Showing posts with label Precise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Precise. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Review: Rotring Tikky Rollerpoint EF

This was another pen in the recent order from JetPens. The Rotring Tikky is a solid pen, and one of my favorites from the order. It also taught me something, how to pronounce Rotring. (For some reason before I ordered this pen I always pronounced Rotring as Rot-o-ring, but once I got the pen I realized there was no o in the name)


The Tikky Rollerpoint is a liquid ink pen from the good folks at Rotring.  This is my first experience with a Rotring product but I have read that the Rotring name is almost synonymous with quality.  The Tikky has lived up to these expectations.


The ink comes out very smoothly along the paper of my Black n' Red notebook.  I hardly have to exert any pressure to write anything with this pen.  The ink is a very dark black that doesn't fade over time.  In the Black n' Red there is no show through and no bleed through.  In my Field Notes memo book there is minimal show through and no bleed through (unless you leave the tip on the same spot for an extended amount of time).  The writing experience this pen provides is stellar.


The body of the pen is reminiscent of a Pilot Precise, with a see through window to gauge ink levels in the pen.  The cap of the pen is marked with EF so that when stored upright in a pen cup you can tell the tip width at a glance.  This is a nice touch that shows the great attention to detail this company has.  


On the grip area there is one flaw that makes this pen a bit of a hassle to use.  The grip is covered in ovals placed to give improved grip for the writer.  However, these ovals actually make the grip seem slippery and make my fingers slip from the places I want them to be.  This is a minor annoyance in the grand scheme of things, but it is an annoyance.


Other than a minor flaw this pen is great.  The Rotring Tikky Rollerpoint EF will be in my writing arsenal for a long time.  I can't wait to try other Rotring products.  I have my eye on one their gorgeous drafting pencils.

8 out of 10 mummies.








Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Review: Pilot Precise V5 and V7

The Pilot Precise V5 and V7 have been two of my favorite pens since I was in the 4th grade.  The Precise series of pens are actually one of the reasons I got interested in pens.  Before I used this pen I didn't know there were different types of inks.  I did a bit of research, trying to figure out why this pen wrote so much better than others, and was awakened to the wonders of high quality pens and office supplies.

precise2

Even in the 4th grade I realized that the Pilot Precise was a step above the competition.  Everything about this pen, from its design to its writing, screams quality.

First, the writing.  The Pilot Precise V5 and V7 are the 0.5mm and 0.7mm versions of the liquid ink Precise brand of pen.  The V7 writes very fast and smooth.  If you are writing on glossy paper it doesn't even feel like your writing, just gliding along the page.  That being said if you have sloppy handwriting, like myself, it can get out of hand.  On thinner and or cheaper papers there is show through.  I have also heard of bleed through from these pens, although I have never experienced it.


precise1

The V5 is also a super smooth writing machine, but is a bit more manageable.  The super fine tip allows for a more controlled writing experience that is still just as smooth as the V7.  It really is a masterpiece of a pen.

precise5

Now onto the design of these pens.  The Precise V5 and V7 are, in my opinion, some of the best looking pens out there.  They have the name of the pen and the brand on the barrel and not much else.  The cap is minimalist and fits snugly on the back, although I would like it if it posted with a satisfying click.  The barrel has the name of the pen, the tip width, and is color coordinated with the ink color.  My favorite feature of the pen is the ink window on the barrel which lets you see how much ink is left in the pen.  As a kid I would always shake the pen until there were bubbles in the ink and then watch the bubbles move around instead of paying attention in class.  Everything about this pen blends together perfectly into a great writing instrument that also looks good.

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The only possible negative is the needle tip of the pens.  They are prone to be bending and damage.  Even this happens rarely in my experiences.

Overall the Pilot Precise V5 and V7 are two of the best pens made. They deserve a spot in every person's pen case.

Pilot Precise V5: 10 out of 10 mummies
 

Pilot Precise V7: 9 out of 10 mummies
9mummies

Friday, May 18, 2012

Coffee's Top 3 Favorite Pens

First off I would like to apologize for the inconsistent posting schedule of the past two weeks.  Things have been a bit hectic since college has ended and we have moved back home for summer break.

Whenever people hear that I review pens on this blog the first question I get is, "Are you serious, why?" the second question is "What's your favorite pen?".  For me my top 3 is always changing.  Sometimes I hate a pen when I first use it, then a month later I try it and love it.  Sometimes I use a pen for months and love it like a child, but then it falls out of favor.  So this is not a static list of pens that I enjoy but an ever changing list that will be updated in the future.

1. Pentel EnerGel .5mm Black "European version"
The review of this pen was written by Cody.  He gave it a 10.  If I wrote the review I would have also given it a 10.  This pen is my go to pen for long writing sessions or quick notes.  It does everything well, and does not have any flaws in my opinion.  It is the bees knees. The European version gets my vote because of the removable cap.  I dislike retractable pens. 


2. Pilot Precise V5 + V7
Precise V5
Photo from Pilotpen.us
This pen is a living legend, a classic.  We haven't reviewed it yet on #penswag, but keep an eye out for it next week.  This pen has been on my list of favorites since I was in grade school.  It doesn't matter if it is in the .7mm or .5mm version I love it.  The simple design of the pen, the window to view ink level, the smooth rolling ball that deliver the ink.  Everything is great.  Also, the cap is removable another bonus, I'm not a big fan of retractable pens. 

3. Kaweco Sport Fine Nib
kaweco5
When I first got this pen I hated it.  When I reviewed it I gave it an 8.  The only reason it got an 8 was because of the smallness of the body.  If the body was just a bit bigger this would be one hell of a power house.  Despite the small body I still find myself reaching for this pen over and over.  I love writing with it and that's undeniable.  It is a great pen, and it can take a beating.

So there it is.  My three favorite pens as of right now.  Agree, Disagree, have your own list of favorites? Let us know.

-coffee