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ninagobragh) wrote2025-06-11 12:28 pm
ninagobragh) wrote2025-06-11 12:28 pm
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Gelly Roll Pens: Fun but Impractical
Note: technically I'm posting this on Thursday 12 June but it was supposed to go up on Wednesday 11 June. I forgot to hit Post Entry, so I'm back dating it. Whoops.
I’ve been using these little sticks of joy since middle school, when they were the trendiest pen among every girl in my grade. While everyone else was still toiling away with their boring Bic ballpoints and sad Ticonderogas, we were scribbling in glittery pink and neon purple, creating Lisa Frank masterpieces out of our pre-algebra homework.
Once, I begged my mom for the giant 74-pack set I spotted at a Big Box store. She took one look at the price tag, laughed, and handed me the much more reasonable three-pack instead. (She was right, of course. But I still think about that 74-pack.)
Eventually, the fun came to a halt. Our teachers banned Gelly Rolls after discovering the sticky ink smeared all over desks, bags, and hands. And now, decades later, I don’t entirely disagree with them.
So I want to talk about Gelly Roll pens in the form of a Compliment Sandwich. I know Stationery Girlies (like myself) hold these pens near-and-dear, so I want to start with the good. And note -- I 100% don't hate these pens. But they have their disadvantages.
The Bread (Compliment)
They are so fun to write with. The gel ink glides like butter and looks beautiful on the page. They come in every color you could want—pastels, metallics, neons, bold jewel tones—and somehow manage not to bleed, despite the ink being on the thicker side. The pens force you to write slowly and a little larger than usual, which often ends up improving your penmanship. They work on regular paper, black paper, and even thin paper. The effect is delightful.
The Meat (Criticisms)
That fun ink is so sticky. Close your notebook too soon, and the ink will transfer to the opposite page. Set another piece of paper on top, and it’ll smear. They also don’t play well with correction tape at all. And while they come in different tip sizes (usually 1.0mm and 0.8mm), you still can’t write small. Forget about using them in tiny planners or notebooks with narrow lines. As for professionalism—well, unless you’re handing a glittery pink resignation letter to your boss, you might want to opt for something else.
More Bread (Compliment)
I love them. I keep a few that I still covet. When I pull them out, all I want to do is doodle, scribble in the margins of notebooks, or pass notes like I’m back in 8th grade pre-algebra. There’s a charm to these pens that defies logic.
After Taste (Lost the Metaphor)
So would I recommend Gelly Roll pens? Not to the casual pen user. But if you're deep into stationery like I am—if you want to write on black paper just because you can—then yes. Absolutely. Treat yourself to a few.
But maybe not the 74-pack (unless it’s on sale).
I’ve been using these little sticks of joy since middle school, when they were the trendiest pen among every girl in my grade. While everyone else was still toiling away with their boring Bic ballpoints and sad Ticonderogas, we were scribbling in glittery pink and neon purple, creating Lisa Frank masterpieces out of our pre-algebra homework.
Once, I begged my mom for the giant 74-pack set I spotted at a Big Box store. She took one look at the price tag, laughed, and handed me the much more reasonable three-pack instead. (She was right, of course. But I still think about that 74-pack.)
Eventually, the fun came to a halt. Our teachers banned Gelly Rolls after discovering the sticky ink smeared all over desks, bags, and hands. And now, decades later, I don’t entirely disagree with them.
So I want to talk about Gelly Roll pens in the form of a Compliment Sandwich. I know Stationery Girlies (like myself) hold these pens near-and-dear, so I want to start with the good. And note -- I 100% don't hate these pens. But they have their disadvantages.
The Bread (Compliment)
They are so fun to write with. The gel ink glides like butter and looks beautiful on the page. They come in every color you could want—pastels, metallics, neons, bold jewel tones—and somehow manage not to bleed, despite the ink being on the thicker side. The pens force you to write slowly and a little larger than usual, which often ends up improving your penmanship. They work on regular paper, black paper, and even thin paper. The effect is delightful.
The Meat (Criticisms)
That fun ink is so sticky. Close your notebook too soon, and the ink will transfer to the opposite page. Set another piece of paper on top, and it’ll smear. They also don’t play well with correction tape at all. And while they come in different tip sizes (usually 1.0mm and 0.8mm), you still can’t write small. Forget about using them in tiny planners or notebooks with narrow lines. As for professionalism—well, unless you’re handing a glittery pink resignation letter to your boss, you might want to opt for something else.
More Bread (Compliment)
I love them. I keep a few that I still covet. When I pull them out, all I want to do is doodle, scribble in the margins of notebooks, or pass notes like I’m back in 8th grade pre-algebra. There’s a charm to these pens that defies logic.
After Taste (Lost the Metaphor)
So would I recommend Gelly Roll pens? Not to the casual pen user. But if you're deep into stationery like I am—if you want to write on black paper just because you can—then yes. Absolutely. Treat yourself to a few.
But maybe not the 74-pack (unless it’s on sale).