Erasable Pens

Now you see it, now you don't!

Erasable ink pens have come a long way since they first appeared in the late 1970s. Back then, erasing errors seemed to be more a case of rubbing briskly and removing paper fibres - thus removing the error along with them - rather than actually erasing the ink. But it was easy to end up removing so much that you were left with a hole in the paper.

These days, friction is still used to remove the ink but in a more aesthetic and far less messy manner. The key? Thermo-sensitive ink, as pioneered by the Pilot Frixion. Applying friction to anything written in this specially-formulated ink - usually by using the pen's incorporated eraser - results in a rise in the temperature of the ink, which consequently becomes translucent. Lines are therefore removed quickly and cleanly, and what's more, if you stick your paper in the freezer, the drop in temperature means the lines will magically reappear!

And yes, this does mean you shouldn't rely on erased writing staying erased - these aren't to be used when you want your words gone and staying gone.

But the result is that not only can you erase more easily, but the original writing experience is much nicer too, just like any other gel pen or rollerball. Erasing is clean, and the 'eraser' part doesn't wear away after a bit of use.