[Pen/Pencil Review] The Bronze Age of Sharpie Fine Point Metallics
It’s no secret that I love Sharpies. I do. They have a major place in the writing world. The regular Sharpies are essential to autographing photos and labeling things permanently. I have one of the Stainless Steel Sharpie Pens that I do most of my book autographing with. But sometimes a basic black Sharpie won’t do—like if you have a dark background or paper. That’s where the metallics come in very handy.
We’re all aware of the Silver and Gold Sharpies. They’ve been around for years. They’re staple Sharpies for holidays, autographing, etc. Though I did laugh with Glenn Morshower at Dallas Comic Con’s Fan Days about the barrels being labeled with their color names. We guess it’s in case the color coded caps get switched?
But now Sharpie is introducing a new metallic – Bronze. Yes, it’s the bronze age of Sharpies. I actually like this metallic color. It is, to my eye and opinion, brighter and richer than even the gold. Though I only did the writing sample on white paper, it seems like it should do really well on dark backgrounds as well. I also like it because it speaks to me as a Redhead…bronze is good.
Though the Bronze will never take the place of Silver and Gold, I think it’s a lovely addition to the metallics line – it does give a more festive color to holiday gift tags – especially the slick ones that don’t take other inks well, that’s what Sharpie does – or to simply label right on the gift wrap. It’s also the typical size and shape of a Sharpie – 5.5†long capped, nearly 6†long posted. The one bugaboo? No clip on the cap. You can’t stick it in a pocket.
The numbers:
1. How does it work? – 1 – It’s decent. It’s a fine point Sharpie. There’s not a lot to go wrong here. The color doesn’t bleed through (though it is dark and you can see through light paper), it’s still a good overall permanent marker.
2. Grip and feel – 1 – It’s a typical Fine Point Sharpie. There’s nothing ergonomic about it. It’s a smooth barrel with a plastic cap. You’re getting what you pay for here.
3. Material – 1 It’s a typical Sharpie. No frills plastic. It is what it is.
4. Overall Design – 0.5 – This is going down a peg simply because the cap doesn’t have a clip. This is a mistake. NONE of the metallics have a clip. If you’re using them at a table, they’re going to stay at the table. If you’re walking around, you better have the cap on tight and a deep pocket because there’s nothing to secure the pen to anything.
5. Price Point – 0.5 – It’s an okay price point but not great. They run about $1.50 (average) depending on where you go and if you can find them stand alone. I got mine in a multi-pack with silver and gold, and saw multi-packs of just the bronze, which might bring the price down but only during holidays. So…not that expensive, but not cheap either.
I give it 4 out of 5 Bronze Pencils
