MALARKeY Disposable Fountain Pens, Fine Nib (7-pack set)

I received these yesterday and have written several paragraphs on different types of paper since. So far, I am very pleased with the quality.Cons:1. The nib drags or skips a tiny bit, and this is the most noticeable while printing. If you are not lifting the pen from the paper much, this is not that noticeable.2. I would love a screw on cap for these to ease my mind about keeping it in my purse. The cap is quite sturdy if you have it rolling around your desk or in a pencil bag, but I'd be nervous to have it loose in my purse or backpack.Neutral:1. The pen is very light. If you are used to a heavy pen, this will have a learning curve. If you like a lighter pen, this will be great for you.2. No ink refills. I do like the way the nib performs, and would probably opt for buying refills if they were available instead of throwing out the whole pen as the ink dries up. It's on the wasteful side to me unless my local recycling options accept this type of plastic.3. It's not fancy. It really is just a while plastic pen with the logo on the side. This certainly does not detract from the pen's performance and no doubt is part of the reason the price is so low.Pros:1. Compared to the Pilot Varsity disposable fountain pens, the nib is a touch finer and the ink flow more even (no accidental blobs). It tops the Varsity in this category for me by far.2. The ink doesn't seep through paper. Yes, there is some ghosting, but I found the Malarkey pen out perform the Varsity here again. The Varsity pens bleed through mid-range paper and leave strong ghosting on good paper. The Malarkey had minor ghosting with Clairefontaine, Rhodia, Paperchase, and Leuchtturm, and I would not be bothered by it enough to not use the pens for regular journaling and planning.3. The ink is a separate piece in each pen until you are ready to start using it. No doubt this keeps the package of pens from drying up before you can use them. When you need new pen, just grab one, unscrew the nib, press the ink cartridge into the nib a bit, screw it back together and start writing.4. The value is great. With 7 pens at $2.00 or less each, I don't know of better deal for fountain pens. I still have a while to see how many pages I can get from one pen, but the first two days with them seem promising. The seller did provide some instructions to try should a pen appear dried up, and I appreciate the attention here. I would sure rather try to revive the pen than throw out perfectly good product.

I bought these disposable fountain pens along with some others to get a feel for what was available. I've had a disposable fountain pen for literally 6 years and it works great, but I wanted to make sure I could replace it. the Malarkey pens are really good pens. I like the fine tip and I like the logo down the side. The only problem I have is that the ink dries between uses. I think this is because the pen cap has a hole in it at the end. The other disposable fountain pens I use don't have a hole and that seems to work better because all I have to do is open the cap and the ink is flowing. With Malarkey, I've gotta pour some water in a cup, dip the nib into the water so the ink will start flowing again, wipe off the excess, and THEN start writing. I would have given these 5 stars because I really like the pens, but, honestly, who has time to dip your pen in water every time you want to use it? Dear folks at Malarkey, close the hole and you get 5 stars.

I like to use fountain pens and like the idea of a disposable pen. These are pretty good for the price. I did have a difficult time getting the ink to flow the first time, shaking the pen, dipping the nib in water, and squeezing the ink cartridge, all to no avail. I just about threw them away! But then I noticed the hole in the end of the barrel and tried blowing in the hole. Sure enough, this got the ink to flow and it hasn't stopped since. Maybe the extra bit of pressure got it to work? I've written several pages now and enjoy the fine nib, although it is slightly more scratchy than the Pilot Varsity. It looks like you could refill the ink cartridge, which would make these even more economical, if the nib lasts. The ink doesn't dry out for me, even after leaving it uncapped on my desk for several minutes. The pen is a bit light for my taste and I'd prefer a darker ink but, overall, I'd say these are worth the price.

Although I would normally go with a more well known brand, I decided to give these a shot. This is a most regrettable decision. I first gave a single pen from the pack a try. The ink took a bit to flow, but when it did I realized that the nib itself was wobbly, making writing anything remotely attractive impossible. I checked a second pen that didn't hold ink yet. Sure enough, another loose, wobbly nib. I tried to see if it could be threaded in or something, but it appears not. I've now went through all seven pens, and not a single one is usable under any imaginable circumstances. Okay, maybe I child who isn't too fussy could scribble with them. That's about it though. Not good for adults who pride themselves on penmanship, certainly. I really cannot express how awful these are. I mean with wobbly nibs, they aren't even good for practice, as every line is squiggly and that's only going to disappoint a learner into thinking they are bad, not the pens. I highly recommend that nobody buy these ever.

I bought this because I love fountain pens and I thought the price is good. I like the idea where we need to attach the ink ourselves to keep the ink fresh, it is light. It was all good and smooth when I first used it, however, once I leave it for just a day, I couldn't get the ink work. I threw the first pen cause it is impossible to write. So I thought I should put the pen straight up to keep the ink flowing. I tried the second pen. So I tried to leave it straight up for a day after using, but once again, it isn't working again. I keep scribbling it trying to make the ink flows, but it's just not working. I wonder if I can return the product. I want to love it, but I am about to throw the second pen after I used it once. I might go back to Pilot disposable pen which work way better even when you didnt use it for awhile.