8 May 2014

recent stationery finds and a Kuretake Cocoiro Review!

My credit card and the internet should be kept separate in times of boredom (revision, I'm looking at you) because this is the end result! I splurged on some new stationery from Stationery Art (a site I've talked about before) and... I do not regret it.

Top to bottom: Pentel Handyline retractable highlighters in pink and purple, Uniball Signo in blue, Zebra Sarasa Clip in light blue, Zebra Hper Jell 0.5mm, Uniball Signo in light blue and Uniball Eye Needle.
These were the pens that caught my eye on the website (and also the ones that were in stock - a significant amount of things listed on the site are no longer in stock). I've had my eye on these retractable highlighters for quite some time and as I go through highlighters fairly quickly, I thought I'd give these a whirl.

The blue pens were added to my basket for the sake of it and the best one out of that lot has to be the Zebra Hyper Jell pen. I love how thick the barrel is (not too thin, nor too thick for me though it is thicker than the average pen), the flow of the ink is smooth and amazing and it is super comfortable to hold. I have had a soft spot for the Uniball Signo pens for quite a few years so I added those to my basket, knowing that I had at least ordered a pen that I already love.

Pentel Handyline retractable highlighters in pink and purple and a Pentel Tradio barrel, which takes some refills I already have.
The retractable highlighters don't sound like they have been designed well but when you examine them, you'll see that there is a bit of plastic that slides to protect the nib from open air (when the pen isn't in use) and slides away to allow the nib to be exposed when you want to use the pen.

The Pentel Tradio looks nice in design but I don't think it has enough... personality for me? It's a dull beige colour and it just looks a bit too boring. However, I had been looking for a barrel that would last for a while as I have a stock of Pentel Energel refills that will be used in the coming months (I go through pens super quickly).

Pilot Coleto barrel that takes three refills.
I already have a four-barrelled Coleto but I wanted a three-barrelled one as it is thinner. Moreover, I wanted one in a different design to the green and black one I already possess and this one is cute and girly. 

Post It Sticky Flags and tabs.
I use tabs and flags a lot - in my diary, in textbooks, in my notes... Everywhere! These were at a good price so I added them to my basket. Plus, tabs and flags are always handy... right?

Kuretake Cocoiro Zig barrels in blue and pink, plus refills in black and red.
With my current obsession being mind maps and hand drawn diagrams as revision aids, I bought these Kuretake Cocoiro Zig barrels and refills to serve that purpose. I'll say more about this pen later on in this post.

Next up is the standard pen test:


They all flowed well on poor quality paper (the ultimate test?!) but the Cocoiro Zig brush pen took a while to get going. Understandable as the brush would have been completely dry to start with.

So now, the Cocoiro Zig Letter Pen:


Design: I love the minimalistic and ergonomic nature of this barrel. The refill pokes out at the top and I know that other reviewers weren't okay with this but I am. I'm not sure if I prefer the blue barrel or the pink one and I love the fact that I can chop and change this as often as I like because the refill screws into the barrel. This ensures that changing refills is an easy and tidy job.

Price: The Cocoiro Letter Pen is expensive if you use it as a normal pen but personally, I think it is reasonably priced for what it is. It is a brush pen and so is designed for calligraphy or more arty ventures so it isn't something that should be used as your everyday by-the-phone-pen.

Here is a diagram I drew using and labelled using this pen (the blue pen used is the Zebra Sarasa mentioned earlier, the red one is a Muji gel and the other colours are Papermate Flair pens).


I've yet to finish my first refill but I have only been using this pen for a month so far. Refills are quite expensive here in the UK (I found them on Cult Pens for £3.36) so when I run out of ink, I'll have to have a serious think about what to do next.

Overall: I love this pen for illustrating with. The brush nib make my diagrams look better than if I had stuck to using my usual black fineliner pen. Price-wise, it is a bit pricey but I always believe that you pay the price you think something is worth. The design is lovely and the barrel is comfortable to hold and for its intended purpose, I love it.

5 comments

  1. I'm so tempted to break my No Spend May & purchase more stationery for my student teaching.

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  2. Hello! I discovered your blog about over a year ago (I believe) and it is without a doubt my favourite blog. As a wishful high school student from HK who wants to study medicine, I am amazed by the similarities in the blog posts you write, and my own personal interests!
    Thank you so much for being such an inspiration, when I first started following the blog, you had not gotten into med school yet! Keep up the amazing work and please do let us know more about your university organisation/study plans!

    Sending all my love and gratitude!
    - Shaz

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for the lovely comments :) Good luck with your medschool applications :) x

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  3. I recently placed an order with stationery art as well! They have such a wide range of products and amazing prices, but so little are in stock... I got some zebra sarasa and surari pens, but I kinda regret not getting the hyper jell now!

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  4. Personally ... I love all pen that you show! But my favorite pens are the multifunction. I'm waiting an order from Amazon becouse finally I find the exactly same pan that I lost when I was in the high school, I was 16 years old, you can understand that I'm really looking forward for it!

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