Highlighters and Color Gel Pens from Faber-Castell

Faber-Castell sent two packages of Textliner 38 highlighters and a package of RX Gel pens along with the Fast Gel Z reviewed last month. Never has my desk had so much color on it!

The highlighters are divided into fluorescent and pastel sets. They perform as expected and did not cause the Fast Gel Z to smear. They have firm nibs that should last well with typical use. The pastel set is more to my liking, but that is a personal choice. A family member has uses for the fluorescent set and called dibs on that one.

The fluorescent colors were most uncooperative about being photographed so keep that in mind if you try to assess the colors from the image. The pastels are more accurate except Vanilla which is more pale than in the image. It is unobtrusive and handy for certain uses.

The RX Gel pens have a 0.7mm nib width that lays down a strong line. The colors are bright and the selection a bit out of the ordinary including blue, green, purple, pink and gold. No sparkle or iridescence to any of them, but on white Exacompta paper, they really stand out. Considering the amount of color, the ink dries quickly.

Thank you Faber-Castell for sending so many products to review. Family and friends are now outfitted with gel pens and highlighters with positive responses from all.

Available from Amazon: Pastel Highlighters, Fluorescent Highlighters, RX Gel Pens.

Faber-Castell Fast Gel Z Is My New Fave

Faber-Castell, a venerable name in the art world, sent a number of pens to review, but the standout is the Fast Gel Z.

This pen easily beats the Uni-ball Signo that I have used for years. The ink flows better, is more black than the Signo, and dries faster. The nib is slightly smoother and has less feedback. The Fast Gel Z is 5mm longer but otherwise the dimensions are virtually identical. The Z’s clicker is larger and more easily depressed, both advantages for me. The balance on the Z is dead center but slightly closer to the nib on the Signo.

I tried to get the ink to smear but was unsuccessful. Such a fast drying ink isn’t a requirement for me but it does have its advantages. I asked a leftie to try it out and she liked it. Then I passed out a few more to good results.

Under running water on the back of a cheap envelope, the Fast Gel Z lost a tiny amount of ink which the Signo 307 did not. However, the latter decided to migrate through to the back of the paper so it produced an unacceptable result.

Often I just want to write a few words and only have one hand free to do it. Uncapping a fountain pen doesn’t fit that work flow so a mechanical pencil has filled the gap. However, the Fast Gel Z is the better choice when ink is preferable to lead.

Am I a convert? Yep. If you like gel pens, get your hands on a Faber-Castell Fast Gel Z. You won’t be disappointed. It comes in 0.5 and 0.7 line widths with black, red or blue ink. I like the 0.5 black for general writing especially in my 5mm lined notebook. The pens aren’t available everywhere yet, but Amazon does carry them so I’ve included links to the current offerings.

Faber-Castell Fast Gel Z 0.5 Black

Faber-Castell Fast Gel Z 0.5 Blue

Faber-Castell Fast Gel Z 0.5 Red

Faber-Castell Fast Gel Z 0.7 Black

Faber-Castell Fast Gel Z 0.7 Blue

Faber-Castell Fast Gel Z 0.7 Red