Valtiner Retractable Erasable Pens Erase Cleanly and Feel Comfortable

TLDR: The Valtiner pens are amazing to use. They write and erase well, though sometimes the ink flow can be a bit inconsistent. The quality is superb for the price and they’re comfortable to write with. As somebody who used the name brand version of these pens for over a decade, I highly recommend these as a better and more affordable option. Comfort & Ergonomics: 10/10. The pens have great ergonomic grips so they’re comfortable to write with. I have pain in my hands so I notice if pens are uncomfortable quickly, and these were great! However, they are on the larger side, so if you're used to skinny pens it might take some getting used to. Writing Performance: 8/10. These pens have a well-constructed and fine 0.5 mm tip. For the most part, the ink was juicy and flowed nicely. They write well but sometimes the ink flow is inconsistent and will dry up. I could fix it in a few seconds by scribbling on scratch paper, so it wasn’t as severe of an issue as I’ve noticed with other pens. The ink also dried quickly, except in the purple pen where I noticed it took a while to dry. Ink Quality & Erasability: 9/10. I have mixed feelings about the quality of the ink. It’s not sheer, but it also isn’t extremely pigmented. This might’ve been intentional though, as I noticed the Valtiner ink erased better than the more pigmented name brand ink. So, I don’t mind it being less pigmented if it erases better. Additionally, the ink erases super quickly which is convenient. The erasers themselves are nice and wide which makes it easy and quick to use. Refillability & Cost: 10/10. The pens are really high quality despite the affordable price. They don’t offer refills as of right now, but considering how little they cost that’s only an issue from a sustainability standpoint. Design & Aesthetics: 10/10. The design of the pen casing itself is polished and cute, I really like how they look! Testing: I tested how well the pens erased and compared the purple, black, and blue shades to the name brand. The Valtiner pens outperformed the name brand in terms of erasability! Specifically, the red, blue, and purple shades were almost completely invisible when erased. I’ve been using the name brand pens for over 15 years and had just accepted the ghost writing left behind after erasing, so I’m beyond impressed with the performance of the Valtiner pens. Tips: The ink in these types of pens “erase” by reacting to heat, the friction from the eraser warms up the paper and causes the ink to become transparent. So, be careful exposing your work to heat (ex: using a copy machine, leaving them in a hot car, etc) as they might erase! If your work disappeared accidentally, this can be fixed by putting it in the freezer. The cold will make the ink reappear :)