Review: Hi-Tec-C Coleto

I think I may have too many pens.

Which are my favorites? Hmm, possibly the Coletos. Although the Sliccis are a given.

What do you want me to review next?

In the meantime, a Coleto review.

Pen: Hi-Tec-C Coleto (4 stars for being a great pen, but not enough ink for an every day pen)
WTF?: This is a pen system: you buy color cartridges and throw them into a pen body you buy separately. You can customize your own multipen combo, and carry the extra colors around to save space.
Where?: JetPens.com
Compare to: Any other multi pen, and the regular Hi-Tec-C line

Here we can clearly see the Coletos teasing us with their many colors. A flowing rainbow greats the user at first spread, with much more to come.


Moving downward, we have a good shot of their inks. As you can see, some of these pens have been used more than others. Naughty, naughty pens. They need to learn how to share. Are you done with the teasing? Let us move on.

The Coletos are now in full presentation of their features. Plastic ends showcase their natural colors, for easy comparison before use. In the middle, a conservative reservoir of ink is ready and willing to be spread over your favorite paper. At the other end, well constructed tips sit and wait to be pressed against a receptive surface.

All, in all, the Coletos are possibly the supreme example of multi pen technology. Featuring the Hi-Tec-C tips that act like the gateway drug of pens (everyone ends up with Sliccis in the end), and users have a choice in tip sizes. The major problem, which I'm certain cannot be avoided, is that these pens run out FAST. Seriously. Writing one page in a large sized Moleskine uses nearly a 1/2 inch of ink. Therefore, Coletos should be restricted in use. The other problem I have is with the bodies of these pens. The engineering is amazing, but there are so many little parts to play with! I make so much noise with this pen when I use it...

So, at $2 a cartridge, these pens are an okay value. You can get a 10 cartridge set for $15, which is a better value. The Coletos are certainly a staple for any decent pen collection, but not good for writing manuscripts or class notes due to how fast the ink is used. I use these for studying my notes, proofreading, and underlining books when I read. The pen body is super comfortable, but you will only get maybe 10-15 pages of writing in a large size Moleskine per cartridge.

Buy if...

...you like the idea of being able to carry many pens with very little space.
...you like the Hi-Tec-C tips.
...you need the flexibility of carrying many colors.
...you need a great pen for writing short notes or stickie notes.

Don't buy if...

...you want to use for extended writing periods.
...you hate the Hi-Tec-C tips.
...you are a chronic fidgeter, or chew on your pens (could also be a Buy if...)