[Pen/Pencil Review] Staples House Brand Copper Ballpoint Stick Pen
Today’s pen is the Staples point of sale pen. I bought it was because it was pretty. It’s a copper colored metal stick ballpoint pen. I don’t know if it’s a Strata like the other Staples brand, but it is lovely.
The Strata is 5.25″ long capped and about 6.25″ with the cap posted. It has absolutely no ergonomics. The grip is molded copper metal with threaded insert into the barrel. The detail is like a nut and screw but only back part functions. The cap is molded copper metal with a swooping metal clip. The cap does post securely, so you’re not going to lose it. The length is comfortable and fairly well-balanced in the hand. The drop between the grip and the tip of the pen has rounded edges so there isn’t a lot of digging into the fingers if you tend to “choke down” on a pen.
The ink is a generic Parker-style black ballpoint ink refill. The point is a 1.0mm. It’s a smooth line and decent ink, but I am going to change it out for a Parker-style gel ink at some point. It’s nice enough.
This was one of the pens in the bulk displays by the cash register. It was one of the more expensive ones, but still not bad – I think $2.99? It’s a good little pen. It’s super pretty and functional.
Now to the numbers.
1. How does it work? – 1 – It works fine. Smooth flow. It’s got a decent stock ballpoint, Parker-style refill.
2. Grip and feel – 0.5 – It’s solid, but I’m going to knock it back a touch because of the lack of grip. It’s all metal and hard, but it tries to be comfortable.
3. Material – 1 It’s metal – copper over metal, molded into a sleek design.
4. Overall Design – 1 – It’s a decent body design. It’s decent ink. It’s a solid pen for what it is.
5. Price Point – 0.5 – It’s not cheap but it’s not expensive. $3-ish is not bad for an impulse pen buy.
4 out of 5 bronze pencils.
