Category: Pen review

Pilot Juice gel ink pen review

23 June 2014 By ian

The Pilot Juice is a gel ink pen that is available in three different tip sizes (0.38, 0.5 and 0.7mm) and a large range of colours. (Thirty-six colours in the 0.5mm size, fewer in the other sizes.) The grip is comfortable and slightly squishy. The barrel is clear plastic and a good sensible size. The […]

Kaweco Dia 2 fountain pen review

16 June 2014 By ian

The Kaweco Dia 2 isn’t quite as well known as the Sport range but is, like the sport, an evolution of a design that has been around for a long time. It’s one of Kaweco’s classics. It’s only available in black but can be found with chrome-plated trim, like this one, or with gold-plated trim […]

Artline Drawing System drawing pen review

9 June 2014 By ian

The Artline Drawing System pens are, unsurprisingly, drawing pens. They use water-based yet water-proof black pigment ink and can be found with tip sizes from 0.1 to 0.8. The ink is good and black and the clip is nice and strong. Those are the best aspects of this pen. The line isn’t always consistent – […]

Sheaffer VFM fountain pen review

2 June 2014 By ian

The Sheaffer VFM is a low cost pen with a metal barrel and plastic section. VFM stands for ‘Vibrant, Fun and Modern’ but that applies more to the other colours this pen is available in than this rather stately and classic looking matt black version. The build quality is absolutely fantastic. It’s a very solidly […]

Retro 51 Tornado rollerball review

26 May 2014 By ian

There was a time when Myke Hurley used to talk about the Retro 51 Tornado so often that it became a pen-that-should-not-be-named on the Pen Addict podcast. Is Myke completely mad or did he know what he was talking about? Or, at least on the podcast, trying not to talk about. The build quality of […]