Sharpie Permanent Marker > Reviews (10)

Intro

Sharpie is not a brand I have frequently used in fact until recently I had never even heard of them. I guess the reason I now at least am aware of the brand is primarily down to a certain Mr Beckham. Before Sharpie started their campaign with Becks I just used ordinary markers, but if it’s good enough for Becks perhaps I should give them a try.

Brief History

Shaprie make Permanent Markers, Industrial Markers, and Highlighters, and are based in the US of A. Frederick W. Redington and William H. Sanford, Jr. founded the Sanford Manufacturing Company in Massachusetts in the year 1857. By 1900 after having relocated to Chicago they narrowly missed the great fire of 1871. This however proved a brief escape since later a disastrous fire was to force a new complex to be built in downtown Chicago. In 1940 the company changes its name to Sanford Ink Company. In 1964 Stanford Inks as the company is now known sets its sights on the marker business, and the Sharpie is born. It is that the Sharpie Fine Point black marker becomes the first pen-style marker. From here on in to the present day they have strived to improve and have been instrumental in the progressiveness of the marker industry.

The Pens

They come in various pack sizes and colours but it is the four pack I shall be reviewing. For what they are I think the price tag of around £3.79p is quite expensive, but they claim to be the best so I gave them a try. The four colours in this pack are a sort of olive green, and orange, a kind of purpley one and a darker purpley one.

They are about the size of one of these bulky ballpoints and the tips are pointed. They are not fine point but you can write quite small lettering with them although this is not their main purpose. For marking something permanently they are quite good, and they write on anything, at least that is the claim.

To be honest I could not be bothered to try everything suffice to say I tried a lot of material and they wrote on them all as stated. They are particularly good for fabric whom I have found often causes such types of pen to smudge, the sharpie remain crisp and clear just as written.

Writing with them is no more or less comfortable than writing with any other pen, they are certainly NOT uncomfortable. One in our pack the dark purple on was almost dry when we opened the pack, but the rest are vivid colours, which seem so far to last well.

Summary

All in all I can’t with hand on heart say I’m over impressed with these especially when you consider that you can buy cheapo one’s out of Poundland which will do most of the jobs equally as well. I guess if you’re a famous influential figure you can afford to spend any amount on your writing implements and not really bother too much about how good or bad it is. They are NOT bad pens they just aren’t as great as I thought they might have been. In future there is a good chance my pen trade will be focussed once again on Poundland, it is very unlikely I shall be purchasing these again.