Winners: Pentel EnerGel Deluxe RT

I assigned all of my commenters a number, and then used a random number generator to choose the winners.

In the order in which their numbers came up, the winners are:

Kirsten, who wins the purple pen.

Christine, who wins the blue pen.

Melissa, who wins the red pen (since Kirsten wanted the purple).

Please email me your addresses at severuslupus AT gmail DOT com and I'll get your pens in the mail!! Congrats, ladies!!! And thanks to everyone who commented. There will be more giveaways from the Big Box O' Pen Love.

Review: Pentel Arts Sunburst White Gel Ink Pen

When I saw this pen in my Big Box O' Pen Love I actually tilted my head and asked SM, "What good is white ink?" I mean, most people don't write on colored paper over the age of six or so, and obviously white ink doesn't work well on white paper.

Disclaimer: I tried to write on white paper just to see what would it would look like. The ink was sort of a cream color, but it was readable when you tilted the paper at a slight angle. This made me think it would be a good pen for "secret missions" for a secret agent kiddo.

Also disclaimer: I got excited that we needed to buy some dark colored paper so I could test out the pen.

Once I had some dark colored paper I set to work trying the Sunburst out. It's a capped pen, which I am not normally a fan of. I tend to lose caps, or they throw the pen off balance in my hand and make them uncomfortable to write with. This cap didn't bother me as much, but I still ended up leaving it off while I tested it out. The 0.8mm tip made bold, thick lines, and the ink flowed well as I wrote, even when I was just doodling. I wrote with it on black card stock that had a slight wood grain texture on one side, and smooth on the other. The Sunburst wrote well on both sides, without skipping or gloppy ink. It dried super fast and looked very sharp when I was finished. I was surprised how much I liked it even with a tip that is bigger than I normally write with.

I don't think anyone would be using this pen for serious writing, or use it for more than a few minutes at a time, but the grip makes it comfortable enough for extended use (such as if you were doodling for a long time). I think scrap bookers would really dig this pen, but I found a great use for it as well in my every day life - signing my signature on my photographs that have dark mats, especially since the Sunburst has acid free ink, a must for crafters.

All things considered, I like this pen. It was fun to play with and I think I will get some good use out of it. If White isn't your thing, the Sunburst is also available in these metallic colors: Red, Blue, Green, Bronze, Pink, Violet, Gold, and Silver.

Review: Pentel EnerGel Deluxe RTX Liquid Gel Pen PLUS GIVEAWAY!!

Part of the awesome that is being a Pen-fessional is that I get a big box of pens to play with and test out. When I saw these beauties smiling up at me from that box, I knew this was going to be a sweet gig.

I've already talked about my love for the original EnerGel, specifically, the 0.5mm needle tip, so you know I was already digging these pens on sight. Pentel sent me four of these, in Black, Purple, Red, and Blue. I immediately grabbed the nearest sheet of paper and set to writing.

The first thing I noticed was how smooth the ink flowed as I wrote. The blue was a little spotty out of the gate, but as I wrote more with it the ink filled in and it ended up being just as nice as the other colors. The pen felt nice in my hand, with the grip (latex-free, a very nice touch) leaving my fingers feeling good even after writing for some time.

The ink dried super fast - and I tested this out by running my left hand over the ink as I wrote. I grew up as the only right handed one in a family of lefties, so I know what it's like to be writing and come away with a hand smeared in ink. My immediate thought was that this would be an awesome pen to gift to my sister or my Mom, both of whom have lived with ink stains on their writing hands for years.

The colored inks were bright on the paper, and really popped when I wrote with them next to the black ink. I especially liked the shade of blue, a nice deep shade. Most blue pens I have come across have a weak, pale shade that always makes me think the pen is running out of ink. The red ink is super sharp and really grabs your attention - totally perfect for making revisions or doodling a couple hearts for your sweetie (which I did, and she loved). I was also impressed with the purple shade. My Mom enjoys writing with purple ink, and sadly some of the ink fell into the same weak lines that blue inks tend to. The EnerGel, however, has a bold purple that stands out and holds its own when written next to the dark solid lines of the black ink.

The black ink was my favorite. I rarely write in any other color, and finding a pen that writes well and has a good, strong ink is always a priority. I even enjoyed the 0.7 metal tip, despite being a die hard needle tip person. The lines are strong without being too thick, perfect for any type of writing you might be doing. The pen is solidly built, and it better be, since it's refillable!

I'm pleased with the EnerGel Deluxe RTX. I'd buy this pen again. In bulk.

And because I am not likely to love on the colored ink pens as much as they deserve, I'll give away the Blue, Purple, and Red pens to three lucky commenters! Just leave a comment on this post before Friday, April 9th, at midnight and tell me which pen color you'd like. That's it! I'll pick three winners randomly Saturday morning, and will email the winners.

Should two (or three!) winners all want the same color, the first number to come up will get their color choice and so on.

Leave me some comments, and get your pen love.