Permanent, waterproof, chisel point ... It's Gotta Be An Avery Marks-A-Lot!

Lately I have been using a lot of permanent markers; they come in handy when making crafts, touching up decorations that are chipped and for making signs for the shop. As you may have guessed from other reviews, I am an office supply junkie with a rather strange obsession with pens, markers and glue sticks. Have you ever known someone that could go through a ten pack of glue sticks on a week? [It’s the holidays so cut me some slack] But hey, that is a completely different review. Avery is the company that puts out the Marks-A-Lot series of permanent markers; they come in a wide range of tip sizes and colors and for the price, they are some of the best on the market. I picked up the twelve count because I wanted to have some of the ‘odd’ colors like yellow and purple around the house in the large chisel tip size. When I first saw this I thought that I would be getting twelve different colors but I’ll get into detail about that later. Even though I didn’t end up getting twelve unique colors I was impressed with the ones that did come in this assortment.

Avery Marks-A-Lot Permanent Large Chisel Tip Twelve Marker Set

If you are looking for a well made permanent marker with a chisel tip, the Marks-A-Lot from Avery is one of the best picks. You can control the line size by moving the tip around and the ink dies almost instantly on most surfaces. The only time you might run into trouble with the ink not drying right away is if you use it on a slick surface like plastic. If there is a grain to it then you also run the risk of having the ink spiderweb out. If you are working with something new, it’s best to try the marker out on an area that won’t be seen so you can see the results of it, to see how long it will take to dry and if it smudges. The same can be said if you are going to use this on paper; since this is a larger tipped marker there is a very good chance that the ink is going to bleed through so make sure you have something under it to catch the excess ink. These work great on posterboard, cardboard and for addressing packages but again, you have to make sure that ink isn’t going to bleed through.

I’d stay away from using these on manila envelopes unless you are addressing them empty; I made this mistake more than a few times and the ink bled through the envelope to some of the papers and brochures that were inside. You can use these on glass but the ink can be hard to get off. If you want something to use on glass, go for something that can be removed with soap or check your local arts and crafts store to see if they have glass markers. These are the things that all the soccer moms use to write the names of their kids sports teams on them. You can use these markers on almost every type of surface without worrying about it bleeding or rubbing off. I foolishly purchased some white extension cords thinking that they would blend in with the room, they stuck out like a sore thumb. I used one of these markers [the brown one] to color the cord then staple it in place along the baseboard. So when I say that you can use these for a ton of things around the house, I am not kidding.

To get the most from them you are going to make sure that you recap them when you are done using them. You can leave it off for a couple of minutes but it is a disaster waiting to happen if you leave it off indefinitely. If the tip touches something it will ruin it; I left this next to the phone book one afternoon and it must have gotten bumped into the side of it. In less than ten minutes there was a one inch ink mark - but an almost perfect circle - on the side of the book that went about three quarters of an inch deep into the book. This means that if you are using this on thinner paper and stop while you are writing the ink will pool up and start spreading everywhere. Not a good thing. These recap easily but you will want to push on them until you hear the click. There’s no right or wrong way to store them but some people stand them on a marker holder and rotate them [top to bottom] every week or so to ensure that the ink doesn’t get forced to one end. If you recap them correctly it doesn’t matter how you store them, the felt wicking inside it will stay moist and ready to us.

The ink in these is rated as non-toxic so it is safe for children to use but you might want think twice about handing this set over to them to use. If it gets on skin or clothing it is a real pain to try and get out. There is a slight smell to the markers so if you are someone that is sensitive to ‘marker smell’ you will want to use this in a well ventilated area. I’ve never had one of these break or managed to break a barrel, most of that is because of the thickness of the plastic. Because of that, these are great for people who are on the go and need to take supplies with them. As long as you recap them properly there’s almost no chance of them leaking. If you do happen to get this on clothing, try to wash it as soon as possible. You may need to wash it more than once to get it all out, don’t toss it into the dryer until you are satisfied with the way that it looks because once it goes into the dryer, it’s pretty much set there for life.

Color Assortment

When I first saw this package at the store I was thinking that I would get a total of twelve different colors but that isn’t the case. You get the following markers in varying numbers; three standard black, one each of the brown, purple, yellow, green and orange and two each of the red and blue. I guess they added duplicates of multiples of the most popular colors and added the singles for variety. If you like the purple, brown, yellow, green or orange you can purchase them individually or in larger packs at your local office supply store. Inevitably I kill the red and green ones around the holidays and need to buy these in the larger sizes, it’s a lot cheaper than picking them up one at a time.

Price

The average price for this pack of twelve is nine to ten dollars. During the back to school sales you can find these for a few dollars less. My local Staples carries these for $8.59 which isn’t too bad. These are backed with Avery’s guarantee that you will be satisfied with them; if not, you can return them for a replacement or a refund. Outside of getting older markers that could be partially dried out, there’s not much that you can find wrong with them. The only time I had a problem was when one of the markers were cracked, probably during shipping or stocking. When I contacted them about it they asked me if I still had the package. They sent me a pre paid padded mailer for the marker and package and within a week I had two new markers [instead of just one] and some very cool samples of their other markers.

The Bottom Line

I’ve used a lot of different Marks-A-Lot markers in the past and have always been impressed with the way that they work. If the large chisel tip isn’t the right size for your needs, they do make them in other sizes. They last a long time providing that you remember to recap them, are a great value and come with a money back guarantee that you will be satisfied with them. You can check their website to see all the other colors that they have in this size as well as other products that they manufacture. If you have the need for different colored permanent markers in the larger tipped size, this is the most economical way to go and don’t think that because they are inexpensive that they are cheap. If used properly, chances are they will outlast every other marker of it’s size!


As always, thanks for the read!

~^V^~ Freak ~^V^~

© 2005 Freak369


Other awesome Avery products ...

• Marks-A-Lot Fine Mark • Hi-Liter Desk Style Highlighter Fluorescent Blue Ink • GelWorks Metallic Gel Permanent Ink Markers 6 Color Set • Dot Matrix Printer Multi Purpose Labels • Marks-A-Lot Permanent Marker Large Chisel Tip Orange Ink • Gold Foil Return Address Labels • Wirebound 1-Subject Notebook • Permanent Glue Stic • Gummed Address Labels • Secure Lock Folders • Smart Shipper Recycled Corrugated VHS Tape Mailer • GelWorks Metallic Gel Markers –Silver & Gold • Glue Stic For Envelopes • Translucent Portfolios • Fluorescent Burst Laser Labels • Removable Glue Stic •