Showing posts with label Office Supplies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Office Supplies. Show all posts

Monday, May 06, 2013

Review of the Pilot Precise Rollerball Pen - Extra Fine

$21.63 on Amazon

The Pilot Precise Extra Fine is really a fine a pen! The pen is available in blue, black and red (and perhaps others).  What makes this a great pen? For years, all through high school and college I was a pencil guy and a mechanical pencil guy at that (especially in all those geology classes). I loved the precise lines you’d get with those mechanical pencils and I hated using pens because the ink would never flow evenly or it would be too sloppy looking for my own tastes.

Thus the only time I’d break down and use any sort of pen, was when I was taking a test that required a pen.

When I started working in my first office job in Maine, I was soon introduced to the world of office supplies. I was able to try just about every pen out there. From the standard Bic to the fancy roller-point pens, I tried them all. I fell back on the old mechanical pencil. I did all of my work either in pencil or on the computer. Then I actually sort of stumbled on the Pilot pens. Our secretary ordered a box of them by accident and offered them to me when she realized that she had a mistake.

At first all I managed to do was get little blue spots all over me (since it is a roller tip, if you let it either touch your skin or anything else, the ink will bleed out onto whatever), but I soon discovered that it was a great pen (minus the ink spots of course). My job involved a lot of editing (you never can edit a land use permit too many times) and this pen made quick order. A big complaint I had while I was using other pens was that the editing that you scribbled in on a page, would often cover up or smudge around with the text that you were editing. That’s why I went back to the mechanical pencils, you could write quite small and it wouldn’t smudge or cover the other text.

But, the Pilot is precise enough so that you can write quite small without smudging (the better the paper, the more precise you can write) and within a few seconds, the ink dries enough so that you do not have to worry about smudging it (except for glossy papers, where the ink takes significantly longer to dry).

The pens are not refillable, but it takes quite sometime for the ink to run out. With regular use, I’ve found that they last at least a year or so before finally kicking the bucket and running out of ink.

They will occasionally explode (the ink reservoir I am talking about – not the whole pen!) when you expose them to extreme temperatures. I have lost a few pens that way in my car – either through it being very hot or very cold.

If you’re in an office, you aren’t going to be paying for a pen, but if you want these for home (and you’re not one of those office supply cleptos) then they are about $1.25 a pen, or about $14 for a pack of 12.

I’m sure that everyone has got a favorite pen – the Pilot Precise Extra Fine pen is mine. I make sure I don’t leave home without it. I liked it so much that when I started working here in Boston, they weren’t able to get the pen, so I went out and got it myself and brought it in for me to use. A small price to pay for then pen that you will be using all the time.


Thursday, February 10, 2011

Brother P-Touch PT-1750 Label Printer

Organization is key when you have a business that produces a lot of paperwork, like the job that I am currently at.  One way that we stay organized is through the use of the Brother P-Touch PT-1750 Label Printer.  This small, portable and easy to use printer lets me quickly make labels for just about anything I can imagine in the office.  Even better, the labels print on white paper strips that have a self-adhesive backing.  That makes it easy to label just about anything anywhere.

Read my full review of the Brother P-Touch PT-1750 Label Printer on Epinions

Friday, August 13, 2010

Acme Letter Opener with Serrated Blade and Black Plastic Handle

The Acme Letter Opener lets you quickly and easily open your mail.  I use mine constantly at the office where I work since we have a lot of mail coming in every day.  This letter opener makes quick work of all but the thickest of envelopes.  This model has a black plastic handle that's slightly shaped to be more ergonomic and has a serrated metal blade that makes it easy to slice through envelopes.

Read my full review of the Acme Letter Opener with Serrated Blade and Black Plastic Handle on Epinions

Wite Out Quick Dry Correction Fluid

Want to fix a mistake?  Pull out the Wite Out Quick Dry Correction Fluid from BIC.  This little bottle of correction fluid can make small mistakes disappear.  I have to admit with computers and printers I don't use Wite Out all that often, but I do find that it comes in handy when I'm trying to copy something I'm unable to otherwise edit or if I've handwritten something in ink and I have to go back and change it.

Read my full review of BIC's Wite Out Quick Dry Correction Fluid on Epinions

Saturday, August 07, 2010

Seal Dab 'n Envelope Moisteners with Adhesive

Don't you hate licking envelopes?  I know I do.  That's why I use DabNSeal's Envelope Moistener with Adhesive.  It makes quick work of wetting and sealing envelopes of any size and lets me save my saliva for my mouth.


Read my full review of the Seal Dab 'n Envelope Moisteners with Adhesive on Epinions

Swingline Classic Series Desktop Stapler

The Swingline Classic Desktop Stapler really is my stapling standby at home.  I think I've had one pretty much from High School right through now in some shape or form.  Today I have a fairly new one that I got when I was redoing my home office a few years back.  This stapler has worked well for all but the thickest stacks of paper and I have.


Read my full review of the Swingline Classic Series Desktop Stapler on Epinions.