Monday, January 19, 2009

The Cuteness

I recently received a Hello Kitty Pilot Hi-Tec C pen courtesy of Jetpens (once again, you rock, Lily!).  The Pilot Hi-Tec C line is great for those pen users requiring that extra little bit of precision.  Jetpens offers a few different tip sizes: 0.25, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5 mm depending on your preferences and demands.  I received a black 0.3 mm Hi-Tec-C pen affording a level of precision I wasn't quite used to as I've tended to be drawn to 0.5 mm and larger tips.  Perhaps due to my own lack of confidence in my handwriting I figured a larger tip, and thus a thicker line, would hide any imperfections in my handwriting.  (I blame the fact that I'm a lefty on my poor handwriting, but I digress.)  As such, it took a few words to get used to a thinner tip, but I must say I soon found myself using the Hi-Tec-C over a few of my 0.7 mm "ol' trusties."  The precision I was afforded was welcomed as my work sometimes requires me to write out structures of chemical compounds in small areas.  Instead of the usual blob that vaguely resembles the shape of an "O" (indicating an oxygen atom), I now had clearly defined atoms that were readable by fellow colleagues.  (In scientific research, reproducibility is key and if you can't read what your colleague wrote, it might as well be irreproducible!)  

The Pilot Hi-Tec-C pen is remarkably smooth, which surprised me because I had been used to the mantra that thicker tips write smoother.  As I understand, there's a tradeoff that as you go to a thinner tip, you have to sacrifice smoothness.  Poorly made pens with thinner tips can sometimes be pretty scratchy, so much so that I'd gotten turned off to thin-tipped pens.  The Hi-Tec-C, however, defies the laws of pen physics as the tip flows across the paper with ease.

My girlfriend has the 0.4mm Pilot Hi-Tec-C Putimo.  She offered it to me to try it out as I had initially complained about the 0.3mm tip of the Hi-Tec-C.  For me, the 0.4 is a nice compromise between precision and thickness.  Perhaps if I get another Hi-Tec-C it'll be a 0.4, but my mind isn't as closed as it once was on 0.4 mm and thinner pens.

Of course, I haven't yet mentioned what makes this pen "the cuteness."  Well, the pen came with a Hello Kitty figurine adorned on the top of the cap.  (The Limited Edition Hello Kitty Hi-Tec-C).  The figurine is removable and transferable to other Hi-Tec-C's so if you're not the Hello Kitty type but know someone who is, you can always give it to them.  Speaking of gifting, these pens would be a perfect gift for your niece/daughter/girlfriend with a special liking for anything Hello Kitty; they're super cute and, as an awesome added bonus, they write excellently!