Brand Name: US Art Supply

Product Page: https://amzn.com/B01KGDBNP6
List Price atm: $18.95

Firstly, this set is amazing, especially for only costing just under $20.

Secondly, I LOVE gel pens! Always have. When they started going out of “fashion” in the early 2000’s I started stashing them so that I could love them as long as possible. Any I found after that was like finding a gold nugget in a store. So, the fact that they’ve suddenly re-saturated the pen world has me tickled pink. (Thank you adult coloring craze.)

I saw this set and was very excited to try it. I liked it’s variety of hues and “textures.” I was a little skeptical of there being so many for such a low price though.

They arrived, and the thing I like immediately was their packaging. Very simple, but very nice. A classic marker kind of sheath that folds over  on itself and secures with a tab of velcro, so it’s not flapping open or being damaged by getting twisted. The flaps that keep the pens in place are secured with plastic snaps.

The pens themselves are wonderful. I only had about 3 “tricky starters” in the whole batch, 2 of which were the metallic, maybe that ink is just a little thicker or something. Coming from the gel pen hay day, this was not surprising or perturbing to me. I just scribbled it out. (A few tricks for pens that won’t start, even with scribbling, lick the tip and try again or run it over rubber, such as the bottom of your shoe. I’ve never had a pen resist these tactics.)

I decided as a quick way to make it through all 100 pens and check out their qualities I’d just fill in a page of a book I had lying around. For future users, I’d suggest having a scribble pad next to you, as some of the caps are not the most accurate. I found that the pigments cover well and dry quickly. Once the pens are properly started, they dispense very smoothly. I had a lot of fun going down this set and particularly enjoyed the GLITTER selection. (MOST especially the clear with glitter. Yes, a CLEAR color pen that is just silver glitter.) I will be keeping this set up, out of the reach of my toddler, as I enjoy it far too much to have to pillaged by eager, unorganized hands.

I received this set complimentary in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.