Rotring Tikky Graphic Drawing Pen 0.4 mm Review

Rotring makes some of the best looking pens on the market. I am a big fan of the high quality construction and clean design. Yes, you do pay a premium for them compared to other similar pens on the market, but in most cases I think it is worth it.

The Rotring Tikky Graphic Drawing Pen is a relatively new item at JetPens. It had been requested a few times by artists and art students because of its durability. I certainly don’t put these pens through the rigors and stress that an artists does, so I take their word when they say how durable the tip of the pen is. Like your favorite coffee, they are good down to the last drop of ink.

I use this pen mostly for writing. My lettering looks amazing, but since the ink flows so fast and heavy it tends to bleed through regular weight paper like the Doane Writing Pad I use for reviews. Compared to the Sakura Pigma Micron, the Rotring Tikky is a true artists pen, made to be used on heavier weight sketch paper. I can get away with simple note taking with the Micron where I can’t with the Tikky.

There are always so many different things to consider when purchasing a pen. If you are a writer this pen might not be for you. But if you are an artist this might be your new favorite pen.

Uni-ball Roller Grip 0.5 mm Blue Review

One piece of information I wish were more readily available is the year a pen was introduced. Very few people care about this other than me, but I think it is useful. I’m guessing this Uni-ball Roller Grip has been around for at least a decade and I would love to say “Introduced in 1998,”.

Why do I care about this all of a sudden? Because this is a pretty darn good pen, and it seems to have been lost in the shuffle over the years. I have been asked to review it several times in the past but it wasn’t until Carmen grabbed me one in Spain that I had one available to review. How funny is that? A great American pen that had to travel across the Atlantic to get reviewed.

It’s not that it is impossible to find in the States, it’s that it is just a pen. From Uni-ball’s perspective, it’s not going to get the same marketing push as the Jetstream or the 207, and therefore isn’t going to be on retail shelves everywhere. It is more of a buy it by the dozen office supply cabinet workhorse.

What I like about the Roller Grip is the ink. It is a liquid ink, but it is not too wet. As long as you don’t hold the tip on the page excessively the bleed is minimal. Uni-ball seems to have improved the overall ink quality over the years as well. It is listed as a pigment based ink that is archival, acid-free, and water-resistant. I had no idea until I read the specs when typing up this post.

Has and old standby become a new favorite? Well, I had a little grin on my face when I was writing this review, sort of a “I can’t believe it is this good” smirk. I think a dozen black are in my future.

Tuff-Writer Frontline Series Tactical Pen Review

(Disclosure: I was provided this pen at no charge from Tuff-Writer.)

I love the idea of tactical pens. Their design is extremely appealing to my eye and the highly engineered pen bodies are a pleasure to use. When I was contacted by the PR team that handles the Tuff-Writer account about reviewing one of their pens how could I say no?

They shipped out the Frontline Series Stealth Black Tactical Pen to me a few weeks ago. Having only reviewed one legitimate tactical pen before in the County Comm Embassy Pen I was happy to have another to compare it to.

The first thing I noticed about the Frontline is how long the barrel is. The sharp end really stands out and at 6 1/2 inches it is all business. I couldn’t help but stare at it and wonder what uses it had outside of the desk jockey realm that I inhabit. Very impressive.

The barrel is made from 6061-T6 Aerospace Grade Aluminum. I don’t know what any of those numbers and words mean other than aluminum, but I do know the quality is top notch. There are two different depths of knurling on the barrel. The cut on the body is deeper to allow for better gripping, while on the grip area it is shallower for a more comfortable writing experience. The clip could be a weapon in its own right it is so tight and thick.

From a writing standpoint the stock refill is the Fisher Space Pen 1.0 mm black ballpoint, which is almost mandatory for tactical pens. The pressurized cartridge holds up well in the extreme conditions where this pen is often found.

I’m not taking my Tuff-Writer anywhere other than my desk, but I did show it to a couple of friends who would use it out in the real world and they were impressed by it. One even mentioned he liked it better than his titanium Embassy Pen, especially the sharp “business-end”.

Thanks to Tuff-Writer for sending me this pen for review. Be sure to check out the Frontline Series product page for more specs and details.