Freak369's Full Review: Sanford Sharpie Twin-Tip Permanent Marker
The Sanford Corporation has become a household name and most of this is due to the stellar line of products that they manufacture. While some companies in this area of business supplies are more than content with their products and don’t really make an effort to improve them, Sanford strives to produce the best products as well as constantly trying to make it the best on the market. When I first saw the Sharpie Twin Tip marker I wasn't sure if it would be something that I would like. I am a big fan of both of the markers individually but I wasn’t sure how I would like having them packaged together. I picked up a few of these at Office Depot to try them out and after a few weeks of use I am pretty pleased with them. They perform exactly like their individual counterparts and are a cost effective way to save a little bit of money since there is no need to pick them up separately.
Sanford Sharpie Twin-Tip Permanent Marker
This marker takes two of the more popular sizes of the Sharpie family or markers and combines them into one convenient unit. The non-toxic ink dries almost instantly and never smudges, blurs or runs. This is a great all purpose permanent marker to have around the house since it has a lot of uses. Having two different tips to work with means less time hunting for the perfect marker for a job or project and should be considered a must have item for those that do a lot of shipping. The twin-tip also saves you valuable space in your knapsack or in your vehicle. I plan on tossing a few of these in the family vehicle in case they are needed. There’s nothing worse than trying to find something to write with – let alone finding something that is dried up or has leaked all over the place. No need to worry with these babies – I’ve never had one leak [unless the lids wasn’t properly replaced] and so far I’ve only come across a few that were dried up but Sanford replaced.
Fine Line
The fine line side of the marker features a nice tip that will stand up to a lot of writing, coloring or detail work. Even with a heavy hand the tip will stay sharp and provide you with months of service but eventually it will start to warp. The one thing that I don’t really care for is the size of the barrel of the marker – which is the same as the individual marker. I don’t really use these other than for marking packages or where a larger tip size is needed. These are fatter than the ultra fine line markers and while not uncomfortable to use, I’ve just grown accustomed to using the smaller barrel of the ultra marker. One of the nicest things about this sized tip is that it is great for addressing packages and since the ink dries almost instantaneously you would have to worry about getting ink all over your hands or the address being smudged. The normal life for one of these [when sold full sized / individually] markers in my house is about four to six months providing that the cap is replaced after use. Since this pen is sharing an ink well, if you use the ultra fine line portion more you might notice you won’t get as much use of out the opposite end.
Ultra Fine Line
These are the types of markers that I use most often for drawing, writing, making notes, writing on computer discs and even on glass. The ultra fine tip is great for when you need to make extremely sharp lines or are adding detail to a drawing or picture. Much like the fine line tip, these will hold up to a lot of use without having the tip get bent or lose its definition. I don’t really care for the type of cap that Sanford chose for this side of the marker. There is no clip on it and it tends to roll around a lot – which makes it pretty easy to lose. The ribbed contour of the cap makes it easy to get it off and replace it but it’s less than half the size of the other cap. You have to make sure that you really give it a good push when you put the lid back on or you might be in for a nasty surprise if you toss this in your knapsack. There is a small “click” when the cap is properly reattached to the pen but after a while the clicking noise becomes non-audible so you have to check to make sure the edge of the cap is flush with the marker.
Colors
The Sharpie Twin Tip marker was previously available in four colors – blue, red, black and green. Thanks to consumer feedback six new colors have been added to the line up – orange, lime, light blue / aqua, purple, teal and berry [light purple]. These colors allow you to expand your creative side as well as add a little bit of flair to your filing system, packages, notes or drawings. If you are going to be using these markers for postal shipments I do suggest that you stick with either black or blue ink since these are the colors that are the easiest for the automated machines to read.
Things To Know
• There are several twin-tip Sanford Sharpie pens on the market. This looks almost identical to the Super Sharpie Twin Tip that has the fine line tip featured on this marker as well as a chiseled tip instead of the ultra fine line style. If you are interested in purchasing the Sharpie Twin Tip marker please make sure the you either read the name on the barrel of the marker or remove the smaller sized cap to make sure you are purchasing the correct item. This is extremely important if you are going to purchase these buy the box. When ordering over the internet, read the description and double check the photo – and when in doubt make sure you call customer service to avoid having to pay to return the item.
• I try to store these flat [in the drawer] rather than standing upright in a cup holder or container. I’d hate to see one side get stiffed on the ink supply and I’m not sure how well these would hold up if in an inverted position for a long period of time. Then again, I am a little strange with my pens and markers – to me they are an investment so I don’t mind spending a little more for a product that is going to last, work when I need it to and last for more than a week. Storing them flat or upright probably has no real impact on the flow of the ink – but I’m not taking any chances.
• My boys have a split decision on these – two of them love them and two of them hate them. Reasons for disliking them include the cap for the ultra fine line marker, thick barrel of the pen and the smell [this is something present in all of the Sanford Sharpie markers to some degree or another]. Reasons for liking them – they can tote around one less marker and not having to hunt down a fine line or ultra fine line marker. Since the ink in this twin-tip is non-toxic I don’t have to worry about the boys using these on projects and coming into contact with anything that could hurt them or damage their skin. The worst case scenario is that they walk around for the better part of the day looking like they were rolling in mud.
The Bottom Line
So far this twin-tip marker has been great to have around. If these markers seem like something that you might be interested in purchasing I suggest that you pick up one to start with. This way you aren’t locked into purchasing a multi pack and if you don’t like them you’ve only wasted $1.50 instead of $5.00 or more. These are available in a four pack [all black] or assorted colors [green, blue, red, black] and also in the new line of colors mentioned above. The four packs range from $4.99 to $5.99 depending on your area and what type of store you are shopping at. These markers are of the same quality as their singular cousins and, barring any major catastrophes, it looks like these are going to be another Sanford Sharpie product that I’ll continue to purchase when the need arises.
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