Pen Review: Master’s Touch Premium Gel Pen Set

Got these from Hobby Lobby. I think this is their store brand. I tried the glitter and metallic pen sets. Both had 12 pens for $10, (unless there is a sale or coupon). Glitter set: I am not sure what is up with the need for so much yellow lately. I noticed ou of 12 colors, they had two different yellows. I saw another 10-color yet with two yellows, so I wonder if this is a current trend or demand. Whatever makes people happy. Bold smooth lines with lots of silvery sparkle. They seem good brand, when new, anyway. Pen body is narrow and the same size all the way down, in case you happen to like a sleek or uniform look. The caps don’t fit on tight and they tend to rattle when you write. Metallic set: These initially worked, but then a less than a month after purcahse, with only a couple of uses, they started skipping and reminding me of Color Technik. Sad. Not sure what it is about these things that make them cop out so quickly. Is it the brand quality? Do special inks like glitter and metallic tend to have more issues? I wonder if I should put dates on all my pens and note the "expiration" shelf life when they die without running out of ink. So far the glitter are still working, but it makes me wonder how long they will.

Preliminary Black pen-off

Some day I have to evaluate every single "plain" black or blue pen there is for smoothness to crown the ultimate writing pen. The other day I grabbed a few I thought might be fun to compare, to see what ranked better than others. I wrote a few short sentences, several words with each pen. I guess in theory I should write the exact same thing on the same piece of paper, that way there’s absolutely no variation in even the words chosen.

Here were my preliminary impressions:

Top picks included Sarasa bold 1.00mm blue-black retractable, and Pilot precise V7 Rt. Clicky top, not quite as bold, but very smooth. I believe I discovered both at Kinokuniya bookstore. Also right at the top was the uni-ball vision elite (yes, I admit it).

Still very close, but barely a step down were the uni-ball vision fine. Hmm, didn’t even realize that’s what it was until recording the results. Maybe it’s the barely less premium or pre-elite version. Also a runner up was the Pentel Energel metal tip 1.0.

Next best was the Pentel 24/7. The funny thing about this pen is it’s smooth most of the time, but occasionally feels like a squeaky marker on marker-board. Just for a moment, as if the ink is re-adjusting, and certainly not that often. Huge pen body, disposable, which kind of sucks. But a good solid writing pen. Also discovered at Kinokuniya.

Honorable mention goes to Bic gelocity. If not a pen connosouir (or wanna be) and not comparing to all these other pens, it’s a nice smooth pen with no complaints. Also comparable was the Uni-ball Signo 307.

It didn't occur to me until the following day that I didn't include the Pilot G2 or Uni-ball Signo 207. I wonder if subconsciously I didn't think they would be the very top pens anyway.

The more I think about it, The Uni-ball Vision Elite seems like a smaller point version of the Zebra Sarasa 1.00mm. The Sarasa 1.00mm has long been one of my favorites. Ironically the Sarasa .7mm is not nearly as smooth and usually not worth mentioning. See, all these pens that get smoother as they get bolder? On the ball-point front, the Uni-ball Jetstream 1.00 is like a finer point version of the Bic 1.6mm. (anything less than 1.6mm in Bic positively sucks). I have been using the Jetstream for notes at work, as I admit there are times when bold is just too bold.

Still Sucky Light

This last week’s lighting solution (I use that word lightly). I brought an additional 60 watt equivalent lamp that sit’s about a 16 inches away from me (tiny desks). It is ridiculously bright compared to the regular office lighting and gives me a headache, but I feel somewhat less lethargic with it on most of the time. Oh, for customized dimmer switches settings. I’ve tried putting a few sheets of paper propped up against it, but it doesn’t stay put well and I don’t want to tape it. Also put a folder in front of half of it for when the headache gets worse near the end of the day. Still allows the rest of the diffused light to bounce around the walls and better than being completely off. I’ve also ordered an arching over-desk lamp that has 3 light colors (warm, cool, in-between),and 10 brightness settings and supposedly maxes out around 75 watt equivalent. I’m hoping the latter, when it arrives, will be a little more tolerable to my fickle preferences. Also since it comes with a base or clamp, and I have a couple little shelves at my desk, I might be able to put it up higher to light up more of my desk; not just a little section. Fingers crossed it comes soon, and doesn’t cop out quickly.

Disqualified pen (no review, not getting more)

Pilot Precise V7 Stick Liquid Ink Rolling Ball Stick Pens (blue, 0.7mm).

I've used the Pilot liquid stick pens in the past without issue. Even back in the day when I used .5mm. I apreciated the precise tip and variety of colors (to use at boring jobs). But when I bring home a brand new one and it leaks all over, without any clear damage/reason, I'm going to avoid that pen. Maybe they're not as sturdy as other pens and did have a structure/damage point? It's not like you go looking in detail for what leaked where on a messy pen that just betrayed you. Perhaps it got banged around in my bag on the way home? I fished it out of my bag, set it down, and when I went to retrieve it hours later, it was completely empty. Do they need to be stored more carefully - like only end up or down, or only lay flat? If so, I'm still not a fan of higher maintanance/picky pens, especially if catostrophic failure is the result. Sorry, not gettin anywhere near these again if I can help it.