Guest Review: Uni JetStream 101 Blue 1.0mm Ball/Gel/Roller

(This is a guest review from Chris, who can be found blogging regularly at Pens'n'Paper)

So, a new JetStream, huh? I must admit, I'm not a horribly huge fan of the JetStream line... I like the 0.5mm JetStream color that I purchased due to it's extremely fine line width, but the others don't really impress me. They seem to just be a glorified and over-advertised ballpoint. Sure, they do write a bit more smoothly than the ordinary ballpoint, but the quality of the writing is about the same. The same skipping is present. I think it's one of the same reasons I never fell in love with the Zebra Surari, because I just wasn't impressed. Maybe I'm just a gel pen fanatic who won't be swayed by the pen companies attempt to yank me back to the age of ballpoints, but, YMMV.

As for the left-handed/quick drying aspect, I can agree with that. Being left-handed, I have always dealt with the issue of smearing ink or graphite all over the page as I was writing. I've slowly adapted over the years (weird hand/paper positions, a cover sheet, different paper, different pens), but it's still an ever-present problem. I can almost even attribute my interest in pens and paper to the fact that I'm still searching for the perfect writing utensil, but I digress... The JetStream 101 dries quickly and is relatively smear-proof (although there was a bit of smearing present when I swiped my hand quickly over it, but I usually don't write that fast), making it an excellent choice for the left-handed writer.

The only other issue I have with this pen is the grip. I grip my pens relatively hard when I write, and this pen doesn't give an inch.  Sustained writing (even in just writing the short paper review) caused my hand to begin to cramp. I'm sure I could train my hand out of this habit (or slide on one of the pencil-grippy-things), but I like a pen I can grip firmly without any discomfort.

Other than these small problems, the JetStream 101 is still an excellent pen for those people who love 1.) a smooth ballpoint, 2.) a dark and vibrant ink, and 3.) a relatively (for most) comfortable writing experience.

==========

Thanks again to Chris for providing this excellent review.  Be sure to check out all of his work at Pens'n'Paper.com.  If you would like to write a guest review for The Pen Addict, click on the About button on the right sidebar and send me an email.

Review: Pentel EnerGel Euro Needle-Point Gel Ink Pen 0.35mm Blue

Well, wasn't this a great surprise in the latest JetPens new products upload!  Pentel is already in the sub-0.5mm market with the ever popular Slicci, and the not so popular Technica, but seeing a micro tip show up in the hugely popular EnerGel line is very cool.  After my railing on the industry just a week ago, is there hope for micro tipped pens in the marketplace after all?  Maybe, maybe not, but if this pen is successful, maybe that will lead Pentel and others to push the market a little more.

A little disconcerting is the fact that - like all of the good micro tipped pens - information on the EnerGel Euro is only found on the Pentel Japan site.  So will we see this pen on the shelves in the US?  All signs point towards no, but this is a very straightforward Energel build so I will keep my fingers crossed, because this is a very good pen, and I think it would do very well in the mainstream market.

On the performance front, the EnerGel Euro 0.35mm is top notch.  This pen reminds me a lot of the Uni-Ball Signo DX, even though it is a needle tip.  The barrel feels as sturdy, if not more so, and the writing quality is almost the same.  The 0.35mm tip writes more like an 0.4mm tip, but clearly finer than an 0.5mm.  The ink flow is flawless, the blue in ink a great shade, and it is impressively smooth.

I'll say it until the cows come home, and I'm going to say it again - thank goodness for JetPens.  These pens are available there, although the 0.35mm models are currently sold out.  Keep your eyes peeled though because I bet they will restock quickly for such a nice pen.

Click here for the XL review.

Products used:

Pentel EnerGel Euro Needle-Point Gel Ink Pen 0.35mm Blue from JetPens

Writing Pad from Doane Paper

Review: Sharpie Pen Medium

As the poet Tom Petty once said "Waiting is the hardest part", and it seems like I had to wait forever for the Sharpie Pen in medium to show up on my local store shelves.  I noticed them at Wal-Mart a month or so ago, and of course I couldn't help myself in picking up a few 2-packs.

After reviewing the original Sharpie Pen, the Sharpie Pen RT, and the Sharpie Pen Grip, I have come to a pretty clear pecking order in which one I prefer.  The original Sharpie pen is still my personal favorite.  I reach for the Grip on occasion, but I always find myself going back to the original.  I think it is the visual aspect of the long needle tip that I like so much.  The RT isn't in the conversation at all.  In fact, I think I have given most of them away.  I never could get past some of the funky barrel design aspects, but most importantly, the tips of the RT seem to dry out extremely fast.

The medium tip has been a real pleasure to write with so far.  While I prefer the finer line of the original, the medium lays down a beautiful dark line.  The tip is very firm also, which I like a lot.  It reminds me of some of the larger tipped Sakura Pigma Microns.

Have you had a chance to use all of the new Sharpie Pen products yet?  Which one do you prefer?

Click here for the XL review.