Paper Mate Flair, Brown ("The UPS Edition?") - Pen Review

May 22, 2013

Ah, the old Paper Mate Flair. What a classic. For about a year I was hooked on using the Flair for all my writing. Felt tip pens are just great to write with! They make your handwriting look more expressive, and especially neat when you write in all caps...

I was perusing a local Staples and stumbled upon a Paper Mate display in the aisle. It was full of loose pens of about a dozen different colors; I picked up probably 4 or 5. Usually to buy them in a color requires either buying them in all red (not necessary as I'm not grading spelling tests for a living), in a 12 pack, or you have to buy a four pack with black, blue, red, and green. For some reason the brown one called to me...

The brown color looks like it could be the "UPS" edition of the Flair. One thing that Paper Mate does well is match the ink color to the barrel color. Seems like a silly thing, but is just well played. There are some cheap pens that you write with that don't even come close.

The Flair has a really simple design that is comfortable to write with. The tips start to break down pretty quick, but at less than $2 per pen it isn't really a big deal.

I hadn't bought a flair for awhile and Paper Mate appears to have changed the barrel design. They used to have these sharp grooves down the whole body of the pen (I'll post a comparison if I have an old one laying around) that would eventually get kind of nasty with the oils from your hands. A little graphic, sorry, but still gross... The new barrel design is completely smooth which prevents the nasties from diluting the writing experience. The pen feels like it is made from a cheaper plastic, but the change overall is for the better.

Lamy Safari Rollerball Pen Review

May 19, 2013

Lamy makes some pretty cool products. The company has been around for awhile and have always seemed to have an edge on a more modern design.

Although the Safari is actually one of their entry level pens, it really is still an astounding pen.

This particular model is a rollerball, but the Safari also comes in a ballpoint and the more prevalent fountain pen style. I have a Safari Vista fountain pen that I'll review sometime soon that I've also been pleased with.

They are made of a dense, molded plastic and are quite sturdy and have a very recognizable strong steel clip.

The Lamy Safari often comes in a variety of vibrant colors like yellow, orange, green... my blue selection was a bit more conservative compared to some. Still, it is a nice looking shiny blue.

From what I've heard, the Safari is often used in grade schools around Europe to teach children how to hold a pen properly. The grip section has a very unique faceted three-sided, triangular shape that forces you to put your thumb, index, and middle finger in the "right" place. Quite clever, Lamy! Kudos.

I've always had a pretty normal grip, so the pen is quite comfortable for me to hold.

I like rollerballs generally and the Lamy doesn't seem to disappoint. It writes very smooth and lays down a thick line. The Doane Paper I use is pretty thick and absorbs ink, but with as much as the Lamy puts down it didn't bleed through. On other less porous paper the ink likely floats a bit better.

Kaweco AL Sport Ballpoint - Glossy Silver Pen Review

May 16, 2013

When I first saw the glossy silver offering on Jetpens for the Kaweco, I was completely stunned at how striking they were. It isn't very often that you see a pen and keep getting drawn back because of how good it looks. Perhaps it was just their great photography? Once it arrived, I found this was not the case, but that the pen really IS striking!

This was my first Kaweco product (start big, right?...or small?) and can admit that I am thoroughly impressed by the build quality. This particular pen body is made of aluminum and is finished with a high polish chrome that gives it a mirror-like finish. Again, very striking. The pen feels solid in your hands and has a decent weight, although not heavy by any means. The knock mechanism is quieter than I expected and almost seems pressurized when you push it, but has a smooth and solid feel.

The only downside for me of this pen is how small it is. Being a smidge over 4 inches means that it is small for sure. I wouldn't say it is uncomfortable to use, but isn't ideal. The knock pushes into the fleshy part of the hand between the thumb and index finger rather than sticking into the air like most pens. Also, I almost feel that the pen diameter is somewhat disproportionate to the length; too wide for how short. If it was 1/2" longer it'd probably be perfect. Ok, there are two downsides: as striking as the mirror-like finish is, this thing is prone to fingerprints and scratches. The knock after only a few uses has already shown signs of wear from making light contact with the body.

I switched the refill out for a Fisher Space Pen multi-pen refill as the Kaweco ballpoints tend to be lacking; this was true upon testing when it arrived. The Fisher refill is actually pretty awesome just by itself! It has these break points in the refill where you snap it to the right length. Kind of weird, but strangely enjoyable? Like a sort of bubble wrap effect. I've found I can't go wrong with a Fisher refill.

Although this particular Kaweco isn't one I could see myself using daily, I enjoy having it. My first impression of Kaweco's quality is quite good and I imagine there will be more of them to come.