Ever since the popular Sharpie Pen came out, the purple, orange, and green colors have been in high demand, and when the Grip version of the Sharpie pen arrived, there was an almost instant clamoring for these additional colors to be added to the Grip line. For those of you who have been waiting, the day has finally come, so check out the below review, and at this point…good luck finding some though because they are not easy to come by quite yet.
UPDATE: The green, purple, and orange are now available here from Amazon.com
Normally I like to give you some links to where you can pick up the items I’ve reviewed online, but I’ve literally been searching for days now and I can’t find these online anywhere. I was able to find them at Office Depot (thanks to a tip from reader “Wisconsin Pen Geek”) but you really need to look around for them. You wont find them in the regular pen section with the other Sharpie Pens, they are actually in their own cardboard Sharpie display that is part of the “Back to School” section at Office Depot. If you know where you should be looking, and you know what the package looks like, you should have no trouble finding the new orange, purple, and green pack. I’ve included a photo above that shows the package you should be looking for. They come in a pack of 3 (just the orange, purple, and green) and the upper left corner has a big yellow label that says “New Colors!” which really helps it stand out among the other 3 packs of Sharpie Pens.

The Sharpie Pen Grip Orange, Purple, and Green Writing Samples with a Comparison to the Standard Sharpie Pen in the Same Colors
If you have not seen my previous review of the Sharpie Pen Grip, I can tell you it is one of my favorites to write with. The writing experience is incredibly smooth, the ink withstands smearing, bleeding, feathering, and is resistant to water, and the overall feel is well-balanced with a very comfortable grip. I figured it would be interesting to do a quick comparison of the new Sharpie Pen Grip in Purple, Orange, and Green to the older standard version of the Sharpie Pen in the same colors. I’m glad I decide to do this experiment because from my test results it appears that the new grip versions are all a very slight shade lighter than the older standard versions. If you click on the above photo, you can see the bottom of the page where I do this comparison and judge for yourself. My only thought about why this might be is that there could possibly be a difference in the shades of color because one pen is older than the other. Honestly, the difference is so minor that it wont make a difference for me, but i thought it was worth pointing out. Also one other minor difference that could again be related to the age of the pens, is that the new color Sharpie Pen Grip has a slightly stronger rubber smell on the grip. Again, this smell might diminish over time, but I figured it was worth pointing out and I would be curious to hear feedback from those of you that might have already had a chance to pick up some of these for yourself.
Also, just for the record, the writing sample above was done with my Doane Paper Idea Journal which I have really been enjoying using since I bought it a few months ago. It is a great notebook because of the sturdy and simple looking cover, and the quality of the paper is fantastic. Definitely worth checking out if you are looking for something a little different for your next notebook.
Like I said earlier, I unfortunately can’t point you anywhere besides your local Office Depot in the “Back to School” section, but I am sure that soon enough, these new colors will be available on Amazon and online at places like OfficeMax and Staples. Once I do find them I’ll be sure to update the review, and I will also get them added to the Office Supply Geek Store so it should make it easier to get your purple, orange, and green Sharpie Pen fix.
i love the purple and orange sharpies!!!! but i accidentally washed them in the laundry and they didn’t work anymore. haven’t been able to find them since 🙁
Once upon a time, Sanford had plastic-tip pens called ‘Expresso’ that were some of the best pens I’ve ever used. They were cap-type pens with amazingly comfortable shape and grip and were a joy to write with. I never saw one with a comfort/rubber grip – it didn’t need it. I believe they were quite popular and good sellers but now I think Expresso pens are no longer available.
Why couldn’t Sanford have taken the Expresso pen body and put Sharpie ink in it? The original Sharpie Pen, which I think is horribly uncomfortable to write with, would have been perfect. It seems to me that this ‘Sharpie Grip’ is an attempt to fix what they goofed up in the first place with the Sharpie Pen.
@Sheila – Thats terrible, I hope they didnt ruin your laundry. Do you mean the purple and orange Sharpie Pens or Markers? I’ve been able to find the pens at Target before, or you can also find them at amazon – Original Sharpie Pens with Purple and Orange.
@Eville Mike D – Actually, Sanford just rebranded them and they are now the Paper Mate Liquid Flair. I also did a review of them a while ago if you are interested.
I was so excited to learn that you found the new colors in the grip version. I stopped at 2 Office Depots without success. I even asked clerks who were of little help. (“We have black, blue and red.” “No, I’m looking for purple, orange and green.” This was after stating what colors I was looking for.) I may call the local independent office supply place and see if they can locate them. That’s where I ended up buying the medium point Sharpie pens.
My preferred Sharpie pen is the original. Target has a 12 pack with black, blue, red, orange and purple. Right now, they’re $17.49. I expect that at some point they’ll be on sale. (When originally out in January, they sold for just under $12.)
Cool, I plan to try these.
@wild violet says – did you even check in the “back to school” section?
@Speedmaster – cant go wrong with them if you are looking for something purple, orange, or green
I thoroughly searched the back to school sections. One store had a free standing Sharpie display near the front of the store. No Sharpie grip pens in the new colors in either section.
Have you seen the new Sharpie pen commercial?
I’ve found the colours of the sharpies to be a little bit inconsistent in general.
Both pens from my recent new pack of blue sharpie pens actually darkened after some pages of writing.
Not sure why, maybe they had to be ‘worn in’ or the tips were a little dry from sitting in the packaging. Or maybe just their standard tip-upwards shelf hanging caused some ink to flow away from the tip.
@Wild Violet – Sorry you are having such a hard time finding them, that sucks. I did see the commercial, I would have missed it if @SharpieSusan didnt mention it on twitter.
@James – I’ve heard complaints on the blue ink being variable in its shade, but that is a really interesting point on their hanging tips up on the shelf, I never thought of that.
Walgreens has Sharpie pens on sale this week! Styles/prices are:
Sharpie pen original – 4 pack in either black/blue/red/green or black/blue/orange/purple for $3.99
Sharpie pen original – 2 pack of black or blue for $2.99 (Walmart sells the 2 packs for $2.50)
Sharpie pen grip – 3 pack in black/blue/red for $3.99
That’s an excellent price on the grip style. Too bad they didn’t have the new colors. : ( Walgreens was the first place that I found Sharpie pens.
@OfficeSupplyGeek – I’ll stop at Office Depot on my way to the grocery store this week. Maybe they’ll finally have the new colors. : )
@wild violet – Thanks for that update, always so helpful and I’m sure everyone here also appreciates the heads up on those deals.
Let us know if you are able to find them this week at Office Depot, if not I might have another option for you. 🙂
Still nothing at Office Depot. I may check a different one on Friday. I entered the contest. Keeping my fingers crossed that one way or another, I’ll end up with a pack of the new colors.
The blue currently available is too cerulean for my tastes. I would love to see Sharpie Pen Grips (or any Sharpie Pen, for that matter) in a deep navy blue.
If that fails though, pink or fuschia would be nice.
@wild violet I’ve been able to find Sharpie Pen Grips at Walmart. Not every location carries them, but most do. Plus, they retail there for about $5.50 – $6.50, which is fairly reasonable compared to other stores’ prices.
Today on the way home from an appointment with my mom, I stopped at Staples, a different Office Depot and Office Max. No Sharpie grips in the new colors. Grrrr.
@Christina H – I hear you, I initially thought the blue would have been closer to the same standard blue as their Sharpie markers.
@Wild Violet – I’ve got an extra pack of these sitting here on my desk with your name on them if you want them. Drop me an email using the “About/Contact” tab above to let me know where to send them. With all of your dedication seeking these out and updating us here on them, you totally deserve a set of your own.
Thank you! In my excitement about the Sharpie pen grip give away, I hadn’t checked this thread lately. You just made my day!! : )
@wild violet – No problem, glad I could make your day. 🙂 I put them in the mail on Saturday so you should have them shortly. Enjoy!
The pens arrived today. Thank you so much. I plan on trying them out tomorrow. I can’t wait!
@wild violet – Awesome, glad they made it there so quickly, and you’re welcome! Once you have had a chance to try them out, let us know how you like them!
Woo hoo! I tried these. As I wrote, I realized it wasn’t the best time to do so. I’m off work for 2 months every summer. In that time I do very little writing. My hand felt pretty shaky. I can comment on the ink colors. Purple and orange matched the original version. The new green seemed a bit darker, but the original style pen I used is pretty old.
I’ll have more to say about how it handles once I’m used to writing again!
@wild violet – thanks for the update, good to know that it wasnt just the set that I used that seem to be showing a different shade as compared to the original colors.