Metallic Gel Pens Just Don’t Get Any Better Than This: Pentel Hybrid DX
Written: Jun 18 '07
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Smooth writing, incredible look, rubber comfort grip, inexpensive, refillable.
Cons: Everyone wants to steal it.
The Bottom Line: The future of gel pens has arrived .. Pentel Hybrid DX
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| Freak369's Full Review: Pentel Hybrid Gel Ink DX Metallic Ink Roller Ball... |
It's no secret that I love pens; gel pens in particular. Pentel has always come out with ingenious new styles but they cling to their core principal of putting out quality items without raking people over the coals. When I saw the Hybrid DX line I knew that eventually I would buy all of them; after I bought my first one I was hooked on them and knew that they wouldn't last long if I bought any for the shop. I have all of the colors in this line except one, the metallic bronze. For what ever reason, this one is impossible to find. I added to my cart when I placed an order at Office Depot and was sent an email saying that it was out of stock. Either it is an extremely popular color or Pentel has axed it from its line up. The Hybrid DX is a well made gel pen that has a longer than average life; the barrel is constructed to take a lot of use and abuse without cracking or shattering.
Pentel Hybrid Gel Ink DX Metallic Ink Roller Ball Pen
This is a 1mm point gel pen; the tip may be a little too thick for some people but I really like it. When you are dealing with pens that have a roller ball tip there is always a chance that they will be noisy when you are using them. No, they don't talk or blabber, but they can make a very annoying scratching noise on the paper. Thankfully Pentel stuck with their classic roller ball style and design for this so you get a smooth and quiet write from it. The rubber comfort grip on it is nice but not so soft that it gets tacky or sweaty after an hour or so. If you are into saving the earth you will be happy to know that these are refillable; the refill cartridges [KFR-10] cost about $1.19 and can be found at most local office supply stores.
What makes the Hybrid DX so nice to write with? The ink flow is perfect; never a clump or ink glob to deal with. The ink is quick drying so smudging is never a problem, this makes it great if you are doing artwork or making lines with a ruler or template. These are also great for scrapbooking; the ink is acid free, waterproof and does not fade if exposed to a moderate amount of light. That's important when it comes to metallic ink; the sparkle and impact of it can fade over time if it is exposed to a lot of natural light. You can protect pages with a thin UV protector but that can get expensive if you have more than twenty or thirty pages.
This is not a retractable pen so you will have to deal with keeping track of the cap. So far I haven’t seen the DX in a retractable version but that doesn't mean that they won't come up with one [or haven't already]. If you don't recap this right away it isn’t a big deal; the ink won't dry up but you could end up with ink all over the place and this isn't the easiest to get off of skin or clothing.
Other Color Options
If silver isn't your style then you can also get these in the following colors: metallic green, metallic blue, metallic red, metallic bronze, metallic pink, metallic violet and gold. Out of all the colors I have purchased so far, the violet and blue ones are my favorite. The silver and gold ones are squally nice for greeting cards, letters or just plain old doodling. Regardless of the color you choose, you are getting a pen that is comfortable to write with, has a long life and looks great.
Price
These aren’t as cheap as other gel pens but you do get what you pay for in this regard. I paid three dollars a piece for these and after using them for a few months I can say that all the colors are worth it. The silver one is really nice for adding accents to cards and I am sure it is going to see a lot of use when Christmas rolls around. I haven't seen these in a multi color pack yet but there is talk on the message boards of Pentel releasing a five color set for under ten dollars. That is a huge savings compared to buying them individually.
The Bottom Line
The Hybrid DX is a sweet looking gel pen that is slightly oversized for comfort, writes perfectly every time and has non-toxic, quick drying ink. You can use these for writing, memos, taking notes or writing out greeting cards and the more colors you have, the more you can do with them. The tip isn't 'fine line' or razor sharp so before you start going crazy and buying all the colors, give them at test at your local office supply store. If you are into gel pens or like writing with metallics, this is something that is worth checking out.
As always, thanks for the visit…
~^V^~ Freak ~^V^~
© 2007 Freak369
Other Pentel reviews
Pentel R.S.V.P. Ballpoint
Pentel EnerGel Liquid Gel Roller
Pentel Hybrid Gold Gel Ink Pen
Pentel Lancelot Roller Ball Pen
Bic Intensity Gel Pens
Pilot G2 Retractable Gel Ink
Pilot Neo-Gel Roller Ball Pen
Sanford GELLYZ Quicksilver Gel Pen 5-Color Pack
Crayola Halloween Gel Pens
Please note: The image for this is incorrect; the photo shown is for the metallic violet pen, not the silver.
Recommended:
Yes
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