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As I wrote in this recent post, I won this pen a few weeks ago in the giveaway over at Pens And Pencils, so I think it's about time I put it through its paces.
The Pentel Energel is a liquid gel ink pen featuring Pentel's low-viscosity gel ink, and whilst much of the Energel line is available in the UK from Cult Pens, this is the first needle-tipped version I've seen.
I must say it's a very smooth writer, performing more like a liquid ink rollerball than a gel pen, and the low-viscosity ink is certainly very smooth compared to comparable gel writers. The ink dries in seconds, so in that respect it's more like a gel pen.
Either way, this Energel is a pleasure to write with, gliding effortlessly across the pages of my Asda Exec Notebook and producing a wonderfully opaque black line consistent with other 0.7mm pens I have used. I also noted the complete lack of feathering or bleeding on the test paper which is encouraging.
The Energel features a strong metal pocket clip which, whilst it is not of the expandable binder clip design, will I am sure secure the pen easily in the pocket. There is also a rubberised grip section, the pattern of which is reminiscent of a fingerprint. It feels remarkably cushioned in this pen-thusiast's hand and doesn't appear to be a lint-catcher; another good feature.
Dimensions are as follows:
Length (retracted): 142mm
Length: 151mm
Barrel Diameter: 10mm
Weight: 12.6g
Breaking open the pen gives access to a good-sized refill which looks like it contains enough ink for plenty of writing before requiring a replacement. I reckon the refill may be even larger than the ubiquitous G2 refill; it's a smoother writer too. When the time does come a Pentel LR7 refill can be used, though at the time of writing, the needle-tipped version (LRN7) is not available in the UK [edit: I stand corrected - yes they are, check out the comments on this post! Thanks pigpogm.
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Whilst re-assembling the pen after its photo session, I noticed the grip section is removable, so even after the pen has given up the ghost, it should be possible to find alternative uses for the rubberised grip.
Overall I am really pleased with this, my first Pentel Energel. If I had to find fault with it, and this took some thinking about, I would have to say there is a minute amount of play around the tip when in the writing position which produces a soft clicking sound as I write. This is not however, at a level where I would find it irritating if writing for long periods; it's rather like having a mini percussion soundtrack to your writing!
I would like to take this opportunity to thank The Old Geezer for the Energel giveaway, had it not been for him I doubt this pleasant little pen would have made it onto my radar. Thanks Geezer!
Don't forget to check out The Old Geezer's Pentel Energel review over at Pens And Pencils, you'll find it here.At a Glance:
Model: Pentel Energel 0.7mm needle tip
Colour: black
Available from: non-needle tip Energels from Cult Pens in the UK
Refillable: Yes
Overall: 5 out of 5
