The Sharpie Steel Pen Review

If you read my previous post on the importance of sketching your code, then you know that I'm a huge fan of getting ideas out on pen and paper first before attempting to code them up. And in order to make this happen, you will need, a Pen. Many people use whatever they can find as they rummage through their desk, normally a generic off-brand pen that's somewhat rough to write with. You get this pressure that it tends to generate where one has to almost drive the pen through the page in order to get their thoughts out.

So having a pen that is resilient and that will last you through daily wear and tear is very important. I highly recommend the following pen (not endorsed, I wish) for your code sketching needs.

Sharpie Pen

There are a few reasons why this is a solid pen. And not just because it looks impressive. Although it is. It is a solid stainless steel pen with a very minimalistic look and it will last you through many an idea or two. The following are the top reasons why this pen, should be your next pen.

It's got weight

Most pens have no noticeable weight to them. They kind of just sit there somewhere in the periphery and your eyes tell you where the ink is appearing. This pen, however, is wonderfully balanced. You know where it is at all times and so it gives you this slight sense of added control with every stroke. It also has a built-in rubber grip which does indeed help balance the whole thing out even further.

Smooth

It's almost like the pen is using itself sometimes. The writing is wonderfully smooth and comes in a Fine Tip. Colors are bold and it doesn't bleed through or fade any point. You get concise solid lines each and every time.

Refillable

Each cartridge itself seems to last a lifetime. I've almost filled entire notebooks off of one ink refill. But refill packs are available and they're as easy to replace as simply unscrewing the current ink cartridge and popping it right out.

Price

I'm not a pen fanatic by any means. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But spending $100+ on a fountain pen is not on my to-do list. The Sharpie Pen averages from 4$ - 7$ depending on where you pick it up. I have not seen it in many physical locations however but you can pick it up from Amazon. And that makes it a fantastic deal!

The fact that someone went out of their way to write an entire article on a pen should tell you just how good of a pen this is. I'm a huge fan of pen and paper, despite being a programmer. There's this aliveness to the whole thing. This flow of not thinking, but simply doodling and creating. And as you draw the ideas seem to build themselves. Programming is great but many a time, one can get caught up in the "How" of the situation and forget about everything else.