Sharpie's prodigious marketing team had me thinking that this would write like the best sort of pencil, erase well, and become indelible in a day or two. It sounded like the perfect thing for doing crossword puzzles; even my favorite brand of number 2 pencil tends to be hard to see on newsprint, and while ink is fine it isn't when you've made a mistake. With this Sharpie pencil, when you start to write you get one of those annoying sticky dots on your page that crummy ballpoints will also give you. In addition, the flow is uneven, so writing is annoying rather than pleasurable. Whether you buy one or a box full, you'll likely be disappointed. A great idea in need of some serious tweaking. Sharpie Liquid Mechanical Pencils, 12 Mechanical Pencils (1770245)
After extensive testing I have determined that Sharpie has duped all those nerds out there that were eager to try out their new liquid graphite mechanical pencil, me included. It writes as smooth as sandpaper, and leaves chunks of debris when you first lay pencil to paper. It is the perfect storm of poor design. It is absolutely aggravating to even attempt using this as a writing tool. It does however make a decent weapon, if you're feeling stabby. Which you will be after using this product.
While the ink can be erased with provided eraser or any other regular erasers, it left a visible impression on the paper. The ink doesn't flow as smoothly as most of the ballpoint pens on the market. I wish Sharpie can make some serious improvements on this products.
I often use a pencil to edit documents instead of doing edits on my computer screen. Using a pen is not an option because I can't erase a strike out if I change my mind. On the other hand, regular pencils require constant sharpening, and the lead in mechanical pencils can break. This product eliminates those problems, and for me is very useful. The text does not smudge while writing, and you can use an ordinary pencil eraser to erase it. I just spent three hours taking notes on a phone conference and editing documents without any of the problems mentioned in the negative reviews.
However, much as I like this, I gave it only four stars for several reasons:
1. Sometimes the liquid graphite flow is not constant, which gives the appearance of a ball point pen that has skipped. I can still read what I wrote, but this is a problem that needs to be addressed, though for my purposes it is not a big deal.
2. This writes fainter than a pen, regular pencil, or mechanical pencil. I can read what I wrote, but I would prefer something a bit darker.
3. I have no idea how long this will last, so I can't tell how costly this is to use.
I have read negative reviews complaining that when the retractable top is pressed to use the pencil, the top is loose. True, but I never even notice this when I am writing. The top does not move around at all while I write. I have also read negative reviews saying that you must exert a lot of pressure for this to work, but that has not been my experience.
Bottom line: Everyone has different needs and likes. For me this product is very useful.
Great concept, poor execution. Miserable to write with, and as a leftie... it just created a MESS. The ink is not smooth at all, and it leaves skip lines on paper, as well as debris from the ink/graphite.
I was REALLY, REALLY looking forward to this product when I heard of it, I have faith in Sharpie, and trusted that I would LOVE this product, so I bought the 24 pack. Returned promptly.
Don't believe the hype. Possibly the worst pen I've ever written with. I'd prefer the free ones you get at hotels. You just don't get enough ink out of it, so your writing lines are full of white spaces. It's nice that they erase, but erasable pens have been around for years. And they all write better than this pen.
I have been using this pencil for the past several weeks and absolutely loved it so came here to purchase more. I am completely shocked at the negative reviews here and have had none of the experiences that these reviewers have had. Mine writes very smoothly and consistently, erases cleanly and does not smudge. I feel sorry for those who did not have the same experience as me and do not know what accounts for the difference. This seems like a lot of bad reviews to be explained away by a bad batch. Maybe the positive reviewers here got a good batch?
I was around when the Papermates, the first erasable pen, came out and was surprised to see that they still make them. They left blobs of ink on your paper and did not erase completely. Do they work any better than they did then? I have also tried the Frixion pens which initially work okay but then fail to write after a few weeks. Technically, this is a pencil, so I guess this is not a fair comparison, but if you are looking for a writing implement that writes as a pen and erases without a trace, then this is the one for you.
They are good pens. Not as bad as the reviews I've seen. I think they aren't "SHARPIE" quality but they write well (a little spotty here and there) but the erasing part is a huge benefit. It means I don't have to carry a pencil around. For someone who makes a lot of mistakes, it's a good thing.
I am really disappointed with these liquid pencils as they are NOT smooth. They do not print like lead but rather more like old ink. I wanted to use them daily for crossowrd puzzles and sodukos but I find myself switching to old fashioned lead. I hope they can improve upon this product as I love the concept.
Jan G in Carmichael, ca - Office Supplies - Pencil - Mechanical Pencil - Sharpie'
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