Tag Archives: art supply

Review – Monteverde Ceramic Gel Refill

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Some companies are iconic. Some companies have existed for years and have made a lasting impact on all of the products in their market today. Parker is one of these companies. And when my Parker Jotter ran out of ink, and I was trying to find a refill, this became apparent. Because while there aren’t many Parker brand click pen refills to be found in the world (it can be done, and much easier than some other things, but still…) it is quite easy to find a refill that will fit into a Parker pen. In fact, it’s more common to find pens that fit such refills than it is to find a genuine Parker pen now. Monteverde is one such company that makes both refills and pens of the Parker type, and I’ll be looking at the Ceramic Gel refill from them today.

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The body of the refill itself fits perfectly into any Parker-type pen with ease. Printed on the cartridge is enough information to help you buy another and then some.

The ink is a jet black. It takes some time to dry completely, though, and even when it is dry enough to turn the page the ink isn’t completely dry. It sparkles for some time until it fades to a nice black with little to no shading, which I like in a black.

When dry the ink is very water-resistant, with only minimal feathering. Writing is quite smooth, though I chose the fine-tipped version, which is very finicky about the angle at which it is held and will skip if it is even slightly out of alignment. The tip can also upon occasion require a stroke before the ink flows. After this, there are no flow problems to mention.

It’s just a good refill that does what one would expect it to. It performs well, and its smoothness is quite nice. Really, though, the feel is so close to many other gel pen refills that it comes down to a matter of trying most of them and selecting a favorite.

Review – Scripto Oops

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Sometimes, when going through life, you find some amazing idea that you can’t believe has been discontinued. I mean, how could they not be making money on that? Of course, there are many reasons for something to disappear, and in the case of what I’m reviewing today, the Scripto Oops, there are plenty of long erasers to take its place. But this one was the first I ran across, and I think it deserves at least a short review.

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The Oops is a pen-like item, with an uncapped cylinder as a push button on the back, and a functional, but not very useful, clip. One the side of the eraser is printed the relevant information for the company and item being used. At the section, the eraser becomes more “triangular” and ridges are added for grip in the facets.
Pushing the button moves plastic claws at the front of the eraser that push forward and then lock in the main eraser part. This mechanism is fairly sturdy, but does break over time. The eraser itself is better than a standard pink eraser, but not as good as gum erasers. In general, it falls well into the white eraser category.

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Overall, I love the thing, and use it when I remember it’s around (and not lost in my pen cup). For art, I do tend to use higher-quality erasers, but for everyday use this is a great one and it fills all the roles needed with minimal streaking and removes enough pencil. It’s just a shame they don’t make them anymore.

Review – Pentel Handy-Line S Permanent Marker

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I personally don’t have much use for permanent markers, but quite a few people do, especially for the “fine” tipped ones like Sharpies. But regular permanent markers are kinda boring. Today I won’t be looking at one of those, but at a more interesting Pentel Handy Line S.

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The pen body is kinda ugly. It’s a very straight-cut tube in black, with lots of logos and text on it (though I have seen worse text on many items). The overall design is boxy. Up near the top is a very positive clicking mechanism that feels quite robust. The click it gives off is super satisfying, as well. The clip is nothing really special. It is a bit sharp and might tear cloth, but it won’t break. Interestingly enough, there is a mechanism underneath the clip that will disengage the clicking mechanism when the clip is moved away from the barrel, meaning that if you do put it in a pocket it will automatically retract, which would hopefully save one from some of the mess that would cause. The rest of the barrel is straight and black, with some writing. There is a slight curve before the retractable point, which has a nice cover that blends in with the pen to keep the marker tip from drying out.

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The writing is quite black: I’d say slightly warm but not to noticeably so. The pen is a bit dry when it is just beginning to write, but that is quickly worked through. I will admit that I haven’t given it the most rigorous testing possible, but the ink is suitably permanent. It doesn’t smear or feather when exposed to water, and writes on many different surfaces. The ink also has a very peculiar smell that is like no other marker I’ve used, though I probably shouldn’t sniff it regularly. The body of the pen says it’s refillable as well, though I can’t for the life of me figure out how that would work, but it’s cheap enough to replace.

Overall, for a retractable permanent marker, I’d say this one hits the nail on the head. It works well in all places and has no glaring flaws. It isn’t that expensive and can be used for all sorts of things. Whether or not the features make it worth tracking one down is up to you.

Review – Up&Up Double-Sided Tape

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Well, you can call me out of ideas again (but not Shirley). I’m going to be looking at tape. This time it’s the type of tape you never realize how much you need until you get some, and that’s double-sided tape. Specifically, from the brand Up&Up.

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The container is nothing special, it’s thin and plastic-y, but still flexible. The teeth are solid, and do a good job of cutting the tape. Everything is cheap but everything works on it. The tape can also be taken out and used in a different dispenser, though it is slightly thinner than regular Scotch tape and one must be careful to have it not stick to the inside of the dispenser.

The tape itself is good. The sides both stick strongly, and equally so. The tape itself is stronger than the adhesive, so it will come off before breaking. It is fairly pliable but it loses its adherence fast, so nothing that moves a lot, or will be handled, will be stuck for very long with the stuff. But really it’s for posters and scrapbooking, and for that it works superbly. It is quite transparent, but that only really matters if the things you’ll be sticking on both sides are transparent as well.

In the end, it’s good tape. It might be slightly below Scotch tape (in my opinion), but really not enough to tell. For any of its main uses it will serve well, and double-stick tape is really useful.

Review – Scotch Transparent Tape

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If reviewing Scotch Tape means I’m out of ideas, then call me out of ideas (I do have plenty more things to look at, though). But really, who doesn’t have a use for tape? And when buying that tape, couldn’t shaving off several pennies save quite a bit of money over time? Is the brand name really worth it (It’s pretty generic-sounding, now, isn’t it)? Let’s see.

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First thing, the container: Scotch Tape comes with a clear plastic, simple, but quite durable dispenser. The roll of tape is clicked into place on the wheel and at the front are several teeth for separating the tape into strips. Is any of this the best quality? No, but it gets the job done, and very cheaply. If one has a tape dispenser that they like, individual rolls can be bought, so I’d say that this works quite well.

Now onto the tape itself, which certainly isn’t “magic” or “invisible”. The stuff I’m looking at is just labeled “transparent”, and that it is. The tape is easy to see through and sufficiently sticky that it will hold most documents together without a problem in either holding or reading. In fact, the tape itself is very strong, and the adhesive is more likely to break than the tape itself (or perhaps what it’s taped to). Given that it does have a certain rigidness to it, though, it isn’t a tape for repairing any item that, like a tool, will be used, or will move. It is surprisingly strong, but really only good for paper products.

Now, is it worth it to buy Scotch Tape and not some other tape? Given how inexpensive Scotch Tape is already, I’d say yes. And if it isn’t right where you’re shopping, I’d even hunt around for it. The two rolls that come in a pack for around a dollar will last for quite some time. And I’ve seen other brands for around the same price that cease to be sticky once they came off the roll. In short, there’s a reason we say “Scotch Tape” and not “transparent adhesive tape”.