Review: Sailor Pica Kirei Anti-Bacterial Multi Pen

An anti-bacterial pen? Call me skeptical, but that is what the Sailor Pica Kirei Anti-Bacterial ballpoint multi pen presents itself as. How does it work? The product page at JetPens has all of the details:

This pen utilizes material developed by Tokyo Advanced Technology Research Center and Fujitsu Research Lab. The pen body material is a combination of photocatalyst titanium apatite and silver apatite, materials commonly used in advanced air purification systems. This composite can absorb and decompose microorganisms and various other substances such as bacteria, pollen, fungus, and more. The apatite adsorbs contaminants even without exposure to light. The material adsorbed by the apatite is decomposed by the photocatalyst titanium apatitet on exposure to sunlight (ultra violet). Silver apatite inhibits growth of the germs and keeps this anti-bacteria effect without sunlight.

Can I verify this with my own lab tests? Of course not, but it does sound like a really good idea for doctor offices, schools, restaurants, or any other place where the public is in repeated contact with the same pen.

From a writing perspective, I am generally a fan of all Sailor products, and this one is no different. The ballpoint ink cartridges are nice and clean, with little to no skipping.  I actually enjoyed writing with it, regardless of whether I was spreading cooties or not. Maybe its not a pen you want to use every single day, but it wouldn't hurt to leave one around the house or on your desk for when those germ laden hands come calling.

Click here for the XL review.

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.