I have been guilty of filling up my cart at JetPens a gazillion billion times but never checking out… I chicken out. With so many uber options how can I be sure I picked the right ones?
This is a huge burden I am not ready to bear alone.
Now comes my plea – help me decide! Pretty please!
Let me know what you think I should order … be honest and if you could offer a little bit of a reason behind your suggestions, that would be even more spectacular!
edit: Okay a little guidance has been requested :]
I adore gel pens these days … liquid ink seems to be my gig. The frixion pens that PenAddict reviewed today looks fun. Bright sassy fun unconventional colors are a must… but I won’t say no to a blue-black or something a little different from the norm. See what I mean? I really do like too many pens! :}
Take care, be well and let the commenting begin!
UPDATE
Thank you so much for the input everyone~! I really appreciate the comments here and at Twitter!
My order plans are shaping up – But I’m still not certain.
My fountain pen envy (penvy) is roaring along. I love the look of the Lamy Vista and dream of stocking my arsenal with bottles of gorgeous inks. But I see that JetPens has the Varsity pens in fine point! I’ve seen the “hack” of refilling these ‘disposable’ fountain pens and I’m wondering if this is the route for my ever changing pen fascinations.
Dowdyism at PenAddict has lit a fire in me to try the Uni-ball Signo DX UM-151 Gel Pens. I’m leaning towards the 0.38mm tip but am just overwhelmed with the variety of colors! OfficeSupplyGeek says blue-black, I like the lime green too. Does anyone know of a ink color chart for these? (It would be so much easier if I were rich and unrestricted! (or at least not budgeted)).
The recent buzz about the Frixion line has my spidey-sense tingling. I’m dying to try the Pilot FriXion Color-Pencil-Like Erasable Gel Ink Pen 0.7 mm. The purplish red (thanks to dowdyism) and the dark orange are in my cart. I would **love** to find the 24 pack under my pillow from the pen fairy some day but these two will have to do for now.
I have a set Uniball Jetstream in the 1.0mm (black, blue, red) and really love the ink flow. I’m debating on getting a new body or a refill. Will these refills work in my current bodies? I’m stuck on whether to buy a 0.5 or 0.7. Oy the agony of decisions!
The Uni-ball Signo RT UM-138 Gel Ink Pen 0.38 mm in Lavender Black is calling my name. I really want to try this body and the color just sounds fun. (Thanks to Nosferatuia!)
I am going to avoid any more Slicci’s since the physical shape of the pen doesn’t really mesh with my likes. I have a few blues in 0.4mm from Arathi and I find I pull them out every so often but not enough to warrant purchasing more just yet.
The Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto 3 Color Multi Pen is really an awesome item! (Thanks SarahHB1) … But once again the color choices are overwhelming. Here is another place where a color chart would help me out.
I’m still not sure about which fountain pen inks to consider. I also have a couple questions – please holla via Twitter or a comment if you can help me. Can Lamy fountain pens take only Lamy cartridges? How do I know what cartridge to buy to fit my Levenger fountain pen?
If you haven’t stopped by JetPens yet you are missing the virtual pen heaven I used to dream about!
Thank you so much for stopping by. Take care and be well.
April 10, 2009 at 7:39 am
Can you give us a list of possible selections? What do you really want to buy? Nr
April 10, 2009 at 7:42 am
edited post to include some guidance
April 10, 2009 at 8:12 am
Have you tried a Slicci yet? If not, you need to order at least one to test out. May I suggest 0.4mm lime green or sky blue.
April 10, 2009 at 8:16 am
Yikes! I would like to help but I only ever order fountain pens and their accessories from jetpens! One thing I would definitely get is the PlePle pen wrap.
April 10, 2009 at 8:17 am
I emailed Dowdyism about this a while back and have a couple Pentel Sliccis in my cart and the Coleto Hi-C. I’m just waiting for the colors I want to come back into stock.
This might actually be a good time to check in on it!
April 10, 2009 at 9:07 am
Pilot Petit1 in dark green and crystal blue. Any of the Hi-Tec Cs and Sliccis. Whaleman’s Sepia ink. Just a few. Nr
April 10, 2009 at 9:56 am
Gel ink in colors and one of my two favorite retractable gel ink pens overall (would be my fave if the refills simply held more ink!) Uni-ball Signo RT UM-138 Gel Ink Pen – 0.38 mm – 8 Color Set. For $11.50 you get some super pens in a variety of colors in a nice fine tip that balances smoothness vs. the scratchiness you can sometimes get in fine tipped pens.
April 10, 2009 at 11:46 am
This set, so I can live vicariously through you: http://www.jetpens.com/product_info.php/cPath/239_286_53/products_id/3134
And one of these – I’d say purple, of course, but hey, whichever you prefer :p
http://www.jetpens.com/index.php/cPath/447_574
April 10, 2009 at 12:57 pm
Left my comment on the wrong thread, Im a dummy.
Here is what I said:
Cant go wrong with a nice blue black or green black Signo DX. Also the Jetstream Basic series is nice, probably the best writing ballpoint you will ever find.
April 10, 2009 at 6:26 pm
I am not sure how big of an order or what sort of pens you were thinking about but here are some suggestions:
Ballpoint-
Uni-ball Jetstream 0.7mm
Uni-ball Power Tank
Gel-
Slicci 0.3mm or 0.4mm
Hi-Tec C 0.4mm
FriXion- Color Pencil Like- Very smooth good writing pen, but not archival
Signo RT 0.38mm Lavender Black (a neat color that can be used in the office but still be unique)
Signo Bit- Mandarin Orange (but it looks like they dont have any in stock right now)
Liquid- I would say Energel, but it looks like you already have some of those
Craft-
Pilot Lattes (many colors and write on all sorts of surfaces)
Sakura Gelly Roll Pens- They all have their own thing that makes them neat. The aqualip/glaze and souffle versions can write on many surfaces as well.
Fountain-
Lamy Vista or Safari also try some lamy cartridges and pick up a converter.
Noodler’s or J Herbin Ink.
April 10, 2009 at 7:43 pm
Left my recommendations for you on Twitter – careful with the Frixxion pens, the ink is kind of soft and light, and the erasing is a bit spotty. 100% go for the Hi-Tec-C pens, .3mm is about as perfect as can be.
April 11, 2009 at 6:51 am
Here is my reco-
1. Uniball Signo 207 Micro blue or black.
2. Sakura Gelly roll in Pink or some funky color.
3. Lamy Safari with turquoise ink.
4. Pentel Silicci
Enjoy!
April 11, 2009 at 8:09 am
I am not sure if it matters to you or not but I have the set of Colored Pencil Like FriXions and a few on the FriXion points. Both of them all but disappear during a water test, but I still really like them, just not for something like journaling, or notes that are heat/cold sensitive (or that stay in my car in the winter). I also have to say that the “colored pencil like” ones write the best of all of them, but FrXion ink is sort of light, so the finer the tip the less it shows up
, I’m not sure the FriXion point are worth the extra $ since they are so light, but man are they cool looking, Hope that helps!
April 11, 2009 at 8:27 am
Thanks for the heads up… I think I’ll stick with the frixion pencil-like 0.7 mm then and just use them for work and random stuff. I chose the two colors based on the pictures jetpens has up – they looked nice and bold/dark.
April 11, 2009 at 9:05 am
With fountain pens, I generally avoid cartridges altogether. I prefer the flexibility I get from a converter. Is your blue-black really too-black? Then mix your own! Plus, with a converter, there is less plastic waste, so it is a bit of a greener choice. On top of that there is just so much choice in bottled inks these days! Many of the inks are bulletproof as well, which is a must for me anymore, especially for journalling, check-writing, and even some note-taking.
About Lamy FPs: I have a Lamy AL-Star (same as a Safari or Vista except with an aluminum body) with an EF nib and it writes very smooth and produces a nice fine line; a little thinner than a Signo 207 gel pen with Needlepoint.
April 11, 2009 at 9:26 am
I apologise if this has already been answered on twitter, but…
In my experience, the Jetstream refills work in all models. I have bought four different ones. The only difference I have seen is that the “stick” model (not sold at Jetpens) has a sort of quarter-inch cap on the end of the standard refill.
As far as recommendations, I would go with the Alphagel model. It is not cheap, at $15, but you get what you pay for.
April 11, 2009 at 5:19 pm
Reply sent via Twitter regarding fountain pen ink. So many choices these days. Might help to pick one or two characteristics to narrow your search. Color intensity, flow, drying time, even cost could eliminate certain brands.
Waterman, Pelikan, J. Herbin, Private Reserve are good for beginners. The latter is slow to dry because the color is more saturated. Works for many people but not all. J. Herbin has softer colors though some are fairly saturated. Pelikan has saturated colors but not always great flow. Waterman has fewer colors but an excellent reputation for consistency and quality. Waterman BBk is one of my all-time favorite inks and is always in at least one pen on my desk. Not a color for everyone though.
So what appeals to you?
April 11, 2009 at 11:54 pm
Hi there! I was in the same boat you were in until a few minutes ago. I placed my first order with JetPens, but after reading your post and the posters’ recommendations, my cart ended up costing MORE than I started out with. Haha. So, I wouldn’t really be any help in that area. I did order some Frixions, Signos (RT and DX), and the Coleto (Cherry Pink, Blue Black, and Violet inks). Good luck deciding on your first order =) I have a feeling I’ll end up ordering more from JP.
April 12, 2009 at 9:06 pm
For pens like the Signo DX and Jetstream, I much prefer to try them out in person before I buy. There’s always that aberrant dry scratchy lemon that is a PITA to unclog.
Also, had I bought colors based on reviews without trying them, I’d have been fairly disappointed on many occasions. Mandarin Orange for instance, I thought was OK, but after using a Burnt Orange Slicci (which fits great in Hybrid Technica bodies, by the way, but Jetpens only has the Red available), the Signo is hard to read by comparison, and I find I don’t care for it all that much. I tend to use bright Slicci colors (Sky Blue, Burnt Orange, Pink) combined with darker Signo DX (Lavender Black, Blue Black, Brown Black). The exception is with the greens, where I prefer the darker Slicci (Green) and the lighter Signo DX (Emerald). JetPens doesn’t have the DX in Lavender Black unfortunately, but the RT model is almost as good.
Jetstreams…1.0mm and 0.5 are my combo. 0.7mm I had twice and both times decided to give away, because it wasn’t as smooth as the 1.0, but wasn’t fine enough like the 0.5 to compensate.
Even if you don’t do calligraphy or brush work, the Pentel Pocket Brush pen is just fun to play around with. I’m also a pencil person, and the Hi-Uni pencils are lovely.
Just make an order. You’ll forget the cost soon enough, and will likely get the itch shortly thereafter again. Without actually GOING to an Asian stationer and trying stuff out, you’re always going to wonder if you REALLY want something or if you SHOULD have chosen something different. You’re not gonna be able to avoid that by asking people on the internet what they recommend. So just rack up some courage, fill out an order, and push yourself through the checkout. Afterwards you’ll be overcome with the desire to justify each thing, looking for more reviews on each item you chose, hunting for positive reviews (confirmation bias). It’s normal, but understand you aren’t making any real mistakes, no matter what you get.
Good luck!
May 24, 2009 at 5:51 am
I ordered the 24 frixon erasable & it is one of the BEST things I’ve ordered off Jetpens. The colours are AWESOME & they’re just really good quality pens.
In terms of thickness of pen, I’m usually writing with a 0.4mm but it’s really up to personal taste ! What do you prefer writing with ? I think unless you write in Japanese or other asian language then the smaller thickness is better for provision but people who write in English prefer 0.7mm usually !