Review: Uni-Ball Signo 207 Micro Needle Tip

vaporware - Anything (usually software, but can be anything) that is promoted and marketed without ever actually being produced.  (via Urban Dictionary)

I had only heard of this pen once previously.  A Pen Addict reader mentioned some time after my Uni-Ball Signo 207 0.7mm Needle Tip review last year that they had a Micro Needle Tip, and thus my search began.  It wasn't listed on the Uni-Ball site, but the 0.7mm version which some stores carry wasn't either.  I got no response via Tweet to Uni-Ball, but I imagine that can get lost in the shuffle.  Every time I made it to an office supply store, I'd flip through all of the Signo 207 packages just to see if a Micro Needle snuck in there.

At least I can admit I have a problem.  That is the first step, right?

At this point, I'm thinking this pen is vaporware, but a couple of months back, a reader generously offered to send me some Muji Gel pen refills.  Included in the package - much to my surprise - were two of the Micro Needle Tip 207s, one in blue, one in black.  That was about as excited as I have been to get new pens in a long time.

I put them to good use right away, especially the black one.  The blue one, which is the one I chose to review above, isn't as great.  One issue I always had with the original, conical Micro tip 207 is the blue did not write as well as the black, and I am finding that is the case with the needle tip.  The blue ink writes drier and thinner, making it a little more scratchy as it moves across the page.  I am all in on the black ink model though - it is a great writing pen.

Has anyone else been able to find these exact pens on the store shelf?  They are available on Amazon.com (I found out that is where mine came from), but I have never seen or heard of them in a store.  I'd be interested to know.

Click here for the XL review.

(*NOTE: I have added an affiliate link to Amazon.  I have never really done that before, so 1. I wanted to make everyone aware, and 2. I want to know everyones opinions on affiliate links and if they are an issue for you.)

Review: Muji Aluminum Retractable Pen Case (with 0.38mm gel refill)

This review is done by Amy, a university student in Los Angeles, California.

Two Muji Aluminum Pen Cases with green-black and red refills.

Back in October, I went to New York City for a conference of an organization I am involved in. This meant a mandatory stop at Muji, a Japanese lifestyle brand, as they only have US stores in NYC. I really adore Muji because of their simple yet wonderful designs, in addition to the fact that they preach being a "no-brand" brand. While I stocked up on many of their stationery items at Muji SoHo, I was really there to buy the Aluminum pen case they have as a part of their "Make Your Own Pen" area of their store. One of my friends has this pen body and it just had a very solid feel and nice weight to it - I just wanted it. And then now I can submit to my wants.

The Muji Aluminum Pen Case with green-black refill dissected.

What is absolutely fantastic about any item that is a part of the "Make Your Own Pen" station in the store is that they really consider the fact that you're going to be removing and replacing pen refills every so often. This translates to the parts of the pen being very minimal and stable, and there are no unnecessary parts. For example, the pen refills for the gel pens all come with a cap at the end (which if you don't know, isn't normal for pen refills). However, as frivolous as it may initially seem to be, this cap has the purpose of securing the pen refill inside the pen case and is quite integral to the function of the pen.

The pen clip and the pen tip.

Back to the Aluminum pen case, the case really consists of three parts: the "cap," the body, and the tip area (with a spring). The spring frankly can't be removed, unless you want it to be removed, and is really stuck there. (I take a part retractable pens a lot when I'm bored, and subsequently have springs flying everywhere.) The pen case is solid and the clip that is a part of it is really stiff and can keep things clipped. The ONLY problem is the "cap". I didn't know this before, but the cap is not aluminum -- it's plastic. I found out about this after seeing a crack in it. I just hope it doesn't break on me and become useless. However, it figures that this cap actually doesn't contribute to the function of the pen, except for the aesthetic appeal to bring the metallic design of the pen to the tip. This "cap," as opposed to the cap of the pen refill, has no real function at all.

The cracked pen cap and the spring of the pen tip.

The writing experience of the pen is as wonderful as it is with any other Muji retractable gel pen (see writing sample on left). The aluminum pen case definitely adds a more substantial feel to the pen with it's smooth surface. The weight is light, but not as weightless as the plastic bodies. It's just quite different grabbing the pen that is cool to the touch. If you haven't tried a Muji retractable gel pen yet, you really have to get one - it writes quite smoothly and enough ink leaks out to make it quite satisfying. I think it really depends on the refill though -- some tend to be more inky than others. But really, you have to try it if you haven't. Whenever my friends look at my pens (or rather I force them to look at them), they always say that the Muji retractable gel pen is their most favorite out of all of them (and I have quite a variety). Of course, as with other gel pens, these pens do have the problem with the pin getting loose at the tip and ink going everywhere (or the pen becoming more inky) - I've had this problem with the black ink refill (on multiple occasions).

These Aluminum pen cases run for $5.75 and can be purchased from the US online Muji store here. The pen refills for the case are $0.99 each in a variety of colors, and can also be found at the online Muji store here. The regular Muji retractable gel pen with the plastic body is also available here for only $1.50! A great deal for a wonderful pen.

Review: Post-it flag pen

(Note: Please welcome aboard Dan, who joins Amy and Kalina as a regular contributor to The Pen Addict.)

It's easy to be suckered into a seemingly flashy pen near the register at big box stores. You can play with them. You've probably never had that pen before. They're cheap.

I fell for the trap, picking up the blue Post-it flag pen for $1.50.

Aesthetically, this shiny white pen is nice from a distance. It's thick near the plunger narrowing down toward the tip. There are 50 disposable blue flags at the top. Do I need the flags for anything? Maybe not. But do I have a pen that dispenses a tape and paper product? Nope.

So the non-functional components of this pen grabbed me.

The writing quality of this pen is about what you'd expect out of a standard ballpoint pen. The line it produces on the paper is like an old lumbering Cadillac – it's slow and thick but can be a workhorse. But be honest here, when is the last time you used a full cartridge on a ballpoint pen?

Handling the pen really isn't an enjoyable experience, and why I haven't gotten a lot of use out of it. It feels awkward with either the clip pushing into your hand or the flags flicking against your skin. The college-ruled flags are a unique touch, but as I'm not a student or someone flagging papers that need signed, they've gone unused.

If you can get past things strangely rubbing against you as you write, the grip is decent. It has little give, and but is still soft. It has seven ridges with the space between them widening as they go up the grip. Over the past week of use, the grip has developed a slight tackiness to it.

The other big negative about the Post-it flag pen is its weight. I prefer some heft in a pen and this one is pretty light. With the whole thing consisting of plastic (other than the tip), that's expected. Still, thicker plastic would have made for a better writing experience.

As I mentioned, this may not be a pen for me since I don't have a use for the flags. Speaking of me, and since this is my introductory post, here is a little bit about your's truly:

My main usage of pens comes at work. I'm a member of the mainstream media (boo, hiss!) and used to write in shorthand a lot. Because of that, I like a pen that writes quickly and doesn't require a lot of effort to hold.

I write a good bit of notes at work, but now my main area of pen use comes while watching college football. In my spare time, I run a website centered around the NFL Draft. It's an extremely nerdy venture that involves evaluating players and how they'll translate to the NFL. Because of that, I fill up notebook after notebook with notes on players. Weird, I know. I also journal some when time allows it. My current notebook is the Cambridge City business notebook.

The main pen I've been using lately is the Acroball 3 multi-pen. The pen I picked up the most in 2010 was probably the Sharbo X ST3. I used it a lot not just because it's a good pen, but I wanted to justify owning such an expensive writing utensil.

I'm always in search of the perfect spiral notebook. I've never really used fountain pens. My pens can typically be found in my desk, pants pocket or a bag I insist is a European handbag.

Everyone I know thinks my growing pen addiction is odd. But that's what attracted me to the Pen Addict. Every post here is a learning experience. I'm happy to be writing here, and hope you're happy to read it.

(Apologies for a lack of a writing example. Apparently my camera is not so hot on close-ups)