I have no idea how this pen came into my possession; I reached into my backpack to get a pen to write down a phone number and rustled around until I came across something to write with and pulled out this baby. I didn’t really think about it at the time but when I got home I started thinking about it; I dug it out again and started to look to see if there was a store name on it thinking that maybe I picked it up while I was shopping. The only thing that it had on it was the name PaperMate ComfortMate F [for fine]. Fine would be an appropriate word for this pen because it writes like a champ and it was free! It doesn’t get any better than that. I have no idea who lost this pen but now that I’ve had it for a while and purchased others for my youngest, I know that person is kicking themselves for losing it.

PaperMate Comfort Mate

This is a retractable ballpoint pen that is really something that you have to write with to believe. The ink flow is generous but it doesn’t clump, smear or spit all over the paper. Since this is retractable you don’t have to worry about losing or misplacing a cap and the plastic clip on the top of it allows you to attach it to a loop inside a backpack or knapsack. Most of the time disposable pens are nice but they lack “that” special something like a rubber comfort grip or the size of the barrel is awkward in your hand. Even though this is classified as a fine tip pen, you get nice solid lines from it and the black ink is nice and dark. Some disposable pens that say they have black ink aren’t really all that dark; the only reason I mention this is that these cheaper pens are a complete no-no to use if you need to make a photocopy of something. Some areas will be washed out or gray and if you are making copies of copies, it gets hard to read the wording.

The rubber comfort grip isn’t really a comfort grip – let me explain that. The rubber coating runs the entire length of the pen so no matter how you write; you are going to get coverage. The downside to this is that the barrel of the pen attracts dust and dirt and if you carry your pens in a backpack or knapsack that means that all the crud at the bottom of it ends up getting stuck to the pen. Even with this little quirk, this is still a great pen to have if you do a lot of writing, takes notes for school or need something dependable on hand. You can write for about forty five minutes with this without any hand cramps or pain and these are a must have for anyone with any type of wrist ailment or minor arthritis. Since I found this pen somewhere I have n o idea how much it was used before it was lost so I can’t comment on how much write power you get from it but the ones that I purchased about three weeks ago have been getting steady use from my son and aren’t showing any signs of giving out or dying.

When I started looking for these in stores the average price was about $1.29 for a pack of two. That’s a very reasonable price for what you get and if black isn’t your color these also come in red and blue. The price listed at Epinions is for the box of twelve so don’t let that sway you from trying these out. I found these for .99 cents at Office Depot about three weeks ago and stocked up on them for my youngest son; he really likes the way that these write and if he loses a few of them along the way it’s no big deal to replace them. Normally he isn’t one to go for disposables because he likes continuity, if he likes something then he likes it and doesn’t want to have to play around with finding a replacement for it. Yes, he can be anal about pens and markers, just like his mamma.

You can use this on almost every type of paper except glossy or photographs; the ink just won’t adhere to it if there isn’t a grain for it to settle in to. Since my sons are all huge note takers I am going to stock up on these the next time they go on sale and providing my two oldest are still away at school, they’ll make a nice addition to the care packages that I send them every month. PaperMate stands behind their products 100% so if you aren’t satisfied with them, you can send them back to them for a replacement or a refund … but I am sure that once you try these you’ll love them just as much as I do.

The Bottom line

I am really impressed with how well this pen has performed, the ink flow [and the darkness of the ink] and how it feels when you are using it. Unlike most pens that are marketed with a comfort grip area, this one has indented circles when your fingers wrap around the pen so as you are writing they are constantly moving, I won’t go so far as to say it feels like they are getting a massage but it’s pretty darn close! If you are looking for a great pen for your desk, school note taking or just to toss in your purse this is definitely one to check out. Look for specially marked packages that give you an extra pen [three for the price of two] for added savings.


As always, thanks for the read!

~^V^~ Freak ~^V^~

© 2005 Freak369


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Recommended: Yes