The Pen Addict

Review: Zebra Sarasa 3 Color Gel Ink Multi Pen

I am a big fan of Zebra multi pens and pencils, but this basic Sarasa 3 color gel ink multi pen falls a bit short.  I love the barrel design - it feels very sturdy, and is not too wide to hold comfortably when writing.  All of the pen mechanics are solid as well.  The plungers snap into place, and eject with ease.

So what are the issues with this pen?  First of all, the blue ink is so dark that it feels like I have a pen with two black cartridges.  I am used to Zebra having a darker basic blue ink than most companies default blue, but this is even beyond their norm.  I could try to swap it out for another refill, but I don't think that would make much of a difference.  Also, these ink cartridges don't write as sharply as I am used to with other comparable Sarasas.  Maybe I am getting too used to how awesome the Sarasa Clip pens write and am unfairly comparing the two.  They clearly don't profess to be the same.

I have so many multi pens that I use on a regular basis that a new one is going to have to be really spectacular to break into the rotation, and this Zebra Sarasa multi doesn't quite cut it.

Click here for the XL review.

Review: Pentel Rolly C4 0.7mm Ballpoint Multi Pen

The Pentel Rolly C4 multi pen was a purchase from a recent visit to Staples.  Reminiscent of the famous Bic 4-Color ballpoint multi pen, the C4 sports the same four basic colors - black, blue, red, green - but in a much upgraded barrel.  Unfortunately, the barrel is the highlight of the show.

Pentel did a nice job with the overall look and design of the pen, and that is actually what lead me to grab it off the shelf in the first place.  I normally wouldn't have a place in my arsenal for a basic ballpoint multi pen, but this one looked cool, and was reasonably priced around $5.  One of the other things that caught my attention was that the ink cartridges were 0.7mm as opposed to the 1.0mm you would usually find in a pen like this.  The rubber grip is a nice added touch, and the silver barrel color looks great against the clear blue plastic.

When you get right down to it though, the writing experience is nothing special.  It writes cleanly enough, but the ballpoint cartridges are pretty basic.  The black and blue ink do a nice job, but the red and green are too light for my tastes.  The pen does write very cleanly, so if you are a ballpoint pen fan you might like this.  For me, this is another pen where I am going to see what other types of ink cartridges I can fit into this nice barrel.

Click here for the XL review.

Top 10 Pen Reviews of 2009

Since this post was such a hit last year, I want to make this an end of year tradition here at The Pen Addict.  The rankings below consist of the top 10 pen review posts for the 2009 calendar year as determined by Google Analytics.  This list isn't my top 10 favorite pens, but rather a snapshot of what was popular over the last 12 months.

Zebra Sharbo X - Pen of the year?

1. Zebra Sharbo X
I had no idea I would like this pen so much.  The price tag is a barrier to entry, but I'm glad I finally broke down and bought one (and then two).  This is a very well made pen, fun to use, and fun to look at.  If you want to strut your cool Japanese pen stuff, then the Zebra Sharbo X is definitely the way to go.

2. Pentel Slicci 0.25mm
As long as I write this blog, the Pentel Slicci will have a prominent place in these pages.  For my money, this is one of the best micro point gel ink pens around.  The 0.25mm model may be a stretch for some, but it is very easy to write with, and the colors really pop off the page.

3. Sharpie Pen RT
One of the two new Sharpie Pen models this year, the Sharpie Pen RT really changed things up from the original.  The barrel is much better, and the rubber grip is a great addition.  I have been running into an issue of late where the pen tip firms up more than the original, so that is something I am going to dig into more soon.

4. Lamy Safari Charcoal/Black EF Nib
Any and every Lamy Safari post is always a huge hit, and this one was no different.  One of these years I am going to get off my butt, buy a converter, and start testing out other fountain pen inks.  Maybe.

5. Uni-Ball Signo 207 0.7mm Needle Tip
It took me FOREVER to come up with one of these pens.  A reader actually sent my my first one, then I finally came across some on the shelf at an Office Max on a trip to Florida.  This is a really cool variation on the Uni-Ball 207, but I wish it was more accessible.  You hear me Uni-Ball?  :)

6. Uni-Ball Jetstream 3 Multi Pen
Jetstream + Multi Pen = win.  I am a big multi-pen fan, and find myself using the Jetstream more and more, so this pen is a no-brainer for me.  Black, blue, and red are the three ink colors, and with some nice barrel colors available and at just $6.00, this pen is a great value.

7. Uni-Ball Kuru Toga High Grade 0.5mm
Along with the Zebra Sharbo X, this is one of my favorites.  This is the only pencil I carry with me on a daily basis, and I have yet to find a reason to carry any other.  Plus, I just like saying Kuru Toga.  And Mount Wannahockaloogie.

8. Zebra F-701
This is a hugely popular pen with the Every Day Carry crowd, and one I was missing out on for the longest time.  The construction of this pen is awesome, with a sleek stainless steel body and knurled metal grip.  If the ballpoint ink cartridge was a little bit nicer this pen could crack my top 5.

9. Bic Triumph 730R
Bic has always been a second tier pen company to me, ranking behind the big boys like Uni-Ball, Pilot, Pentel, Zebra, and others.  But this year, Bic brought a couple of nicer pens to market, including this 730R.  It is a refillable needle tip liquid ink pen, very similar to the Pilot Precise V5.  Good job by Bic on this one.

10. Pentel Energel Multi-Function Pen
This is an interesting pen to round out the top 10.  The Energel is one of the best writing gel inks around, and is nice to have available in in a multi pen version.  I also appreciate the fact that the cartridges are 0.5mm instead of 0.7mm, which is more common in the American market.

Review: Tombow Reporter 4 Compact Multi Pen

I may need to double check the archives, but I don't think I have reviewed many mini multi pens other than the Zebra Smartline, so welcome to the occupation Tombow Reporter 4 Compact multi pen!

One of this pens main selling points is that the push buttons for the ink cartridges have different grooves, so not only can you tell the cartridges apart by color, but also by feel (see the image on the product page at JetPens for a better idea).  This is a great idea in theory, but in practice it falls a bit short.  For some reason, Tombow decided that the cartridge that rests against your hand - the red one - should have the two pointy triangles sticking right into your skin.  Annoying to say the least, especially when one of the smoother cartridges could be in its place.  (Brain fart - maybe I can move the cartridges around - I'll have to check later today).

Outside of that little issue, I feel that I get a good writing performance out of two of the ink cartridges (blue and red) while the other two (black and green) come out lighter on the page than I like.  This is a quality pen though, as the construction is nice and solid, plus the binder clip is spring loaded so it can attach to larger items, and also sports a hole for attaching to a lanyard.  But in the end, the little things will keep this from being a pen that I use very often.

Click here for the XL review.

Product links:
-- Tombow Reporter 4 Compact Multi Pen - Clear Blue Body from JetPens
-- Idea Journal from Doane Paper

Review: Pilot Birdy Switch Multi Pen + 0.5 mm Pencil

The Pilot Birdy Switch multi pen is designed as a highly portable pen/pencil combo.  With its small diameter, it would make a great choice as an EDC pen, somewhat along the lines of the TEC Pico Pen.  It is a longer and wider than the Pico, but it is sleek enought to fit almost anywhere the Pico would.

At first glance, the Birdy looks just like a skinny mechanical pencil.  With the cap posted on the clip end, that is exactly what it is.  It functions just like a normal mechanical pencil - clicking the cap down extends the lead.  Pop the cap off and post it on the other end and that exposes the ballpoint pen for use.  I was a little concerned with the clip position when using the ballpoint side, but as it turns out, the clip helps out with gripping the pen.  With a barrel this skinny it can be tough to grip while writing, but placing the clip between my thumb and index finger improved my handle on it.

Performance wise, the ballpoint writes very cleanly.  There is nothing I hate more than a clumpy, messy ballpoint, so cleanliness is always a key for me.  The pencil is nice as well, but being the side without the clip, I found I couldn't grip it as well.  One note on the pencil though - there is no eraser.  That phases me none, but I thought I would mention that.  The only other negative I can find it that it is currently out of stock at JetPens.  They do have a button on the page where you can be notified when it is back in stock, so be sure to set that up if you are interested.

Click here for the XL review.

Guest Review: Multipen Addiction

My name is Adam, and I am a multipen addict.  With tireless and dedicated support from my sponsors (The Pen Addict and Jet Pens), I haven’t used — a non-multipen (or “unipen”), that is — for 28 days....

A review and side-by-side comparison of nine multipens follows below:

•    Pentel Energel Multi-Function Pen
•    Pentel Sliccies 3 Color Gel Ink Multi Pen
•    Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto 3 Color Multi Pen
•    Rotring Essential 3-Way Multi Function Pen
•    Rotring Stainless Steel 4-Way Multipen (unidentified model)
•    Uni-ball SXR-80-7 Jetstream Ballpoint Multi Pen
•    Zebra Sarasa 3 Color Gel Ink Multi Pen
•    Zebra Sharbo X ST3
•    Zebra SK-Sharbo+1 2 Color Ballpoint Multi Pen

But first, since I’m a guest here, and since I learned on my way to my Rhetoric degree that ethos appeals are as important as others, some background is in order.

That my addiction is a new one may make my perspective useful to others, especially those shopping for their first multipen.  I’m not a pen expert; my handwriting is atrocious (an admixture of chicken scratches and Rorschach); and I use cheap notebooks/journals (my office supplies me with Cambridge Limited journals).  But I’ve always been a gadgeteer, believing both that the right tool makes any job easier and that, in the wise words of Alton Brown, “Organization will set you free.”  Moreover, compulsion is not a quality with which I am unfamiliar.  I am serially obsessive: collecting live recordings of  taper-friendly bands begat an expensive SLR camera gear obsession, which begat a paranoid obsession with storage solutions for the music and pics, which now has begat — or at least given way to — said multipen addiction.  So, I suppose it was only a matter of time before multipens discovered me, and I them.  (God only knows from whence springs my willingness to admit and discuss this — publicly.)

In late high school and college, I generally took handwritten notes in two colors.  I used primarily fine and medium Pilot Precise liquid ink rollerballs.  In law school, my note-taking moved to my computer; I turned to highlighters for marking my reading; and I had the disturbing realization that the Pilot liquid ink pens tended to explode on cross-country flights.  Pens became an afterthought.

Now that I’m all grown up, I do most of my letter- and brief-writing on the computer, of course.  But, as I lately have found myself more and more often chicken-scratching notes in meetings, depositions, and conference calls, I have begun (again) to take notes in two colors.  About a month again, I remembered a very cool brushed stainless steel multipen — I had no idea “multipen” was the proper nomenclature until about a week later — that I received about 7 years ago as a gift.  It had a mechanical pencil, ballpoint, stylus, and highlighter.  (I always thought the pen was clever, although I found little use for the pencil.  And since I haven't owned a Palm Pilot for about 8 years, I found no use for the stylus.  Also, I’m just  not a fan of ballpoints.  So, the pen sat in a drawer since I received it.)  Then, about a month ago, it suddenly occurred to me that I might be able to replace the stylus with a second color and find gel-ink replacements for both.  I searched for refills to no avail until I finally somehow stumbled upon a Pen Addict post comparing several multipens.  "Multipens!"  That was the phrase I was after.

Googling “multipen” revealed that my gift pen was nearly identical to the Rotring Essential, refills to which were abundant in ballpoint form; no gel-inks, though.  So, I moved onto Plan B, deciding to find gel-ink-compatible multipens.  Enter The Pen Addict and Jet Pens.

It turns out there are indeed a large variety of multipens, many of which are gel-ink compatible.  Over the past few weeks, I’ve ordered several multipens from Jet Pens (and one from Montgomery Pens), each of which — after the foregoing long walk down a short and dreary pier — I describe and grade below.  No fancy Doane Paper exemplars.  Just the early thoughts and reactions of a newly-initiated multipen addict:

Zebra Sharbo X ST3 (black body, .5mm blue/red/pencil)

Grade: A.  Form beautifully meets function.  Period.

Review:  In case you skipped the windbag self-indulgency above, let me summarize: I’m a lawyer, not an artist; a computer user principally, handwriter secondarily; ballpoint hater, gel ink lover, broad stroke note-taker, rather than ultra-fine-point technician; lover, not a fighter.  And, while I certainly don’t need Mont Blanc styling (if in fact that is “style” as opposed to snootery), I am strongly biased toward simple, heavy construction over plasticky, campy design.  This pen meets all those requirements.  Wonderfully.  The barrel is heavy and the width (wider than a unipen but not as chunky as the Energel multipen) perfect enough that I don’t find myself missing a rubber grip.  Like good minimalist architecture, the design is at once stylish and simple.  The eraser cap (which has a nice protective rubber top) threads onto the pen — a feature that, as a very infrequent pencil user, I prefer over simple push-on caps.  Mechanically, the twist mechanism is flawless (simple and remarkably smooth), as is the mechanical pencil (which seems to have some sort of rubber bushing that makes it quiet and soft).  I far prefer twist-to-select systems over the gravity or multi-clicker designs, and this twist system is the best I’ve seen.  Finally, the barrel threading and twist system are independent from one another (solving the problem I describe below with respect to the cheaper Zebra SK-Sharbo).

In sum, this multipen pen is as close to perfect as I’ve seen.  The only minor criticisms that keep this from being an absolutely perfect A+ pen are (1) that there is no 3-ink version (again, I don’t often use pencils) and (2) that, with narrow exception if you shop in Japan, the gel-ink cartridges are not available in widths wider than .5mm (a minor flaw, since the .5mm does feel wider than other .5mm refills).  Que sera sera.

What about the cost ($45 for the body only)?  Easily justifiable.  In fact, I just ordered a brushed silver version and impatiently await the CB8 (which Jet Pens tells me they’ll have in stock in a little over a month).  Why?  Because as much as I live in short and flip-flops when I’m not working, when I am working, I want a pen that looks professional.  Why spend time hand-polishing my cap-toes and ensuring a perfectly knotted double-Windsor only to pull out a kitschy, dinky, plastic pen?  (Akin to tube socks with wingtips, no?)  Or, if you prefer vino metaphors, this multipen is a beautiful Dry Creek Valley Pinot Noir — rich, complex, and finessed, even if not an ’82 Bordeaux (which would be more like a fine, but less versatile, fountain pen.)  You wouldn’t pair that Pinot with a Big Mac, would you?

Zebra Sarasa 3 Color Gel Ink Multi Pen (black body, .5mm blue/red/green)

Grade: A-.  A well constructed, reasonable 3-ink gel multipen with cheap selection system.

Review:  Sarasa unipens are amazingly smooth, and this is no exception.  Second to the Sharbo X, this is my favorite multipen.  And although it trails that pen in terms of style and construction, for the price ($5), it really is great.  The fat barrel feels comfortable and the rubber grip is nice.  Indeed, for my needs, it improves somewhat on the Sharbo X in that it is a 3-ink pen (pencils be damned); after replacing the black catridge with green, this pen will be the most convenient for me.  As will be a recurring theme in this review, I’m just not a fan of the multi-clicker system, which reminds me of those cheap Bic white/blue 4-color pens from elementary school.

Uni-ball SXR-80-7 Jetstream Ballpoint Multi Pen (black body, 1mm blue, .7mm red/black)

Grade: B+.  A surprisingly smooth 3-color ballpoint pen, with cheap styling and selection system.

Review:  I really did not want to like this pen, it being ballpoint only, being somewhat cheap looking and featuring the unfortunate multi-clicker system.  Surprisingly, it’s among my favorites.  The writing is ridiculously smooth — not just for a ballpoint pen, but also when head-to-head with some really good gel-ink multipens.  In fact, after replacing the OEM .7mm blue cartridge with a 1mm version, I think this is smoother than both of the Zebras with higher grades.  (As with the Sarasa, I plan on adding green in place of black, making this a very versatile 3-ink pen.

The pen feels and looks an awful lot like the Sarasa, to which I give only slightly higher marks.  Both have clear bottoms with nice rubber grips connected to a comfortably thick barrel.  In black — really more like smoked semi-translucent — they look strikingly similar but for the jarring white clip on the Jestream.  The monotone top and slightly heavier weight on the Sarasa gives it a slight advantage over the Jestream.  But only slight.  I was very tempted to give them both an A-/B+, with the Sarasa’s slight advantage in looks and feel washing the Jetstream’s slight advantage is smoothness.

Rotring Essential; Rotring Stainless Steel 4-Way Multipen (unidentified model)  (.5mm blue/red/pencil; latter with addition of highlighter)

Grade: B; A-/B+.  A decent-looking, but overpriced and cheaply-constructed multipen with difficult gravity system.

Review:  The Rotring Essential is a decent pen.  No better; no worse.  Unlike some of the cheaper pens, this one is contemporary looking and, although it is made of coated plastic, has a heavy feel.  The balance is impressive, helped by the metal threading between the barrel and uncomfortable ridged hard-plastic grip.  I not especially fond of the “gravity” select system, which requires holding the pen horizontally with the cartridge you want at the top (closer to the ceiling, while the others are on closer to the floor), and then pressing the top button.  This single button system is a more attractive than the multi-clickers, but far less graceful than the twist systems.  In meetings, I must have looked like a methed-out excuse for a professional, as I nervously fidgeted with this pen whenever I needed a new color.  Also, because of the selection system (I think), the components tend to bang into one another in the barrel making the pen sound junky.  I had contemplated downgrading this to a C given that it takes only ballpoint refills, but I just discovered that the Sharbo X gel-ink refills are compatible.  Close call!

By the way, this pen is nearly identical to the gift pen that was the gateway to my addiction.  The only differences are that (1) the gift pen is all stainless (including the very well executed raised grip), proving a very solid feel and (2) the gift pen is a four-way, the fourth component being a wide-tipped roller ball with highlighter-orange ink (a very, very nice feature.)  This version gets an A-/B+ while the 3-way Essential gets a B.

Zebra SK-Sharbo+1 2 Color Ballpoint Multi Pen (black body, 5mm black/red/pencil).

Grade: B.  Heavy and well-constructed for a plastic pen featuring a nice twist system, but no gel-ink options.

Review:  This is essentially the cheaper version of the Sharbo X.  For an all-plastic pen, it feels fairly well-constructed, comfortable (thick, but not too thick, with a nice rubber grip), and heavier than expected — all in contrast to the Coleto and Sliccies.  The pen is stylishly minimal, like it’s older brother, and features a similar twist selection system.  The lack of gel-ink availability is frustrating (knocking this down from a B+/B to a B-), and I would of course prefer a 3-ink pen (since high school, I’ve just had no use whatsoever for a pencil).

Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto 3 Color Multi Pen (.4mm blue/orange/red gel ink)

Grade: B-.  Smooth writing, but very light 3-ink gel multipen with cheap selection system.

Review:  I was disappointed by this pen.  The 3-ink (no pencil) configuration and wide swath of color refill options made me believe that this highly-configurable pen would be a home run.  The pen does write exceptionally well, even at .4mm (I’ve found that anything less than .5mm generally feels scratchy and can’t keep up with fast note-taking; this one felt much, much smoother than most sub-5s and easily kept up with my lightning fast chicken scratching.)  Unfortunately, I was more than a bit disappointed by the pen’s featherweight, diminutive feel.  It is just too junky, light, and plasticky for me, even ignoring the juvenile feeling multi-click system. On the plus side, the smoky, semi-clear plastic with injected rubber strips as a grip does nicely blend modern styling with a bit of look-what’s-inside geekery.

Pentel Sliccies 3 Color Gel Ink Multi Pen (0.4 mm red/blue/green)

Grade: B-.  A smooth-writing but very light 3-ink gel multipen with cheap selection system.

Review:  With a couple exceptions, everything I wrote about the Coleto applies to this pen.  If the Coleto was light, this thing is virtually weightless, making it exceptionally hard to use.  One aspect I prefer over the Coleto is the clear multi-clickers.  (If you’re going to include them, at least make them less obvious; compared to multicolor clown feel of the Coleto’s top, this one looks half-way respectable.)

Pentel Energel Multi-Function Pen (,5mm red/black/pencil)

Grade: C.  A smooth-writing gel-ink multipen with cheap construction and the ugliest design imaginable.

Review:  I had exceptionally high hopes for this pen, given that the Energel .7mm is my go-to unipen.  This multipen’s performance is definitely close to that of its unipen cousin.  It writes smoothly, easily, and consistently.  Unfortunately I could find no refills in .7mm nor blue.  More importantly, the construction feels subpar, as the top half (the twister) rattles against the bottom half.  Also, the twist mechanism isn’t continuous.  Unlike other 360 degree twisters, this one twists one direction and then hits a stop; you have to twist the other direction to go back.  Besides being inconvenient, this also leads to accidental unscrewing of the base.

And the nail in the coffin?  This is truly an unfortunate looking pen.  The bubbly eraser cap combined with the terrible color scheme makes this look it was designed as part of a fanboys’ wet dream.  Hope sprang eternal; then hope sunk to concrete-shoe depths.

SUMMARY

If you’re new to multipens or just looking to upgrade, skip testing the cheaper ones.  While I had fun testing them all, I spent much more money on the various non-Sharbo Xpens and refills than I did on the Sharbo X body and refills.  For the same money, I could have bought two perfect Sharbo’s rather than filling my junk drawer with a number of sub-par pens.  If the Rotring Stainless model that I haven’t been able to identify were available, that is a reasonable substitute (when filled with gel-inks), and is preferable in some ways because of the four-way 3-ink + pencil system.  If cost is an issue, the Sarasa and Uni-ball Jetstream multipens are easily the nicest of the plastic pens.  Indeed, but for their clicker systems and plastic construction, both are damn near perfect — and absolute bargains.

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Awesome reviews Adam!  I really appreciate the time and effort you put into this post - you are a pen addict for sure.  If anyone else would like to contribute a guest post on The Pen Addict, I would love to have you. Email me at the address on the sidebar, or ping me on Twitter @dowdyism.

Review: Uni-Ball Jetstram 3 0.5mm Multi Pen

Hey!  You already reviewed this pen before, right?  Not so fast my friends.  While I have reviewed the Uni-Ball Jetstream 0.7mm multi pen in the past, I have not reviewed the 0.5mm version, and to me, the difference in tip size is a big deal.

I am a gel ink fan first and foremost, followed by liquid ink pens, and only after those two do the ballpoints come into play.  The Jetstream line has done its best to make me change my ways, but I still reach for the gel first about 90 % of the time.  The 0.5mm Jetstream though - that pen speaks to me in a way no other ballpoint ever has.  I first tried out the blue ink in the Basic barrel, and was very impressed how the 0.5mm performed.  Seeing how much I enjoyed that pen, the multi pen was a must get when JetPens started carrying the 0.5mm black/blue/red version a couple of months ago.

The performance of the multi pen is equal to the single cartridge version (meaning excellent), and comes in much more handy for me seeing how I like to switch colors so often.  The barrel is just the right size, and the grip is a soft yet firm rubber similar to what you would find on the Sport or Basic series.  The fire engine red barrel jumped off the page at me, and looks just as good in person.  I still carry around and 0.7mm Jetstream just in case I get the urge, but I can't remember the last time I chose it over the 0.5mm.

Click Here for XL review.

Review: Uni Style Fit

I first spied the Uni Style Fit on Partrick Ng's excellent website Scription back in February, and knew right then and there that I must get my hands one one.  Luckily for me, I have the best readers in the world, because my pen friend Mariko from Super Eggplant was headed to Japan for a couple of weeks and was wondering if there were any pens I was looking for.  Needless to say, the Uni Style Fit was at the top of the list.

At its core, the Style Fit is a multi pen in the same vein as the Pilot Hi-Tec-C or Pentel Sliccies (review coming this week also), but with a few additional options to set it apart.  First off, there are three different barrel sizes: one, three, and five cartridge.  Three always seems like the sweet spot for me, but why a five cartridge barrel?  Well, the variety of cartridges is what sets this pen apart from the pack.  You can choose from any of the following to populate your Style Fit barrel:

Signo Gel in 0.5, 0.38, and 0.28 sizes in the full rainbow of colors
Jetstream in 1.0, 0.7, and 0.5 sizes in black, blue, and red
Nano Dia pencil in 0.5mm

Mix and match to your hearts content.  My friend Bryan in Okinawa emailed me about this pen just last week saying how popular it is and how the displays in the stores are just ravaged.  If I lived in Japan, I may just have to take the whole display home myself!

Performance wise, this pen lives up to the great standards of just about everything else from the Japanese Mitsubishi Uni line.  Mariko sent me the blue three cartridge barrel plus three Signo 0.38mm catridges in black, sky blue, and green. As I mentioned in the written review, these write almost exactly like the ink cartridges found in the Uni-Ball Signo RT 0.38mm pens, which is a good thing.  Sharp, clean lines, no skipping, no delayed start, vibrant colors - just good, solid performance.  I really have no complaints about how it writes, but there are a couple of things I should mention about the barrel that may become an issue.

As you can see if you click on any of the photos, the grip area is clear - and completely smooth.  No ridges, no texture, no rubber, no anything.  I haven't had any problems yet with slipping, but I could see where that may become an issue down the line if it gets hot or my fingers are the least bit sweaty.  It's not too bad right now though.  The other issue which is more annoying is that I have trouble getting the plunger that is also the pen clip to click down tight when I first press it down.  My three cartridge barrel has two plungers on the side, and the pen clip servers as the third, which is common on many multi pens.  When I push down the clip, it regularly takes me two or three tries to get it to lock into place.  Once it locks in it stays, but getting it there is frustrating sometimes.

The only other item that I can see being an issue with an otherwise excellent pen is the size of the ink cartridges.  They seem awfully small compared to the Coleto or Sliccies refills, but it is yet to be determined how long they will last.  Sometimes appearances can be deceiving.

I really can't wait for this pen to be readily available in the U.S. because I think it is going to be a big hit - especially to my wallet.

(Click on any image to enlarge)

Review: Uni-Ball Signo MF3 Multi Pen

Out of all of the multi pens I have reviewed recently, it basically comes down to the Pentel Energel Multi Function pen, or this Uni-Ball Signo MF3 for my most used multi pen of the past few weeks.  The Pentel Energel has taken up shelter in my backpack, which is where my most used pens reside as they travel back and forth with me to work, while this Uni-Ball Signo sits at home, alone on the desk anxiously awaiting my return from work each night.  You could say I prefer the Energel of the two - and you would be right - but the Signo is a pretty darn good pen on its own.

The best I can say about this pen is that it works.  That is a compliment for sure - you won't believe how many pens don't that aren't even broken.  Click to the left, black 0.5mm gel cartridge.  Click to the right, red 0.5mm gel cartridge.  Click further to the right, 0.5mm pencil.  The gel ink lays down great lines, as you would expect from Uni-Ball, and the pencil is pretty decent.  The clear barrel is extra cool points, but you can grab it in black, blue, pink, and white as well.

But I keep going back to the Energel.  I don't know if is the needle tip that gets me or what - I just like it better.  Don't worry little Uni-Ball Signo MF3 multi pen, I'll be home soon.

Click here for the XL photo review.

Review: Pentel Energel Multi-Function Pen

I know I said a few weeks back that I need to lay off of the multi pens, but this Pentel Energel has a few things going for it that I couldn't pass up:

1. It is a gel pen.
2. Both gel ink cartridges are 0.5mm.
3. The Pentel Energel is known for writing as smoothly as any other gel pen on the market.

That short list leaves out great barrel design and comfort, plus I haven't even mentioned the pencil yet.  So needless to say I had pretty high expectations for this pen, and fortunately it lived up to them.

If you have ever used a Pentel Energel - the needle tip version in this case - then you have a pretty good idea of what you are going to get from this pen, with the added twist of the multiple cartridges.  And twist it does.  The top half of the pen rotates from station to station depending on what cartridge you want to use, as opposed to having a click mechanism.  The barrel design is nearly identical in form and function to the Pentel Hybrid Technica I reviewed earlier this year.  I raved about the barrel then (that was the only good part actually), so I am glad Pentel has put that design to good use.

At $7.50 a pop from JetPens, the Pentel Energel Multi-Function Pen is right on the border of cost/value for a multi pen in my book, but this one has been worth it so far.