Review & Giveaway: Pentel Hybrid Technica 0.5 mm Gel Ink Pen

The Pentel Hybrid Technica is a gel ink pen I have heard of briefly but never had the opportunity to try. I didn't see it anywhere until I was browsing JetPens one day (big surprise) and came across it. A new gel pen to try? Sure!

Capped.

Cool. Simple.

This pen appears very unassuming; it's not particularly outstanding at first glance. It's not colorful, sexy, or unique on the outside. But as they say, don't judge a book by its cover... so I picked up a Hybrid Technica in 0.5 mm to try it out.

Features from Pentel 

• Archival roller system with smooth, pigmented ink delivered through the long-lasting ball delivery system
• Acid-free, archival safe ink is ideal for sketching, drawing, manga art and so much more

• The tungsten carbide roller tip guarantees a consistent line from the first to last drop of ink

• Pigmented ink is light-fast, bleed-proof, water-resistant and fade-resistant

• Available in four line sizes: 0.3mm (extra-fine), 0.4mm (fine), 0.5mm (medium), and 0.6mm (bold).

Like I said, the pen is not particularly outstanding on the outside. The body design resembles that of the Uni-ball Signo DX - a plastic body, a short plastic cap, and a small rubbery grip. The metal tip has a little cone to connect it to the pen body which is different. But barring the plain body, it has good things "under the hood", as listed above.

Compared with a Uni-ball Signo DX.

The ink is indeed bleed proof and water resistant. I tested this with a water brush several times over my writing and the ink didn't even budge.

Brushed over with a waterbrush - ink remains solid! No bleeding, no wash out, nothing.

Archival safe ink is great for long-lasting materials, and the fancy tungsten carbide roller tip means you'll get your money's worth from the ink. The ink also dries matte. However, I find the 0.3 mm and 0.4 mm to be a little too scratchy for writing. The 0.5 mm, and 0.6 mm are comfortable and thick enough that they are smooth to write with. I reserve the extra-fine and fine for my hopeless drawing.

Actually...not to toot my own horn, but I think my scraggly trees are really cool with this pen. I've tried to draw trees like that again with other pens and it doesn't look the same. So these pens are officially my "tree drawing pens".

My bamboo, mini circle thing, and some trees. The trees and grass are kinda cool, right?

The tips of the Pentel Hybrid Technica pens look thicker than they write because of the tip design. As such, they may write ever so slightly larger than a pen of comparable tip size, although I think this will go unnoticed by most.

I guess none of them really have outstanding barrels, do they?

Comparing nib sizes.

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Overall
While these are nice gel pens, the extra-fine and fine are too scratchy for everyday writing, for my tastes. They are great for sketching (even for those who cannot sketch, like me). On the other hand, the medium and bold are quite nice for writing. These gel pens do have the advantage of being archival safe and water-resistant, features that some other of my favorite gel pens lack. I do love that JetPens carries a nice array of colors of these, so that's does sway my opinion positively! These are decent pens, and they are cheaper than the Pilot Hi-Tec-C, and are the same price as the Uni-ball Signos. In addition, the Pentel Hybrid Technica pens are very sturdy compared to the micro tips of the Pilot Hi-Tec-C. I would suggest trying these out because of the price, colors, and ink properties.