Pilot Mutli Ball Rollerball

100th post! Yay! New milestone. Onwards to 250. 🙂

I was recommended the Pilot Multi Ball Liquid Ink pen by a friend and I simply got it just to give it a try. Little did I know, I would find such as amazing pen in the process. The Multi Ball is a liquid ink rollerball pen that has a fine tip. The writing experience is reminiscent of the Retro 51 but it has one very important difference, the size of the tip is absolutely perfect for me. The grip, while a little thin, is well designed with small circular indents to helps when I choke up my grip to try to gain maximum control. I tend to post most of my pens, but on the Multi Ball, the clip tended to dig in to my hand, so I just decided to not post. This was fine as the long body of the pen allowed for comfortable use without needing to post. Overall, I’m very happy with my decision to try this pen out. Go try the Pilot Multi Ball out and you’ll be surprised by the way it handles in comparison to the Retro 51 and for those looking for a thinner rollerball, give this a try.

Uni Pin Pen Review

Finally managed to catch Captain America: Civil War. I really enjoyed it and while it didn’t go specifically the comic book route, it managed to capture the darker aspects of being a superhero. The tension between Cap and Iron Man really sold the feelings of seriousness that is rampant throughout the entire story arc. Anyway, since I caught it in the morning, you, my dear friends, went without me. Fret thee not, I am finally here with my promised review. Let’s kick off, shall we?

The Uni Pin Pen was just another drawing pen in the veritable collection that I’ve been testing, it stood out as one of the stronger contenders among the masses. The barrel design is one of my favorite aspects of this pen, as it is seemingly difficult nowadays for companies to make their pens out of plastic, but not make their pens feel cheap in the process. Kuretake did an astounding job with the Zig Cartoonist line, making the barrel smooth and comfortable to hold. Uni has similarly done an amazing and arguably, better job on the Pin. It’s smooth, sleek and the branding is subtle. All in all, one of the most comfortable barrels I’ve handled so far.

 

The tip is standard fare for a plastic tip drawing pen. I opted for my traditional 03 size, which i this case, is 0.38mm and I wasn’t disappointed by the performance at all. However, I found that the angle of the pen really affected the thickness of the line more than some of the other pens I’ve been testing. Occasionally, my lines would slowly thin out at the end of the stroke, but I didn’t find this to be too much of a problem because I prefer to write in block letters. For those who write exclusively in cursive, this may be something of an issue. The ink is a pigment-based ink that is water-proof and fade-resistant.

The grip is one of the biggest problems for me with this pen. The grip gets too narrow too quickly, resulting in a large width difference between the levels that makes it hard to compensate for. I’m a “low-gripper”, meaning my grip is as close as possible to the tip as I opt for maximum control when writing. This grip is not conducive to that specific style of grip and could potentially be a huge factor in whether the pen is right for you or not. You have to make that decision for yourselves.

The clip is solid and snaps back with tenacity after being stretched to the limit. I kept the Pin in my pockets many times and every time I may have over-stretched, the clip held up nicely to the abuse.

The cap has a window for which I know no the purpose. It looks really cool, but I question the functionality and necessity a bit.

Overall, a solid choice for a drawing pen. The ink is dark and doesn’t feather too much on normal paper. The barrel design is one of the better ones offered by companies in the product category. While the grip is a bit finicky for those who use the “low-grip” writing style, it can be adjusted too if given enough time.

 

 

 

Staedtler Pigment Liner 0.3mm

Sorry for not posting the review earlier as Comcast was updating the lines for the network. The WiFi has been on and off for nearly two days now. I had schedule it to post yesterday, but that didn’t happen because no WiFi. Anyway here’s the review for last week. Enjoy! 🙂

This pen is hands down my favorite drawing pen of all time. I have gone through more Staedtler Pigment Liners than any other drawing pen I’ve used. While similar in aesthetics and design to the Sakura Pigma Micron, the Pigment Liner has a couple of features that I personally appreciate more. The first feature being the body. While the materials used to crate both pens are pretty much the same, the Staedtler Pigment Liner just feels better in the hand. I attribute it to the textured feeling of the barrel that hints at a solidly constructed pen, instead of the feeling of plastic on the Pigma Micron. To me, it just feels better. Remember that this is simply my opinion and I personally enjoy feel of the Pigment Liner. I leave it to you, dear readers, to try both and form your own opinion.

The second feature is the tip. When I tried out the Pigma Micron, I was so surprised by how hard the tip was. Gradually it lost that feeling as I tended to have a bit of a heavy had back then when I reviewed it, but nonetheless, starting out, it was like writing with a nail. While it definitely delivered on the “sharp” and consistent lettering, I found it hard for me to get used to.

The Pigment Liner’s tip is slightly on the softer side, allowing for more forgiveness for those who write with a bit more pressure. At the same time, despite any pressure exerted on it, it delivers crisp and consistent line that allows for some great lettering. While I can appreciate the rigidity of the Pigma Micron, the softness of the Pigment Liner just mad eit that much easier for me to use and love.

The cap is pretty standard. fora  drawing pen. Most other pens of this type adopt similar designs. It’s just a slightly thin, bendable piece of metal that has a little notch at the end for grip. It’s functional and on the first try, I was able to slip it into my Nock Co. Hightower without too much resistance.

The ink is pretty standard for a drawing pen. It mirrors muh of it’s competitor’s properties without any extra additions. It’s archival quality, fade-resistant and due to it being a pigment based ink, it is waterproof on paper.

For those of you looking for a slightly more forgiving alternative to a Sakura Pigma Micron, the this is your best bet. Clocking in at about $0.80 more per pen than the Pigma Micron, it’s a great addition to any pen addict’s arsenal. It’s one of my most highly rated and preferred drawing pens out of all the ones I’ve tried. I feel that despite being on the more expensive side of the drawing pens line up, it’s worth a try. So what are you waiting for? Go out and get one to see what all the hype is about! Thanks for reading and as always, writ eon, my friends.

 

 

 

Pilot Hi-Tec-C Maica 0.4mm

While I was a little intimidated by the JetPens description, I must admit this is a very well executed revamp to an absolute classic. The ink is the same as the one present in the Pilot Hi-Tec-C, but for some reason, I felt like it performed better than the original. JetPens did a comprehensive guide to Hi-Tec-Cs and the weight listed for the Maica and the Hi-Tec-C were the same at 0.40oz. They go on to mention that the Maica is an abbreviation of “my color”, which makes total sense seeing as the Maica is available in a veritable rainbow of colors.

The body is slightly heavier ad more “filled out”, resulting in a rounder profile. The cap is flush with the body. This means that there is a ridge formed near the grip area. Unlike many other pen companies that would simply leave it be, Pilot took the initiative to round out the edges, so props to them for paying attention to details.

The grip is still not that good, but feels much better than the original in my opinion.While the little bumps don’t help too much, they are more functional than the straight lines on the original Hi-Tec-C.

I’m not too crazy about the jewel on the cap that sparkles lie “my favorite jewelry”, but it’s not as distracting as I thought it would be. While by no means subtle, it doesn’t look too ostentatious and strikes a nice balance with the pens luxurious design.

There will be no charms strung through the cap loop for added “pizazz”, but it doubles as a very functional and minimalistic roll stopper.

Rest assured, you don’t have to be a teenage Japanese girl to enjoy the design choices on this pen. I for one think Pilot did a great job on the overall concept and would love to see another revamp, hopefully with a rubber grip that’s comfortable. Thanks for reading and as always, write on, my friends.

Uni Signo DX 0.38mm Review

The pen that started it all. One of my first pens from JetPens. The most prominent one I can remember. I’ve been fastidiously using this pen for going on 2 years now. To this day, I just can’t imagine a better pen. I’ve been searching around for a while, but I end up coming back to this one every single time. So let’s dive in and see why this is one of the most perfect pens for me.

Predictable, right? If I had a quarter for all the time I spent brainstorming and typing up a rant about grips, I’d be a couple million dollars richer. All jokes aside, I hold the Uni Signo DX’s grip as my gold standard in utility and comfort. It seems that Uni really hit the nail on the head when it comes to pattern and thickness. The rubber is thick enough to provide a decent amount of cushion, while at the same time keeping in line with the pen’s slim form. The pattern is a rather simple linear group of dual columns wrap their way around the grip, leaving a few spots with just plain rubber. This grip is the most effective in function that I’ve ever had the pleasure of using. Well played Uni, well played.

I had a certain hesitation when it came to using this pen at first. It was my first foray into micro tip gel pens, having used mechanical pencils for the longest time. I used to be that kid who still used 0.7mm pencil when everyone else used 0.5mm. I had no choice but to keep track of my lead supply, otherwise I was out of luck in finding anyone who can spare some. The fact that I would be using a pen for schoolwork that would be graded just didn’t feel right, I felt that there were so many things that could go wrong, but I decided that just trying it out for a couple weeks wouldn’t be too hard. I started using the DX the moment I unwrapped it from the copious amount of bubble wrap that it was encased in. After a few sentences, I felt a lot better about the prospect of writing with it. The in flow was smooth and consistent, almost negating the small amount of feedback I felt when using it. All my lines were crisp and clean, perfect for my writing style at the time, a hybrid of block and cursive. As the months went by, it wasn’t until the pen ran out 4 months later that I noticed exactly how long I had been using it. the fact that I lost track of time spoke volumes to me, about how amazing this pen was. I knew that I had to order more.

The clip is one of the aspects of the pen that I really can’t talk about too much as I’ve never kept this pen in a shirt pocket (I don’t usually wear shirts with pockets). I’ve almost exclusively kept it in my Nock Co. Hightower that I take to school with me every single day. I’ve been using this particular DX in the photographs for almost 5 months now and the clip still looks as if its brand new. I don’t see the traditional slightly upwards bent state that some of my other pen clips have shown after constant use (namely, sliding them in and out of my pencil case).

There you have it folks, the reasons why I think that this is my perfect micro tip gel pen. The grip is slim, yet comfortable, the tip lays down a smooth and consistent line and the clip is rugged and reliable. This pen satisfies and goes beyond all the standard requirements I have for gel pens and that’s why it is #1 in my Top 5 Pens list under Gel Ink Pens. Give it a try and see what all the fuss is about. Until then, write on, my friends.

Uni Signo RT1 Review

Note: A thousand apologies to all my dedicated readers. In my infinite wisdom I scheduled the review for today and next week instead of last week and today. I was wondering why nothing was happening on my blog… derp. I shall endeavor to appease by putting this one(last week’s review) out today and this weeks review out tomorrow. Two reviews in one day would be rather strenuous. Along with these two will also come next weeks review, as an apology.Tomorrow’s review involves paper. Feel free to guess in the comments section or on IG or Twitter. Studying for my second round of midterms made it a little difficult to check out the blog stats. I’ll make sure to check at least once whether my scheduled posts go up. Thank you for all your support, I couldn’t do this without you. Now on to the review.

The tip is a small size (0.38mm), but it lays down a smooth crisp line that glides over the page, albeit with a little bit of feedback due to it’s extra fine nature. I couldn’t be more happy with it as I felt it’s performance was similar to the vaunted (and rightfully so), Uni Signo DX 0.38. This pen feels like it’s futuristic, retractable cousin.

The clip is integrated into the knock. It is rather convenient as it really seamlessly blends into the pen allowing the clip to remain out of the way while maintaining function.

Doesn’t it look like a futuristic rocket ship? I tried so hard to get this one shot until just the two tips were clearly in focus. Looks pretty cool to me.

Pilot Frixion Ball Slim Review

Straight out of the wrapping, the pen seemed too thin for me to use. I had numerous flashbacks about the Marvy LePen as to how uncomfortable it was to use. Surprisingly, in hand, the size was a bit on the slimmer side but comfortable enough for short use. My biggest grip however, is the absolute lack of a grip. The pen is all pretty much one piece of plastic and for some reason, Pilot decided to skimp on the rubber and put little circular grooves near the barrel to substitute for a dedicated grip section. While I wasn’t exactly okay with it, if it had been executed well, I wouldn’t have bothered. The fact that they put the grooves far away from the tip and spaced them out too much, it resulted in an unnecessary addition that did nothing to help the pen stop slipping from my hands. Having naturally sweaty hands, I found myself readjusting my grip every 15 minutes in. This lowered my opinion of the pen overall.

On to the coolest part of the Pilot Frixion, the thermosensitive ink. I initially didn’t realize that this was an erasable pen, I just had it in my wishlist, so I added it to my cart just to try it out. Lo and behold the back intrigued me for a while, until I wised up enough to test whether it was an eraser and indeed it was. I use pens for all my schoolwork for a reason. That reason being a boost in confidence, by laying the ink down on the page, I have unequivocally put down my answer to the question and will not erase again and again in bouts of self-doubt. While it has worked for the most part, it has also led to some frustrating situations. In scenarios where I made stupid mistakes(like writing amounts down wrong), it has been an unnecessarily difficult undertaking of crossing my initial response while replacing it with the correct one. This pen will change all that. It will help me maintain the confidence booster while at the same time allowing me to go back and correct my mistakes neatly. If only it weren’t so unwieldy.

The shape of the eraser is more spherical in nature, keeping the overall design scheme. the whole pen looks like a futuristic rocket. Smooth curves with nary a sharp edge. Why would the eraser be any different? It does a great job of erasing the ink, without leaving the annoying shavings behind relying entirely on friction(get it?) to complete its task.

The knock doubles as a clip, albeit a rather small one. When it was sitting in my Nock Hightower, it was barely holding on. Hence, I found that it was much easier to loop some thread or wire through the hole in the knock and wear it like a necklace.

While the ink is pretty cool and the eraser works wonders, I find it hard to give this pen a good score, as I had a lot of problems with the lack of a grip. It was very unwieldy and I can’t see myself using it often other than the occasional quick jots. However, the best thing this pen has going for it is potential. If Pilot manages to improve some of the design flaws, the Frixion could potentially break into my Top 5 Gel Pen list. Until then, give it a try if you’re looking into erasable pens, but for those with big and/or sweaty hands, this might not be the best choice to start off with. Thanks for reading and as always, write on, my friends.

Uni Jetstream Review

This is one of two reviews, the next one being posted tomorrow. Thanks for your patience and see you tomorrow. 🙂

A little something I got from my previous JetPens haul. I really wasn’t expecting much in terms of performance, as I know that most Uni-ball pens perform well enough. Little did I know that this one would stand ahead of the pack and shine.

Straight out of the the wrapping, it laid down some thin, yet crisp lines. The most prominent aspect that blew me away was the way the tip just glided across the page. There was almost no feedback on the Doane paper I was using to review it. It was such a pleasure to write with it.

The window in the back is just for show as far as I can tell. It is a unique style choice that I welcome.

The knock on the back is slightly more resistant than some of the pens I’ve used in the past. It takes a little bit of a push to thoroughly depress, resulting in a clear and satisfying click.

I found the grip to be very comfortable despite its looks. While it does thin out in the back, the main part which I place my fingers is well padded. The ridges provide a decent amount of grooves that improve traction. They are made of a softer rubber than some of the other grips I’ve commented on in the past, but they are definitely sturdy enough to withstand a “death grip” should you have one. Even after 4 hour long note-taking sessions, I find my fingers perfectly alright instead of cramping horribly.

Overall, I would really recommend this pen to anyone looking for a durable long-lasting writing instrument that can help against cramps from long writing sessions. Also, anyone who wants to get into “micro-tip” pens can also consider this as a step into that realm. The tip lays down a crisp, consistent line while being slightly thin. Since there is virtually no feedback during usage, it should help ease the transitioning into slightly scratchier pens.

Sakura Pigma Micron 005

After searching through my blog post by post. I suddenly realized that I didn’t have a Sakura Pigma Micron review. After brief moments of incredulity as to how this situation came to be, I set out at light speed to fix this lapse of content.

The Sakura Pigma Micron can best be described as a marker/felt tip pen. There are many ways that the Pigma Micron is used (coloring, sketching, lettering, etc). It is available in a variety of tip sizes and vibrant ink colors that are all archival quality (waterproof and fade proof). I have been using my 0.2mm orange on and off for almost 5 months now.

The body is made of plastic, but don’t let that fool you. While being light, it is by no means fragile. I have dropped this pen both purposely and accidentally on a variety of surfaces. Concrete, marble, tile, asphalt, and wood. Can you see any wear and tear in the picture? That itself is indicative of the durability of the Pigma Micron.

Onto the grip section. While not providing any notches/texture of any kind to aid grip, the pen manages to almost never slip out of my hand. I was pleasantly surprised, as this was an aspect of the pen that I was a little concerned about when I was picking it up. However, despite how moist my hands got, it didn’t slip even once. While I did have to readjust a couple of times during extended writing sessions, it was nothing too noticeable.

Another positive aspect of this pen is that it can be posted securely. When posting, you hear an audible and satisfying click that signifies that your cap isn’t going anywhere. I have tried many times to dislodge the cap, and it is difficult at best. So rest assured, if you’re obsessed about posting your pens (like me), then the Sakura Pigma Micron definitely has you covered.

Around 3 months after purchase, I started having a couple of issues. The tip tended to give inconsistent line widths depending on how I held the pen, and by this I don’t mean the writing angle, but just rotation of the tip. I also experienced interrupted ink flow on down strokes that I had to go back and fill in. While it lasted quite long, from the get go, I felt that the tip was a touch too brittle for my taste. I always had to modify my writing pressure to avoid breaking it, so if you have a heavy hand, I wouldn’t recommend this pen. Regardless of pressure, the pen laid down a  pretty consistent line when it was still just a couple months old. While deterioration in the writing experience is to be expected as time goes on, I didn’t think that it would be as abrupt as it was.

Pentel Slicci 0.3mm Review

I was really looking forward to raving about another Pentel pen, but was a little disappointed. For those who want an Hi-Tec C alternative, many go for the Pentel Slicci. Available in a huge variety of tip sizes and colors, it would look to be a clear rival. However, in my opinion, this pen really fell short of my expectations. Here are the reasons why:

I’ve said it many times, and I will say it again: The grip can make or break the writing experience of any pen. If I don’t feel comfortable holding it, you can be sure I won’t be comfortable writing with it. So far, all the Pentel pens I’ve used have had magnificent grips which I really enjoyed. The same can’t be said for the Slicci. The grip is part of the plastic, so you can expect a sharp, digging sensation in your fingers when using it. I get that this is not a pen you put a fancy grip on, but it feels like they completely forgot to factor in user comfort in the design process.

As you can see in the picture, this pen is THIN. So thin, in fact, that it unconsciously makes me grip twice as hard as I usually do, because combined with the lackluster and painful grip, I constantly have a feeling that it’s going to slip. The feeling is very similar to the one I felt when reviewing the Marvy Le Pen marker, that this pen is better suited for those with thinner hands.

So far I’ve only highlighted the flaws, so let’s talk about what this pen does right. While being a thin tip, it is definitely more consistent than it’s rival, the Hi-Tec C. It immediately started up out of the box, and I have yet to experience even one hard start. The lines are crisp, and smooth, which results in sharp letters. A word of caution, the tip is sharp, so be careful how much pressure you put on the page, as I have accidentally [engraved?] my words onto the following page by mistake a couple of times. Good thing is, no matter the pressure, the pen will faithfully write, so it’s not too big of a problem.The ink is nice and saturated, it’s fast-drying, and it doesn’t feather even on cheap copy paper. It may be a thin tip, but the ink is also an intrinsic part of what makes this pen good.

Overall, I don’t think I’ll be using this pen often, or ever, but that doesn’t necessarily make it a bad pen. While the flaws I pointed out may be something I personally look for in a pen, it doesn’t mean that everyone else would feel that way. This was just me stating my experience, and I can guarantee it won’t be the same for everyone. I would definitely recommend that you give it a try to see whether it suits your taste.