The End of INK? Testing the $200 Inkless Pen!
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- Опубліковано 26 чер 2024
- Today I'm testing out a so-called "inkless" pen that cost $200 vs a similar model that cost only $5.50.
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0:00 Intro & Unboxing
2:44 First Test
3:51 Erasing Test
4:16 Trying a Sketchbook
6:00 More Drawing Tests
8:13 My Kids' Test
9:01 Final Thoughts
#pens #cheapvsexpensive #pencildrawing - Навчання та стиль
Pininfarina is an Italian car design company, they've designed some Ferraris and even the Cadillac Allante. So that's why it's so freaking expensive, that price is just crazy to me.
So you basically just pay for the brand name
It's like buying a Ferrari branded keychain. It's going to be 20x the price it's worth.
they also designed the cool fancy Coke machine that mix in flavors. The Coke Freestyle machine, but yea a lot of people don't know the brand, it is a design house, so it is just paying for the brand.
Cadillac Allante is the best looking Cadillac there is 😍
When doing car design you don’t use erasers
FYI, beyond being "inkless", both of these are marketed as "forever pens" or "everlasting pens" (and to me, that's the interesting aspect of these) - but the $6 one isn't actually a real "forever pen"; it's just a (silver-core) pencil.
From the $6 pen's Amazon description: "Working principle: the nib rubs on the paper to decompose the alloy metal molecules and leave them on the paper surface". In other words: this is a pencil. It will wear down over time, and need new nibs. (You could also tell by the fact that they sell replacement nibs for this "pen." A "forever pen" shouldn't need replacement nibs!)
IMHO the only reason someone would be interested in the $200 pen is the "forever pen" aspect. (As, if not for that, if you want an "inkless pen", why not just buy a regular, cheap pencil?) The $200 pen _does_ achieve the "forever pen" claim, insofar as it chemically reacts to paper without the tip wearing away. In contrast, the $6 "forever pen" isn't actually a "forever pen" (or "everlasting pencil") as it claims to be. It's an impostor product, a GameStation 360 kind of thing. So it's somewhat of an invalid comparison to review these as two products in the same category.
Also, re: erasability, think about it this way: if the markings _can_ be erased, then those markings are not caused by a chemical reaction with the paper, but rather as a deposit on top of the paper. A real "forever pen" is necessarily a non-erasable pen, because it's necessarily a pen that's doing something chemically to the paper, rather than leaving part of itself on top of the paper. (Which is also why they call it a "pen" rather than a "pencil" - pens are writing instruments that do something permanent to the paper, while pencils leave something on top of the paper that can be rubbed away.)
you are missing the point! most people lose pens before they become dysfunctional so the idea of a forever pen is just beyond me. On second thought in college I did collect BIC pens that I used up to gauge if I was studying hard enough, I wouldn't need a forever pen for that!!
they also have replacement tips on their website.
Except the $200 pen can also be erased, just harder to erase. And how does it write without "chemical reaction on paper" then?
Both products offer replacement tips as obviously they make marks by wearing some of the metal off. The "forever" part apparently just applies to the body of these pens and you could similarly apply "forever" to any pen with replaceable cartridges. I'd say that one advantage over a pencil is you should be able to go much longer without having to tend to it, but the tradeoff is the lightness of the marks, the amount of force required, and from the video the writing doesn't seem very smooth. All in all you're probably not going to want to use it very much so it may well last forever. 😉 I could see the cheap one being useful for a situation where you want to keep a writing instrument available for occasional brief use but don't want to have to worry about whether it's going to be ready and able to write when you need it. The expensive one is just silly.
Both are stupid regardless when a pack of 10 ballpoint cost £1
This type of tool in classical art is known as Silver point. Many renaissance artists used it including Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo. The paper used had more of a grain and was prepared with a rosin to give it more tooth . As the metal marks from the tool oxidises it would get darker. As a kid I remember drawing on a painted wall with a penny . The same effect .
I thought the same, but only the $6 seems to be a real silverpoint. Which is kind of ironic. Either way, they both seem to be very interesting as a art tools.
@@mandrews817 my Father in Law made one for me about 30 years ago .He just took a metal mechanical pencil a put a silver wire in place of the lead. He also gave me some prepared paper to go along with it . The paper was bluish gray and had a fine tooth to it.
If you ever looked at Leonardo Da Vinci's studies of a horse or had the opportunity to see it in person the paper he used was very similar.
I have to search around in my art studio to see if I still have it!
Yes, and a fair amount of artists still do metalpoint drawings, I do as well. You can buy a whole bunch of different types of thin metal rods/wire made from silver, copper, actual lead, etc etc. And you can buy prepared paper or buy or make a solution to the coat the paper or board to create the tooth needed for the metal to rub off, and some of it will tarnish over time, which is a desired feature of using it.
I remember scratching up sidewalks to write with rocks cause I didn't have chalk 😂
@@mandrews817 The 6$ one is just a regular pencil, chemical reactions can't be erased like any regular graphite deposits.
The point is the "cheap pen" is actually a pencil with a hard graphite tip. That's why it's darker, closer to a pencil and easily erased. The problem is that the graphite tip will get rounded and consumed (slowly) and you have to sharpen with sandpaper, and eventually use a new one. On the other hand, the consumption of true metallic tip is very low, because it uses slow amount of metallic oxide to write, and that´s why it's also difficult to erase (closer to a pen).
Oh my gosh this makes so much sense!
Ty
yeah, there is no magic in our world unfortunately. if something leaves markings on something else, it means that one of these "something" wears out.
you can buy 35 cheap pens or 1 expensive pen you choose
@@hom1xidehahahahaa
I've used all kinds of inkless pens from the cheaper ones to the most expensive one I've tried which was about 60 with a titanium tip. They all have 1 thing in common though is that if accidentally dropped it instantly breaks the tip and renders it useless. At least with the cheaper ones you can find replacement tips so your not completely out of luck
Oh wow I didn't even think of that! thank you for mentioning it.
Where can you find replacement tips? I didn't know it was possible to buy them and how to look for them.
@Camura... thanks for the info. How long have these things been around?
Doubt it be titanium, more like aluminium, titanium is way too abrasive resistant.
I just went to the link for both of these in the description an o both offer replacement tips.
Pininfarina are a car (among other things) designer. They've designed cars for Ferrari many many times over the years. Explains the price even without justifying it! Thanks for the review, great work as always!
I was slightly surprised James didn't know this. I guess he's not a car geek. 😅
As soon as I saw that name I had to scroll down to the comments and see if any car geeks came to the rescue with this valuable info.
I remember the cellphones with the tag "Pininfarina" (Motorola Ferrari Pininfarina), for quite some time in México it was a sign of status among narcotraffickers in central/southern México because those could only be bought and used in some mexican border cities BUT they had (well, have) enough money so as to build their private network to use those nextel cellphone/radios in the sierras.
I'm glad I'm not the only one. My Alfa Romeo, back in '89, was a Pininfarina Spider. Thank you for letting me know where the name came from.
They also designed the Coke Freestyle machines too! if you look hard enough, you can find the name on it
I hope the designers that work with pens all day are able to design an amazing pen. Would have been nice to see it tested in edge conditions, like waxpaper, plastic labels, in the cold or with moist paper.
So that’s literally just an overpriced pencil….wtf
Spending $200 on a pen/pencil is true dedication to the channel; Thank you! You also taught me how to draw a boy; I never learned that trick.😁
It’s all bushiness expenses used on a business card that gets written off on taxes at the end of the year!
@@HalmarkCreates its still money spent. Its not like he is a large corporation, every dollar spent is one that doesn't go in his pocket. If he makes less than $200 on this video in ad revenue, he is isn't even breaking even.
@@charlesmcmasters If this video makes $0, he still gets his money back. Do you not know how business expenses on tax returns work? Seriously? How old are you?
@@stark0ss712 What? No he doesn't. His income isn't taxed at 100%
@@stark0ss712 tax deductible goods necessary for your buisiness allow you to pay less tax ON THOSE PRODUCTS not 0 tax on those products or in general
I can only think of one serious use for an inkless "pen", which is to toss it into your car glovebox for emergencies. Pen ink can get messed up by extreme temperatures, hot or cold, and pencils are (arguably) delicate. Of course I would opt for the $6 version for this use case.
A different comment said that these are pretty fragile too ("tip instantly breaks if you drop it") so, yeah, not even that...
If you really need a writing instrument that doesn't not care about the environment a grease pencil/china marker will suit you well. That's what astronauts (and cosmonauts) used before the Fisher Space Pen.
@@Slaegar It's been forever since I used one of those. If the tip is broken, can you just tear off the "paper" around it with your fingers to make it write again? If so, that does seem like a great option.
@@trogdorstrngbd I'm going to guess it stays dull, but it shouldn't be too too much of a pain to hack at it with a pen knife or something and smooth it to a cone shape with a paper towel or something.
You'd probably be better off with a vacuum filler fountain pen that can seal the ink chamber when not in use to prevent burping. Load it up with Noodler's Polar inks and it wont freeze solid and still flow well below freezing. Still cheaper than this pen and it'll write much darker.
One of the best parts of being a fountain pen (or any high-end pen) lover...would be the selection of so many beautiful inks! the shading, the way the ink absorbs into the paper, the subtle changes in appearance as it dries....I’ll be perfectly happy to stick with pens that require ink.
"inkless pen" you mean a pencil, right?
The $5.99 pen is not a forever pen, its end is a graphite tip, and most companies rate it as 50+ standard pencils (which they sell separately as replacements too). The $200 unit is an silver alloy pen, and the tip is supposed to work a lot longer (200+ standard pencils). The problem is there are many Amazon companies selling the cheaper one as the more expensive. The $200 model uses a silver/grey metallic tip that is rated as good as 200+ pencils, while the graphite model (the black tip) is rated for 50+ pages. Amazon has a variety of the cheap pens being sold as the more expensive style, so watch out! some even show pictures of the units with the metallic tips, even though they will arrive with the cheaper tip.
let's see the 200 dollar one be called forever when you lose it :D
I had the same Pinifarina pen as a gift in high-school, as a car guy who enjoy painting occasionally, that one of the best gift. While the pen not very practical but I love the design and texture of it.
I always enjoy your reviews; your comments are often just exactly what I was thinking.
Great minds think alike!
I think the Pininfarina one is meant for automotive or product designers, the main function is to sketch, as a product designer myself, I think those light lines would be perfect for product sketches.
I wouldn't use either one for signing checks, documents, or other important papers.
An interesting use for these would be in construction. We use pencils that go dull and the lead breaks all the time. If it is durable to not get broken or dull, it would be fantastic (the $5 one, of course). They should make a flat version, like a construction pencil so it won't roll when you put it down. I would be very interested in such a product and could imagine it selling well at hardware stores.
inkless?!?!?! Now THAT is a new concept to me! And I am in my thirties! Fascinating. Glad to have this video randomly come up on my recommendeds.
Yeah
Yeah! Some people even use silver or gold as a medium to draw
@@atne3484 Sooo....they're not inkless pens, they're just pencils that use a different material than graphite...
It's "hoverboards" all over again. The name a flashy marketable name, but the actual product isn't even close to what the name suggests.
By this naming scheme mechanical pencils, regular pencils, crayons, and chalk would also be "inkless pens". Since they don't use ink.
True. Though, I just bought a reMarkable. It feels great to use, too.
I never knew these existed, the cheap option is a good find
I'm an artist and didn't know these existed.
Hi Freakin' Reviews, Great review. Could you tell me where you got that Fractal picture behind you in this video?
I remember when you had ten ppl subbed its crazy to see how much you have grown really happy for you
$200 for a pen. A Chromebook or cheap laptop is $200
Touchscreen with long battery life too.
@@Starry_Night_Sky7455 Yep
Lots of high end fountain pens are worth that much
They're just alloys of different soft metals. The cheap one uses a softer alloy which is why it writes darker but the tip will deform after awhile. Reshapen it with some sand paper and it should still last a long time. Besides people usually lose pencils before they ever break or wear out. The expensive one uses a harder alloy which leaves lighter lines but will resist deforming better.
ty for this good info, explained things rly well
Also they work better on more rough paper
the expensive one is more of a decoration for your office where you sketch a few documents a day with it
Can you send the expensive one back and get refund?
i got some of the cheap ones for my rite in the rain in my bugout bag n they work amazing with those even in the rain. great use/combo for them
Pininfarina designed a lot of Ferrari's. Prolly the reason for the car on the booklet. They're famous for Italian car design.
And probably the reason, at least partly, of the high price. You are paying for brand.
Also, they designed that newer style Coke dispenser with a touch screen and different flavor shots.
"Prolly"? 🙄
@@BrittMFH Prolly is internet slang for probably :)
Like the Gucci color pencils for $800.000
Im surprised that you didn't criticize the $200 pen as much. $200 and can barely compare to a $6 one. Probably gonna be in the top 10 worst reviews of this year
the video tells all 😄
Because the 200$ one is an actual everlasting pen. The 6$ ones are reinforced pencils.
@@theBabyDead Everlasting pen like everlasting gobstoppers.
Maybe its a good pen to have in a future dystopia when supply chains shut down. But I think a burnt matchstick might write just as well.
Bag of charcoal dinosaur eggs will give you lots to think about as you write with them for the rest of your life.
Well something that we can’t really get from the video is how they each feel in the hand, and the entire experience of writing is subjective, so even if we don’t think the expensive pen seems like a good experience, someone else that tries it might disagree. It’s also subjective what aspects of the pen are most important to you. For some people the design, feel and balance might be more important than the pressure they need to apply.
growing up, was always fascinated with the “space pens”. Pens with the ink cartridge pressurized by nitrogen. Which supposedly the astronauts used in space. And the pressurized ink lasts a lot lot lot longer and never “messes up” the pen if turned upside down with no gravity. Sharper Image sold them! But first time I am learning of inkless pens!
Fisher Space Pen still sells them! I have a few and they're my favorite pens, but they also sell standard refills if they don't have a pen you like!
Interesting fact is yes they were designed for NASA because of their ability to write upside down on wet services etc, but in the end the astronaut went back to just a regular old pencil!
@@JohnRuckart66 No, they didn't. Pencils are VERY dangerous in spacecraft. Not only do you have a LOT of sensitive electronics that graphite dust can and will short out because the lack of gravity, wood shavings are also a major hassle. Markers had similar issues to traditional pens, and grease pencils are just not clean enough or permanent enough to be practical.
The company that produces the Space Pens was NOT! affiliated with NASA during development of the space pen, he did it on his own dime, and has sold the space pen to basically every manned space program in the world. Yes, even Russians use the American Space Pen, because it's cheap enough ($20), works well, and is safe around all those fancy electronics you need to keep the crew alive.
Yeah america spent millions developing a own that could write upsidedown, underwater, in a complete vacuum, etc. The Russians just used a pencil lmfao. I'm not Pro-Russian in any way but that is a lot simpler lol
The story about the space pens vs pencils is a common misconception right? Pencils are more flammable and having (conductive) graphite particles floating around also isn't great.
This is exactly the type of topic I would watch at midnight while procrastinating
So, it's a pencil...?
Pininfarina is an expensive Italian automobile design company known for designing Ferraris and Alfa Romeos. That's why it's expensive, because you're paying for the branded merchandise, not the product. Like designer fashion.
Like the $800.000 Gucci color pencil set.
Do you know if there is any cheaper alternative for a metal tip pencil?
As someone who uses fountain pens, I love the option of picking from a rainbow of various ink colors and styles. I use the TWSBI Vac700 and the 580 AL Emerald Green.
Whats a good fountain pen or a ball pen point upi'd recommend (like I used to have Parker ball points back in the day, still loved 'em)?
@@dazealex I think good starters are the LAMY Safari and the TWSBI Eco. Now the Safari can use and does include disposable ink cartridges. However you can buy converter cartridges that let you fill them with your own fountain pen ink from places like Noodlers, Irosshizuku, Diamine, etc.
Yup, just made a similar comment myself. So many beautiful & truly unique inks.....the shading, the way it lays down...just such a visceral experience! Ill always have pen & inks on hand!
I'd you pay more than 5$ for one of those you are either paying for status or you are just being scammed
This is the first time I’ve seen or heard of ink-less pencils. They look so cool.
I don’t think anything will persuade me to give up my Frixion pens. They’re gel ink, so very smooth, easy writing, and they are erasable, so you get unlimited do-overs. The best ones are retractable with the eraser on the top (and it’s never going to wear down). Those forever “pens” don’t write as cleanly, I’m sure they don’t feel as smooth, and the only thing they really have over the Pilot Frixion pens is that you don’t run out of “ink” so you will contribute less plastic over time to the landfill. It’d be awesome if Pilot came up with a way to refill the gel so they’re competitive in that regard.
You could purchase frixion gel pen refills. The issue most find with them is the fact the ink is temperature sensitive. If it gets too hot it "erases" itself. Yes you can pop the paper back in the freezer to get back though lighter than before, but then you also get what you "erased".
@@rebeccabautista I’ve never had a problem with that. What temp causes it to be disappearing ink?
@@lkayh Just copied and pasted from a Google search. "Pilot FriXion ink operates by turning clear when exposed to increased temperature due to the friction of the eraser on the page. However, the ink can be erased through any exposure to heat, including warm water, a hot car, or even fire! Pilot FriXion pen ink turns clear at 140°F/60°C and regains its color at 40°F/4°C." I have had this experience with the hot car
Oooh, definitely have to remember NOT to use it on ballots! LOL. That could go very wrong!
@@lkayh I work in a plastics factory and I learned about the heat erasing the hard way when I used my clipboard with all my data on it to catch some hot parts coming out of a machine. Dumped them into a tray and saw that my page was now entirely blank. I started using a pencil after that.
I assume the main selling point is that they (or at least the $200 one) last "forever". Obviously you don't operate a longtime pen testing lab but did you notice any change on the tip after using it for a while? Another thing i was wondering is if the technology of the expensive pen just works on paper which could prevent accidental marks on stuff (e.g. the wooden pen holder).
Basically it is metal, it works well only on paper. Is almost infinite, and it is also logic. Of course it wars a bit, but think about it like taking a piece of metal and scratch the paper. By the time the metal is reduced to zero you will have lived multiple lifes
It does not last forever. How long it lasts depends on the composition, writing style and your definition of working since the tip will get duller and duller. Usually the tip lasts around 50-200 times as long as a normal pencil, which means anywhere between 5000 to 40000 pages.
@@kritnicol8546 Well he mentioned in the video that it has an ethergraf (whatever that is) alloy tip which somehow writes by oxidizing the paper. That sounded like it does something more advanced than just scratch the paper and leaving some residue of the metal on the paper to create the writing.
It is marketed as a catalyst - the stylus affects the paper without itself being affected (wearing away).
@@sebimaurerThe official video for the product states that the metal alloy is what's being oxidized. The marks it leaves is a film of rust from the pen dragging over the page. So it's not forever, just less material gets left when you write (which is also why it doesn't write that dark).
I haven't written anything with a pen for like 15 years, but here I am watching a review of one.
Broo 6:08 is is pure nostalgia...Early 2000s... we would be scribbling it back of our notebooks and imagining our-self to be so smart lol.
Wow! I'd definitely go for the cheaper one. As always thank you for the review 🙂.
So from this, it looks like the 200 dollar one is more of a pen since it doesnt really erase, making it mostly permanent while the cheaper one is a pencil since it can be erased.
that was my thought, im not sure if either can be used for certain documents
Part of the fun of pens is uising it until the ink runs dry.
Waaaait a second! I see what you did! Almost all of your 2022 review vids end with --:22 seconds, a lot of 22:22's (2021 --:21 etc), and this year it's --:23 seconds 😂 well done 👌
You’re suppose to use sandpaper to make it a finer tip for the $200 one. It comes “dull” like that so you can choose how fine you want to make it
The round edge of an aluminum paperclip writes like that too, cheaper yet.
I love how enthusiastic he is ab these pens lmao
Loving the Mandelbrot image. Great content.... Much love, from your new sub!
As many people commented, about the 200 one, I guess that's why it comes with a sort of stand. It's meant to be a display piece, to show off the car brand and maybe come up with some story of how a Ferrari was dreamed up using that very pen or something.
For $200, I'd expect the thing to take dictation and correct my spelling!
lmao
I wouldn’t spend 200 dollars on something just to sit around, Id spend 200 on something I can use and just enjoy and go aughhhhhh this is the best 200 dollars I ever soent!
@@rogerrabbit80 It's a lot like supercars, in a way. You can get basically identical speed and acceleration from a Chevy Corvette at one tenth the price. BUT, you can't brag as much with the Corvette
I lose pens every day. Definitely NOT the pen for me!
Where did you lose them?
Love your Mandel brought poster in the back
Man, it was years since i watched your video. Your channel really improved with better camera
The 200$ one may be geared more towards design sketching where the lighter lines would be a plus. Also with large designs done on very large sheets of paper which would be on the thin side a “duller” tip would be less likely to damage/rip said paper.
I can tell you as a designer that got into realistic drawing recently I can't imagine any use for this "pen." It wont be as smooth as writing pencils like the blackwing602 or tombow or the detail from artist grade sketching and charcoal pencils or the convenience/versatility of a mechanical or clutch pencil(the choice for drafting). Paper tearing is not an issue.. but harder, sharp tips can indent the paper.. all you have to do is use a softer led and a lighter touch and if the line is too dark you just blot it with a kneed-able erasor.
Could you check how smudgeable they are? Just rub your finger over it and see if it smudges. Also wonder if the tips wear down over time... could be good for detailed art
Yes! Lefties want to know!
@@jeniw8586 good point!
The tip does begin to wear down in time but you can easily refine the tip using a square sandpaper
I would rather wanna know if it destroys the paper over time like Iron black ink did. Since it's still just oxidized metal. Except it oxidizes on the paper, so the material is more space efficient.
That would be an actual selling point for those. Pencils go a dime a dozen, a mechanical pencil is about $2, unless you really heavily use it daily, I dare you to use 10 refills in a year.
Excellent review!
This kind of metallic core pencil has a long history. Both "pens" work by having a soft alloy that will deposit some material on the writing surface so they are not truly forever but they will likely see you out. For historical examples search for silverpoint drawing.
They harken back to the OG lead pencil but use a less toxic metal
@@drthmiklead pencils never contained lead, and the oft-repeated claim of Roman styli made of lead is unclear.
FYI, the “ethergraf” nib used in the Pininfarina does not work by deposition. It uses friction to “oxidize” (their word) the cellulose in the paper, noting expressly that coated papers won’t work.
I hold my pen that exact way, I’ve never seen anyone else do so. I’m glad I’m not the only one that does it. New meaning to pen pals 😂 you have a great evening, I watch all your videos.
Before reading comments I posted the following. 'You hold your pen the same way I do. I got yelled at by my teachers for not holding my pencil correctly. Thought I was the only one. lol.' Good to know there are a few people that write the "weird" way. lol.
@@niemehr4715 Ya me too, teachers used to force me to use rubberized grip for "correct" holding. God forbid you do something differently.
It's actually rare to see someone holding a pen like this. I do and never understood why most people hold it like a steel chisel in an Asterix movie.
I hold pens/pencils like this and have also never seen anyone else do so! I got a lot of crap from teachers at school, despite the fact that I'd generally write faster, neater than most anyone else in class and could draw reasonably well too. It's ironic that its even more of a moot point now; I don't think I've "written" or drawn with anything but a keyboard and mouse for decades.
I like fountain pens, 200 isn't too unreasonable for a higher end one. I love filling and cleaning them and trying new inks. I'm not a fan of these guys. They just dont write dark enough.
Yes 200 dollars for any pen is unreasonable
@lunchb0x1986 lots and lots of high end fountain pens are absolutely worth the $200+ they cost
@@lunchb0x1986 thats like saying 40000 dollars for a watch is unresonable because my casio copy made in china tells the time fine...
Without knowing anything about the watch in question except the price.
Do you use it for calligraphy or something? I imagine if you're going to drop $200+ on a pen you're doing more with it than just writing reports at work
@OriginalContent most people who collect fountain pens either do calligraphy, art, or simply have passion for pens, papers, and inks and just enjoy sitting with their pens, writing, swapping inks, nibs, and experimenting.
If they made a forever fountain pen, I’d be on it in a heartbeat. ❤
Wasn't aware about inkless pencil.
Thanks for the share man and obviously take care of yourself.
This is why I love your channel, I knew you’d review this eventually! Thank you for using different kinds of paper too! I expected a richer writing experience from the Pininfarina
You should return that $200 one and get your money back. What a rip off!
You can sense the derision, sarcasm and disappointment in his voice each time he says "expensive pen" in the video.
“That’s a Jay Leno chin, right there” 😂😂😂😂
A couple thoughts; soft backing allows the paper to conform to the shape of the pen's tip, increasing the contact surface area. That being said, with the sharper tip there may be risk of paper puncture since you have to press harder to get darker lines. I'm also curious about using these pens to write on other surfaces, and of the longevity/durability issues mentioned by other commenters. Stay Freakin' Awesome.
I got a couple cheap ones from China for 1 dollar. I thought I was scammed and that they were just lead.
I tried drawing on my skin and unlike lead or pens, it didn't leave anything.
I think it's more friction (or rather pressure) than anything.
@@jujuu1339 It's actually oxidization. The alloy is specifically made to be as dark as possible when oxidized. That's the reason why it doesn't wear out so quickly, because fewer amounts of the material has more access to oxygen. What works well are heavy metals like lead, iron and silver. Lighter metals like Aluminum and Titanium oxidize white / clear. Titanium white is the best white pigment we have. Iron black was cheap back in the days of writing with a bird's feather. But iron oxide is still highly acidic and destroyed ALOT of hand written material over time.
End of ink? yes.
Because of inkless pens? No.
Because of computers
this keeps making me laugh about how passive aggressive he is about the 200 dollar pen 😂😂 love this
Does either come with a clip? Pretty essential for some.
The way you hold pencils is how I was taught was the right way
The secret alloy it's made of is probably a mixture of lead and tin. It's been used to write with for centuries.
Yeah but in the u.s. lead is illegal i believe so can they sell lead?
Yes these type of writing materials have been used for a long time. The expensive one uses tin and silver.
@JRWizz What? I have 25lbs of lead in my barn I just bought from the store.. I'm pretty sure you own lead also and don't even know about it..
They're just alloys of different soft metals. The cheap one uses a softer alloy which is why it writes darker but the tip will deform after awhile. Reshapen it with some sand paper and it should still last a long time. Besides people usually lose pencils before they ever break or wear out. The expensive one uses a harder alloy which leaves lighter lines but will resist deforming better.
Come on...haven't you guys seen the Password episode of The Odd Couple!
I think there is some confusion here. Something like the ForeverPen writes with oxidation and therefore can last a really really long time compared to a normal pen. These cheap ones and all the cheap ones I've tried on Amazon just have a tip that mixes graphite (like a normal pencil) with a small amount of something else and call it an alloy. Since it is graphite it will write more like a normal pencil but the tips will wear down way faster.
The expensive one was only so much so because of the car designer name. You can get other napkin forever pens for around $45. The problem with the napkin pens is the tip is a bit fragile if you drop it and is known to break.
Oh, thank you! I looked at the cheap one and immediately thought ‘how toxic is it?’. Thanks for explaining, I wondered if they were different materials.
@@karenneill9109 There are also some, like from vat19, that have a small amount of lead in them. They say it's such a small amount that it's within EPA safety standards but recommend not to let children use it.
@@nombable It’s one of the hidden issues of places like Ali express and wish. No consumer protection on them. I buy a lot of jewelry components, and there’s a lot of heavy metal junk out there! I can smell lead, and have figured out what to avoid. Those cheap pens look quite suspicious.
The person that will steal it off your desk wont even recognize its value
Can you give the link where I can buy? There are lot in amazon but it looks like pencil rather than pen.
Have to be careful with what you use those for. I remember the SAT said inkless pens like these wouldn't register for the machines. They could have updated in the 12 years since then but you never know.
You're describing a potential test taking nightmare scenario 😄.
@@Starry_Night_Sky7455 lol, that's hilarious if true. imagine writing the exam and finding you scored a big fat 0
I would not use it for controlled documentation like you would find in food or pharmaceutical manufacture either.
HB2 pencils are the standard for testing, you should use nothing else on a test or form read by a machine. Not that other stuff can't work, just that HB2 is validated to work even on old machines.
I'm a product Designer and I'm thinking the Pininfarina pen (btw. Can't believe you didn't Google the name before reviewing their pen 🙈) is probably designed to be used for design sketching where you often start out real thin.
I believe I would rather use a pen like that in the early design phase of making a sketch. Then I would switch to either darker pencils (or a similar version which doesn't smudge - called verithin), ballpoint pen or most likely first Markers and then give more contrast and add details to the sketch with either ballpoint pen or Verithin.
Should be more thought put into it than just making such a "bad" pen. But who knows, maybe they just screwed up with this one..
What have you designed that is famous? Because it's GOOD!
While I get the merits of the Pininfarina pen, I don't see why someone should use it over photo blue lead, since I don't want my sketched to appear when I scan them. It's also a bit of a turnoff when I cannot erase the oxidized metal. Contrary to marketing, these pens don't last forever as well; because of this, the tip of the pen changes its shape over time, making it not exactly ideal compared to a traditional pencil.
@@HintsV2 the pininfarina pen is supposed to never change its shape. While the 6$ pen actually just leaves metal residue on the paper (basically a longer lasting pencil which can't be erased) the 200$ pen does have the advantage of actually being everlasting. It only "writes" by chemically reacting with the paper. That is why it leaves no residue and it can't be erased. Also why it lasts "forever"
why on earth as a fellow designer would you use a PERMANENT pen even for sketches, do you have infinite paper as well?
It even feels better watching you use the "cheaper" one
I laughed so hard when I saw your first write with it!😂✍🏻🖊️ that is not a pen! That is practically a pencil! Lmao 🤣 this is like a classic example that more expensive doesn’t always mean better!
Curious to know if the writing lasts on the paper, like if you leave it in sunlight will it fade quickly. Also, can you write under water with them?
Sun will fade anything
@@laknicksIncorrect. Many pigments are completely lightfast.
The expensive one works by friction, “oxidizing” (their word) the cellulose in the paper. If that is actually just charring a thin layer of the paper, then it’ll be completely lightfast, since carbon doesn’t fade.
Would they work better on other sufaces like wood, plastic or a wall?
I was wondering that. Might be good for construction projects.
So cool, as an amateur car designer I would love one for sketching
Where did you get the cheap one from?
your really just paying for the name
Just wanted to say, I'm here for this man's down to earth attitude and the feel of normalcy that seems to be disappearing by the day everywhere I go.
Thank you for this.
Yup... As a child of the 70's as well I can relate...
Anyone got any idea of what is on the poster on the background of the first shot? It looks very familiar but can’t put my finger on it.
In the pen world $200 isn't really crazy.
The reason I use pens is because they come out dark, in multiple colours, AND they don't erase or get smudged by having stuff slide around it. Pretty useless for me all around unfortunately.
I'm curious how they would work after being frozen. I typically leave a pen in my car. Minnesota winters and summers are both brutal, which always ruins the pen in the glove box. Would have been a very interesting and practical test.
Be same is all about abrasion, so you write it be heating up fast
@@jantschierschky3461 it was a thought, does the pen oxidize when it’s cold, does the “paper” matter if it’s cold. How long does it take? What if it’s humid, can it still oxidize at a higher due point in the air?
@@ThePandaBuffet no oxidation, pure abrasion, same as a pencil
@@jantschierschky3461 That’s not the website of the pencil claims. It says oxidation of the paper.
@@ThePandaBuffet they can claim many things, however those things work exactly like a pencil, abrasion
how long does it last on paper does it eventually come off since its not DYING the tiny threads inside the papers
the took the "SELL ME THIS PEN" to a whole new
level from wolf of wall st.
😮😮😮😮
I'd want to see how the expensive pen looks/works after completely coloring both sides of a couple of sheets of paper, because I have my doubts about it's longevity.
@@englishatheart Thank you for your pedanticness. Much appreciated. I'll be sure to not violate any other grammar rules.
@@Kinkajou1015 Aaaahahahaha ! Great response! I though it was such a narcissistic petty comment myself!
@@Kinkajou1015 I'm not an English native, but try to remember it like this: It's good = It is good, its paint wears off = his paint wears off or something like that. Also goes for your: You're = you are, Your = Yours.
Yacht owners pen 😅
Wow I've never heard of inkless pens. Cool video 👍
that "boy" trick was amazing.
That $6 one seems like incredible value. Time to pick one up! 🎉
So you don't feel totally ripped off by the $200 pen you could use the hole on the top of the wooden box as an incense holder. They may call it a pen instead of a pencil since it doesn't erase well. They're more gimmicky than useful in my opinion. Thanks for another great review.
Ha Incense holder. Exactly right🤣
haha
They have a niche use for those that are operating in conditions where pens freeze and you don't or can't be bothered with pencil sharpeners. But, in general, it's not worth it.
"I guess a concept car" Every Car Guy is pulling their hair here :D
Ahhhh yes boy to head, somehow it made it's way to middle of nowhere Alaska in the early 2000s! What a throwback
As someone who’s huge into the stationary collecting hobby, I feel a pencil that lasts “forever” isn’t that intriguing or sought after. The best part of the hobby is tinkering with them, customizing and using different pens/pencils for different purposes. And if you buy one just to have a handy pencil that you don’t have to worry about sharpening or replacing the lead, one drop that breaks the tip and it’s rendered useless. I would only buy one of these for the novelty aspect of it.
I think the benefit of the $200 one is it is doing a different thing to the paper, and it's indelible-;potentially more-so than indelible inks-;which is a solid advantage to folks who have enough money and pen use to justify a $200 pen. Though as someone who uses a pen constantly for non-signature things I'd just go nuts on like a 6 pack of the $5.50 ones.
Great review 👍🏼
Pinifarina has designed some of the most iconic cars. From Ferrari, Maserati, to some GM cars. He’s definitely a legendary name in the automotive industry