Monday, April 10, 2017

Product Review: Chalkola Markers

I recently was offered the opportunity to review some markers from Chalkola! These are water-based chalk markers meant for non-porous surfaces, such as glass, black and white boards, and plastic. They're not art markers, but I did have a little fun with a canvas project while I was playing. Here's what I know!



The markers came to me in 3 different formats: Platinum Series (wide markers), Premium Markers (medium bullet), and Metallic Markers.

PLATINUM SERIES




These large format Platinum Series chalk markers come in a set of 8 colors, and have a large 15mm flat chisel nib, which allows for 3 different line widths (wide side, narrow side, and edge). The colors are very vibrant. On the packaging, the markers are described as child-safe, water-based, non-toxic, low-odor, acid-free, xylene-free, quick-dry, and long-lasting. These are also marketed as "window markers".

The ink is vibrant and opaque - you'll see in the video how well the colors show up on a dark surface, which is great.  The markers need to be shaken and the tip depressed several times to activate the ink flow, typical of a paint marker. With this size marker, I had a hard time getting a consistent ink flow - my results tended to be a little streaky when working on a vertical surface, while my son experienced drippage and leaking. I activated one marker and set it upside-down to allow the ink to fill the nib completely for just a minute or 2, and there was some leakage in the cap when I opened it.

Despite the claim of the markers being "quick-dry", I found the chalk ink stayed wet for quite a long time... not a big issue, but good to know. If you're working on a compatible surface, a heat gun can be used to speed up the drying process (this worked fine on glass and black/white boards, but I wouldn't try it on plastic).


PREMIUM MARKERS



The Premium markers come in a pack of 10, with a bonus pack of 6 metallic markers (shown below).

The ink is the same as the Platinum markers, but flows from a 5.5mm bullet tip. Like the wider markers above, the markers need to be shaken and the tip depressed several times to activate the ink flow.

These markers were much easier to control, with consistent flow and beautiful, vibrant colors. The ink does require some time to dry.

METALLIC MARKERS



These Metallic Series markers come in a pack of 6, which tucks neatly inside the box above. These markers are ready to go - no activation required. The nib is a 4.5mm bullet tip. The ink in these markers has a different formula than the others - it dried quickly and was less flowy and more durable than the ink from the other markers and flatter when dry. It was also very resistant to rubbing away. These markers aren't available for sale on their own - since they're so different, that might be a good move! 

Here's a quick video where you can see the markers in action!




Here's a clearer look at my mini canvases - the one I did in the video and one I did beforehand for practice (no stencil). these were fun to do, and this was a cool way to get a watercolor effect on a prepared canvas. (These finished canvases are in my store if you'd like to have one of your own!)




CLEANUP

I'm used to another brand of wet-erase marker, so you'll notice I used one in the test for comparison. My understanding of the term 'wet erase' is that water needs to be introduced to the equation for the ink to be wiped away, otherwise it stays put. I didn't find that to be true for the chalk ink - it actually rubbed off with very little effort. If you have a board or project that won't be brushed or bumped, that won't be a problem, but on a menu board in a high traffic area, or on an item that will be handled often, these might not be ideal.



I also found that the chalk markers weren't difficult to clean up, but compared to my usual brand took a longer time to clean up because of the chalky residue that seemed to just spread around with a wet cloth.

I didn't notice any staining with the Chalkola markers, which was nice (you'll see some staining from the other marker in the video). Drips are said to wash out of clothing easily as well.


CONCERNS

--I had trouble with consistent ink flow in the larger markers - it was hard to achieve the sweet spot between streaky and drippy.
--The chalk ink seems to rub away very easily, even when dry.


COMPLIMENTS

--I loved the opaqueness of the inks. They are very vibrant on light and dark surfaces.
--The metallic markers dry quickly and stand up well to being handled, brushed or rubbed.
--no staining!

COUPON!

If you're interested in trying these markers for yourself, I have a code to share!

You can use code 15OFFSTR for 15% your purchase of Chalkola products

Direct (affiliate) links to the products I used: 
Platinum/Window Markers
Premium & Metallic Markers (10+6)

Chalkola has done a wonderful job of getting their products into the hands of a wide variety of bloggers - if you'd like more information, try a google search for more reviews - there are so many out there. 

If you have a product you'd like me to review, please email me! Have a wonderful week!
Thanks for stopping by!

1 comment:

  1. What a great review!! I love your honesty. Your tags turned out super cute

    ReplyDelete