Is it a bookmark? Is it a pen? It's both!
The titanium Pen Type-C is unlike anything I've ever seen - the minimalistic and almost perfectly flat appearance intrigued me, and though I had my doubts about how comfortable it would be to hold, I decided to try it out anyway.
First impressions were a little underwhelming as the pen arrives in a thin plastic sleeve that you tear open to get at the pen. It clearly isn't designed with reusability in mind, but it's probably recyclable. I didn't take a photo before I took the pen out, an oversight on my part. Sorry about that! Bad reviewer. Do better.
I'd have preferred a small sturdy cardboard case, or even better a fabric sleeve. Since you don't write with the packaging, I put it to the side and took a look at the Type-C. Here, the wire is in the 'open' position.
Here, it is closed. The tip is so fine that neither my phone nor my camera wanted to focus in detail on it without making something else go blurry. It may be my imperfect camera skills, but this is the best shot I managed to get!
It feels solidly constructed and there's little chance of it breaking. It could probably withstand being run over by a car, but just in case it can't I decided against testing this theory. The clip is firm and springy, and the wire 'cap' also feels quite solid. It does wriggle a bit from side to side when the pen is not capped, but it isn't in any danger of coming off unless you're trying to remove it. There appeared to be a bit of a black tarnish on it, but after attempting to clean it off it seems to be permanent, so I think it's permanent. It doesn't really detract from the appearance so I don't mind.
The Pilot Hi-Tec Coleto refill is outstanding and exactly what I need for annotating books with very thin margins. It lays down an incredibly fine, consistent black line and doesn't feel at all scratchy to write with, which is a big surprise considering how fine the tip is.
How well the pen works as a bookmark depends on the type of notebook you're using it in. the clip will grab a cover well, but I've found that it isn't so great when used on actual pages.
Unless your page is extremely thick, it will easily slide off if the book is tilted when open. However, if you place the pen near the spine and close it, it should stay in place quite well. The pen is thin enough that it fits neatly in the book when closed (not as well as a paper bookmark of course, but it works).
Despite the pen's 2D shape, it is surprisingly comfortable to write with. It doesn't cut into my finger or give me hand fatigue - I could happily write quite a few paragraphs with it.
If you want to replace the refill, you'll first have to poke the old one out with the new refill, then push the new one into place. If you don't have the new refill on hand and you want the old one out, just prod it with something thin and you should be able to pull it out.
Full disassembly will require a small screwdriver to undo the screw that hold the clip in place. Once you've done that, you can pull on either side of the wire and it will come out. It isn't made of many pieces, but don't lose the screws. You'll need them if you ever want to attach the clip again!
I'm very happy with this pen despite the initial impression given by the packaging, which I know I should probably really get over and I have. The product itself works as intended and it is perfect for annotating, which is extremely useful, and the fact that I can leave it in a book as a marker makes it more so. It is a very good idea which was executed well!
Disclaimer: CW and T sent me this product for review purposes. All opinions expressed in this article are my own.