Unsharpen

Measuring How Far Pens Write: Writing Distance Test Pattern

10/22/24 Unsharpen Team

As you may have learned on our YouTube channel, Unsharpen is currently running a number of tests in order to find out how far a pen can write. So far we’ve been doing the test using a a number of different of SVG files which are paired with an Axidraw pen plotter — essentially a drawing robot — in order to scientifically test the distance a pen can write.

Of course pens can last a very long time — up to 6000 meters are claimed by refills like the Fisher Space Pen PR4 — so the testing can take a huge amount of time, even with a robot!

Which Pens Are Sold In The Most Sizes?

09/03/24 Unsharpen Team

If you want to use the same pen and ink combination in a number of sizes, what’s the best pen to choose? This is a niche question, but certainly an interesting one. This came up when we wanted to some pen longevity testing — testing out how long the ink in a pen will write — and we wanted to determine the impact on the writing tip size on how long a pen will write. The best way to do this is to get the same pen in as many sizes as possible… but which pen should we buy?

The Best Gel Pens of 2024

04/25/24 Unsharpen Team

There are few writing instruments that are more satisfying than a great gel pen. The right gel pen is buttery smooth, has color that pops off the page with excellent legibility, and is a pleasure to write with on nearly any paper. Gel pens are one of the best and most versatile ways to write in 2024.

There are many gel pens sold today. While there aren’t too many truly bad gel pens left, a few stand out from the rest. We’ve extensively tested dozens of gel pens since 2018… these are our favorites.

Where Is The Sharpie S-Gel Pen Made?

12/17/23 Unsharpen Team

It might seem like a simple question, but it’s come to us a few times. So let’s get down to it: where are the S-Gel pens made?

How Long Is A Pencil?

12/23/22 Unsharpen Team

A surprisingly popular question in the stationery world is, “How long is an average wood pencil?” When we found out that there was no obvious answer, we go to work to find out.

How To Clean Behind The Seal Of A Fountain Pen Converter

12/09/22 Unsharpen Team

If you are cleaning your fountain pen and noticed that there is ink or water behind the plunger of the converter, you’ll likely find that it’s quite difficult to get at. How do you take apart the converter, clean up that ink, and fully clean your pen?

How Wide Is A Pencil?

11/30/22 Unsharpen Team

It might seem basic, or even obvious, but a common question people ask is, “How wide is a wood pencil?”

The answer, of course, is “it varies…” We did some testing to see just how wide a range of popular pencils are.

The Best No-Plastic And Low Plastic Pens And Refills

11/19/22 Unsharpen Team

Many people are trying to reduce the amount of plastic they use in their lives, but this can be quite difficult, especially with small, affordable items like pens. While pens and plastic go hand-in-hand, particularly with lower priced pens, there are some choices you can make to reduce the plastic in your writing instruments.

Caran d’Ache Graphite Pencil Guide

11/16/22 Unsharpen Team

Caran d’Ache makes, and has made, a wide array of high quality wood pencils. The line spans from everyday, student pencils, to luxury pencils made of unique types of sustainably sourced wood.

It’s not that easy to differentiate from one pencil to the next, despite the obvious care Caran d’Ache has put into these pencil. This article will try to clear things up a little and make sense out of this wonderful line of pencils.

Pens, Ink, And The Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) Form

11/08/22 Unsharpen Team

If you have recently purchased a pen or ink from an international reseller or manufacturer there is a chance that you will be required to fill out a Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) Form. This request will come from the shipper, usually Fedex, not the seller or a government agency.

So what do you do when you get this request?

Finding The Darkest Pencil

10/29/22 Unsharpen Team

One of the common questions we see on Unsharpen is, which pencil is the darkest? In other words, which pencil has a graphite (or even a charcoal) which puts down a line that is the blackest black possible.

We did some investigation to see which pencils were worth considering if darkness is your goal.

The Cheapest (Good) Fountain Pen Ink

10/19/22 Unsharpen Team

Fountain pen ink doesn’t have to be expensive. Today fountain pens might seem like a luxury product, but let’s not forget that not too long ago they were a standard writing tool used everyday by millions of people worldwide. Those people weren’t using luxury inks with delicate undertones, they were using dependable, affordable fountain pen ink.

Don’t let the marketing hype fool you… those great, cheap inks still exist.

What Is A Clutch Pencil And How Is One Used?

10/09/22 Unsharpen Team

Clutch pencils aren’t nearly as popular as they used to be, but they still have their uses. This article will explain the basics of clutch pencils, discuss why you’d use one, and finally run through some of the top clutch pencils sold today.

The Top Tool Pens of 2022

09/24/22 Unsharpen Team

It can be incredibly handy to have a small set of tools at hand. With this in mind, a number of “tool pens” have been released over the years. We bought and tested a number of them. Our thoughts are below.

The Best Ways To Erase Pen Ink From Paper

05/31/22 Unsharpen Team

Pen ink is designed to not be removable from paper, but sometimes mistakes happen. When they do, how do you remove pen ink from paper?

Measuring How Far Pens Write: Writing Distance Test Pattern

Which Pens Are Sold In The Most Sizes?

The Best Gel Pens of 2024

Where Is The Sharpie S-Gel Pen Made?

How Long Is A Pencil?

How To Clean Behind The Seal Of A Fountain Pen Converter

How Wide Is A Pencil?

The Best No-Plastic And Low Plastic Pens And Refills

Caran d’Ache Graphite Pencil Guide

Pens, Ink, And The Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) Form

Finding The Darkest Pencil

The Cheapest (Good) Fountain Pen Ink

What Is A Clutch Pencil And How Is One Used?

The Top Tool Pens of 2022

The Best Ways To Erase Pen Ink From Paper

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