Freak369's Full Review: Sanford Uni-Ball Gel Impact Rt Retractable Gel Pen...
When it comes to gel pens people tend to either love them or hate them. On one side of the argument you get a plethora of colors to choose from, good ink flow and the ability to add a little extra pizzazz to your writing, on the downside some of them are inferior pieces of garbage that spit ink, warp paper and dry out if left uncapped. Thankfully Sanford got it right the first time with their Gel Impact RT [retractable tip] gel roller. Available in either bold or regular, this is a pen that will keep up with your writing needs regardless of your individual needs; for me, when I am looking for a pen to use for artistic endeavors I want something that is going to give me crisp and bold lines, ink that will dry fast and resist fading and had a sturdy body that will handle a good bit of use and abuse. The Gel Impact gets high marks all around; for less than a dollar fifty this pen can be used from everything from notes, letter writing, fine line art and even scrapbooking. As soon as you pick it up and start writing with it you’ll feel the difference between this gel roller and other cheaper models, there’s no skipping or breaks in the ink flow and it works great on multiple layered pages – and as an added bonus, it won’t tear through thin sheets of paper or when applying heavy pressure to work through carbon copies.
Sanford Uni Ball Gel Impact RT
There are several different versions of the Impact RT on the market, this one is the bold version with a retractable tip, rubber comfort grip, prismatic body and can be used on almost every type of paper without any major issues. The tip is bold, make no mistake about that; when I started comparing it to other pens, markers and rollers on my desk the closest I came to matching the tip was the Sanford Sharpie Ultra Fine Point so if you have ever used that marker, you will know what to expect from this gel roller. Normally when I go for this type of pen I try to find one that is capped rather than retractable, the reason being that if I like it I am going to use it a lot and after a while most of the retractable ones lose their clicking power. Even so, this one has been heavily used for months now and has never given me a single problem. I like the fact that there is a rubber comfort grip on the bottom part of it, it’s firm and gives you the support you need when doing fine line art or a tremendous amount of writing but it’s not soft and tacky.
I picked up the first Gel Impact at Rite Aid when they were having a Back To School sale about a month before the school season started, they were tagged at .99 cents a pack and I couldn’t pass up picking up the bold version to try out. I’d already had great luck with the regular and metallic versions and expected the bold one to work in the same manner. I have used this on poster board, vellum, standard copy paper, card stock and brown craft paper with no problem; there was a little trouble with it smudging on the vellum but that is something to be expected since the surface of the paper is slick. I use this most of the time for rough sketches for fine line tattoo art; specifically Celtic knots and intricate designs. This type of work requires a steady hand as well as a pen or marker that is capable of making sharp edges without the ink seeping into the grain of the paper. The Gel Impact gives me the control that I need when doing this type of freehand art but can also be used for general day to day tasks and when you look at the price, about two dollars for the two pack, it’s a great investment.
Things To Know
• If black isn’t your first color choice you can also pick this up in red and blue. If the metallic colors are more your style you can choose from green, blue, red, gold, silver, violet, pink and bronze. No matter which you choose, you are getting an item that comes with a money back guarantee of satisfaction, if you don’t like it, return it for an exchange or full refund.
• To learn more about the Sanford family of writing tools, visit their official website at www.sanfordcomp.com, for more details about the Gel Impact series, visit the Uni Ball site at: www.uniball-na.com. Both sites will give you up to date information about new products, contests, freebies and special offers.
• This is refillable! You may have to hunt around for the refills but they are available; the two pack of black, blue or red ink gel refill cost about $1.50 and are great to have on hand if you use the Gel Impact pens a lot and are worried about running out. I came across them at Wal-Mart for $1.39 for the two refill pack; some people might balk at buying refills for pens of this type but the body does hold up to a lot of use with only a minimal amount of visible wear.
The Bottom Line
If you are looking for a pen that will give you crisp clean lines, virtually no skipping or spitting and will hold its color and boldness for months on end, the Gel Impact is a great pick. The one that I’ve been using for the past few months has held up to a lot of use and abuse, seven cross country plane trips and went through the washer and dryer without missing a beat. Available in some basic colors for the standard Gel Impact version and more impressive ones with the metallic line, this is a pen that truly has a lot of power behind it. Combine all this with the money back satisfaction guarantee and you really can’t lose when picking this pen. No matter what you plan on using it for, I’m sure that once you give it a try you’ll be pleasantly surprised with its ink flow, comfort grip and overall appearance.
Gel ink is fade-proof and water-resistant. Acid-free for long-term archival storage. uni-ball ensures premium quality performance with every refill. R...More at Instawares, LLC
Refills are designed for use with Sanford Uni-ball Gel RT and Gel Impact RT. Provides smooth write with acid-free, fadeproof and waterproof gel ink.Fa...More at Discount Office Items
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