Ohto Capstick Cap-Knock Needle Point Ballpoint Pen Review

The new Ohto product has been rolling in hot and heavy at JetPens, and apprently I am on a quest to try them all. Two weeks ago, it was the Ohto Needle-Point Slim Line 0.3mm Ballpoint, and this time around, it is the Ohto Capstick Cap-Knock Needle Point 0.5 Ballpoint. Both of the are unique in their own ways, with the Needle-Point being an 0.3mm ballpoint - which I had never tried before - and the Capstick having a very unique knock feature.

The special knock feature is the main selling point of this pen, along with its compact size. The way the knock works is you remove the cap from the pen and then just post it. There is a small flange within the cap that pushes the tip of the pen out so you can write, and when you are done, you just pull the cap off and the tip retracts back into the barrel. I was a little unsure at first, but it is a very simple operation that works flawlessly.

From a writing perspective, I see a little line width variation on the page, almost like there is some extra ink flow from time to time, but overall it isn't bad. For an 0.5mm width, the black ink is pretty dark, which is something I like. Overall, I will say it writes cleanly.

If I were to carry this pen around and show it to friends in the non-pen circles I travel in, they would certainly wonder why I am carrying lipstick or mascara around. I admit, this pen is more of a feminine design, but at least I can say I am just holding it for my wife. Right?

Click here for the XL review.

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.