Freak369's Full Review: Sanford 30001 Sharpie Fine Tip Permanent Marker
When I was working on a Type O Negative tattoo for a friend, I picked up the Sanford UniBall Vision Evergreen Pen and really fell in love with the color. Sadly, the Sharpie Fine Tip green marker I had in my desk wasnt thin enough or the right shade to use for the tattoo but that wont stop me from writing a review of it! If youve never used a Sanford Sharpie before, they are exceptional markers that come in a variety of tip sizes and colors. You can find the basic colors like black, blue, green and red in multi packs or you can pick them up by the dozen. They even have new pastel Sharpies as well as the Mini Sharpie [still waiting for that to get added to the database]. I have four different green Sharpies; fine, extra fine, chisel tip and bullet. They all have the same hue to them and have never given me a lick of trouble. Needless to say, these arent just something that can be used in an office setting. They are great for school projects, making posters and even crafting. Sanford is a name that I trust and when they say that they guarantee their products, they mean it.
Sanford Sharpie Green Fine Tip Permanent Marker
The first thing I need to point out about this is that there is a huge difference between the extra fine and fine markers; the extra fine ones have a very small tip to them and even though they say that they shouldnt be used for letter writing, I still do. Of course that means that I have to use a thicker paper or have several sheets of scrap paper under it but it is a small price to pay for the color that you are getting and that it is permanent ink. The fine tip is even worse in this regard, with the extra fine you do get some seepage on to other pages but with the fine, it can make a huge mess if you are writing slow or making several passes over an area. This also means that you can get some warping to the paper if it gets too saturated with the ink. Theres no way to fix this but it never hurts to shove the paper under something heavy like a phone book and give it some time to flatten out. The ink flow is nice but if you are trying to make fine lines with this, you better know what you are doing or you are going to end up with ink everywhere. The possibility of saturation is probably the only negative thing that I can say about this marker, even when you do make several passes over an area, there isnt a huge color change which is something that really irks me about other permanent markers.
But, as usual, I am putting the cart before the horse .. or in this case the ink before the marker. So what makes this so special? Well, it isnt one of the fancy new retractable ones [but my oh my, they are nice too] so it does need to be recapped or it will dry out. Its a tough call as to how many of these rebound if they are left uncapped the amount of ink left in it does play a huge factor in that. As far as the smell, most permanent markers have that smell to them something that is undeniably permanent marker. To me there isnt a strong scent from this one but then again, after using them for years there is a good chance that my nose might not pick up on the scent of it. Theres a handy dandy pocket clip on the cap that you can use to attach this to a loop inside a backpack or in a briefcase but most of the time I sit there and snap it over and over again until it breaks. These are wider and thicker than the extra fine point markers so if you are used to using those, these might feel a little strange at first.
A marker can look nice, have a cute design or come in a multi pack with other nice colors but the try test to it is how it stands up over time. I do have to admit this, a lot of the Sharpies that are used at the shop get lost or disappear. The only way to tell how long they have been there is to look at how much ink as been rubbed off the barrel. Even if that does happen, the cap is the color of the ink so you will always know which one you are grabbing for that is unless the wrong cap goes on the pen. These do last a long time if you take care of them and recap them when you are done, if the cap does get lost use a piece of plastic wrap around the tip thats why I never throw away caps from markers, you never know when you are going to need one. On a side note, this are non-toxic by the AP standards but it isnt something that you are going to want to have younger kids using unless you want them walking around looking like a patch of grass.
As far as price, it all depends on how you purchase them. Individually they will cost you anywhere from .89 cents to $1.29 depending on where you are shopping. When I try out a new color I try to get the individual ones so I can test them out but I have been using these for years now so I get them by the box. Green isnt a color that we use a lot at the shop but when we are working on posters or goofing around with designs, it does come into play here and there. Theyve never let me down when Ive gone to use one and to me they are worth every penny. The color is consistent from box to box and I know that if I ever do have a problem with one of them, Sanford will send me a replacement without asking me a million questions. The extra fine one does get used a little more often than this one but when I am working or larger designs or need to fill in larger areas, this is definitely the way to go!
Sharpie Permanent Marker, 1.0mm Fine Tip, Green InkThe original Sharpiereg is permanent on most hard-to-mark surfaces. 1.0mm tip. Fast drying, fade an...More at Global Industrial
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