Author’s Note: I did receive this pen from Jetpens.com, but I would give the product and the company the same review regardless, so there is no bias in this post.

Sometime last year I came across the website stationers http://www.jetpens.com and instantly fell in love –  the best part of this online stationery site is that they carry a comprehensive selection of pens, paper, notebooks and accessories from Japan and Germany. These items can sometimes be difficult to find, but Jetpens’ variety means finding what you need (or want!) at an affordable price. Products arrive well protected from the horrors of the postal service and shipping is free with orders over $25.00 (trust me, it’s easy to spend that much and more —way too much more).

Not too long ago, I signed up to do a product review – it seemed the least I could do for one of my favorite stationers. Much to my surprise they sent me a Marvy Le Pen in Oriental Blue to review.  When I opened the envelope, I felt immediately transported back in time about twenty years or so. The Marvy Le Pen is one of those pens that were ubiquitous in the late 80’s/early 90’s. I remember buying a different color every time I went to Hallmark. What I loved about the Le Pen is what I love about it now: it is minimalist and inexpensive but it gets the job done. The color is rich and saturated and the porous tip seems like it will hold up well over time, even if you tend to be a heavy-handed writer like myself. The Le Pen (still can’t figure out why a Japanese pen has a pseudo-French name but whatever) is great for journaling and I suppose it would be good for detail work in sketching. So that’s the Marvy Le Pen in a nutshell –  further proof that something doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive to work well. Please check out the Le Pen and all the other goodies at http://www.jetpens.com. Just don’t blame me for your new stationery addiction.