So shortly after I got my 0.5 Tect 2 way I ordered the 0.7 and 0.3 versions, then the Light 0.3 and 0.5.
After a month or so of using them my preferences have changed. I find it extremely difficult to use a 0.5 for doing calculations, and 0.3 is ok for writing. I prefer 0.5 for writing / taking notes and o.3 for calculations. However, the 0.3 sees plenty of writing action, since the small size makes it ideal for exponents and subscript letters.
The Light version is cool, but in black looks somewhat cheap, the white one looks better, and it's easier to use for long periods of time due to the weight, but for general use I like the regular / heavy one.
Also, Zebra has recently released two more colors for the regular version, black and red.
Sunday 30 May 2010
Thursday 29 April 2010
Zebra Tect 2way 1000 0.5mm
What an awesome pencil.
I bought this pencil less than a month ago to give it a try, since it looked cool. It wasn't until I started using it that I found out it had a shaker mechanism, which is awesome. I've been using it a lot, and just ordered a 0.3 and a 0.7 from JetPens, and the next order will include the light versions to try them out.
My first shaker pencil was the classic Pilot "The Shaker" that I got from my dad (he loves those pencils) and still have it somewhere in my house, but now I've been using mostly drafting pencils, since I like them more, they're good for... well, drafting and graphing, and they're slim enough.
Hopefully my order will be here by Monday or so (yeah, I'm in AZ, so shipping from San Jose is quite fast), still in time for most finals so I get to use them.
Oh yeah, and the guy who sits next to me in Calculus liked it a lot and asked me where did I find it because it was really cool.
And it's 2:40AM, so I'm not making a lot of sense, sorry.
Tuesday 20 April 2010
Sharpie pens
Well, after I got the Sharpie Pen in 2008 the lineup has expanded considerably, and I've tried most of them. I just found out about the medium tip, which I'll have to try at some point.
After trying the original one, the RT and the Grip versions, I have the following conclusions.
-They all write the same
-Seems like the blue ink on the original one is indeed lighter than in the new ones
-There are no color choices for the newer pens.
Size
The original pen wins the prize for size and appearance, it has the dimensions of a regular pen, looks and feels like one
Ergonomics
There is a tie between the Grip and the RT. I liked the thick grip of the RT, but after writing for a while that just doesn't really work, on the other hand, the Grip is too comfortable to be used during long periods of time. Ergonomics on the original pen are, sadly, terrible. Mostly due to the sharp edge where you normally hold it to write, hopefully Sanford will address this eventually
Portability
The original pen, its size means you can take it everywhere. The Grip takes the 2nd place because it is slightly bigger, and the RT takes the last place because it's huge.
Miscellaneous.
One thing I noticed is that both versions with a rubber grip tend to pick up a lot of lint, it is an issue for me because they normally travel in a specific pocket in my pants, and they pick up a lot of lint, but the Grip one has at least some form of protection
The RT is very prone to leakage, because if the clicky thing is pressed accidentally when the pen is in a pocket, the tip might actually come out of the body and the ink is then transferred to the fabric (my pants are living proof of why you shouldn't carry the G-2 Mont Blanc in your pockets, and the Pen RT to some extent).
And the classic pen is available in 8 colors I believe, while the others are just available in blue, black and red.
I came back
So first of all, I must apologize for disappearing suddenly. I was extremely busy with real life matters that i wasn't having enough time for this (heck, I wasn't even having time to sleep). Hopefully I'll now be able to make at least a weekly post.
I'm also going to focus a lot on drafting pencils, which I've been using a lot recently, and I've had the chance to try out most lead sizes (except for 0.9mm - so far).
Oh yeah, I'm writing this post at almost 3 AM, and decided these lyrics by They Might Be Giants are appropriate, in fact, this has been a constant for the past few weeks.
Am I awake?
What time is it?
When I get through this day
Can someone tell me how
And how much longer now
Am I awake?
Wednesday 4 November 2009
Quartet EnduraGlide
Not the usual review I guess.
I tried one of these markers once (for like 5 mins) and thought they were really cool, but no stores nearby carried these, so I was thinking about getting some online, and I never got them.
Yesterday I went to Staples (with the clear intention of getting what I needed, not stopping anywhere else) and noticed that the pens/markers aisle had been rearranged and slightly improved, they had those stations where you can try some pens, and they had a lot of markers and pens available by the unit, including the EnduraGlide (and unlike before, they also had pretty much the entire line of Quartet dry erase products).
I grabbed two, an aqua and a blue, for further testing.
I must say that they write really good, they feel good, they are odorless (they still have a small odor of isopropanol) and they come in a lot of colors. I'll probably stop by later to get more colors.
Unlike most current dry-erase markers, these allow you to see the ink tanks and you can estimate how much ink is left. Also, the tip is not too soft and not too hard; that's my main issue with the Expo2 / Expo low odor markers, the tip is too hard and doesn't feel good when writing with a brand new marker.
I tried one of these markers once (for like 5 mins) and thought they were really cool, but no stores nearby carried these, so I was thinking about getting some online, and I never got them.
Yesterday I went to Staples (with the clear intention of getting what I needed, not stopping anywhere else) and noticed that the pens/markers aisle had been rearranged and slightly improved, they had those stations where you can try some pens, and they had a lot of markers and pens available by the unit, including the EnduraGlide (and unlike before, they also had pretty much the entire line of Quartet dry erase products).
I grabbed two, an aqua and a blue, for further testing.
I must say that they write really good, they feel good, they are odorless (they still have a small odor of isopropanol) and they come in a lot of colors. I'll probably stop by later to get more colors.
Unlike most current dry-erase markers, these allow you to see the ink tanks and you can estimate how much ink is left. Also, the tip is not too soft and not too hard; that's my main issue with the Expo2 / Expo low odor markers, the tip is too hard and doesn't feel good when writing with a brand new marker.
Monday 14 September 2009
Pilot G-2, Revisited
About 6 years after trying the G-2 for the first time, I feel it's time to write a 2nd review of it.
As of now, I think that the G-2 is the pen family that allows the most customization, since you can choose
a)4 different body styles and sizes
b)4 different tip sizes
c)many different colors (not available in all sizes)
plus, you can fit cartridges designed for
a)Q-7 (0.5mm gel)
b) Precise Vx RT (5mm, 5mm liquid)
c)VBall RT (EF, F, B, liquid)
d) Mont Blanc Rollerball (Fine, Extra Fine, liquid)
I decided to stick with the 0.7mm regular G-2, which has the most colors available and I find it to be the best in most types of paper.
You can feel how the pen moves freely on the paper, doesn't feel scratchy or anything like that, the ink is not dispatched in excess, however, you still need to be careful not to smear the ink. The ink seems to be lasting, although the amount of writing I do now is by no means comparable to what I was doing a little over a year ago.
My main complaint is the availability, some colors like navy blue are only available by the unit from Pilot's website, the other option is a 3-pack available at certain stores (it comes in orange, forest green and navy), which sometimes complicates things, since I don't use forest green a lot (let alone neon orange).
And for those who try the MontBlanc conversion, DO NOT carry that pen in your pocket, that ink has a nasty habit to spill when you accidentaly press the clicky mechanism.
As of now, I think that the G-2 is the pen family that allows the most customization, since you can choose
a)4 different body styles and sizes
b)4 different tip sizes
c)many different colors (not available in all sizes)
plus, you can fit cartridges designed for
a)Q-7 (0.5mm gel)
b) Precise Vx RT (5mm, 5mm liquid)
c)VBall RT (EF, F, B, liquid)
d) Mont Blanc Rollerball (Fine, Extra Fine, liquid)
I decided to stick with the 0.7mm regular G-2, which has the most colors available and I find it to be the best in most types of paper.
You can feel how the pen moves freely on the paper, doesn't feel scratchy or anything like that, the ink is not dispatched in excess, however, you still need to be careful not to smear the ink. The ink seems to be lasting, although the amount of writing I do now is by no means comparable to what I was doing a little over a year ago.
My main complaint is the availability, some colors like navy blue are only available by the unit from Pilot's website, the other option is a 3-pack available at certain stores (it comes in orange, forest green and navy), which sometimes complicates things, since I don't use forest green a lot (let alone neon orange).
And for those who try the MontBlanc conversion, DO NOT carry that pen in your pocket, that ink has a nasty habit to spill when you accidentaly press the clicky mechanism.
Thursday 30 July 2009
More Round Stics
And as summer progresses, I keep on getting more pens in my collection, and as my travel and hotel stays continues, I've been able to get more Round Stic Pens.
It turns out that some Marriott brands are renovating themselves, and with the renovations, comes an increased ecology thing, and more things are made from recycled materials, pens included.
They moved away from the traditional white barrels and solid color caps, so the new Marriott pens have a translucent barrel with a dark translucent red caps (please note that it's not completely "clear" like the Diamante or Crystal pens), and the Courtyard by Marriott are also translucent, but the caps are translucent green or orange. And on the barrel they have a small recycle sign and say 74%. These are the new Bic Ecolutions pens, which are already available for the consumer market.
These are actually really cool, and here are the pics
My room had 2 green ones, the 2 orange ones were stolen from my parents' room. The design of the notepads has also changed.
And here you can see the all of them. The Courtyard logo was dropped from the new pens, and you can see the old one there. The old design has been around for at least 10 years.
It turns out that some Marriott brands are renovating themselves, and with the renovations, comes an increased ecology thing, and more things are made from recycled materials, pens included.
They moved away from the traditional white barrels and solid color caps, so the new Marriott pens have a translucent barrel with a dark translucent red caps (please note that it's not completely "clear" like the Diamante or Crystal pens), and the Courtyard by Marriott are also translucent, but the caps are translucent green or orange. And on the barrel they have a small recycle sign and say 74%. These are the new Bic Ecolutions pens, which are already available for the consumer market.
These are actually really cool, and here are the pics
My room had 2 green ones, the 2 orange ones were stolen from my parents' room. The design of the notepads has also changed.
And here you can see the all of them. The Courtyard logo was dropped from the new pens, and you can see the old one there. The old design has been around for at least 10 years.
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