The Pen Addict

Review: Uni-Ball Signo Broad UM-153 Gel Pen - White Ink

I have had the white gel Uni-Ball Signo UM-153 in my posession for the longest time, but being the non-crafty type that I am, I didn't have any good non-white paper to test this pen out on.  It wasn't until I finished up my latest Doane Paper writing pad that I realized the cardboard backing would serve as a good backdrop for this review.

So, why a white gel ink pen?  Me personally, I don't know, as I don't really have a use for this type of pen.  But for the more artistic and creative types out there, this pen is considered the best of breed for white ink pens, so I thought I would see what all of the fuss is about.  The non-white Uni-Ball UM-153 broad gel ink pens are some of the best wide tip gel ink pens around.  Whenever someone is looking for a 1.0mm tip size or larger gel ink pen, I always point them towards this model and they are rarely disappointed.

The white gel ink doesn't perform quite as well as the darker colors, but maybe it isn't supposed to.  I don't have another white gel ink pen to compare it with, but a lot of my lettering was a bit streaky, but then other times it would stay relatively solid.  I found that the less pressure I used to write with, the better the pen performed.  Maybe someone with more experience with this pen can relate their experiences in the comments section?

Overall, it is a nice pen, as you would expect from Uni-Ball.  If you are looking for a white gel ink pen for any project you may have, this would be a good place to start.

Click here for the XL review.

(See what I did there?)

Review: Uni-Ball Signo UM-153 1.0mm Black Gel

For the sheer number of pens available in stores and online, there aren't too many options when it comes to 1.0mm gel ink pens.  I keep meaning to grab a pack of the Uni-Ball Gel Impact RT that I always see at Staples, but the Uni-Ball Signo UM-153 1.0mm is a similar (if not the same) model pen, and a very good one at that.

While micro tip pens are more of my forte, I can see why a pen like this is so popular.  The size of the tip alone makes for one of the smoothest writing experiences around.  Add in the jet black gel ink and you have a pen that is very versitile.  I can picture everthing from sketching to novel writing with this pen.  The barrel and the grip are nice as well, and make for a great overall experience.

At $2.25 each from JetPens, the UM-153 actually checks in less than the Gel Impact on the store shelves, which run about $3.00 per pen.  I will try to buy a Gel Impact soon and do a direct comparison.

Click here for the XL review.

See also:

Review: Uni-Ball Signo Broad UM-153 Dark Blue

Review: Pilot G-2 1.0mm Black

Review: Uni-ball Signo UM-100 0.5 mm Black

The Uni-Ball Signo UM-100 does not equal the Uni-Ball Signo UM-151 (aka the DX).  Why is that?  I'm not sure, but the two pens write nowhere near the same.  While I had no issues at all with the 0.7mm UM-100 - in fact, I think it is great - I am having a really tough time with this pen.

The tip of this pen is scratchier than I am used to from a Uni-Ball product, causing the line to be uneven and inconsistent.  For me to use an 0.5mm gel ink pen regularly, I need it to have a very clean line, and this one doesn't.  I have no issue with the 0.7mm version, and the 0.5mm DX pens that I have are awesome, so what is going on here?  It could just be a dud, and since this is the only 0.5mm UM-100 that I have, I will order another one to see if I have the same difficulty with it.

I'll give this one a pass for now based on track record, but I will update once I get a new one ordered.

Click here for the XL review.

Review: Uni-Ball Signo Broad UM-153 Dark Blue

I'll make no bones about it - I love this pen.  Love it.  And this is coming from the guy who thinks the 0.25mm Pentel Slicci is the bees knees, and lusts after the Uni-Ball Signo DX 0.28mm in brown black.  Like I mentioned on the page at left, I need to do a better job of reviewing pens with a tip size larger than 0.5mm, so I grabbed this one on a whim from JetPens.  As best as I can tell, this particular Uni-Ball model is most popular for the white, silver, and gold gel ink models, which are used mainly for scrapbooking.  I went with a more traditional color for my first UM-153 purchase - the dark blue - and it is very nice.

From a feel perspective, the barrel diameter seems a bit wider than the Uni-Ball Signo DX, not by a great margin, but the weight is very similar.  I would hope that a gel pen with an 1.0mm tip like this would write smoothly, but it is better than I could have anticipated.  It just flows like the paper isn't even there, and the lines stay clean and there is no feathering or bleed to speak of.  For a pen I grabbed almost out of the blue, I couldn't be happier, and I intend to try out a few additional colors in the future.

Click Here for the XL review.