Stabilo Sensor Fine Point – Three Years & Still Going Strong!
Written: Sep 16 '03 (Updated Nov 09 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Almost unbreakable tip, sold individually or in sets, inexpensive.
Cons: Colors will fade over time if exposed to sunlight.
The Bottom Line: Looking for a non-permanent razor sharp marker for writing, drawing or inking? Look no further than the Stabilo Sensor.
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| Freak369's Full Review: Avery Sensor Cushion Tip Pen Fine Point Black Ink |
Over the years I’ve amassed a rather large collection or markers, pens and related art and drawing supplies. Most of them are used from time to time with only a few of them seeing any excessive amount of use. I am continually surprised when I pull out the Stabilo Sensor and it writes as perfectly as the day I purchased it. With all the use it has seen, the point is still incredibly sharp, the ink is still bold and vibrant and it writes without skipping or pooling. You’d think that after three years this would start to show some signs of slowing down, but something tells me this is going to outlast most of the other [more expensive] pens and markers that I own. The 0.3 sized tip allows me to use this for a lot of different applications; from letter writing to accenting, it is simply a wonderful writing tool. While the Stabilo name might mot be as popular as BIC, Pilot and Pentel, the quality of their merchandise, selection of colors and variety they offer make them one of my personal favorites.
Stabilo Sensor Lilac # 189
One of the greatest features of this pens design is the ridged finger area. It isn’t a rubber comfort grip but just plain plastic with slight grooves carved into it. Believe it or not, this provides a lot of comfort when writing for extended periods of time and cuts down on hand cramps. The body of the barrel is a little thinner than most pens and some people may need a little time getting used to the feel of it. The ink flow is stellar with no skipping, ink pooling or changes in the shade. One minor thing to remember, if you are going over another ink or working in a tight area, periodically check the tip to see if it has absorbed any of the other colors or inks. If it has, work the tip on all sides on a piece of porous scrap paper to clean the tip. You won’t have to worry about dulling the tip if you have to clean it in this manner because it is reinforced with a thin metal sleeve that aids in protecting it.
The color of the ink is darker than pink, but not as dark as purple. Lilac can be a little misleading and if I hadn’t tested out the color, chances are I wouldn’t have picked this pen up. As I mentioned, this is the 0.3 sized tip so you are going to get a razor fine line from this each and every time you use it. If this is to thin for your liking, you can also pick this up in the 0.7 sized tip however this version does have a few drawbacks such as the ink traveling through thin sheets of paper and small pools of ink if you stop writing but leave the tip on the paper. Neither of those happen with the 0.3 size, so in my books, this is tops for letter writing purposes. This will work on almost every type of paper except anything with a glossy sheen to it. When used on loose leaf and notebook paper, the ink doesn’t bleed through to the back side or underlying pages so it would be great for those that take notes in school but want a little color variety. This won’t work on dark sheets of paper or the popular black paper that metallic gel pens made famous.
Price
For what you are getting in the way of quality, ink and tip, this is an extremely affordable pen. These can be purchased at places like Michael’s and JoAnn Fabrics for about $1.50 - $2.00 per pen. Be sure to use the 40% off coupon that Michael’s offers [sometimes 50% off] to save some extra cash. Both stores put these on sale from time to time and people tend to wait until the sales roll around to stock up so the more popular colors will more than likely be gone unless you get am early start. If you can’t find these at either of these stores, you can purchase them online from art supply, craft and office supply sites. Is this worth the price tag? Without a doubt, yes. After three years it’s still writing as perfectly as the first time I put the tip to paper.
Sizes
This version of the Sensor is the smallest of the tips available, the 0.3. This series of pens come in two sizes, 0.3 and 0.7 so you do have a little bit of freedom when choosing the one that suits your needs. Most of these are sold individually on racks so you can try them out before you purchase them, if this is the case, make sure you check the tip closely to insure that you are getting one that hasn’t been heavily tested. In some cases the barrel of the pen will be black, others are silver. The newer versions of pens and markers from Stabilo are almost all silver so if you come across a large selection of black barrels, make sure you check the ink supply since these could be older stock.
Things To Know
These are available in an assortment of colors and from time to time you can catch these in multi packs of 8 and 12 pens. The ink is non-toxic and easy to remove from clothing if caught quickly but if it is a dried stain, most of the time it comes out after several washes. The thin barrel of the pen makes it easy for both adults and children to use and the ‘quick click’ cap ensures that the ink supply is protected from drying out as well as preventing leaks. The color of the ink is clearly labeled on the back tip of the pen as well as on the cap, if you have several of these there is a chance that you could put the wrong cap on, this is where the double color coding is a definite plus. The plastic clip on the cap is strong and sturdy so you can attach it to inside loops on your backpack or knapsack and the lid clicks tightly so the tip stays covered at all times when not in use.
The Bottom Line
The Sensor brand of pens are great for scrapbooking, letter writing, note taking and general day-to-day use. The ink is non-toxic, acid free [a perk for scrapbook junkies] and dried without smudging. If I had to make one complaint about this series it would be that over time the color of the ink does lose a little of its zest if exposed to sunlight. But, I do have to admit, things that I wrote several years ago [in notebooks] look just as good as things I wrote last week so sun does play a major factor in keeping the ink looking vibrant.
As always, thanks for the visit …
^V^ Freak ^V^
© 2003 Freak369
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Recommended:
Yes
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