Pentel Metallic Gel Rollers

RrrrrrOWRrrr... this is pure Pentel sex!

Oh, honey, you KNOW I like those sexy pens from Sanford. But sometimes... well, how can I say this... the regular ink pens just aren't enough to satisfy me.

Don't feel bad, Sanford, it isn't your fault. You've always been there for me and I'll always love the way you write. But let's be fair—it isn't my fault, either. It's that evil Pentel of America that's come between us!

Once you've had black, you'll never go back
It all started in the mid-'90s, with the American debut of gel ink pens. They began as simple bright colors, then spread out into a range of unusual hues and metallics designed specifically for dark paper. I think the phenomenon started with scrapbookers, but it didn't take long for gel ink pens to become a raging fad. Soon even Safeway and Target were selling black-paper notebooks and metallic-ink pens.

By far the most popular company for gel ink pens is Pentel, selling pens under both the Pentel name and the Milky line. The Milky pens, in my experience, are substandard with weak inks and insufficient flow.

But the Pentel Metallic Gel Rollers... rrrrrrrRRRRrrrr...

Everything you've heard is true
I admit, I was curious. I'd heard... things... about black paper and metallic ink, and I wanted to know more. So one day I slipped out to Target, quietly gathered up a Milky black-paper notebook and a Pentel Metallic Gel Roller 5-pack, threw in a box of tampons to distract the clerk, quietly paid and smuggled my questionable loot out of the store in a brown paper bag.

When I got it home... oh yes! YES! This was exactly what I'd hoped for! Against the black square of paper, the metallic inks flowed and sparkled with neon-like intensity. The 5-pack contained five bright colors—green, blue, violet, red and pink—the better to unleash my creativity. Write a name, draw a doodle, cover the entire page with stained-glass complexity—whatever I did, it shone out clear and bright against the darkness. Not too much ink, not too little. I drew and drew and drew and, finally spent, basked a while in the reflected shine of the metallic glow I had created.

There was no going back. I had become a gel pen ho.

Versatility
It gets better. Unlike certain pens formulated for black paper, Pentel Metallic Gel Roller ink shows up well on all paper colors. I've used it in regular journals, on odd dark cards where normal ink would fade into obscurity, and everywhere in between. Granted, there are situations where shiny metallic ink isn't appropriate for use—say, wedding invitations and other more formal occasions—but that's where the solid, dependable, undeniably sensual writing of the Sanford Uni-Ball comes into play.

When the honeymoon's over
The Pentel Metallic Gel Roller has much of the same limitations as the Sanford—it doesn't handle pressure very well and it has a tendency to get stolen by covetous co-workers. Unlike the Sanford, however, the Metallic Gel Roller has a tendency to peter out before it has completely run dry. You may see dazzling metallic ink in the chamber, but that doesn't necessarily translate to dazzling metallic ink on the paper. (Tease.)

All this dazzle doesn't come dirt-cheap, either. Prices for the 5-pack run from about $1.50-$2.00 per individual pen, depending on how much you shop around.

But is it worth it? Oh yeah.

Conclusion
I'll always love my Sanford Uni-Ball for all-purpose writing. I know I can depend on it to get the job done with style. But sometimes even the most devoted writer wants a little spice—that's how those naughty Pentel people make their money.

There's only so much temptation a gal can stand.

All material displayed on this website is © 2001-2009 by S. B. Houghton, writing under the alias "The Pirate King." All rights reserved.
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