Water Resistance Test of Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto 0.3mm Refills

Just a few photos! Sorry the light's so dim, but it's the best I can do--school is keeping me too busy during actual daylight hours! :-(

Got the Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto multipen 3-refill body, and filled it with 0.3mm refills (Apple Green, Violet, and Pink). @rcannonp on Twitter mused about how some Pilot ink had poor water resistance, while others might not be so bad. Since I'm desperately procrastinating, I decided to snap a few pics before and after a dash of water!

Here's the pen:


And a writing sample with each ink color. I let it dry for about 36 hours.


Here's the same writing sample immediately after running it under cold tap water for 15 seconds. The ink ran a little, but it was still reasonably legible.


Here's the same piece of paper, after sitting for ~30 minutes:


Yes, my camera skills leave something to be desired, but this isn't entirely my fault this time! The ink spread and became more difficult to read after sitting for a while. And it's not a camera trick--the purple is separating, leaving a bluish "shadow," almost like having double vision. The Apple Green is pretty difficult to read, and is not quite legible anymore. The pink isn't too bad--it's blurry, but legible. The purple makes my eyes cross, due to the stereo effect.... :-O

So, there you have it! Looks like the pink ink wouldn't be bad if you spilled some water or got caught in a light rain. The other two didn't fare as well, but you could still read it if you really tried (especially immediately after the spill).

Review: Uni-ball Alpha Gel 0.3 Mechanical Pencil

Just a quickie mini-review! Got this mechanical pencil recently, and wanted to throw up a few pics!

(Click on any photo to enlarge.)

I have lots of 0.5mm mechanical pencils, but I found myself yearning for something with a thinner line. However, I'm not too crazy about the grip in drafting mechanical pencils--they're probably great for the purpose for which they were intended, but I just want to write!

I tend to grip the heck out of writing utensils (I've tried to stop, but I can't!), so a rubber grip is much appreciated. I purchased this pencil from JetPens.com, since I "had" to meet the $25 minimum for free shipping! ;-)

After a brief trial, I love this mechanical pencil so far! The gel grip is very squishy, yet firm enough to give some pleasant feedback. I normally use Sensa mechanical pencils, which have wonderfully squishy grips, but the narrowest lead they use is 0.5mm (and they're discontinued).


Taken with a flash--I liked the resultant eerie glow:



I was worried that I would break the lead instantaneously while writing, since the lead is so thin, but so far this hasn't been a problem! I'll try and post an update in the future, but so far the lead feels firm, yet with enough "give" so it doesn't break. I've been writing really quickly with it, and haven't poked through the paper or broken the lead yet!

Writing sample on a Markings by C.R. Gibson pocket-sized journal, with 0.55cm line spacing:


Even though this mechanical pencil was a little pricey for a "regular" plastic mechanical pencil ($12), it seems lightweight but sturdy enough to last a while. It's a great alternative to my precious Sensa mechanical pencils, which are extremely difficult to replace! :-O

New Rhodia Webnotebooks Coming Soon!

It appears that the much-anticipated Rhodia Webnotebooks will hit the US very soon! :-) It's currently being previewed at the National Stationery Show, but will be in retail outlets soon.

However, some retailers are selling the older version of the Webnotebooks, and calling them "new." The "old" Webnotebooks have 80 gsm paper, which was made in Singapore or Japan, but wasn't the standard Rhodia/Clairefontaine paper. The "new" US versions will have 90 gsm Clairefontaine paper.

See this post on Rhodiadrive.com for more information!

Levenger Giveaway! Free Circa Notebook, Pink Sharpie, Uniball Signo 207!

They're giving away a free Levenger Circa Junior notebook, a pink Sharpie (commemorating breast cancer research), and a Uniball Signo 207 here: http://www.mommybrainreports.com/1776/levengerreview/

They've extended the deadline to May 23. Good luck! :-)