The Pen Addict

Top 5 Pens - Fall 2011

Time for an update to my current Top 5 pens list. As I always state about this particular list, it is a snapshot of the pens I am currently enjoying the most, not a list of what I think are the best pens of all time.

One thing I am finding now that I am working from the house full time is that I haven’t been using multi pens as frequently. I’m not exactly sure why, but for my daily note taking requirements, there isn’t as much of a need to mix up the colors as there was when I was in the IT field. My pen needs have definitely morphed to fit my work needs.

On to the list…

1) Pilot Hi-Tec-C 0.3mm Grip Black

This pen (and #2) have far and away made the most appearances on this list. I keep going back to the well time and time again - why is that? Quality never goes out of style. From short notes, to page after page of details, I never get tired of how this pen writes. Black ink, micro fine 0.3mm tip, and a rubber grip. I reach for this pen constantly. It’s crazy how often I use this pen and don’t have a review on The Pen Addict of this exact model. Same with #2 - I must correct this asap!

2) Uni-Ball Signo DX 0.38mm Black

As much as I enjoy #1 on the list, this is the pen that leaves the house with me the most. It is a more durable and less sensitive to the environment choice. I don’t have to worry about banging it around, and it writes great outside when I’m watching soccer practice. I have said it a million times, but this is the pen I recommend the most to new micro tip users.

3) Kuretake Fudegokochi Brush Pen Super Fine

The lone shocker on this list. I never would have thought that a brush pen would be good for note taking, but this one is extremely versatile. I find myself reaching for it more and more, and while I keep waiting for it to break down, it is showing no signs so far. If you want to mix it up a bit, this is the way to go.

4) Pilot Acroball 0.7mm Blue

My lack of color ink use is disturbing. I have historically been a fan of writing with non-standard colors, but I have gone back to basics recently. The Acroball not only has supplanted the Uni-Ball Jetstream as my go to ballpoint, it is the lone non-black ink pen I have been using recently.

5) Uni-Ball Signo 207 Micro Needle Tip Black

A long time standby, now in a not so easy to find needle tip. If the exact same pen comes in both a conical and a needle tip, I am going to pick the needle tip 100% of the time. The only problem you might have with this 207 is finding it. Some readers are able to find them in their local office supply stores, I have only been able to find them on Amazon.

Uni-Ball Signo 207 0.38mm Black Review

This one caught me off guard, but it really shouldn’t have. I have known for ages that the Uni-Ball Signo RT 0.38mm refills fit in the 207 barrels. In fact, one of my favorite setups is the Signo 207 Premier barrel with the lavender black 0.38mm RT refill. So I was happy to see these show up at JetPens a few weeks ago.

My only real question about the pen was if this was just an RT refill plugged into the 207 barrel, but it isn’t. The 207 is widely known for having “Super Ink” technology which prevents check washing, and these new 0.38mm pens fall right in line.

If you have ever used an RT 0.38mm pen then you know exactly how the 207 version will write. Crisp, clean and dark gel ink lines, and pretty smooth all things considered. It isn’t as smooth as the Signo DX 0.38, but few pens in this category are.

If you have ever wanted the Uni-Ball 207 in something smaller than 0.5mm, now is your chance. Some of the colors are already sold out, but should be restocked soon.

Review: Uni-Ball Signo 207 Micro Needle Tip

vaporware - Anything (usually software, but can be anything) that is promoted and marketed without ever actually being produced.  (via Urban Dictionary)

I had only heard of this pen once previously.  A Pen Addict reader mentioned some time after my Uni-Ball Signo 207 0.7mm Needle Tip review last year that they had a Micro Needle Tip, and thus my search began.  It wasn't listed on the Uni-Ball site, but the 0.7mm version which some stores carry wasn't either.  I got no response via Tweet to Uni-Ball, but I imagine that can get lost in the shuffle.  Every time I made it to an office supply store, I'd flip through all of the Signo 207 packages just to see if a Micro Needle snuck in there.

At least I can admit I have a problem.  That is the first step, right?

At this point, I'm thinking this pen is vaporware, but a couple of months back, a reader generously offered to send me some Muji Gel pen refills.  Included in the package - much to my surprise - were two of the Micro Needle Tip 207s, one in blue, one in black.  That was about as excited as I have been to get new pens in a long time.

I put them to good use right away, especially the black one.  The blue one, which is the one I chose to review above, isn't as great.  One issue I always had with the original, conical Micro tip 207 is the blue did not write as well as the black, and I am finding that is the case with the needle tip.  The blue ink writes drier and thinner, making it a little more scratchy as it moves across the page.  I am all in on the black ink model though - it is a great writing pen.

Has anyone else been able to find these exact pens on the store shelf?  They are available on Amazon.com (I found out that is where mine came from), but I have never seen or heard of them in a store.  I'd be interested to know.

Click here for the XL review.

(*NOTE: I have added an affiliate link to Amazon.  I have never really done that before, so 1. I wanted to make everyone aware, and 2. I want to know everyones opinions on affiliate links and if they are an issue for you.)

Top 5 Pens June 2010

I never seem to update this list frequently enough, but here is a quick snapshot of the five pens I have used the most over the last couple of months.  Any period of time longer than that becomes a blur, but at least this gives you an idea of what have been my go to pens recently.  Plus it makes me realize that no matter how much I use a pen, I may not have reviewed the exact model I am talking about, so I will work on that as well.

(Click on the photo for a larger view, and click here for the XL photo)

1. Pilot Hi-Tec-C 0.3mm Gel Grip Black

This is my everyday workhorse pen - as long as I have good paper to write on like Doane Paper or Rhodia.  This tip size doesn't perform as well on "normal" paper, but I always keep the good stuff handy like any addict would do.

2. Uni-Ball Jetstream 0.5mm Blue Basic Series

Where the Hi-Tec-C doesn't fufill my needs, the Uni-Ball Jetstream 0.5mm usually does.  Quick hit notes and a retractable tip are its specialty, and I love the 0.5mm width, which is admittedly not for everyone.

3. Zebra Sharbo X ST3

This pen really classes up the joint with its sleek barrel design and smooth functionality.  I have this white barrel model loaded up with blue black and mandarin orange 0.4mm gel ink cartridges, plus an 0.3mm pencil cartridge.

4. Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto Four Cartridge barrel

I haven't done a proper review of this particular barrel, but it is my new favorite Coleto style.  I love all things Hi-Tec-C, and I use this multi color model when I am working on projects or notes that I need to annotate more than with basic black.

5. Uni-Ball Signo 207 Micro Black

This pen is back in my good graces after falling out a year or two ago.  I felt the micro tip wasn't a consistent enough writer (especially in blue), but I've given it another spin and I find myself using it a lot.

Giveaway: TUL Gel & Ballpoint & Bonus Pen!

I shot down to my parents house in Florida for a long weekend, and one of the things the pen addict in me tries to do when I am down there is to hit up the local Office Max for some TUL pens since I don't have one locally.  This time around, I brought back a few extras to giveaway to readers of The Pen Addict, plus I'm going to throw in another hard to find pen (for me anyway) as a bonus.

There will be three winners of this giveaway, who will each recieve the following three pens:

(1) TUL 0.5mm Black Gel Needle Tip (reviewed here)

(1) TUL Ballpoint Medium Black (review upcoming)

(1) Uni-Ball Signo 207 0.7mm Needle Tip (reviewed here)

I am a big fan of both the TUL and Uni-Ball Needle Tip pens, so I thought I would spread the wealth around.  I have yet to even try the TUL Ballpoint as I type this up, but if the pen writes as good as it looks I will be pretty happy.

Here are the giveaway rules:

1. Leave one comment on this post anytime between now, and Thursday night at 11:59 PM Eastern Time.  You are limited to one entry.  Feel free to link this giveaway on your blog, or share it with anyone you feel is a true pen addict.  If you have a blog, I would love a link back, but it is certainly not required for entry into the contest.

2. For this contest, I will pick three winners at random from the comments section of this post.  The comments will be numbered in the order they are received, i.e. the first comment is #1, the second #2, and so on.  The Random Integer Generator at random.org will be used to pick the numbers of the winners.

3. The contest winners will be posted on Friday, January 29th.  The winners will have one week to email me at the address posted in the right sidebar.

4. I will ship internationally.  I know there are many international readers and fans of The Pen Addict, and I will gladly ship to you at my expense.

Thanks and good luck!