Pentel Arts Slicci Metallic 0.8 mm Needle Tip Gel Pen, Metallic Pink Ink, Box of 12 (BG208-Mp)...

Crazy, I know. But they dry quickly, work with alcohol markers, are super thin, and do not smear at ALL! Once theyre down, theyre down. Super fun for the sketchbook!

I buy this pen frequently. I use it so much that I go through them very quickly even though they last a really long time. I am a stationery buff and even with all the pens I own, this one is the one I use 95% of the time. And I write a lot. Body is sleek and altho some may not like a slim pen, its perfect for me. My advise. If you like a longer, fatter pen, get something else. Like a Signo Dx or a G-Tech, or a Pentel Hybrid Technica. Fun fact!! This ink cartridge fits in a few other pentel pens - to include the Pentel Hybrid Technica Ink is rich and vibrant and every other pens pale in comparison to its consistency, smoothness for tip size. It never skips and writes aaaallll the way down the very last bit of ink. Even when you swear that it should be finished, it still goes. Ive never seen a pen do that before GET IT

Pens, like some foods, are an acquired taste. Some folks are just not going to like writing with a utensil this thin so may reserve these for simple detail work or art projects. However, I actually like writing letters with these as it best highlights my cursive. I do get a cramp if I over grip as the barrel is quite thin. But as the market isn't flooded with .25 gel inks, this is the best fine line gel ink I've ever worked with. I started with a single color and then invested in this larger set. I'm a fan. The colors are so vibrant considering how thin they apply! The flow can be, at times, a little jerky. Sometimes the way you're holding the pen or the paper used, will affect this and you'll experience mild skipping. If you want a pen to work perfectly smoothly, every time, and on every sort of paper, skip the more 'quirky' Slicci .25. Occasionally they have a mind of their own and this is probably another reason why I love them. I find they last quite awhile too, they obviously don't leave any bleed through (except on onion or tracing paper) and I haven't experienced any issues with them drying out prematurely. If you're familiar with Pilot's Hi-Tec-C pens, these are very similar... but the tip on the Slicci is less flexible. That's good for some purposes but may feel too stiff for others. But I love the sturdiness of a 4mm (long) needle-tipped metal tip. Try one out before committing to the set. They dry super fast too, which is a big bonus. They're very lightweight. The flow is 90% consistent and ideal for those who write tiny or desire precision. I am agog at how much writing, in so little space, these pens achieve. I've only used these on light colored paper so cannot vouch how they perform on darker paper or high cotton/pulpier papers or any non-paper surface. See my attached pic for the colors.

Pens, like some foods, are an acquired taste. Some folks are just not going to like writing with a utensil this thin so may reserve these for simple detail work or art projects. However, I actually like writing letters with these as it best highlights my cursive. I do get a cramp if I over grip as the barrel is quite thin. But as the market isn't flooded with .25 gel inks, this is the best fine line gel ink I've ever worked with. I started with a single color and then invested in this larger set. I'm a fan. The colors are so vibrant considering how thin they apply! The flow can be, at times, a little jerky. Sometimes the way you're holding the pen or the paper used, will affect this and you'll experience mild skipping. If you want a pen to work perfectly smoothly, every time, and on every sort of paper, skip the more 'quirky' Slicci .25. Occasionally they have a mind of their own and this is probably another reason why I love them. I find they last quite awhile too, they obviously don't leave any bleed through (except on onion or tracing paper) and I haven't experienced any issues with them drying out prematurely. If you're familiar with Pilot's Hi-Tec-C pens, these are very similar... but the tip on the Slicci is less flexible. That's good for some purposes but may feel too stiff for others. But I love the sturdiness of a 4mm (long) needle-tipped metal tip. Try one out before committing to the set. They dry super fast too, which is a big bonus. They're very lightweight. The flow is 90% consistent and ideal for those who write tiny or desire precision. I am agog at how much writing, in so little space, these pens achieve. I've only used these on light colored paper so cannot vouch how they perform on darker paper or high cotton/pulpier papers or any non-paper surface. See my attached pic for the colors.

Never thought I would be obsessed with pens, so this is weird, but I love this pen. If you are the type of person that is looking for a pen that has the thinnest line then your search can possibly end here. I bought a number of pens that describe themselves as having a ultra/micro/super fine point, but failed when put to the test, the Pentel Slicci 0.25 does not. I've compared it to the following pens: Pilot V5 RT, Uniball Signo RT 0.38, Uniball Signo Micro 207, Uniball Deluxe Micro, Pilot G2 0.38mm, Pilot GTEC-C4 0.4mm. Only the GTEC-C4 (also known as HITEC) came close, but fails in other ways. The Slicci has the thinnest line, but not only that it is dark, writes amazingly smoothly for a fine point (no, of course not as smooth as the Pilot V5 RT, but you can't expect that with a point this sharp), AND doesn't skip. I can apply almost no pressure and the ink flows effortlessly. It also dries very quickly and has very minimal smudging when used on good paper. I've tested all of the above pens using Black n' Red notebooks, which have the best paper I've found in a reasonably priced notebook. Pros: -THINNEST line of the above listed pens -Dark ink -Fast drying with low smudging -Smooth writing Cons: -The pen barrel is thin, so if you need a thicker pen barrel, you'll need to look elsewhere or purchase a different pen and use the Slicci ink refill. -The distributer on ZeeBooth charges more than at an alternative site (I'd recommend searching google for "Japanese Pens" and see what you find) I have another 5 pens in the mail that are all <0.4mm, so I will update this review if one of them bests the Slicci. Edit: I should also mention that despite other reviewers commenting on the reliability of this pen, I have not had any instances where it "dried out" or stopped working, but have only been using it for a little over a week now, so maybe that will change. Update June 2014: I still think this is probably the smoothest ultra-thin gel pen you can buy, and using the multi-ink (Pentel Sliccies BG3) version eliminates the barrel problem. HOWEVER, the best ultra-thin pen for hospital use has to be the Uni SXR-38 jetstream knock ballpoint pen refill 0.38 mm - Black Ink placed inside of the Uni Alpha-gel Jetstream Ink Ball Point Pen 0.7mm Black-body . The heaviness with comfortable grip and the ultra thin line (thinner than the 0.38 sliccie even) makes it the perfect pen for progress notes, etc. where space is limited and you don't want to risk any smearing. It's not a gel pen, but it is the smoothest and thinnest writing pen I have ever used.