Pentel Energel-XBL107/2-A Retractable Gel Ink Roller Pen, 0.7 mm - Black (Pack of 2)

I usually love these pens for their reliable, smooth writing, but this box isn't up to standard.My first photo is of a page with the first half written with a Pentel EnergelX from the previous box I bought, and the second half written with a pen from this new box. Even though the old pen was running out of ink and I wrote until it completely stopped flowing, the old pen was still writing far better than the new one. The new one has a thinner, stuttery line — the closeup shows how bits of the line are missing. I've tried two pens from the new box and both are like this.Additionally, the new ones feel scratchier to write with, and the button mechanism on the new ones is stiffer and feels mushy or clunky on some of them.The other main difference is that my old ones have a green logo on the sticker and say "Assembled in Mexico", while the new ones have a black logo and say "Made in Japan".I can only assume that either these ones are counterfeit, they've been stored in a cupboard somewhere for a really long time (the fact that the nib-protecting blobs are dark brown and difficult to remove would back this theory up), or the Japanese facility is substandard somehow.Update:The more I used them, the worse they got, somehow, until almost whole letters were missing. I ended up trying four pens from the box and all were the same. On some papers, they wrote okay, especially very absorbent ones, but on the Europa Notemakers' Clairefontaine paper I use for all my notes, they were unusable.Returned for a refund several days ago, but refund not forthcoming for some reason. I'd like to buy another box, in the hope that this was a one-off dud, but if they have the same problem I don't want to have this palaver trying to get a refund again.

I LOVE Pentel Gel Pens.These are very comfortable to write with, even after a long period of time.I also find they write better than any other pan I have ever owned, they are smooth and a joy to use.I could go on about the weight (just right) they way they feel in my hand (just right) the quality of the ink (just right) and the experience of writing with them (just right)...Suffice to say that these are million miles from a ball point pen, and a total complete joy to use.Recommended without hesitation

Over the years I have been nothing but frustrated at the cost involved in maintaining a decent pen. And disposable pens have never quite cut it for me, so when I bought these I was expecting the same in all honesty.What I have found is quite the opposite, the pens are confortable, even during extended writing sessions, the gel ink writes like a fountain pen but without the mess of constant refilling!I love a good fountain pen personally, but these are a great cost effective alternative for daily use in the office. I will be back for more soon! Thank you for such a quality product!

Prior to using these I used the uniball jetstream pen. I believe that these are better, as they are smoother and more pleasant to write with.I used these pens for writing notes, and each lasted around a month of use, writing about 25 sides of a4 per week. The ink did not bleed through 80gsm notepaper, and dried fairly quickly (although writing on a shiny surface was a different story - would not recommend these pens for that). The tip of the pen moves smoothly and easily over paper, and makes for a great writing experience. The line it makes is slightly thicker than other 0.7mm pens that I have used, but I find that it is still a good thickness for standard sized handwriting. The weight and balance of the pens themselves are very good, and overall the pens make for a very pleasant writing experience.

I love these gel pens. The ink always runs smoothly until the supply runs out, there is never an issue with the nib not retracting or drying out. They are boxed, so easy to store the unused supply until needed and each pen lasts a good time before the ink runs out. The nibs of new pens have a little blob on the tip to ensure the ink stays fresh, which peels off easily. I switched to these a few years ago from my problematic fountain pen and haven’t looked back and just bought another pack.Update 2021These remain my favourite pens and, according to the product listing, I have now purchased them on 8 separate occasions. I did have one box a while ago that didn’t work very well, but it seems to have been a one-off glitch and I am glad I returned and bought more. I get through a lot of pens and these have not let me down, except for that one box.

I ordered these pens as the size of the ball point was advertised as 0.7, which means that they write with a very fine line. However, when I received the pens the ones that were delivered were 1.0, which sounds a tiny difference, but is comparatively thick and not at all what I wanted as the job I had to do with them required an extremely fine line. So these pens went to the grandchildren, and they have told me that the pens were brilliant. However, when I went back to the seller they were absolutely lovely and really helpful and responded straight away and gave me a 30% discount, as the pens were the wrong size, so I was very pleased with the interaction. Well done!

These pens have a contour rubber grip which is great for ease of holding.The fine nib makes writing with them really easy. They don't run, but do not rub the ink until it dries. I have a few smudged messages on the calendar when I accidently caught the ink when wet.They have a small bit of something on the point to stop them drying up, excellent when you buy in bulk, and they hang around a while.A good price for these pens.

These are the only pens that I use, or at least the only ones that I buy, they show how good they are when you use them, and when you are stuck using somebody else's! Beautiful flow, making even my handwriting legible.