Lego Writing System - The Real Lego Adventure!
Written: Sep 09 '02
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Pros: Unlimited designs, comfort grip, makes a great gift.
Cons: Open & close design isn't the best, some designs no longer in production, expensive.
The Bottom Line: If you have a Lego addict, this would make a great gift!
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| Freak369's Full Review: LEGO Adventurers Pen |
The Lego System of construction toys tackled new ground with the introduction of the Writing System. Incorporating a fully functional pen with unique Lego elements, they hoped to broaden their consumer base with something that would appeal to both younger kids as well as adults. Initially available in only a handful of designs [six to be exact], they are now available in the Bionicle, Belville, Star Wars, Soccer, Racers, Sports and Classic themes. With new pens being added on a monthly basis, there’s bound to be something that appeals to everyone.
What Is It?
The Lego Writing System Pen is a fun creation that might just be the thing to kick education into overdrive. Sure, it’s a pen but it also gives you the ability to take the mid section apart and add whatever Lego elements you like to the body of the pen. There are a total of twelve unique Lego elements that come with this pen that can be arranged whichever way you choose.
The Lego Elements
In the Lego Adventurers set you receive a total of twelve pieces that can be used to creature your own unique pen. These include the following elements: 3 gray “fan type” spokes, one large bead with snake pattern, one square stenciled crate with the word ‘fragile’ on it, three Lego figure heads, one blue transparent bead, one red transparent bead, one square map block and one square block with stenciled ants.
When you first open your set, don’t be alarmed if the pieces that are already on the pen seem to be stuck together. This is due to them being pushed together and sitting on a shelf, a little force might be needed to “snap” the pieces apart but after that it should be smooth sailing.
The Case
The outer shell of the case is clear plastic with a snap lock on the front. The Lego Adventurers set was a little hard to open and close at first, this was partly because this was from the first series of pens and featured a rather primitive design on the front of the case. Newer pen cases are much easier to open. Inside the case is a molded black piece of plastic [very flimsy and very cheap] that rests in the base of the case. This piece of plastic has a faux felt feel to it with the underside being shiny.
There’s one large well into which the pen is stored and six small holes into which the Lego elements for the pen are stored. Getting the pieces in and out isn’t hard, but it certainly isn’t easy. The square pieces require the most work and it’s easiest to just remove the black piece of molded plastic and push on the bottom of it to get these elements out.
Kids should be encouraged to keep the unused pieces of the pen in the case to prevent them from being lost. However, we all know that eventually one or more of the pieces will grow legs and walk away. In this event, you can purchase replacement pieces for your pen from reputable brick brokers and vendors and in the near future, from the Lego website.
The Ink
Personally, I think the ink in this pen sucks. There is no way to put it politely or in a way that is less blunt – because it simply is horrid. First off, I detest blue ink. The ink cartridge for this pen was goopy – much like a pen that has sat in the summer heat for too long – it spat out globs of ink instead of performing the way you would expect a $14.99 pen to act. I was almost ready to return it to the store it was purchased at when I realized that this was a “retired” pen and the chances of getting an Adventurer pen as a replacement was pretty slim.
I purchased a replacement ink cartridge [Parker, black ink] and made sure to check the inside of the pen for any ink that may have leaked from the blue cartridge. Swapping out the ink cartridges was easy and there is a step-by-step diagram provided on the back of the warranty fold out.
Comfort
The bottom portion of the pen is made of a soft rubber so it is great if you have a lot of writing to do. I can write for about 20 – 30 minutes with this pen before I feel the need to take a break, and that’s about 10 minutes more than I can tolerate with my Parker roller ball pen so I would say that it’s a little better than average in the comfort department.
The Down Side
The only major down side I can see to this pen is the way that the bottom silver piece rotates to expose the ink. This is a small piece and takes a little getting used to so don’t get frustrated if you can’t easily open and close it when you first start using it. This could have and should have been made larger so it is easier to operate. Smaller kids might get frustrated with this so make sure you tell them to take their time and get used it to.
Instructions
There aren’t really instructions for the pen but rather a fold out pamphlet that shows you how to change the Lego pieces, change the ink cartridge, warranty information and how to twist the end of the pen to expose the tip of the ink cartridge. It’s strongly suggested that you hold on to this pamphlet so you have it on hand in case it is needed.
Warranty
You wouldn’t think that a pen would come with a warranty, however when the pen costs $14.99 – it better be backed up with something other than the usual 30 day return policy to the store. Your pen is covered under a one year policy from the date of purchase. To receive have your pen repaired you must send a copy of your dated receipt, the defective pen and $5.95 for shipping and handling. To me is this is an outrage and something that I just won’t do if something happens to the pen at some point in the future. These returns are not handled by the Lego Company, but rather CDM [the company that handles this portion of the Lego Writing System].
The Bottom Line
This is great for the hard-core Lego junkie, a gift for someone that seems to have everything or just a nice treat for a job well done. If you have a child that is a Lego lover, check out the sets that feature the Decoder [1516] elements or even the ultra cool Alpha Pack [2027] that lets you spell out words or names on your pen. If you are willing to fork out the cash for the pen then these are great, but make sure that it is something that a kid will hold on to and not lose in a week. You can also pick up a backpack clip for about $2.50 – a little added insurance for your investment.
To see the complete section of pens in the Lego Writing System, please visit the Lego website. They are continually adding more pens to the line up so if you don’t see something that catches your eye, stop back every so often to see what’s been added.
As always, thanks for the visit!
^V^ Freak ^V^
© 2002 Freak369
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): $14.99
Type of Toy: Other
Age Range of Child: Whole Family
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