Review – Prismacolor Kneaded Rubber Eraser

Recently, my erasers started running out of eraser juice, and I started having trouble with them. So I went to the art supply store looking for a replacement. I found almost my exact eraser, and one that was a bit cheaper, so I decided to try the cheaper one, the Prismacolor Kneaded Rubber eraser, out.

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Kneaded rubber erasers are cool. They can stretch and bend to get into small, difficult spots as well as wider spots. They can “clean” themselves, and generally don’t leave any eraser shavings. And while this is a good eraser, it isn’t as good as the ones I have used previously. It just doesn’t erase quite as well. Pencil is harder to remove, and stays bolder in indented lines. The eraser also rubs off quite a bit. There are still fewer shavings than one would get with a solid eraser, but more shavings than one should get with a rubber one.

So, if you’re just looking for an eraser that is better than standard or even high-quality solid erasers, I would recommend this one. It’s definitely good and gets the job done. But it certainly isn’t the best rubber eraser out there.

Review – Prismacolor Premiere 4 Pen Black Set

Some people don’t like Microns, or they just can’t get them. There are alternative technical pens for those, fortunately. There is a set that is even sold in WalMart: The Prismacolor Premier 4 pen set.

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The body of the pens aren’t particularly nice. They are black with an abundance of text. The cap is short with a thin metal clip. The cap is hard to grip and kind of ugly, as it fits on tightly but is hard to remove. The cap can be posted, but is also hard to remove there as well. The section of the barrel that is covered by the cap is short and hard to grip but not uncomfortable. It is slick.

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This set has 005, 05, chisel, and brush tips. They lay down a nice black line. They are archival quality, so they are fade-resistant and acid free. The ink flows smoothly, with the occasional hiccup that happens in all technical pens. The 005 and 05 have a similar size and tip feel to Microns. The chisel is a nice tip, but it is a bit weak and seems like it won’t take much abuse. The brush seems more like a long marker than a brush, and it is not very flexible. It does have quite a bit of line variation, though, when you really push it hard. It’s just more difficult to use.

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Overall this set is a nice one, and it’s cheaper than most other technical pens. They are a bit uncomfortable, and the ink is a bit worse than some of the competitors, though they are quite nice. For the price of a little bit less, they offer just a little bit less. They work great and will serve admirably at their purpose. They just aren’t the best on the market.