Pentel Proves That The Pen Is Mightier Than The Sword With The Lancelot Roller Ball
Written: Oct 02 '06
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Beautiful barrel, smooth writing, holds up well over time, expertly made.
Cons: If you leave this on your desk, someone will inevitably try to steal it.
The Bottom Line: Chivalry reigns supreme when you write with Pentel's Lancelot.
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| Freak369's Full Review: Pentel Lancelot Roller Ball Pen Black Ink Silver C... |
Medieval times and writing tools are two things that rarely cross paths but Pentel's Lancelot Roller Ball manages to kill off two birds with one stone. Being someone that loves pens and all things medieval, I was gifted with this pen about a year ago and have loved writing with it. The ink cartridge that came with it lasted only a few months but it was used on an almost daily basis so I can't say that I felt short changed when it ran out. Even though I have a lot of awesome disposable pens around the house and shop, when I am sitting down to write a letter to someone, this is the pen that I always use. Why? Outside of the stellar look of it, it feels great in your hand when you are writing with it. In this age of electronic communication having a solid and dependable pen to write with seems archaic, when I start talking about writing to pen pals and friends overseas I get the same reaction from the younger crowd as when I talk about vinyl records, Atari video games and looking things up in an encyclopedia instead of going to Wikipedia.
Pentel Lancelot Silver Chrome Roller Ball Pen
The smooth chrome finish of this pen gives it a very attractive look but beauty is only skin deep; the true test to this is when you put pen to paper. If you are someone that takes pleasure in writing then consider the Lancelot something that you have to try out at least once. The almost ten dollar price tag might seem steep but it is more than worth it if you want something dependable. Alas, this was a gift so I can't complain about the price but I will say this, if I ever lost this or it was stolen, I wouldn't think twice about buying another one. The original ink cartridge that came with it didn't last all that long but I did use it almost non stop so I can't say that it was a rip off. The refills write just as nicely as the original and the ink is dark, quick drying and gives you a solid line with no skipping, spitting or smearing.
The ink cartridge that comes with this has a .4mm line to it; that means that is gives you a solid line when writing but if you are used to a thin or ultra thin pen tip, this might seem a little to 'fat' for you. The refill doesn't look like a regular stick refill so make sure that you are purchasing the correct product. The Pentel catalog number for the Lancelot is R400 [R400A and R400A – A] so when you are looking for refills, make sure that this number is on the back of the package. Refills are usually in the two dollar range but you can find them for less if you shop online; this is where having the refill number comes in handy so you can be sure to order the correct product for your pen. So far I have only seen the refills in the .4mm size so if you write with this and feel that the line is too thick or full, you are pretty much out of luck unless you want to try and experiment with others.
Even though this doesn't have a rubber comfort grip, writing with this is never a pain. It is a little thicker than regular stick or roller ball pens so you don't have to have a death grip on it when you are writing. There is a pocket clip on the side of the pen and this is something that you are never going to be able to break because it's firmly affixed to the barrel. This isn't something that I use all that often because the pen rarely leaves the house but when I have attached it to one of the pen loops in my backpack it's held the pen in place perfectly. There are a few small scratches on the barrel but outside of that it looks as good as the day that I received it. The scratches happened when I accidentally dragged across some sandpaper that I had on my desk so it wasn't like the pen or barrel was to blame. Even with those small scratches it still has an awesome look to it and is something that I am sure is going to be around for a long time.
Since I received this as a gift I had to look at some online store to get an accurate price for it; most had it priced at about $9.00 and in my opinion that is a complete steal. It does come with a great warranty for the life of the pen; if it is ever defective or shows any signs of poor manufacturing Pentel will replace it. This has seen a lot of use and barring the few minor scratches, it has held up perfectly. About the only thing that Pentel could do to improve this pen is to have it in some type of a solid protective case. The one that it does come in isn't all that sturdy so it isn't something that is going to stand up to a lot of use [opening and closing]. This is a nice pen to purchase if you want it engraved with someone's name or a company logo because the barrel is slightly oversized and thick so there is plenty of room to have things etched on it.
The Bottom Line
So far I have had nothing but great experiences when using this. It works great on duplicate forms and when I need to write a letter to a friend and if I wasn't such a moron with the sandpaper it would still have a pristine barrel. When I do take this with me to the shop or when I am running errands people always make comments about it and I usually hear, "People never use pens like this anymore". When I tell them how much they are, most can't believe it, they think that it cost a lot more than nine dollars. My friend wouldn't say how much he paid for it but I have to assume that it was in that price range. If you are looking for a solid, well made pen for yourself or to give as a gift I highly suggest checking out the Lancelot. If you want something a little more executive looking, check out the Excalibur, another incredible pen from Pentel.
As always, thanks for the visit…
~^V^~ Freak ~^V^~
© 2006 Freak369
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Recommended:
Yes
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