The Pilot Better Retractable Pen Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

Everyone has a pen or two that they feel nostalgic about, right? Something that you used in earlier days before you knew 1) that there is such a thing as "pen addicts" and 2) you are one? Yep. For me, that's The Better Retractable by Pilot with a fine point.

Way before I discovered the Pilot V5 Precise, I had easy access to this sleek 80s looking retractable pen. I'm not really sure when these pens started disappearing off shelves. I don't think I even bought any of these pens. They were always laying around, kind of like the Pilot G2 of today. I'm not sure if I'm correct, but something tells me this was a very popular bulk order item for large offices. And, like the G2, it's above the average in the category.

At the end of the day, this is still a ballpoint pen, so it's not displacing any of my favorite gel ink or hybrid ink pens, and certainly not any fountain pens. I definitely prefer this pen to something like a standard Bic ballpoint. And, depending on how you feel about Bic ballpoints, that's saying a lot.

The line from this ballpoint is really crisp. The ink can sometimes make a skippy line, but the feel is always smooth. In fact, it's so smooth that I don't enjoy writing with it. Strange, right? After using the pen for several writing sessions, I think I've narrowed down the reason that I don't like using the pen. It's a combination of a slim barrel/grip with a super slick writing experience that makes it difficult for me to use. I have a hard time controlling the pen and keeping my grip loose enough to not cause cramps.

But, that's not an entirely fair assessment. I'm using premium, glossy papers. This pen probably wasn't designed for that type of medium. This pen is probably intended on writing on the type of paper that a large office keeps on stock: cheap and crappy.

So, to sum it up, the refill in this pen falls somewhere between a standard Bic and a new Jetstream refill. It's smooth like a Jetstream, but skippy like a Bic.

Now, the design and look of the pen is what has always drawn me in. I love the way this pen looks. There are no unnecessary curves or bumps to make it look stylish or sexy–it's just a straight body with a tapered end to hold the refill. It has a grooved grip section and a nice click mechanism. The clip is really strong, and the clear body makes it easy to see what color you have (that and the colored barrel section that holds the click mechanism).

It looked different than any other pen I saw on a regular basis, and that made it attractive to me. After I discovered much better pens (first it was the Precise V5, and then the almost perfect Signo 207), I forgot all about the Pilot Better Retractable. At some point, I saw some pictures online that had the Better Retractable in it and I had to hunt some down so I could try them out again with a fresh perspective. Luckily, Amazon still carries them.

I'm glad I was able to track down and find a pen that I've always liked, but it's also funny to try something after your interests and knowledge have grown only to find that you no longer like the old thing. It's a great ballpoint pen, but there are just so many better performing options out there now.

Now, to find a great refill that fits in this plain but attractive body...

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Yoropen Z3 Review

The Yoropen is one of the most interesting pens I have ever had the chance to review. I’ve been aware of it for years, and it has been around much longer that that, but it’s only now that the Yoropen Z3 has hit the market that one has landed on my desk. My thanks to the Yoropen team for loaning me this pen to review.

The ergonomic design of the Z3 is obviously the selling point of this pen. It might look crazy, but in use it lowers the stress on your fingers, wrist, and hands. It also allows better visibility to the page so you can see what you are writing, as well as a smudge-free writing experience since the tip of the pen is further away from your hand.

So, does it work? In my limited testing I would have to say yes. I didn’t spend weeks and weeks with it as my lone writer, but when I did sit down and dedicate the time to use it I thought it was great. I was worried that despite the ergonomic benefits that my handwriting would suffer, but the opposite happened. I think the Yoropen actually improved my handwriting.

The key to gripping the pen is a straight index finger down the top of the pen, pointing straight down towards the tip. I have a traditional pen grip so this was easy for me to lock in to. Those with a non-traditional grip will have a bigger adjustment to make.

When writing, it feels like more of brush pen stroke than a traditional writing pen movement. It is freeing and flowing and yes, it does relieve some of the stress inherent with normal pens. It feels good, and as I mentioned earlier, I really liked how my lettering turned out on the page. Those who write in cursive may even find it better as they can keep their flow going.

Are there any downsides? Nothing major I can think of but there are things to consider. Primarily, the refills. They are proprietary, but that is a good thing in this case as they are made to fit the Yoropen perfectly. There are ways to use other refills with the pen but I would be most comfortable using the ones made specifically for it. At $50 it isn't cheap, but it is very fair considering the material, engineering, and quality of the pen.

Yoropen put together a successful Kickstarter project earlier this year to bring the Z3 to the North American market. The ballpoint pen is available for pre-order now with an estimated shipping date of December. Be sure to check out Yoropen.us to read more on the design, specs, and see videos of the pen in action. My thanks again to Yoropen for letting me borrow this pen for review.

Staedtler Pigment Liner 0.1 mm Review

I mentioned in my recent Top 5 pens update that I am going through of a bit of standard pen renaissance. Gel ink pens are in heavy use, and drawing pens, lead by the Staedtler Pigment Liner 0.1 mm, are seeing a ton of action as well.

Over two years ago I reviewed the 0.3 mm Staedtler Pigment Liner and for some reason it didn't stick with me. I think I was in a "Sakura or bust!" phase for quite some time, and that led to me dismissing other pens without a second look. I kept seeing the Staedtler pop up in other places though (Matt Gemmell's review for one) and felt like I needed to give it another look.

I went with the 0.1 mm tip size this time around and it feels right. More right than before. Why that is is hard to answer. For one, it is nice to hold. Drawing pens aren't necessarily known for having great barrels, but the Staedtler improves one area where the Sakura Pigma Micron gets points taken away: The grip section on the Pigment Liner has a much less severe drop off than the Micron. I dealt with it in the Micron because I liked the performance of the pen, but once I got the Staedtler back in my hand I realized how much better it felt to write with.

When the .01 mm tip hits the page it feels sturdy and sharp, which is key for this type of pen. The edge of the lines on drawing pens have to be clean for me, and the Pigment Liner delivers in that area. The ink is archival, and Staedtler also claims the cap can be left off the pen for 18 hours without drying out the tip. I will not be testing that claim out.

So how do you differentiate between two pens like the Staedtler Pigment Liner and Sakura Pigma Micron that are so similar across the board? I don't think you need to. They are both excellent pens that fill many needs for many people. Sure, there are tiny nits to pick between the two - like the grip section - but they are so similar just grab one and go. Right now, I am grabbing the Staedtler more often.

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