TUL GL3 Retractable Gel Pen

Many thanks to OfficeMax for sending me some of their TUL pens to try out and review.  These were a pleasant surprise, as I don't get to OfficeMax very much and have been wondering about them.

The first up for review is this TUL GL3 Retractable Gel Pen with a medium (0.7mm) tip.  There are 0.5mm and needlepoint versions as well, both of which interest me, but for now I'll settle for this medium with blue ink.

I like this pen.  The barrel seemed to wide at first, but as I wrote I found my hand adjusting to its width and the slightly longer length. 

The marketing materials note that the smooth ink flow gets rid of skipping, and it certainly does.  This is one of the best ink flows I've seen in a gel pen, and my only observation would be that it flows just a little too freely.  The ink was definitely wet for a few more seconds than would be good for a left-handed writer, but that may be a function of the medium nib rather than the ink.  A needle-point would be fine, with the tip not allowing as much ink flow.

With that much ink flow, I was pleased that there was no bleed through on the paper--a Rhodia No. 16 notepad with 80gsm paper.  The shadowing wasn't too bad, but if that's an issue for you (as it sometimes is with me) then double-sided writing will be a problem.

The pen parts are standard issue, and likely you can find other refills to fit if you have one you particularly love to use. 

I do like the way this feels, the rubber grip has just a touch of give to it so I'm not chafing my finger when I clamp down.  All in all, this is a great pen and is now in my daily rotation at work.  If you're by an OfficeMax and looking for something to add to your collection, give the TUL retractable a try.