12 Pack Gel Pens: Pastel Barrels, Black Ink Only
The barrels are pastel but every pen writes black. Here is how these 0.5mm gel pens flow, smudge and feel in the hand.
The 12 Pack Gel Pens are worth buying if you want pretty pastel pens that all write in black ink. The 0.5mm tip flows with almost no pressure and did not smudge in my test. The one catch: there is no rubber grip at the bottom. Buy them.
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How this review was made: written from my own video review of this product. Every opinion here is my own, from using it myself.
| Count | 12 pens |
|---|---|
| Tip | 0.5mm fine point |
| Ink | Black, quick-dry gel |
| Barrel colors | 6 pastel shades |
| Mechanism | Retractable click |
| Clip | Gold metal |
Pastel Barrels, Black Ink Inside Every One
I do want to point out right off the bat: those pastel colors are the pens, not the ink. All twelve of the 12 Pack Gel Pens on Amazon write in black. I say this because a lot of times I see a pack like this and assume I am getting twelve ink colors, and then they show up and it is one color across the board.
So if you are shopping for pens black ink is what you are getting here. Twelve of them, in six pastel barrel shades.
Which is fine with me. I wanted black. But it is the kind of thing that turns into a disappointed unboxing if you don’t know going in.
No Grip at the Bottom
There is no rubber grip on the barrel. Pay attention to that one, because some people really like a soft cushioned section down near the tip and this does not have it. The listing calls the barrel soft-touch, and it does not feel slick in my hand, but it is not a separate molded grip.
If you write for an hour straight and your fingers complain about hard barrels, keep that in mind.
There is a small sliding piece on the barrel that moves up and down and appears to be purely decorative, it does not affect the click, the tip, or the ink flow. It is not a problem, just an odd design choice that might make you pause the first time you pick one up.
First Line Out of the Pen Flowed
Oh wow. First time writing with it, and the ink was already flowing. That almost never happens with a brand new gel pen. Usually there is that scratchy half-line where you are scribbling in a circle trying to wake it up.
I was barely putting any pressure on there and the ink came right out. Smooth. The 0.5mm fine point tip is sharp rather than fat, and it did not skip on me once while I was writing.
Then I did the test I always do, which is go back over the fresh writing to see if it smears. It is not smearing. I really liked that. There was one tiny little smear, and that was right where I first started, because there was a little bubble of ink sitting on the tip from the first contact. After that first stroke, nothing. That is the quick-dry doing its job, and it is the reason these get called out for left-handed writers.
One setup note worth knowing before you click the first one: each tip comes with a protective seal on it. You have to pull that off before you write or you will think the pen is dead.
How These Compare to a Basic Office Pen
Most twelve-packs at this price are capped, single-color plastic, the kind you buy because you need a pen, not because you want one. These are retractable, metal-tipped, and come in six pastel shades, which is a real upgrade in a category where the bar is usually a blue Bic.
The clip is there if you are a person who clips a pen onto a pocket, a notebook cover, or into a journal. The metal end piece is rose gold. I just feel like it is really pretty and feminine. That is the whole difference between these and a generic twelve pack: the same black line, in a pen you actually want sitting on your desk.
What Twelve Pens Gets You
Twelve is enough to split up, and that is how I would use them. Stocking stuffers. An add-on for a little birthday gift. Something fun for somebody at work when you want to hand over a small thing and not make it a whole production.
Check the current price on Amazon. They are also moving faster than they were, sitting at #41,908 in Office Products against a 90 day average of #50,276, with more than 100 bought in the past month.
Will They Hold Up?
Too early for me to tell you how long the ink lasts, since this was my first write with one out of the pack. What I can speak to is the build. The barrel is plastic with a metal end and a gold metal clip, and the click retraction felt crisp rather than loose and rattly.
The clip is the part I would watch on any pen like this. Thin metal clips on gift pens are usually the first thing to bend out of shape. This one felt firm when I handled it.
Who These Are For
Anyone who wants a black ink fine point pen and would rather it be pretty than plain. Journalers, planners, teachers, students, and people who buy small gifts in batches. The quick-dry matters most if you are left-handed and tired of dragging your hand through wet ink.
Not for you if you wanted twelve ink colors. Not for you if a rubber grip is non-negotiable. And if you prefer a capped pen over a click, that is a preference thing, but these are retractable.
The pastel barrels and quick-dry ink earn them a spot on my desk over any plain black multipack. If you write in a journal, hand-address envelopes, or just want a pen that doesn’t look like it came from a supply closet, grab them on Amazon and check the current price.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you buy refills for these?
No refills are listed with this set, so treat them as disposable. The pack is sold as twelve complete pens, not a barrel-plus-cartridge system.
Will the ink bleed through thin journal paper?
The listing says the ink resists bleeding, and the fine point lays down less ink than a broad tip would. I wrote on regular paper and did not have an issue, but very thin dot grid paper is always a gamble with gel ink.
Do all 12 pens come in different barrel colors?
There are 6 pastel barrel colors across 12 pens, so you get two of each shade. Handy if you are splitting the pack into gifts and want matching pairs.
Do they work on envelopes and cardstock?
They should, since the fine point tip handles textured stock better than a felt tip does. Just know a fine point writes a thin line, so addressing an envelope will look delicate rather than bold.
Get it now
12 Pack Gel Pens
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