Posts filed under Ballpoint

Uni Boxy 100 Ballpoint Pen Review

The Uni Boxy 100 Ballpoint is a pen I expect fills office supply cabinets and student desks all across Japan. While it’s not quite the exquisite writing experience of it’s very successful sibling - the Jetstream - it fills the basic ballpoint needs of Uni-ball’s product lineup.

Assumedly, the Boxy gets its name from the rectangular shape of the barrel. Surprisingly enough, I find this shape to be comfortable for my grip and writing style. Not everyone will have the same experience, especially if you grip is outside of the traditional tripod realm. It is very light and the corners are rounded, so you still may be able to work with it.

The two longer sides of the rectangular barrel have grip ridges, but they don’t really come into play for me unless I want to hold the pen like I’m playing the game Operation and going in for the Funny Bone. Electrocution is super hilarious!

This is a retractable pen, but with two separate stages. You click down to engage the tip, then press the orange button on the side to retract it. Is there a practical benefit to this? I guess the tip is locked in more, but I’m not sure that is an issue people were looking for a solution to. It looks cool and is fun to play with. That’s as good as I could come up with.

I’m glad the standard tip size of this pen is 0.7 mm, which I think is the sweet spot for ballpoint pens. This one leaves a nice, clean black line. There was little to no extra ink buildup around the tip, which is a problem many basic ballpoints have. This one is a good writer, although I do wish the line was a shade of two darker. The Jetstream solves that problem.

For $1.75, I admit that it is a little expensive for an entry level ballpoint. I imagine in Japan, and before the import fees and taxes hit, that this is the equivalent of a 50 cent pen. A dollar at most. It’s a nice, useful, fun pen of good quality, but not necessarily a must have. It’s the type of pen I keep hanging around in a desk drawer for quick notes and scribbles.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on February 5, 2018 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Uni, Boxy, Ballpoint, Pen Reviews.

Mark's Hibi Ballpoint Pen Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter.)

Sometimes I buy stationery because it's cute, and for no other reason. Sometimes that works out for me, but more often I end up disappointed. The Hibi Ballpoint pen is definitely one of the cuter mistakes I've made.

Ballpoints are my least favorite of the pen families, but there are times when that's just the tool required for the job. And when those moments happen, I want the ballpoint I'm using to at least be a fun one. So when I saw these lovely Hibi pens, I decided to give one a try. I love the wood body, the sleek profile, and the vintage-feeling colors. I think the branding on the pen body is charming. It looks both modern and timeless. In the looks department, it's a total winner.

The wood body feels good in the hand, though I question its durability. It's nicer than picking up a cold metal pen. It's also very lightweight, so there's less chance of hand fatigue if you're filling out a lot of paperwork. The barrel is a bit narrow, so those who prefer thicker pens may find it uncomfortable to hold. I like the slimness, as it can be easily stowed in any pen sleeve or even inside the spiral of a notebook. Between the wood, weight, and slimness, it feels more like a pencil than a pen.

The clip is sturdy metal with a good amount of spring to it. It's well anchored at the top, so I don't worry about it bending or breaking. The click button has a good bounce and click to it, but the button screws off easily, and there is a tiny spring below it that could be lost or broken if it comes undone in a bag. And the looseness of the button means that it rattles when you're writing, which is a bit annoying.

The pen is refillable with an Ohto No. 175 NP refill. The ink itself isn't a very deep black--it's a bit of a washed out grey. The needlepoint is .5 mm, but it feels finer to me, perhaps because it's such a dry ink, and the tip itself is very scratchy. The metal cone at the tip unscrews to access the refill (held by another spring).

Overall, I like looking at this pen, and I like holding it. But writing with it is unpleasant. Both the construction and the refill work against it. So does the price tag. If it were a $3-5 pen, I'd say I got my money's worth of enjoyment out of it, but I think $11.25 is too much for this.

I haven't learned my lesson, of course. I'll buy the next cute pen, too, and find a use for it, even if it's not great. This pen lives by the kitchen calendar, where its fine tip can write in the small squares and its ballpoint ink suits the glossy paper. It's put to good use. But I don't think it suits the brand's motto of being an "everyday tool".

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Posted on November 30, 2017 by Sarah Read and filed under Mark's, Ballpoint, Pen Reviews.

Cross Click: Marvel Hulk Edition Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

Tapping into a well-known entertainment franchise and doing so in a tasteful way that appeals to fans is always a solid bet, and that's exactly what Cross have done with the Marvel editions of the Click ballpoint pen. The Hulk edition that I've had the pleasure of using over the past few weeks has led me into a slippery slope of branded writing instruments that may end up costing me more than I anticipated.

The Cross Click is a standard offering in their ballpoint lineup, and it's a great pen overall. Let's focus on the standard pen and how it performs.

The Click is a slim body pen with a click mechanism for retracting/extending the refill. The click is a bit noisy, but it feels solid and the noise plays into the namesake of the pen. It has a nice feel, and it adds to the "premium" experience. The clip is petite, but it's hella strong — it fits in nicely with the Hulk (and Marvel) background well.

As far as slim body pens go, the Click is still pretty comfortable to use. I've used this for long note-taking sessions and haven't had any issues with comfort. There's a texture on the body that adds a bit of grip as well.

One downside is that the refill rattles around inside the pen when it's in a retracted state. It takes a good bit of movement to make the rattle manifest, but it's noticeable and detracts from the overall premium feel of the pen.

The Marvel branding is subtle, which is exactly why I love it. There's some nice green graphics on the body, but my favorite part is the Hulk fist jewel on the top part of the clip.

The standard refill is black and performs well. I've used several Cross ballpoints in the past, and I've always enjoyed it. As far as ballpoints go, this is a great option. There are other color options, as well as some gel rollerball refills that look interesting. Like most Cross pens, these refills are proprietary, so good luck finding a suitable replacement outside of the Cross lineup.

The Cross Click Marvel edition pens are fun, nicely done, and affordable. It's a perfect combination of factors that make this pen a no-brainer for Marvel fans. They're currently on sale at Goldspot Pens, so don't miss out!

(Goldspot provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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