Platinum Double 3 Action Transparent Body Multi Pen + Pencil Review

I am a sucker for transparent barrels, and this Platinum Double 3 Action multi pen is just fantastic looking. The entire line is new at JetPens, and comes in Aqua, Crystal, Gloss Rouge, Lavender Purple, and the Fresh Leaf body that I picked up. Platinum does a very nice job with the look and feel of their pens, and this one is no different.

While looks are important, it is the writing performance that keeps you coming back to the pen on a daily basis. This model comes with both black and red 0.7mm ballpoint ink cartridges, and I have to say, these are the smoothest traditional ballpoint pens that I have used recently. It takes little to no effort to pull the pen across the page, leaving a nice, consistent line. Both ink colors are dark enough too, which is sometimes an issue with ballpoint pens.

The pencil is your average 0.7mm mechanical pencil, so it writes just fine. What I do like about the added pencil is that the eraser is under a screw cap and is decently wide - both things not always found on +1 multi pens. So its got that going for it, which is nice.

While I personally will still use my gel ink multi pens more than this one, the Platinum Double 3 Action does a lot of things well and will certainly find its way into many ballpoint multi pen fans hands.

Click here for the XL review.

Ohto Needle-Point Slim Line 0.3mm Ballpoint Review

I was really excited to give this new Ohto Needle-Point Slim Line 0.3mm ballpoint pen a twirl as soon as I saw it show up in JetPens new product feed (they have been on quite a roll lately fyi). First off, it is an Ohto, whose pen designs I really enjoy, and secondly, it is an 0.3mm ballpoint. Not 0.4mm like the Zebra Techno Line, and not 0.5mm like the Uni-Ball Jetstream, but 0.3mm. Easily the finest tipped ballpoint I have used.

My expectations of this pen were so high that I wanted it to be perfect, and like many of us find from time to time, things have a hard time living up to perfection. I'll say right offhand that this is a really cool pen and one I will keep using, but there are a few little things that get to me. The largest culprit is the ink line. What I found as I was writing was that if I kept a reasonably vertical pen barrel angle I wouldn't have many problems, but if I had a lower angle there would be a fair amount of skipping. I think that is a function of just how fine this pen is and that there isn't much room for error.

Additionaly, the pen barrel is to thin for any long term writing stints. Again, I think this is due to how fine the tip is. If you had a thin barrel and a wider tip, you could write in a more flowing style without as much stress. I felt like I was gripping pretty firmly to get the pen to do what I wanted it to do. The overall feel in the hand was fantastic though. The barrel is made completely out of metal, and I love how the knock is a conical shape as opposed to the more standard vertical walled design.

At $7.50, it isn't cheap to not completely love, but it has so many good things going for it I am going to keep it well within arms reach.

Click here for the XL review.

Sharpie Pen RT Purple - New Barrel Style Review

The original Sharpie Pen has always been one of my favorite pens, so when the first Sharpie Pen Retractable model came out I was very anxious try try it. That anxiousness turned into disappointment very quickly with the various issues that the original RT had, such as the tip drying out (or running out of ink) at a very fast rate. So has the new version of the RT corrected all of the originals flaws? Not quite, but it is an improvement.

The visual differences between the original and new RT are obvious and a nice change on the new model. The plunger has changed from chrome to black, the grip has been streamlined, and Sharpie has added a color ring around the middle of the pen to match the ink color. Every one of those things is an improvement over the original, especially the grip. It is slightly thinner and more comfortable to write with.

From an ink perspective, the jury is still out. I jumped to conclusions with the original RT before they started bricking out on me at an alarming rate. I haven't seen the same issue with the new RT yet, but I haven't been using them as frequently either. One thing I have noticed with the purple ink in the review is that the RT is a shade or two darker than the regular Sharpie Pen purple ink. Of course I couldn't find my original Sharpie Pen to compare it to directly, but it just seems that way.

Overall, the new Sharpie RT is a noticeable improvement over the original. Some of the rattling issues are still present, but the total package is better and if the ink holds up it is a clear winner.

If you want even more details on the Sharpie Pen RT, including a dissection of the barrel, check out Office Supply Geeks great posts on the subject.

Click here for the XL review.