Pen Review - Staples Felt Tip Pens

I'm a sucker for a pretty pen.

This should come as no surprise to you if you've been around me (or read my blog) for any length of time.  I see those glorious pen bodies, in all the colors of the rainbow, and I must have them!

I was a gel/rollerball pen snob for much of my writing life.  Once I discovered gel pens, I left the world of ballpoints behind for a better way of writing.

Then came 2001.  I started dating my husband, who was taking some college classes at the time.  We swung by the school bookstore one night on our way to dinner and of course, I had to check out the pen section.

In that moment, my life changed forever.

I discovered Staedtler Triplus fineliners.

As I saw the rainbow display boasting 20 colors of inky goodness, I knew I had to have them. (They now have more colors - Yea!)  So, I looked at Charles with my sweetest expression and he dropped thirty bucks on a set of pens.  This was the moment I knew he was truly in love with me, by the way.  I mean - if a man buys you good pens, you've found your soul mate.

From that day forward, felt tip pens (also known as fineliners) replaced gel pens as my favorite.  And 16 years later, they're still one of my most loved sets.

There's a fine line between a good felt tip pen and a fine point marker and every time I see a new brand or style, I must buy them.

Last week, I found these:

They were around $7.00, which is a decent price for 12 pens.

Aren't they beautiful? I know.  It's hard to stop staring.

I opened them up, took pics, then promptly started writing with them.  And they are pretty good.  They are no Staedtlers, but I don't regret buying them.  

One complaint I have is the nubs on the pen body. (As you can see in the pic above)  They hurt!  After just a few minutes of writing, my finger hurt from those prickly bumps.  I don't quite get the point of them - Maybe they're supposed to be a grip?  

As for the ink flow, I feel they're a little stiff but after you write for a few minutes, they loosen up and the ink flows more smoothly.

Would I buy them again?  Probably, but only because my goal is to have a set of every pen at the store.  Yes, I'm serious.  Don't judge me.

I will use them but not all the time.  I cannot deal with those prickly nubs.

And that's my 2 cents.

Some of my favorite fine liners (including the Staedtler's) are:

             

As always, if you use the links above, it helps support Pink and Paper.

Happy Monday!

Pens! Pens! Pens!

I love pens.

Seriously.  I looooooooove pens.  I love pens more than some humans.... 

Ok, maybe not.  But still, my heart does go pitter patter as the sight of gorgeous rainbows of pens!  I'm a serious addict and have no plans to curb that addiciton any time soon.

Because of said addiction, I own hundreds of pens.  People will frequently see my pen collection or the massive amount of pens in my drawer at work and say "There's no way you can use all those pens!"  WRONG!  I most certainly do.  I rotate them out almost weekly and prefer hand written notes to computer generated printouts, so I use them a lot.

I figured I may as well share this fabulous collection with you all, so I thought I'd start sharing a new set of pens every few days....  Here goes!

Stabilo 88 Fineliner Pens

Felt tip pens - sometimes called fineliners - are probably my favorite type of pen.  I am not sure why, but I feel like my handwriting looks nice with them and I love the way they write.  With a fineliner pen, you do have hold  your pen somewhat upright, so if you write with your pen slanted, you may not love them.  

One of the other selling points of these particular pens is the color choices.  I love that they have tons of colors - including neon!

Here's a sample of how they write, along with the colors/names.

The neon colors don't show up great in the photo, but every color but neon yellow looks really nice and bright in person.  These pens are so much fun!  They write smoothly and don't bleed through most paper.

I would highly recommend them!  I feel like Amazon has the best price and you can get them online HERE.

Remember, anytime you use the link above to purchase on Amazon, you're helping support Pink and Paper.  

I'll be back soon with more pen love.

Happy writing!

I {heart} Handwriting! (And, of course, pens...)

A few of the buckets on my craft desk...

I love writing letters.

As in letters of the alphabet.

For as long as I can remember, I've loved writing.  I can remember, as a child, I would get a blank piece of paper and my big box of markers and go to town.  I am sure there were times I drew pictures, but what I remember most is writing words.  I would write names, then trace around each letter with different colored markers until it filled the page with glorious, rainbow lettering.  My parents tell me I've always had an affinity for pens, markers and writing in general.  They say, as a child, I would just sit and draw words then decorate the letters and make them pretty.

I think I must have been a weird kid.

Fast forward to the present...  Nothing has changed.  I adore pens of all kinds.  I adore handwritten notes.  I adore gorgeous rainbow colored ink.  I adore lovely stationery.  I just love it all!

Japanese Stationery Store.  Yes, Please!!!!!!!!

Along with my love of writing, I love handwritten things.  I think handwriting says so much about someones personality.  The style of the letters, the color and type of pen used, even the paper says a lot about you.  My hubby and I are prime examples of this....

Let's say we are each going to make a shopping list.  I will pull out several colors of pens (which I have with me at all times, by the way).  Sometimes it will be felt tip; other times a bold, gel pen.  The pen I use is directly dependent on my mood at the time.  After I've carefully chosen a few pens to use, I then must choose the correct paper.  Lined? Unlined?  Again, it depends on the mood.  I will carefully write out the list, often putting it in order the items are laid out in the store.  If I mess up, I'm very likely to re-write the entire list.  I write in a slow and methodical manner because neatness matters to me.  Writing the list is a process I thoroughly enjoy.  I told you I was weird.

My husband, on the other hand, will grab a pen.  He ONLY uses black, extra fine tip pens.  No variety.  No excitement.  Just simple, predictable, boring black.  He doesn't look for a great notepad to write it on.  Anything will do.  He'll use a receipt, a scrap of paper or an envelope that previously held his paycheck.  He will write his list in no particular order, scribbling some illegible words as he goes.  He does not care if the list is neat, tidy or pretty.  It's a shame, really.

Now that you know about our lists, Let me give you a short summary of our personalities...

I am flamboyant; he is subdued.
I am bubbly; he is serious.
I am frivolous; he is practical.
I love sparkly pink; he loves flat black.
I am excessive; he's a minimalist.

You get the point.

My theory makes perfect sense, right?

I realize I'm rambling here, but really, is there a better subject to ramble on about?  I think not.

Anywho....

I know I cannot be the only one who feels this way about my beloved pens.  Do you love great pens?  Gel? Felt tip? Roller ball?

Tell me all about your pen love.  I could chat about pens all day...

Cheryl