This could be a reason all on its own to buy a Delrin Render K....
I had a crazy idea about the pen being translucent plastic; could double as a glow stick in a pinch? Not really, but the fact that it can "glow" is pretty cool.
From what they tell me, the guys at Karas Kustoms have just a few of these still laying around in the back that are available for purchase from their blog if anyone was interested.
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.
Old vs New - New equals less nasties
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.