



As previously mentioned, I purchased my pens online from Jetpens.com.  


You can purchase the set of 10 pens for $20 or a singular pen for $2.20.  


If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, these pens are available at Maido Stationary stores. 

In store, individual pens cost about $2.50.

At Maido's online website, you can buy individual pens for $1.50. 


Each of the websites offer free shipping on orders over $25!

If there is a Japanese dollar store in your area, you may want to check them out too.
I bought a couple of my pens from the Ichi Ban Kan at the Tanforan mall in San Bruno. 

 

Hope you enjoyed this review!

Maybe the Sarasa Clip will become one of your favorites too!

Welcome to From 1 to Pen!

Hi Everyone & Welcome to From 1 to Pen, my pen review blog.

Pens come in all different shapes, colors, and points.
Whether its BIC ballpoint pens or the super fine point Pilot Hi-Tec-C -- I like them all!
On this blog, I will review all the different pens that I have and come across.

So stay tuned later this week for my first review!