Stabilo Sensor Fineliner Review

Not all drawing pens are created the same. In fact, there are more differences in these types of pens than you can imagine. Archival, water-proof, fade-proof, lightfast, pigmented, cushioned, metal encased, light, heavy, refillable - I think you get the picture. No one pen can cover all of those bases, but most of them can handle a few very well.

From a feature standpoint, the Stabilo Sensor Fineliner brings cushioned writing and a metal encased tip to the table. The latter is a very import thing for those that use drawing pens alongside rulers or stencils. It gives the tip added durability that other similar pens can't handle. The cushioning works in conjunction to make this a very comfortable pen to write with.

I noticed when using it that this is a very inky pen, something it shares with another metal encased tip pen in the Rotring Tikky Graphic Drawing Pen. I didn't care for it in the Tikky but now I am wondering - is this a feature? Does it need to be this wet to keep up with the speed the pen travels while using it against a ruler? I'm not sure, but it's a thought.

Outside of the writing aspects, the barrel is very comfortable and lightweight. It is also priced right at $1.60. If you don't require archival ink properties in your drawing pens this is one to check out.

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)

Platinum Balance Fountain Pen Review

I was a little concerned after opening my package from JetPens and taking my first glance at the Platinum Balance Fountain Pen. Do I like the design? How durable is it? And most of all, is it worth the price?

At $50, this is not a toss in the cart add-on. Some thought is required to commit to a pen like this. Like I mentioned in the podcast this week, I don't want another "one and done". Fortunately, once I inked this pen up and started using it, all of my concerns flew out of the window.

The nib on the Platinum Balance is the primary selling point. For a Japanese steel F nib it is nothing short of fantastic. I inked this pen up with a Platinum Blue Black ink cartridge and was amazed at how fine, clean, and consistent the lines were. From a writing standpoint alone, it ranks as good as or better than any other pen in its price range.

Since the nib is so great, the real decision is whether you like the design or not. I am a fan of demonstrator pens and branched out with the Crystal Blue instead of the Shine Crystal (I didn't consider Crystal Rose). It is a good weight - not too light - and comfortable while writing. The only visual issue I have is that I don't care for the white insert inside the cap. I assume it is there to hide any stray ink that may fly off the nib when jostling around.

Color me surprised with this one. I thought it was just going to be another average fountain pen but as well as it writes I think I will be getting regular use out of it.

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)

Uni-ball Signo RT1 0.38 mm Blue Black Gel Review

(This is a guest review by Brian Draghi. Find Brian on Twitter @Sketchscape)

I have enjoyed the retractable Signo RT series of pens for while now and they have been working well as-is, or at least so I thought. Uni-ball recently released an updated version of the Signo RT called the Signo RT1 with a sleek new body and a tip design that provides a smoother writing performance that the original.

The new body style of the RT1 really caught my eye the first time I saw it. It has a unibody design that looks like it’s made from one continuous piece. The bottom part of the pen near the tip is made from smooth rubber that is comfortable to hold for longer periods of time. Unlike the grip of the RT that stops near where the pen tapers towards the tip, the RT1 grip continues on to the very end of the pen. If you like to hold the pen near the tip, you still have a nice grip for your fingers to hold on to.

The main body of the RT1 is made of a translucent color that reflects the color of the refill you prefer and is see-through enough to allow you to see how much ink you have left. It’s an excellent feature and makes the RT1 feel like a streamlined, stylized pen. The RT1 also has a clip that is integrated with the click mechanism. This causes the clip to move when you extend and retract the pen instead of being stationary on the regular RT.

Comparing the line quality of the original RT to the RT1, the RT1 has the smoother writing experience. The RT1 just glides across the page without any effort required. It creates a smooth, dark, fine line that does not skip across the page.

The RT, in comparison, almost needs a bit more pressure to use since it tends to drag across the page slightly. This causes the RT to have a scratchy quality when writing. Maybe it’s this particular RT refill I currently have or I just never noticed the scratchy quality until now.

Despite the many positive elements, the clip is one of the worst things about the RT1. It is too flexible and doesn’t feel as secure as I would like. This is something that could break off after frequent use, especially if you are one that likes to fiddle with their pen clips. Another problem with the RT1 is the retracting mechanism. When you press down on the click mechanism to extend the refill, the clip and mechanism tend to rattle back and forth when you lightly shake it. This would be a huge issue if this occurred while you were writing but thankfully that does not happen. The rattling isn’t too distracting unless you are waving your pen around like a crazy person with a purpose.

Besides the minor issues with the clip and click mechanism, this is a great pen to carry away from home. The updated barrel design is nice, and the line is smooth and dark.

The RT1 is $2.50 at JetPens which is slightly more expensive than the RT but it is well worth paying an extra dollar for. It’s hard to complain about a pen that works consistently every time you put it in use.