[Pen/Pencil Review] Another Editing Pen for the Holidays – the Pentel Slicci 0.25mm in Red

I told you there would be a slight Christmas theme this month – the color red. Normally, I’m a green person (color not eco-nazi – though I do like to recycle and take care of the planet), but this year… Christmas 2011 is the Year O’ Red. Don’t know why. So today I give you…The Pentel Slicci 0.25mm in Red.

I picked the Slicci up from JetPens.com to try as an editing pen after the Pilot Hi-Tec-C gave me a good result. I’m still working out my comparison of the two but want to wait until I try one more really fine point pen to do that posting.

The Pentel Slicci – first off, they consider it an “art” pen, so you won’t find it in your typical box office supply store. I’d check art supply stores if you want to try to pick one up at a retailer. It’s 5.5″ long capped, and 5.75″ long posted. That’s a comfortable length for me, though I do like them a bit longer. Pentel does not sell refills, so they’re disposable, and the ink is in a color-coordinated sheath along with the cap clip so you know which pen you’re using at a glance.

The needle point is solid metal going into a metal cap, so there’s a good, solid feel to the pen point. I don’t feel like I’m going to bend or break the point when I write with it, which is always a fear with needle point pens and points this fine.

The ink pigment is solid and bright. The line comes out consistently, without skips or clumps. It actually seemed to come out as dark as a 0.4mm line, which is a good thing. I did like that about this pen. It’s a good hearty ink that’s easy to read – and yet, with it being a 0.25mm, I could still get a lot of notes into my double spaced manuscript.

The one drawback I have to the Slicci is the width of the barrel. It’s a good solid, plastic barrel, but it’s narrow. It seems like it’s designed for someone with more delicate fingers than me. I felt like I was clutching pretty hard on it just to keep it in my grasp, and it’s very light weight. These points for most people wouldn’t be a problem, but it’s just enough to maybe make me hesitate to use it on a daily basis. I’m not quite sure yet – we’ll see when I do the side-by-sides in the next few weeks.

But still, it’s a very functional pen. It does run about $3.00, so it’s not the cheapest pen on the market, but still affordable. I give it a 3.5 out of 5 bronze pencils.

Tags: 0.25mm, editing, gel, pen, Pentel, red ink, slicci, Writing, writing instruments