Posts filed under Uni-Ball

Uni Jetstream Prime 3 Color Ballpoint Multi Pen Review

The latest entry into Uni-ball's ever changing Jetstream multi pen line, the Prime 3 Color Ballpoint is the professionally-styled pen many users have been waiting for. It features the first metal barrel in the lineup and a classic style perfect for the office. But is it worth the premium $45.00 price? Maybe.

There is no denying the design of the Prime is excellent. I chose the two-tone black model and it is sharp looking with chrome accents against the black barrel. The grip is smooth and I had no troubles gripping it but sweaty fingers might pose a problem. The retractable mechanisms are flawless - very responsive and snappy. They pop out one of the three ink colors, all of which are standard D1 refills. That is a big deal because that opens up a wide range of refills to use, like my favorite D1 the Zebra Sharbo X Gel 0.4 mm.

On the downside, the Prime falls victim to what all most barrel multipens have trouble with: Rattling noise while writing. It is almost unavoidable with all of the moving parts. It just depends on how much it bothers you. This pen falls in the middle of the noise category. I've used quieter and louder. What actually bothers me more is the silly faux jewel on the top of the clip. Why it is there I have no clue. This pen has many beautiful Lamy-like design elements going for it then boom! Tacky jewel.

I like the Jetstream Prime a lot but in the end it comes down to a value proposition. If you want the full metal barrel and D1 refill flexibility then it is worth it. If that is not important to you and you just need a good Jetstream writing experience then their less expensive models will suit you just fine. I have reviewed some of them here:

Uni-Ball Jetstream 4+1 0.7mm Ballpoint Multi Pen

Uni-Ball Jetstream 3 Multi-Pen

Uni-Ball Jetstram 3 0.5mm Multi Pen

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)

Posted on February 17, 2014 and filed under Jetstream, Multi Pen, Pen Reviews, Uni-Ball.

Uni-ball RT1 0.28 mm Blue + Uni Promark Highlighter Review

Uni-ball RT

I want to apologize right up front for the text size in my written review above. It is hard to read but if you click on the image it will take you to Flickr where you can view it in larger sizes like this one.

With that out of the way, the small text size is exactly why I love the Uni-ball RT1 0.28 mm more than any previous version before it, even the 0.38 RT1. The original Uni-ball RT has been around for years and has had a place in my arsenal as long as I have known of its existence. The RT is a quality pen, despite the fact it is a little on the scratchy side.

The scratchiness of the original is the reason I always said the RT was not the retractable version of the Uni-ball Signo DX. The DX has always been the superior writer, but the RT1 has closed that gap, if not eliminated it completely. The 0.28 mm RT1 might be the smoothest, cleanest, finest gel ink pen on the market. Expect to hear me talking about this pen a lot.

And if we are lucky, Uni-ball will see fit to start populating the store shelves with the RT1 now that back to school season is upon us. Let me know if you see them in the wild.

Highlighter reviews are difficult to do individually so I thought what better pairing for the Uni Promark View Highlighter than with the RT1. Uni-ball already had a window tip highlighter in the Propus but made it bigger and better with the Promark. It works wonderfully, although I found myself tilting my head a lot when first using it so I could really see the words well. I self-corrected after a few lines to prevent a stationery inflicted neck injury.

The Uni-ball RT1 and Promark both improve on their original designs in every way. What more can you ask for? Nice job Uni-ball!

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)

Posted on June 13, 2013 and filed under Pen Reviews, Uni-Ball, RT1.

Uni-ball Field Lead Holder Review

Uni-ball Lead Holder

Do you ever see a pen or pencil that looks cool but you have no real use for it? You justify it in your mind - "I'll figure out a way!" - and into the cart it goes. How many times did that work out well for you? Yeah, never for me too.

That is my situation with the Uni-ball Field Lead Holder. I don't own a lead holder but the bright red plastic and silver knurling screamed "BUY ME!!!" through the computer screen. And it has red lead too? Yes please!

I knew better than to order it, knowing I wouldn't know what to do with it when it arrived. Design wise, it lived up to the hype. This is a great looking and feeling lead holder. Performance wise, I guess it is good too, although I didn't do much more than write with it a few times. The lead color is lighter than I expected it would be but the reddish-orange shade photographed well.

The only drawback I can see is that there is no built-in sharpener, which some brands do provide. I imagine most hardcore lead holder users have their own favorite sharpener so that's not as much of an issue as it seems.

Are you an avid lead holder user? I'd love to hear about it in the comments section. Enlighten me!

Uni-ball Lead Holder

Uni-ball Lead Holder

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)

Posted on May 13, 2013 and filed under Uni-Ball, Pencil Reviews.