Disclosure: This is not a compensated or sponsored post. I was provided the product for review purposes only. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Paper Mate Flair

The Paper Mate Flair is a classic of the pen world. Love it or hate it, the Flair has been around since the mid-1960s and is still a top performer for Paper Mate. I hadn’t used a Flair (or any felt tip pen) in a long time. These pens are bold and expressive. Every shade produces clean and precise lines prefect for creating bullet journal grids that will not bleed through paper.

Having not used a Flair in some time, I thought maybe I had remembered incorrectly, that maybe it was another brand that had the ridges, but when I looked it up, lo and behold, I was right.  I liked the ridges, but I can imagine a lot of gunk building up in them. The ridges also stopped just short of the end of the pen and it stepped down instead of the full taper it does now. The white cross in the cap is still there, though it doesn’t spin as freely as I remember. I used to sit there and twist the pen and watch the cross spin as an absent-minded habit. Now I can barely get one of the five (the red one) to spin just a little.

The current Flair is what I remember.  The tip guard used to be white plastic and, along with the ridges, added to the aesthetic. It is now clear, which makes the tip look sleek. The tip, however, does write better than I remember, and it is less squeaky in the aural feedback department. Could be I’m using better paper these days, but somehow the tip seems firmer upon initial tests…but let’s be honest, I’m not going to subject myself to writing with this thing for a week to see when the felt tip finally breaks down.

It’s also a great signature pen and the choice of the true autograph hound, because as long as they aren’t dry, they will write the first time, unlike a ballpoint, and when you have 5 seconds with the star, it has to write…not that any of that matters now as selfies are the new autograph. The feathering and bleed through is non-existent, except when you happen to draw over the same spot again and again, when the Flair takes on marker tendencies and saturates the page.

Paper Mate Injoy Gel Pen

I’m not much of a ballpoint pen user, but I was given a set of Paper Mate InkJoy pens to review. I’ve been using them to decorate my Traveler’s Notebook refills.  I’m planning to buy my own set in the 0.5mm size because I like them so much.

The pens are packaged in plastic and cardboard. There’s a hole in the back of the cardboard so you can feel the texture of the pens, which are coated with rubber for comfortable writing.

Each pen comes with a little plastic ball on the nib to keep the ink fresh. Obviously, you remove these before use. The pens themselves are made of sturdy plastic covered with a grippy rubber surface.  The pen barrel has a clear portion that allows you to see how much ink is in the pen and the inner-workings of the click mechanism. The clip is also made of translucent plastic.  Both the clip and the back of the pen are adorned with two hearts.

The click mechanism is chrome colored as is the lettering on the barrel with the brand name and the ballpoint pen size. These pens are well designed and nice looking. They are also very comfortable in the hand. This package comes with ten colored pens: black, red, teal, yellow, light blue, purple, light green, pink, orange, and violet. The darker colors are highly saturated and work well on any paper. The lighter colors are harder to see on white paper and they disappear on black paper.

The gel ink flows well from the pen, though the lighter colors seem to be a little less smooth. It may be my imagination, but these lighter inks seem more viscous than the darker ones. Perhaps, because the ink colors are so light, I’m unconsciously pressing harder.

One of the claims for the InkJoy pens is that they dry fast and smear less. The ink is pretty much smear-proof after at least five seconds, though you do have to be careful not to smudge it immediately after writing. Still, the smudging, when it happens, is pretty minimal.

The ink works well on all paper.  I used for my handwritten review. I also used it in my planner.

These pens would certainly work well for students taking notes, for general writing, and for filling in all those fancy new adult coloring books. If I were to buy a set of these pens, I would choose the fine point (0.5mm size) simply because I prefer slimmer lines. The pens only come in 0.5mm and 0.7mm, and they are not refillable.

Pros

• The InkJoy gel pens write a super smooth, saturated line.
• The pens are comfortable to hold in the hand and the grippy rubber helps, especially if you have sweaty hands like me.
• The pen design is eye-catching.
• InkJoy offers a good variety of colors

Paper Mate Mechanical Pencils

The Paper Mate Clear point Color Lead Mechanical pencils you have a choice of six bright, erasable lead colors , your words will jump off the page like never before. The jumbo mechanical pencil eraser and comfortable grip means the party never stops. Whether your taking notes or being creative, these mechanical pencils are perfect for you to use.