Posts filed under Multi Pen

Writech Dual Color Multi Pens 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 Bluesky. And her latest book, The Atropine Tree, is now available!)

I believe I'm on the record somewhere as saying I don't care for multi pens. I've had to eat those words a few times, and here I am snacking on them again. Of course, it's not as bad as when Brad used to say he didn't care for fountain pens. But still--it's just not true anymore. Really, as with all things, it was just a matter of finding the ones that work for me. We can put these ones on that list.

The Writech Dual Color Multi Pens have been a staple for me since they arrived. As the name implies, they have two colors in each pen: Black, and a colorful color. In this set, the Vintage colors, I have Burgundy, Dark Blue, Lilac and Milk Tea. The colors are lovely and subtle, and it's fantastic having two in each pen. Having the two colors is enough to allow for some useful color coding in notes or in my planner. And by limiting the colors to two, you get full-sized cartridges of each, so you don't run out too quickly and the pen doesn't become oversized. As much as I love having a ton of colors on hand, having a pen that is as thick as a broom handle, stuffed with tiny cartridges that run out in a week, is one of the things that turned me off of multi pens. Another multi pen pet peeve of mine is the way the cartridges sometimes rattle around inside when you're writing--and these don't do that, either. Basically, these pens do all the great things that multi pens are useful for, and none for the things that can be annoying.

The ink in these pens is very smooth and well saturated. I've had no issues with skipping or blobing. The 0.5 mm tip lays down a good line, and it's visible even in the fainter colors. The ink doesn't bleed or feather. It's a water-based gel ink that dries quickly and is water-resistant, though there is no indication as to whether or not it is archival.

The pen build is a standard side-click pen, but with a clicky slider on each side. The plastic nub of the clicky slider is the color of the ink that it activates--black plastic for the black ink, and colorful plastic for the colorful ink. The plastic of the pen body is also the color of the colorful ink that it has, so it's easy to see what pen you're reaching for. The pen also has a plastic clip. The clip is a little bulky, but it's functional.

There is really only one glaring disadvantage to these pens, and that is that they are not refillable. In theory, one could put new cartridges in the pens, but refills of the fun colors are not currently available. I hope that changes eventually.

This set of four double-pens costs $8.25 at JetPens and individual pens are available for $2.20. That's a pack of four pens for less than a single multi pen of most brands. I believe that's about the best price one can get for a good quality multi pen. Or even a bad quality one, for that matter. Happily, this one is a good one. I've used enough good ones now that I'm going to have to stop saying I dislike multi pens. Turns out I love them.

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

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Posted on May 15, 2025 by Sarah Read and filed under Writech, Multi Pen, Pen Reviews.

Zebra bLen 3C 3 Color Ballpoint Multi Pen Review

The Zebra bLen has been a great addition to the stationery aisle over the last couple of years, and for good reason. The original ballpoint pen is a smooth writer, and the follow-up gel pen is an excellent competitor to the Pilot G2, Pentel EnerGel, and Sharpie S-Gel. On top of that, it brought updated barrel technology to the shelf with the introduction of a “vibration-free” writing experience.

As the product roadmap dictates, the next pen Zebra released as part of the bLen lineup should be a multi pen, and they did exactly that with the bLen 3C 3 Color Ballpoint Multi Pen.

I consider myself a big multi pen fan, and have used and reviewed dozens over the years. I’ll say right up front with the bLen 3C that I don’t like this pen.

Notice I didn’t say that this is a bad pen. I think it is good, not great, and maybe it will be a fit for your writing arsenal. But there are too many small things that add up in the cons column for me, and when you are going up against stiff competition in this category, that’s not going to be good enough.

Let’s look at some of the pros before I get into what makes the bLen 3C not for me.

For starters, the blue ink refill is excellent. I chose the 0.5 mm Grey barrel model, and while I do think that Uni-ball Jetstream ink is superior in every way, I like Zebra’s emulsion ink. In comparing those two inks directly, the bLen ink is a less clean writer, and has a bit of spidering between characters on occasion. Both of these things can be expected with fine ballpoint tips like this, but when you experience the clean lines of the Jetstream, even a little oddness is noticeable.

Secondly, I like the look of the pen. I mean, any pen that is inspired by the B1-series battle droid is a winner in my book. I could do without the plastic tip extension in front of the nose cone that gives it a sucker fish look (I’ll let you look that one up,) but overall its a good barrel, and has a great grip.

Thirdly, the price is fantastic. At $6 a pen, with 4 barrel color choices and two tip sizes (0.5 mm and 0.7 mm,) it is priced as good - or better - than any brand name entry level multi pen.

This sounds like a rave review - so what gives? The knock layout is a non-starter for me.

I didn’t notice the layout when I ordered the pen, but it was instantly noticeable when I began using it. Most 3 cartridge multi pens are designed with one of two layouts: The front click (often the using the clip itself,) is usually the Black ink cartridge in a 3 ink pen (or the pencil component in a 2+1,) or the clip is fixed and the Black cartridge is the first to the right of the clip when looking from the front of the pen.

In the case of the bLen 3C, not only is the Black refill in the center-back of the barrel, but its knock is a big, clunky, “what is this thing,” knock. Yes, they are attempting to visually match the bLen single cartridge design, but in doing so, made something odd and confusing looking. In addition to that, the Red ink is in what should be the primary slot for the pen (right-handed bias,) with the Blue ink around the other side. Could I swap the Red and Blue positions if so desired? On the inside, sure. The plungers? I’m not so sure without some surgery, which is not warranted even on a $6 pen I don’t believe. And none of that changes the weird knock in the back.

Why am I the way that I am, dear readers?

If the refills were brilliant (notice the Black and Red refills didn’t make the pros list above - they are much drier than the Blue,) I would get used to the weird knock style and layout. And the barrel is nice to hold and use. But I can’t get there when I have other great options available to me an arms reach away.

I love what Zebra has done with the bLen lineup since launch, and if you are a fan, and not as stuck as me on the knock design, I think you will like this pen. And again, for $6, it is a great deal. I’m going to stick with my single cartridge bLens for now, and see if they come up with something new to tempt me in the multi pen lineup in the near future.

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

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Posted on April 29, 2024 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Zebra, bLen, Multi Pen, Pen Reviews.

Pentel Calme 2 Color 0.5 mm Multi Pen and Pencil Review

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

If the eight-year-old version of me knew how many different types of great multi-pens would exist in the near future, I'm not sure I would have believed you. At the time, the only multi-pen I was aware of was the standard Bic 4-Color. It was great when it was the only one in my realm of awareness, but today is a totally different story. There are almost too many multi-pens to choose from, and so many of them are really good. The latest multi-pen to find its way to my desk is the Pentel Calme.

The Calme comes in a few different versions and colors, but this one is a black body that includes a black and red 0.5mm ballpoint cartridge, as well as a 0.5mm mechanical pencil component. Until using this pen, I hadn't tried Pentel's hybrid ballpoint ink formula, which they call Vicuña. Similar to Jetstreams and Acroballs, the ink is smooth, consistent, and creates sharp lines when writing.

When it comes to multi-pens on the cheaper end of the spectrum, it's been my experience that they are typically a bit chunky and have a larger diameter barrel. With the Calme, it's actually a good deal smaller in diameter than its direct competitors, like the Jetstream or Acroball 3-component options in the same price range. I don't mind the larger diameter, but I'm sure this can be a downside for some people. The Calme's diameter is closer to a normal pen that you'll find on the office supply shelf. This smaller diameter gives the pen a familiar feel in the hand and makes it easier to handle.

Along with the smaller diameter, the long grip section is made of a soft, textured material that feels great. The texture is easy to feel and provides loads of grip, and the slightly cushioned feel is really comfortable. I doubt this material will stand up to a lot of abuse, but it should do fine for normal use and conditions.

Extending and retracting the refills uses the same mechanism as other multi-pens in this price range. There are a couple of color-coded tabs at the top of the barrel for extending the ballpoint refills, and the clip doubles as the mechanical pencil control. Simply depress one of the inactive tabs to retract the current refill into the pen. The extending/retracting feel on this pen is solid, and I haven't had any issues using it.

As an added bonus (or detriment), this pen does not include a tiny eraser, so you'll need to remember to pack a real eraser if that's something you might need. In my experience, the tiny erasers are pretty useless and only serve to frustrate me, so I won't miss it on this pen!

At $6.75, the Pentel Calme is a great deal and a worthy competitor to the Uni Jetstream, Pilot Acroball, and the like. You can get a 3-color ballpoint version for a little cheaper if you don't want or need the mechanical pencil component. Depending on the barrel color and component options, you can choose from 0.5mm or 0.7mm refills that are included with the pen. And of course, there are gobs of replacement refills that will fit this pen, so your choices are vast in terms of outfitting this pen with the perfect combo of inks.

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

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