The car touch-up paint pen has its uses, certainly, but at the same time it’s always better to go with a more permanent and better fix for car paint chips and light scratches – the Chipex seamless car touch-up system. However, just because I’m writing this Chipex blog doesn’t mean I’m going to be entirely negative about the touch-up pen. Indeed, I’ve used them myself to good effect, so let’s go over both the positives and drawbacks of them.
Firstly though, what is a car touch-up paint pen? They vary, and there are the coloured paint type you can get from motoring stores, but in this case we’re talking about the type where you use the soft-tipped pen to draw across the scratch or chip. It dispenses a clear liquid onto the area, which then breaks up light and conceals the scratch.
The positives
- The touch-up pen is cheap to buy – most being less than £10. If you’re on a really tight budget, this is good.
- It’ll match to any paint colour – no need to buy a specific one.
- It’s super-quick and easy to use. You can cover a small scratch in a few seconds, and it’ll be dry in 30 – 60 seconds too.
- Barely any is used per scratch or chip, so it’ll go a long way.
- No skills needed – just a steady hand.
- If it’s a good quality version, it’ll protect the area and stay put for ages, even after many months and washes
The drawbacks
- Although the scratch will be less obvious from a distance, up close the repair is obvious, and especially so in direct sunlight.
- Although paint chips and deep scratches are covered and protected from rusting, the pen simply cannot hide these, due to the nature of how it works.
- If you’re fussy about your car, the touch-up pen isn’t the one for you, as the repair simply isn’t clean enough.
Why use the Chipex system over a touch-up pen?
- Chipex is available to buy in countries across the world
- While priced higher than the pen, the Chipex system is still a relatively cheap chip and scratch repair system.
- Chipex can match almost any paint colour from any manufacturer, with 100% satisfaction guarantee on this.
- With a Chipex kit, the repair is absolutely seamless, no matter if it’s a chip or a scratch (within reason – deep scratches may require a panel respray), so no matter how fussy you are about your paint, you can be sure of a satisfactory result.
- The Chipex system is also simple and easy to use, with expert-like results from just a few steps.
- Damaged paint is sealed and protected against further rusting or bubbling once the Chipex system has been applied.
- Chipex repair kits have been used on supercars and classics worth huge amounts, with spectacular results – it’s even officially supplied to the Morgan Motor Company.
- Magazines and websites have tested the Chipex system, with many positive reviews.
- Because of the seamless finish, using a Chipex kit to cover ugly scratches or chips will only enhance your vehicle’s resale value
All said, while the humble touch-up pen definitely has its place and use, the Chipex system is by far the better choice if you want a more permanent and flawless repair.
Written by Chris Davies – an award-winning motoring journalist writing for CarProductsTested.com
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