Freak369's Full Review: Pentel Bk90-C R.S.V.P. Ballpoint Pen
Finding a quality pen that will give you a nice crisp line without costing an arm and a leg is an ongoing quest for me. Over the past few years I’ve really grown to like the Pentel line of pens and when I saw the R.S.V.P. at Office Depot on sale I didn’t pass up the opportunity to give these a try. Normally I try to stick to the metal ball tip type pens when I have a tremendous amount of writing to do but for day-to-day uses the ballpoint pens are more than suitable. The first thing that caught my eye about the Pentel R.S.V.P. pens was that they had an extremely long cap that extended over the rubber comfort grip. While it didn’t occur to me when I started using it, this helps to help the rubber grip free of dirt and debris that would otherwise be attracted to it.
Features
The Pentel R.S.V.P has a clear barrel so you will always know exactly how much ink you have left. The rubber comfort grip located near the point of the pen allows you to write for an extended period of time without experiencing hand cramps or sore fingers. The ink well runs through the rubber grip area and leaves you with about a half inch of the ink reserve visible. If you are really concerned with the amount of ink left you can unscrew the top part of the pen and slide out the ink stick. These are replaceable providing that you purchase the correct refill [Pentel Refill BLK-7] however if you try to swap the ink stick with another brand - chances are you will end up with a huge mess on your hands in a few hours. The refills cost approximately $1.00 for two ink sticks.
The cap of the pen has a large clip on it so you can easily attach it to your jacket, shirt pocket or inside you knapsack. This is a nice feature since there is just enough pressure between the cap and the clip to keep the pen from sliding around and getting lost. Because of the design of the clip, this pen would be great for nurses, teachers or any one else that needs to have a pen close at hand. The ink is nice, dark and rarely ever “globs” up on me. One thing I really hate about using cheap disposable pens is the way the ink seems to wad up when you first start using it. With the R.S.V.P pens you’ll never have to clean off the tip or work off excess ink from the tip. The tip of the BK90-C is “fine” and produces a crisp clean smudge free line. If you prefer using a pen that is “ultra fine” or “super fine” you might want to try this one out. The tip produces a nice tight line that is comparable to the ultra or super tips of other pens.
Price
I’ve seen these at drug stores, office supply stores and most recently at the stationery and card stores. Depending on where you buy them you can look at spending anywhere from $1.49 to $2.99 per pen when purchasing them individually. If you try this out and like it you might want to save yourself some money and purchase them multi packs to save a few dollars. These pens come carded [adhered to a cardboard hangtag] for the individual pens or five packs as well as boxed for larger sizes. If you plan on purchasing a box of 10 or more, please try one out to make sure that the ink is still fresh.
Overall Ease of Use
Consider this the creme de la creme of low cost comfort grip pens. The cap snaps tightly back into place and when the pen is in use, the cap fits snuggly on the back end of the pen so you’ll never have to worry about losing it. Since the barrel is wider than most “take ‘n toss” pens [Bic, PaperMate etc] it feels a lot better when you writing with them. The ink flows nicely with a very minimal amount of “ink globs” forming on the paper. These are suitable for general writing, fine line designs, working with carbon paper / multiple layers of paper and are perfect for making gridlines on paper. I’ve never had any ink smudge when making gridlines nor have I ever had the ink stick to the rulers edge.
When I gave these to my boys to try out they really didn’t care for them. They said that they were too hard to control because they were “fatter” than the pens that they were using. While this is true, the comfort grip is a definite plus. If you are used to thinner ballpoint pens, don’t let the size of this keep you from giving it a try. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the individually packaged Pentel R.S.V.P. pens since some of them come with a “Try Me Free” sticker. All you do is send in the form with the UPC code and your register receipt and receive a check in the mail about four to six weeks later for the purchase price.
The Bottom Line
I’m glad that I came across these pens and gave them a try. For those that are looking for a pen that will give you weeks of ink [when writing 10 to 20 pages per day] I highly suggest the Pentel R.S.V.P.. They might cost a little more than the disposable ballpoint pens but if you are more concerned with the comfort of the pen and the quality of the ink you are using – the price difference isn’t even a factor. I gave these to the boys to try out with their homework and they handed them back to me an hour or so later. They didn’t like the size of the barrel and went back to their Bic Round Stic pens. Hey, all that means is more Pentel R.S.V.P.’s for me!
If you are looking for a pen with a clickable ballpoint or colors other than black, Pentel offers a wide array of products. Feel free to visit their website for more information on the R.S.V.P. as well as all the other great products they sell. www.pentel.com
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