Ballpoint Pens — 15 December 2010
Super Smooth Ballpoint Pen the Pentel Vicuna
Pentel Vicuna Super Smooth Ballpoint

The Pentel Vicuna Super Smooth Ballpoint

The Pentel Vicuna (via JetPens) is a relatively new ballpoint pen from Pentel that is another entry in the “super smooth ballpoint” category.  It is available in black, red, and blue inks, with about 8 different body colors to select from including black, blue, red, green, pink, sky blue, and purple…but don’t confuse those body colors for ink colors because the only ink colors available are the black, blue, and red that I mentioned before.

Pentel Vicuna Super Smooth Ballpoint Grip

The Rubbery Grip Section of the Pentel Vicuna Super Smooth Ballpoint Pen

One thing that jumped out at me immediately when I first picked up this pen was the grip section on it.  The grip section of the pen is made with a very comfortable and gummy grip with some wavy ridges built in for extra traction.  Additionally, Pentel has a unique way of branding this pen with it’s name.  The name is embedded in raised text under the gunny grip of the pen, and makes it look kind of like it is sealed inside a bowl of Jell-O.  It is a very unique look that I don’t recall seeing on any other pens to date.

Pentel Vicuna Refill

A Look at the Pentel Vicuna Refill

Another slightly different thing about the Pentel Vicuna has to do with refilling it.  Typically when I go to refill a pen, I look to the center of the barrel, or near the tip to unscrew and open up the pen, but like a few other pens, this one opens at the top, with the plunger screwing off.  The refill itself looks like your standard ballpoint refill, nothing fancy there.

Pentel Vicuna Writing Sample

Pentel Vicuna Writing Sample in the M by Staples Coil Bound Notebook

Next, lets take a look at the actual writing experience with the Pentel Vicuna.  The writing sample above was done with the Vicuna in the M by Staples Coil Bound Notebook.  Overall the Pentel Vicuna feels good in the hand with its comfortable grip, and evenly balanced body that only help to enhance the feel of the pen as you write.  The .7mm tip feels very smooth as it rolls across the paper, and you do not get any of the telltale glops or skips that you sometimes get with regular ballpoints.  In fact the ink lays down a very smooth and consistent line that also has a much more bold and vibrant color as compared to standard ballpoints.

At only a bit more than $2, the Pentel Vicuna is a great option for those that prefer writing with a ballpoint.  The only thing that I would look forward to changing with this line is that they would also become available in colors that match the other body colors instead of just having the usual black, red, and blue.  Other than that though, you pretty much cant go wrong with this new offering from Pentel, so next time you order from JetPens, be sure to throw one of these in your cart before you check out.  Also, you can check out the review of this pen that Brad from the Pen Addict did over here.

© 2010 – 2011, OfficeSupplyGeek. All rights reserved.

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  • http://derekspensandpencils.blogspot.com ThirdeYe

    I really enjoy the vicuna. Bought one a while ago and reviewed it on my blog a month or two ago. I only tested it in black and did find some globbing issues with mine. Alas, I still love how smooth it is and the design is excellent.

  • Robert M.

    Yup, have been around a few displays recently here and all of them that I tested had some globbing and skipping issues at the start. Once started, it was pretty clean and dark, but that can be said for a lot of better-quality ballpoints.

    At two of the displays I saw recently, one of the demo pens had burst and leaked ink, and I felt that the barrel looked and felt rather cheap, though it wasn’t really atrocious. I was quite looking forward to trying a Vicuna, but I wasn’t convinced it was good enough to actually buy.

    I cannot see much reason to choose one of these over one of the other hybrid ink ballpoints from Uni and Zebra.

  • HowardNJ

    Hybrid ink? Just got a Vicuna via JetPens. NOT impressed; no grip/rubber feel to the grip . Where’d you find the rubbery grip? My orange one is slick, not rubbery…

    Ink is fine; I’m a broader point guy, so I wish it came in a 1.0 point…

    Looks fine though..this one will probably end up in the pen cup near the kitchen phone at home, though…

    HowardNJ

  • http://www.officesupplygeek.com OfficeSupplyGeek

    @Third Ye – I wonder if that was a one off kind of situation with your black version, or if I just got lucky?

    @Robert M. – My preference probably does lie with the Jetstreams over any of the other hybrids, but that is some interesting info regarding what you have seen in person. Thanks for sharing!

    @HowardNJ – If you run your finger nail slowly down the ribs in the grip you will see them bend and move with the pressure, also if you press your finger nail or something equally hard into the side you will see that it leaves an indentation. This goes for pretty much any part of the body of the pen that is red, the only real plastic parts besides the clip and the plunger are the gray accents.