I know, after my past, less than joyful experiences with InkJoy I should have skipped them, but they were on sale ($5.00) and I haven't tried this variety. The Uniball Vision Elite pack was a bit pricier at $11.99, but I like Uniball and I wanted to try them, too. The weirdest thing is I actually got the pack of Uniball BLX pens with black-infused color inks for free; when I checked my receipt I discovered that the clerk didn't ring them up.*
Anyway, here's how the pens write:
They're all good, but I like the Uniball BLX pens best. The black-infused ink looks really normal with the blue and red pens, but the green and purple are rather gothic:
I'm going to hide the ones I like and share the rest with the pen thieves. Should keep them from filching mine for another couple of weeks . . .
*This is the universe balancing things, I think; a few days ago I tried to use a coupon on some toner Office Depot e-mailed to me, and although it was perfectly valid they wouldn't honor it because the bar code wouldn't scan.
I've always liked Uni-ball pens. They do skip once they get very old, but they last a long time.
ReplyDeleteAnd I have to admit to being a lifelong pen thief. Somehow I always end up with someone else's pen. But I'm innocent, I tell ya. I'm sure in another life I was probably pen-poor and now I'm trying to make up for it. :)
I like Uniballs for the same reason -- they seem to last much longer than other brands. Also I can't usual crush or warp their tip with my heavy-handed writing.
DeleteWe won't report you to the Pen Police, but we'll be keeping an eye on you. :)
Good question. I tried a smear test on all three by writing and then immediately rubbing my finger across the writing. Here's a pic of the results:
ReplyDeletehttp://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh289/LynnViehl/2015%20PBW/Pensies%204_zpsydg9y2eq.jpg
As you can see the Ink Joy pen was almost smearless, but the Uniballs didn't fare as well.
Lynn,
ReplyDeleteI was a Uni-ball pen user/writer, but now, I have discovered Tul pens which are an Officemax brand. I LOVE them. They are retractable (I hate pens with lids 'cuz I lose the lids) and after using them for about 6 months now, they haven't let me down yet. Smooth writing, no clumping and I like the feel of the pen in my hands. Send me your address and I will mail you one!
Tami
Jacksonville
I have to admit I've always been a pen snob. I have a matte black cross pen that I love and use all the time for paying bills. My husband and I loved it so much we had to get a second one so we'd quite arguing over it. I've never been fond of any ink color but black.
ReplyDeleteBut now that I'm homeschooling and trying to run two part time business, I've discovered the joy of color-coded ink. So I recently went to staples and purchased a 10 pack of different colored ink pens. My calendar this year will be full of colored goodness.
My favorite pen is the Pentel EnerGel .07, black ink. I have these all over the house, in my purse, the car. It took me years to find the exact right pen that fits my hand, has an excellent grip, glides smooth and easy over any kind of paper, lasts for a really long time and doesn't cost more than my vehicle. ;D
ReplyDeleteOoooh, I love the Uniball color-blacks, too! I got some a few months ago, and I've enjoyed them so much I gave a few to friends as stocking stuffers. The other pens that I'm really grooving on (besides my beautiful Pelikan fountain pen), is the Sarasa gel pens in .07 size. They write very smoothly and come in a rainbow of colors. I like to use them for editing--I can easily color-code my edits for grammar/rewriting/fill in details/etc. It makes the process more fun. (I figure there's nothing wrong with the occasional bit of writerly bribery in a good cause, right?) I'll also mention a new kind of paper that I've started using for writing letters. It goes very nicely with fountain pens, comes in white or cream, and is so lightweight that it's inexpensive to mail even long letters overseas. It's called Tomoe River paper, and it's very slightly see-through, which also makes it really great for inking drawings (if you ever like to do that).
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