Review: Platinum Double 3 Action 2 Color Ballpoint Multi Pen + Pencil

I have had this review in the hopper for the longest time (uploaded the image to Flickr on 9/14/2010), but I am just now finally getting around to typing it up.  Why?  Who knows.  The Platinum Double 3 Action 2 Color Ballpoint Multi Pen + Pencil has a lot going for it - besides a long name - but I have found that it is not for me.

The thing that attracted me most to this pen was the fact that the Pilot Hi-Tec-C Slims refills fit perfectly into the Platinum body, making this one of the fancier Hi-Tec-C multi pens around.  The barrel is exceptionally well designed, with a sleek gunmetal body and sharp chrome accents.  The cartridge switching mechanism is interesting in the fact that a single button press exposes the cartridge you want.  All you have to do is face the text of the ink color you want towards you, press the button, and bingo!  Out pops your ink or lead.

I have never been able to get used to it though.  I felt the overall package was a little lighter feeling than I expected, plus the switching mechanism caused some rattling when writing.  Not terrible, but enough to notice.  In the end, I haven't gotten much use out of it.  Maybe it is time to take the Slims refills back out and use them for something else.

Click here for the XL review.

Review: Uni-Ball Jetstream 101

Two of my favorite fellow bloggers have covered the Uni-Ball Jetstream 101 already (Brian at Office Supply Geek and Chris from Pens'n'Paper as a guest post on this blog), so I figured it was about time to toss my hat into the ring and see what this latest entry into the Jetstream line has to offer. It is certainly as smooth as smooth can be, but where does it fit in the ever expanding Jetstream lineup?

Prior to starting this blog, I gave the original standard Jetstream - the one you can find in stores everywhere - a spin, and wasn't sure what all of the hype was about. The 1.0mm tip skipped too much, leaving a not so solid line on the page.  I swore them off for the longest time, but once I found that an 0.7mm version existed, and then subsequently the 0.5mm, I became hopelessly hooked for life. I still don't use the 1.0mm version very frequently (although it is Mrs. Pen Addict's current favorite pen), but from a writing perspective, the 101 does a superb job, and is much better than the original Jetstreams I tried way back in the day.

But why does this pen exist?  Aren't there enough types of Jetstreams already available? Well, new pens are always nice, but I think this one boils down to price. If you take a look at Staples.com, the 101's sell for $13.99 a dozen, while the standard capped go for $29.99, and the retractable for even more at $32.99. Which one do you think your office manager can justify more, and still get Bob and Jane their beloved Jetstreams?

Well played, Uni-Ball. Well played.

If you like the more generic barrel style (kind of a souped-up Bic Stic), this pen writes just as good as the rest. But since it only comes in the 1.0mm tip size right now, I think I'll stick with my favorite 0.5mm models.

Click here for the XL review.

Review: Uni-Ball Signo Scents Bubblegum Pink

I have had a very busy and stressful start to 2011 at work, so how about a scented pink pen to brighten things up?  The Uni-Ball Signo Scents Bubblegum Pink isn't a pen I even remotely thought I would like, much less use regularly, but this is a really good pen, and it smells great to boot!

So what would posses me to purchase such a pen?  Insanity?  That's a fair response, and one I have certainly considered.  Nostalgia?  That's more like it.  Who doesn't remember the scented markers from middle school?  Licorice?  Ewww!  Seeing these pens on JetPens made me think about those times, so I figured let's see if the Scents live up to their name.  Plus, who can pass up colors such as Cherryade Red, Coconut Brown, and Orangey Orange?

As we have all come to expect now from a pen labelled "Signo", it writes great.  The thing that surprises me the most about the Bubblegum Pink is how solid the line is.  A lot of the craft style pens I have used (like the white gel ink Signo) have a bit of streaking or white space in their line.  You almost expect it, but this line is as solid as can be.  And the scent?  It is very noticeable - even more than I imagined it would be.  The only real negative I can see is that the drying time for the ink on the page is extreme, so lefties beware.  As I noted in the written review, the dry time lagged nearly a line behind.

Is there any real practical use for this pen for me personally?  Not really, but it was a fun, scent-filled trip down memory lane.

Click here for the XL review.