Review: Uni-Ball Jetstream Color Series Light Blue

If you want to try out a Uni-Ball Jetstream in a non-traditional color (not black, blue, or red), then the Jetstream Color Series is your only choice.  I own each of the new colors, and I'll have to troll through the archives to see if I have reviewed them all, but I think the Light Blue is the last one to take a look at (it's not - I still need to do blue black, which is the best of the bunch).

Many of you are not fans of the 0.5mm Jetstream, but they are some of my favorite pens in any category.  I covered this in the original Color Series review, but really the only thing holding this pen back is a weak barrel design.  I assume Uni-Ball was trying to make a fun barrel to go along with the fun new colors, but in the end it just feels cheap, especially when compared to the sturdy standard Jetstream barrels.  I have gotten used to these barrels though, mainly because I love how these pens write.  Crisp, clean, and skip free lines, and in this particular case, a light blue that really pops.  Between blue black, orange, pink, and this one, I think the only additional color I would like to see is purple.

If you have followed this blog for a while, or follow me on Twitter, you know I am a huge fan of The New Pornographers.  Their latest album "Together", which was released earlier this year, is still in heavy rotation at the Pen Addict household.  "Crash Years" is my favorite song, and while there is an official video of this song, nothing beats a really strong live performance.  Enjoy!

Click here for the XL review.

Review: Lamy AL-Star Aluminum Rollerball

As I mentioned right out of the gate in my written review, the Lamy AL-Star Aluminum Rollerball pen has been at or near the top of my shopping list for years.  My hesitancy all this time has been nothing more than how much I thought I would use this pen in relation to the price.  I don't mind spending money for a pen as long as I use it, and I think I will be using this Lamy AL-Star quite a bit.

If you are familiar with the Lamy Safari fountain pen then you will have a pretty good idea of how the AL-Star will feel in your hands.  The only real obvious difference in the two is in the barrel construction - the Safari is a molded plastic while the AL-Star is aluminum.  As with any Lamy pen, the build quality is phenomenal.  Considering the styling and construction I would think this pen would cost at least twice as much as it does, which is a credit to Lamy.

From a writing perspective, the 0.7mm black rollerball refill is as good as any I have used in this category.  The line is exceptionally smooth and doesn't feather, but since the ink is so bold there is a bit of show through on the back side of this Doane Paper.  For my personal every day use I would like to try out an 0.5mm cartridge to see how the line compares.

I picked up this model on ebay for around $15 which is a complete steal.  You can find them all over the internet in the $25-$30 range, and in a wide variety of great looking barrel colors.  This pen is an excellent everyday writer and would make a great impression as a gift as well.

Click here for the XL review.

Review: Uni-Ball Signo MF2

Have I reviewed the Uni-Ball Signo MF2 before?  You would think I might have already, but you would be wrong.  I reviewed the Uni-Ball MF3 - the three cartridge version available in Japan via JetPens - well over a year ago, but it wasn't until a recent Target run that I grabbed the MF2 model - 0.5mm black gel ink and an 0.5mm pencil - despite the fact that the MF2 had been out for nearly as long.

You would think Uni-Ball would market a pen as cool as this a little better, but Target is the only store in my town that carries it.  Not Staples, not Office Depot, and not Wal-Mart.  Maybe it doesn't hit that core office products user in the sweet spot, but it sure is a nice pen, and especially great for students during this back to school time of year.  My favorite thing about this pen is its simplicity.  The barrel is no frills - it is a nice translucent smokey black plastic with a smooth rubber grip.  To eject either the pen or the pencil, you just flip the pen clip into the proper position, and that is really it.  Just a quick back and forth to change it up.

The gel ink Signo writes great.  The black gel ink is solid, and lays down a clean line.  It is comparable to the Signo 207 Micro in performance, which is a good thing.  The pencil does a great job as well, and the eraser is quick and easy to get to on the end of the barrel.

So why aren't these types of multi pen setups more prevalent in the States?  It is really hard to find a non-ballpoint multi pen on store shelves, and I for one would love it if they became more of an everyday option.

Click here for the XL review.