Comparison: Uni Kuru Toga vs Zebra Delguard

This is a comparison review of the Uni Kurutoga and the Zebra Delguard.

I’ve seen a lot of posts that picks between the two in a this or that situation. The truth is they are not that similar.

They are both pretty different pens that have very different mechanisms at work for a slightly similar purpose. They both advertise decrease in lead breakage but they both go about this in different ways.

The Uni Kuru Toga uses a unique clutch system called the Kuru Toga Engine
that rotates the pencil lead in small increments to ensure a sharper edge with a wider diameter that decreases the chance for the lead to break.

When the kuru toga engine works it works well. It writes with a spongy springy feeling from the clutch being rotated and the lines you get are  sharp and thin that have consistent widths. When its not though its not that bad you only get thicker lines like a normal mechanical pencil.

I find that the mechanism of the Kuru Toga works only as well as the position you write with. It has an optimal position for the mechanism to truly work and slight deviations from that then you get to experience some problems with the mechanism not not being pushed enought to rotate the lead which might even lead to lead breakage.

I would recommend the kurutoga if you write at a high angle with a low grip as this is the best writing position when using the kuru toga. If you also write using more short strokes then you will benefit from having uniform lines when using the kurutoga.

Next is the Zebra Delguard which uses the Delguard system , a double suspension type system that protects the pencil lead from breaking due to extreme pressure from both vertical and diagonal directions.

The delguard system works by absorbing pressure from direct force on the lead protecting it from breaking. It also works when the pencil lead is applied diagonal pressure by having the lead sleeve protrude to protect the lead.

The delguard system is the better designed of the two, it works without effort, in most positions it works well and it’s unobtrusive, you don’t notice that the pencil is using an engineered suspension system. It works without feeling weird. Unlike the kurutoga with the springy spongy feeling. There is some springy feeling in the delguard but only when extreme pressure is applied and it doesn’t affect the quality of lines.

I would recommend the Delguard for anyone who wants a quality mechanical pencil but it is especially recommended for those who use mechanical pencils for long periods of writing or drawing. Also for those who use softer lead in their pens the delguard is perfect for them.

That’s it for my comparison between the Uni Kuru Toga and the Zebra Delguard. If you like this review please hit that like button and if you want more in depth reviews of the kurutoga and the delguard I have uploaded some videos showcasing each of them as well. If you enjoy pen reviews please subscribe. Thanks and until the next one.

Stationery and Book Haul December 2017 – National Book Store, Office Warehouse, SM Stationery

This is my stationery haul for the past 6 months. I’ve accumulated a lot and barely used them just for a little bit. But I have plans for some of the pens here and some more ideas for videos so hopefully I can do them 😀

Review: Uniball Vision Needle

This is the Uni-ball Vision Needle. Uni-balls’s liquid ink roller ball pen for fine, intricate writing.

The pen’s body is made of plastic that is clear but covered with the pinstripe label of the pen. You can try to see the ink inside the pen but you need a brighter light to really see through. The cap and end of the pen is made of different kind of plastic with a matte finish. Uni-ball’s clips are very springy and they feel good to use but they’re quite weak when latching on to thinner materials. I suggest using it on multiple pages if you want to clip on things.

Once you removed the cap you can post it at the end of the pen. It feels snug and maybe a little loose so be careful that you don’t lose the cap. With the grip section exposed we can clearly see a feed system underneath it which Uni calls their “Uni-Flow Ink System” that will provide a steady and consistent ink flow to the tip of the pen.

The grip on the pen is unremarkable with just the smooth barrel to hold on to. Finally we reach the needle point of the pen which is advertised as a stronger needlepoint compared to others which is accurate since when I tried to bend the needle it wouldn’t bend.

The pen measures 14 centimeters or 5.5 inches. The pen width measures to about

The Uni-ball Vision Needle is available in 2 point sizes, Micro and Fine. Micro point is available in three colors while the Fine point is available in 8 colors.

The Uni-ball Vision Needle writes scratchy compared to other needle points. The strong needlepoint it has doesn’t give enough elasticity to have a smoother writing experience. Imagine riding a car without suspension, that’s how I think it writes. But what it has in scratchiness it makes it up in ink boldness. The Uniball Vision Needle lays down a bold very dark line with no skips or ink blobs thanks to Uni’s “Uni-flow ink system” that regulates the way the ink is laid down on the paper. As a bonus with the uni-flow ink system is that you don’t need that much pressure to lay down ink on paper. This is great for people with arthritis.

The point size of the pen is Micro which is 0.5 in Uni’s sizing. But when compared to my line chart it lays down a thinner line at 0.4mm. I wouldn’t have called this micro but it is still pretty thin.

Next is the bleed through of the ink. We make a little dot first with multiple pass throughs then just idle on the paper and we look at the underside to reveal that it bleeds through the paper. Even the normal writing test bledthrough. I suggest using this pen when you’re a slightly fast writer then an idle thinker.

The drying time of the Uni-ball Vision Needle is pretty fast. It actually dries immediately when put on the paper. Considering the Vision Needle is a rollerball liquid ink pen I’m quite impressed.

Finally we get to the water test. The Uniball Vision Needle is advertised to be formulated with Super Ink which are indelible inks that are waterproof, fadeproof, acid free and archival safe. :”D So naturally the water test is an easy ace for this pen. There is no ink wash made, no feathering or details lost even after the ink seeped in through the paper. This is a very waterproof ink pen.

If you like a fast drying waterproof rollerball that lays down bold lines without much pressure but encased in a sparse body then the Uniball Vision Needle is the pen for you.

This is my review of the Uniball Vision Needle rollerball needlepoint pen. If you like this review then please hit that like button and if you feel like pen reviews are things you enjoy watching then hit the subscribe button as I’ll be uploading more. This is fallyinghigh saying thanks and until the next one. I upload pen reviews on Tuesday and other things on Friday so stay tuned.

Find it on these websites:

Amazon: http://corneey.com/wyTrP9
Jetpens: http://corneey.com/wyTrCQ

 

This is a transcript of the video review above.

Fullmetal Alchemist Edward Elric Limited Edition Kotobukiya ArtFX J Scale Unboxing

This is an unboxing of my first ever scale figure which is my birthday gift to myself. This is the Limited Edition Kotobukiya ArtFX J Fullmetal Alchemist Edward Elric 1/8 Scale Figure! 😀

The limited edition comes with an awesome base with Al’s armor and an extra torso and faceplate featuring a smirking, half naked Ed.

Limited Edition Figure:
Order from Tokyo Otaku Mode: http://corneey.com/wymIhh
Regular Figure:
Order from Amazon: http://corneey.com/wymIWc, http://corneey.com/wymIF1

Image gallery: https://imgur.com/gallery/YhE0v
Sorry for the autofocus mishaps I’m still learning how to operate my new camera 😀

 

This is Ed with his face swapped with the limited edition Smiling one. I love how his cloak is sculpted here. Gives that needed action shot to make the figure more interesting.

Here’s a fuller version of Ed. This is how I see him when I placed him on my bookshelf.

Another shot this time highlighting the details on his clothes and the marks on Al’s armor. You can peak at the blood seal inside Al’s armor here.

 

A shot of the back of the base. A lot more detail was put into Ed’s clothes at the back then what was necessary for which I love. The transmutation circle sculpted on the back looks really good. You can almost read the Latin phrases written on it.

Finally, a shot of the homonculus side of the base. This is not a head on shot and therefore it looks a little warped but they still do look creepy.

My favorite detail on the base. This is Al’s cracked armor with the blood seal clearly printed on the inside of the armor. They went beyond for this little seal. I love it.

I swapped torso and face parts on this one shot. This is now a serious looking Ed with his automail arm in full view. And if you can see I finally managed to correctly attach the pocket watch chain to his pants.

I love how they retained a lot of the detail of his automail from the scars of it connecting to his chest to the tiny bolts and hinges peppered throughout the arm. Love this sculpt.

At the back is something I didn’t quite notice in the anime myself but it’s very interesting to see it in detail on this figure. The wiring of his automail or his blood vessels also look really detailed.

Even under his arm you could see the little details I didn’t even knew existed under Ed’s automail. There’s some copper wiring and more blood vessels or wires running through. You can also see the pocket watch chain.

Overall, I really like Ed her. I love the base with Al’s armor which makes it worth the limited edition price. I also love the detailed automail torso which is also a limited edition exclusive. So I’m really glad I spent the extra money to buy the limited edition. I really like Ed as a character and really like how the pose and sculpt they have of him here.

Nendoroid Joker Villain’s Edition

The perfect pairing for my Nendoroid Batman: The Dark Knight Hero’s Edition. This is the Nendoroid Joker based on Heath Ledger’s character on “The Dark Knight”

The best part about the character is his expressions and the purple suit that truly captures the Joker’s unique aesthetic.

You can watch my unboxing video below for more details.

He’s available on:

Amazon: http://corneey.com/wyTarc

Imaginaire Quebec: http://corneey.com/wyTgVN

Review: Pilot Better Retractable Ballpoint Pen

This is the Pilot Better Retractable Ballpoint Pen. Pilot’s premium quality oil-based ink office staple.

The pen has a slim profile reminds me of a pencil including the hexagonal shape of the body which is made from a smoky translucent plastic that corresponds to the ink color of the pen.

At one end of the pen we see a stainless steel clip which is very sturdy, brings a lot of clipping power that can clip to multiple pages without losing it’s grip.

The button of the pen is also made from metal and does not change the tension or force needed to extend the tip of the pen. It actually feels nice when you press down on the button. Smooth not scratchy, no mushy feeling when it bottoms out and the bounce back of the button is substantial. This pen was one of the first pens to start my pen clicking habit.

The grip section of the pen starts where the hexagonal body ends and it’s ribbed for your comfort not pleasure though. The conical tip is also made from metal, to better protect the pen from cracks due to drops.  Or someone stomping down on the pen accidentally. Finally we get to the pen tip itself. it’s a ballpoint pen made from stainless steel.

The pen measures 14.2 cm or 5.6 inches.

The pen comes in three colors black, blue and red. And in two point sizes, fine and medium.

The Pilot Better Retractable lays down a slightly faint black line with some streaks and blobs in them. These problems usually manifest during upstrokes. It’s smooth enough, you can still feel the ball point moving across the grain of the paper you’re writing on but it doesn’t hinder the writing at all.

The line width of the pen is Fine But since Pilot is a Japanese brand their point sizes run a little thinner. The Fine line weight measures at 0.2 mm which is very thin for a ballpoint pen.

Next we’ll test if the Better Retractable’s oil-based ink bleeds through paper. It doesn’t which is great for those long idle sessions between writing.

Then we get to the waterproofing test to see if the oil-based ink is still waterproof on the Better Retractable. There is no ink wash made and there is no feathering or details lost. I even expected some discoloration but there is none. It is a very waterproof pen like many oil-based ink pens.

Finally because I forgot it,  the drying time. Oil-based inks usually dry relatively fast and that doesn’t change with the Better Retractable at 2 seconds. Relatively fast as I said.

If you like a slim but durable, retractable pen with a great click that writes smooth with a good drying time but also waterproof then the Pilot Better Retractable is the perfect pen for you.

This is my review of the Pilot Better Retractable oil-based ballpoint pen. If you like this review then please hit that like button and if you feel like pen reviews are things you enjoy watching then hit the subscribe button as I’ll be uploading more. This is fallyinghigh saying thanks and until the next one. I upload new pen reviews on Tuesday and other things on Friday so stay tuned!

Order on Amazon: http://ceesty.com/wyiunO (Affiliate)

Nendoroid Batman Hero’s Edition Unboxing

An unboxing of the Nendoroid #469 Batman: Hero’s Edition. I got mine from Hubbyte Toy Store, an official Good Smile Company Partner Shop.

I don’t know where you can still buy him as the ones listed on Amazon are apparently bootlegs now.
Amazon: http://festyy.com/wtPwUh (may be bootleg)
Try Amiami: http://festyy.com/wtO9wz (check availability first)
Good Smile Company Partner Shops: http://festyy.com/wtPqJn

Review: Dong-A My Gel Gel Ink Needle Point Pen

This is the Dong-A My Gel gel ink pen. The best-selling gel ink pen from South Korean brand Dong-A.

The pen’s body is a clear translucent plastic that shows the ink cartridge and ink level inside the pen. A cap is screwed on the end of the pen the color of which corresponds to the ink color of the pen. At the other end, the cap is the same as the body, translucent and clear, with the clip and top in the same color as the ink of the pen. This clip is a new design for My Gel, they call this clip their Elite Clip which improves upon the easily breakable original design on the My Gel series. This was the old clip side by side with the new Elite clip. The clip is plastic with a good amount of give that can clip to leaves of paper and holds it for a while. Now when you remove the cap you can see the grip section. And the tip of the pen is a one piece plastic with circular grooves on the section for comfort. The My Gel is a needle point gel ink pen.

The My Gel series is available in 0.5 and 0.7 point sizes and in 9 other colors.

The pen measures 15  centimeters or 5.9 inches.

The My Gel lays down bold lines especially on the down strokes, a little fainter on the upstroke but there are no skips. It blobs a bit at the start though. It writes smooth for a needle point pen but you can still feel some feedback but it’s not that scratchy.

When I made the line for the line width there were some skips in them. The line width though is a solid 0.4 mm which is close enough to the pen’s line weight.

Next is the drying time. The pen dries fast after 1 second. Which is good for a gel ink pen in this point size.

Gel ink tends to bleed through paper so we’re going to test that here. It bleeds when the point is laid down at a single point for a time. While in normal writing it barely bleeds through. Avoid leaving the tip idle on paper to avoid bleedthroughs.

To end the review we lay some water on the ink and see what happens. When the water hits the ink you can tell that there is some ink wash made from the way the water carried some color away from the writing. You can also tell that the lines feathered when the water completely seeped in. And then finally the ink changes color after a while indicating that the ink they used is a combination of pigments not only black.  This is important when you want to conserve the notes you take with this pen, short answer is, no the ink on this pen is not waterproof or archival safe 😀

If you like a gel ink pen that writes reliably with bold lines that even dries fast then the Dong-A My Gel is the pen for you.

 

This is my review of the Dong-A My Gel gel ink pen. If you like this review then please hit that like button and if you feel like pen reviews are things you enjoy watching then hit the subscribe button as I’ll be uploading more. This is fallyinghigh saying thanks and until the next one. I upload pen and stationary reviews on Tuesday and other things on Friday so stay tuned. please

Order on Amazon: http://festyy.com/wtIbL3 (Affiliate Link)
Order on Ebay: http://festyy.com/wtImfV
Order on Shopee: http://festyy.com/wtIn10

Review: Uni Pin Fine Line Fineliner

This is the Uni Pin Fineline finliner. Uni’s line of excellent budget friendly drawing pens.

The body is a soft touch black plastic with all of it’s markings on the barrel.  It has some space at the end to post the cap. The cap is made from the same plastic but this time it has a clear window in it to see the tip inside the cap. At the top of the cap is the point size indicator with the end of the clip. The clip is springy and strong able to clip on multiple leaves of paper. Once the cap is removed we see a shorter section. I wouldn’t call this section the grip but if you use a low hold on your pen this section wouldn’t that be comfortable as the rough edges might dig into your fingers. Use the barrel as the grip as it is more comfortable to hold. The tip of the fine liner is encased in a metallic sheath to protect  it from the edges of stencils or rulers. The tip itself is made from a type of plastic.

I have here the black ink model but this fine liner line is also available in blue and red. As for the point sizes it is available in 9 other sizes from 0.05 to 0.8 perfect for all your sketching needs.

The pen measures 13.9cm or 5.5 inches a millimeter short of an average sized pen.

 

The Uni Pin Fine Line lays down a very bold black line. There is no skipping or line streaks but surprisingly for a liquid ink pen, there is no blobbing. It writes smooth enough but you do get that  tactile feedback from writing with the plastic tip. It’s alright it just feels like a pencil more than a ballpen. The ink doesn’t bleed through the paper as long as you don’t stay on a single spot.

Next is the line thickness which we would compare to my line chart but since I personally use these pens to make my line chart I’m confident that they are as close to their line width as possible. Or at the very least they’re pretty easy to acquire if you want to compare line thickness.

 

Uni has advertised that their Uni Pin Fine Line pens contain their Super Ink formulation that features waterproofness and fadeproofness as well as being chemical resistant.

Up next well test out how fast the Uni Pin dries. It completely dries after 2 seconds. The very saturated line is a proper trade off for the slightly delayed drying time. Still a great pen for those that want a bold line.

 

Finally we get to the stress test. First with water. We swipe the boxes with a little water and see if there’s any smudginess. There is no blurriness or even details lost and no ink wash made. This is a legit water-proof pigment ink. Up next is the fade test with an ink eraser. We rub the ink eraser on the ink and see if it comes off. Nope the ink stays on the paper. This is friction proof as well. Finally we have the UV test. I put out a piece of paper with some letters on it made from the Uni Pin fine liner and the ink still hasn’t faded. This ink is also UV resistant.

 

If you like a water-proof pigment ink pen that lays down bold, solid lines in a variety of differing line widths then the Uni Pin Fine Line is the perfect pen for you.

This is my review of the Uni Pin Fine Line fineliner. If you like this review then please hit that like button and if you feel like pen reviews are something you enjoy watching then hit the subscribe button as I’ll be uploading more. This is fallyinghigh saying thanks and until the next one.

Order on Amazon: http://gestyy.com/wrDWB8
Order on Jetpens: http://gestyy.com/wrDEwu

Review: Pilot Frixion Ball Erasable Pen

This is the Pilot Frixion Ball Eraseable Ballpen. The first pen to popularize the friction-erase ink.

The body is a translucent black plastic with silver tribal design on the barrel. At the end of the pen is the rubber eraser that feels harder than a normal pencil eraser. The clip is molded with the cap. It’s quite firm. The cap is the same translucent black plastic as the body with Pilot’s branding displayed. Once you removed the cap, we get to the grip section of the pen. The grip features a rubber like material that has tiny dots on it which help to grip the pen. The grip is flat against the body, not raised at all. Finally we have the tip of the pen that has a ballpoint tip.  Aesthetically It looks like the tip protrudes out of the barrel a bit.

This is the ball tipped pen with a 0.5 point size in black but it is also available in more than 10 colors in the same point size.

The pen is 14.cm or 5.6 inches long, an average length pen.

The Pilot Frixion Ball lays down a slightly faint line. The down strokes shows a bit of skipping or some slightly fading parts. There’s some scratchiness in there but it isn’t that noticeable or annoying. At the very least there’s no blobbing of ink. This might not be the perfect pen for fast writers but it is still a solid pen to use every day.

We then go to the thinness of the line which is supposed to be 0.5mm but compared to my chart here it is thinner at about 0.3. Great for writing small details in.

The Pilot Frixion Ball popularized the eraseable ink. Pilot was one of the first to introduced an eraseable ink pen capable of being erased with the heat from the friction by utilizing the eraser built into the pen itself. and now they have expanded their eraseable ink line to include dozens of different Frixion products.

The silver rubber eraser cleanly erases the ink. It helps that the rubber is tacky enough to get a good momentum going to erase the ink. There is no residue made but there is still some faint lines visible at the right angle and light. I found out that the ink can return when exposed to very cold temperatures so avoid putting your writing in extreme  conditions.

Up next we measure how fast the ink dries. the drying time of the pen is quite good. It dries after 1 second. Although when the ink is pooled the drying time increases by 2 seconds. Still a good pen to use in normal writing and for left-handed users.

Finally we dab the ink with a bit of water and see if it gets washed away and it doesn’t but there is still some smudginess to the ink but the ink still stays on the paper so we can properly say that the ink is water-resistant. This is good to know when you want to use the pen for your watercolours.

If you like a pen that is eraseable and water resistant but relatively cheap and widely available then the Pilot Frixion Ball Erasable Ballpen is the pen for you. Just make sure to store it at a cold temperature ‘cause the ink might fade when exposed to high levels of heat. I’m talking about microwave levels of heat here. Hint hint.

That is my review of the Pilot Frixion Ball eraseable ballpen. If you like this review then please hit that like button and if you feel like pen reviews are something you enjoy watching then hit the subscribe button as I’ll be uploading more. This is fallyinghigh saying thanks and until the next one.

Order on Amazon: http://clkmein.com/q9ddTh

Nendoroid Red Rerelease Unboxing

This year 2017 was when the Nendoroid Red was re-released for the Asian market. This little nendoroid has been released before but in a champion version featuring the final evolution of the three starter Pokemon it comes with. This will the first time it is re-released with it’s original starter Pokemon.

Nendoroid Red was the very first Nendoroid I was interested in but by the time I saw him his pre-order was already closed and the resale value was going to 3x it’s cost. I decided to wait and that wait was for 3 years. Is it worth it? Absolutely. Pokemon Fire Red and Leaf Green are still my favorite Pokemon games and having Red here will surely remain me of the fun times I had playing the game.