Customer Reviews

Noble Metal won 2nd place in my metallic gel pen shootout, behind Sakura Gelly Roll Metallic, and tied with Y&C Gel Extreme, followed by the 3 Pentel variants, Maxum, and then Sarasa Clip and Write Dudes.

Metallic pen sets should provide lines in various vivid, useful shades, that appear metallic/shiny/sparkly/reflective whether viewed directly or at an angle. Those are the most important factors, potential deal-breakers.


Brand -- Model -- Ball Size -- Apparent Line Width -- # Colors -- Reflectivity -- Shade -- Pen Casing -- Set Container -- Consistency of Output -- Black Paper Ability

[notes] = comparison across all brands.
Standard 8 colors = purple, blue, green, yellow/gold, orange/copper/bronze, red, pink (breaks the rainbow+white theme), silver.

Sakura -- Gelly Roll Metallic -- 1.0mm -- 1.1mm [widest] -- 14 colors [widest palette]: the 8 standard colors + black, blueblack, dark green, sepia, burgundy, emerald -- high reflectivity [best] -- shade is ideal; gold and copper are ideal [best by far] -- ultra-utiliarian casing (2/5) -- comes in square case of 16 (2 gold/silver) or smaller (both all-plastic clamshell and cardboard/plastic packs) -- minimal skips/globbing -- ideal on black paper: bright/shiny, clear color differentiation, more reflective than Pentel but not as vivid colors when reflecting. Overall rating: 5/5 [best brand].

Uni-Ball -- Noble Metal -- 0.8mm -- 0.8mm -- the 8 standard colors (but "red" is good dark pink) -- consistently high reflectivity [brightest silver] 4/5 [2nd best] -- good dark non-pinkish purple, good darkish blue, good slightly darkish green, good shiny med-yellow reflective = passable as "gold", 2nd best copper, "red" isn't red but is outstanding shiny foil rose pink, most reflective silver [best] -- good pen casing, 5/5 -- by far the best set case: tin & plastic multitray, metal clips -- well-controlled, 5/5 -- poor color differentiation on black, 2/5. Overall rating: 4/5 (has outstanding rose-pink instead of red) [tied for 2nd-best brand].

Yasutomo Y&C -- Gel Extreme Metallic Rollers -- 0.7mm -- 0.6mm -- 7 colors (no pink, which isn't on rainbow's palette) -- 3rd place for reflectivity/shinyness -- shades are spot-on: non-pinkish purple, middle blue & green, shiny yellow & orange, middle-red, gray/white/silver, and no pink to disrupt this balanced, useful rainbow -- simple all-clear 1-piece casing (clear tip) with pearl colored end and clip, the pearl-shine packaging comes with more vivid than pearl ink; shiny and not pastel-leaning -- good clear soft-plastic pouch -- a pleasure to write with; highly controlled and controllable for writing neat and fine metallic text; well-regulated, almost no globbing -- poor color differentiation on black (it's all silver, unlike Sakura and Pentel). Overall rating: 4/5 [tied for 2nd place].


Pentel -- Metallic -- 1.0mm -- 1.0mm -- 8 -- the standard 8 colors (and white available) -- reflectivity same as Slicci (below) -- ink shades are same as Slicci but stronger due to increased flow -- good broad casing 3.5/5 -- no set case -- a little gloppy, 3/5 -- On black: same as Slicci. Overall rating: same as Slicci.

Pentel -- Slicci Metallic -- 0.8mm -- 0.8mm -- the 8 standard colors -- reflectivity varies alot per color -- too-lavender purple, good blue, good shiny green, darkish yellow "gold", strong brownish copper/bronze, vivid red,
too-faded pink, faint silver -- slender designer casing, hard to hold; good case of 5 (should be 8) or cardboard/window pack of 8 -- 4/5 consistent perf. -- 5/5 on black (strong color differentiation except between purple, pink, and silver). Overall rating: 3.5/5; inconsistent vividness, tone, and reflectivity.

Pentel -- Sunburst Metallic -- 0.7mm -- 0.6mm -- the 8 standard colors -- reflectivity same as Slicci -- ink shades are same as Slicci but paler due to too-restricted flow -- pen casing is chaotic with 6 typefaces, 4/5 -- cardboard/plastic pack and reflective color foil sticker that overpromises -- output restricts ink flow, so less vivid (green is more generous, gloppy, and shiny) -- on black, same as Slicci. Overall rating: same as Slicci.


Staedtler -- Maxum Gel Metallic -- 0.8mm -- 0.7mm -- 8 colors, but shiny black instead of silver -- In the middle of the shiny/reflective range, 2.5/5 -- good shades: purple is not pinkish; pink is rose, not baby; silver would've been better than black; 4/5 -- colored semi-translucent plastic, like Uni Signo DX with chromed plastic tip; 3.5/5 -- cardboard/plastic pack -- some globbing issues despite a thin, somewhat weak line (not punchy vibrant shiny color) -- no color differentiation on black. Overall rating: average; 2.5/5.

Zebra -- Sarasa Clip -- 1.0mm -- 0.7 (thin, faint) -- the 8 standard colors + shiny orange (distinct from copper/bronze) -- low reflectivity on most colors -- skewed toward understated lighter shades/tones; relatively pastel, toned down just like the packaging implies; mild colors with mild/slight reflectivity -- nice casing with great pearl-like clip (4/5); product aims at pretty, gentle pearl-like tone rather than metallic effect -- good quick-tuck case -- writing performance 4/5 (rare globbing but only a thin, light-colored line) -- poor color differentiation on black (2/5). Overall rating: 2/5. Pretty, enjoyable as color gel pens, but modest, subdued, understated, semi-shiny.

Write Dudes -- Super Gel Metallic -- 1.2mm -- 0.8mm -- 8 colors, but light blue instead of silver -- Most colors are little reflective, 1.5/5 -- Most shades are good, just not reflective -- cross between Uni Signo DX and Slicci, chromed plastic (incl. tip) & clear; colored grip, 4.5/5 -- cardboard & 3D window pack (tip: with scissors, cut flap in back of such packs) -- generous glopping, 3.5/5 -- little color differentiation on black. Overall rating: 2/5, limited by low reflectivity: need shinyness in the ink more than on the casing (budget product with flashy packaging). Enjoyable as a semi-metallic gel pen.

Uni Noble metallic inks are pretty, sparkly and shiny. I would recommend this pen set as a gift for kids/teenagers who enjoy the novelty of metallic pens, or for girls who like pretty and cute things. They are great for doodles and maybe writing silly notes to your girlfriend/boyfriend in class.

But....they are NOT for serious artists or scrapbookers, the colors are just not colorful enough. Noble's red, orange, gold, green, blue, purple, and pink metallic ink colors are not vivid at all, they are a dull silver with a tiny hint of color. In fact, all the colors look the same as each other, except for silver... Silver is the best pen in the Noble Metallics set--it's bright & shiny, a lot better than most of the other silver pens I've tried. Strangely, the Noble pink pen has an outline effect when it dries...it's a very pretty effect, but only the pink pen does this!

Also, journal-writers won't like Noble metallic pens because they're scratchy, and many times the rollerball dents the paper without filling in the dent with ink, so the lines look hollow in the middle (hard to explain, but if you know what I mean, then you know what I mean!) Noble metallic ink simply doesn't flow as smoothly as other Uni-ball gel inks I am familiar with...honestly, I expected better smoothness from a Uni-ball product.

Finally, the little tin case is ***super cute*** 5 out of 5 stars for cuteness!!!!

I was disapointed with the blue one and the red one... But the others are very cute, my favorite is the pink. These are the best metallic pens i have ever seen!
I love you JetPens!

Nice, metallic shiny pens. I had been using uni-ball signo silver metallic pens very happily but they do not produce those pens anymore. These pens are similar to uni-ball signo silver metallic pens. They are ideal to put your titles/subtitles/captions etc.
I am 35 and still loving them!

i don't think anybody has actually bought this for the gel ink pens, though they are a bonus. the tin case is just so cute i have actually bought this item twice for fear that if i lost or damaged one it would be gone forever.