Posts filed under Pen Reviews

Pilot FriXion Ball Slim Biz Gel Pen Review

The FriXion is Pilot’s playground. I think that is why I like this pen so much. They nailed erasable ink technology - which no one has been able to duplicate - and they keep playing around with all kinds of barrels and colors to use it in.

The FriXion Slim Biz is the latest addition to an ever expanding lineup, and is is a nice as all who came before. The barrel is skinny, as the Slim name dictates, but has a nice feel to it due to the stainless steel material used. It is retractable as well, with a blue plastic accent between the clip and the eraser.

Erasable gel ink is the biggest feature of the FriXion of course, and you can tell that Pilot has been tweaking the formula since the pen first launched. It has never worked better in my opinion, with less pressure needed and cleaner results. The ink vanishes easily and completely, at least until you pop it in the freezer.

What impresses me most about the Slim Biz is how well the 0.38 mm refill writes. It reminds me of the Uni-ball Signo DX in fact, which is about the highest praise I can offer. The lines are sharp, clean, and mess-free. And the black ink is black. There was a time in the early days of the FriXion where the black was light in color, and even leaned a little brown. That time is gone, and this ink is great.

And you can erase it!

I like this pen a lot. At $18 it is by no means cheap, but the pen is nice and fun to use. If you have never tried a FriXion pen before, the FriXion Ball Knock is the best place to start, and you can branch out from there with different tip sizes, colors, and barrels. If you are a FriXion pro then I think you will like the Slim Biz as well.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on September 5, 2016 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Pilot, FriXion, Pen Reviews.

The Retro 1951 Tornado Prism EXT Fountain Pen: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

When I saw the Retro 1951 Tornado Prism fountain pen on Jet Pens, I was immediately taken by its colorful patterns. It reminded me of a patchwork quilt. Although I had a few qualms about ordering a Retro Tornado fountain pen (I read some negative reviews a while back), I decided to give this one a try.

Packaged in a cylindrical cardboard box, the pen is nestled in the center like a spaceship ready for launch. It comes with a couple of cartridges and a converter.

The exterior of this pen is really nice. The colors and design set it apart from other fountain pens. The barrel and cap both have a light texture to them.

The barrel is made of metal as is the cap, the trims are chrome plated, but the grip is plastic. The reason the pen has the "EXT" in its name is the barrel is extended "to hold a converter, one standard international long ink cartridge, or two standard international short ink cartridges" (Jet Pens description).

The cap has the signature Retro 1951 finial with "Tornado by Retro 51" inscribed in the metal. The upper portion of the finial sports an engraved diamond pattern.

In my opinion, the top looks like it's missing something. Couldn't they have put a stylized "51" there or maybe a shiny, prism-like color of some sort?

In the usual Retro 51 style, the clip is metal and quite rigid. I suppose with some use it might loosen up, but you would need to work to get it onto a thick shirt pocket or a sheaf of papers.

Although the cap screws on to the barrel, it doesn't post well. You can jam it on the back of the pen, but it pops off pretty easily and throws off the balance of the pen anyway.

The nib is a Schmidt steel with an iridium tip. It has a basic scroll work design, along with a stylized "F" for the nib size and the Schmidt branding.

I honestly did not expect much from this nib, but it is fairly smooth with just a little feedback, depending on the paper. It seems to be a true western fine.

The converter is all plastic but works smoothly and holds a decent amount of ink.

Although the pen is light, the metal gives it just enough heft to feel substantial in the hand. I find it comfortable to write with for short periods, but after grading several papers with the pen, I experienced some hand cramping and fatigue. The grip is fairly narrow (10.1mm), and I suspect that's why my hand got tired.

The Retro 1951 Tornado Prism is a decent fountain pen for $44.50. My main concern is that the ink doesn't always flow perfectly, and you have to push it down into the feed with the converter. This intermittent ink flow causes some skipping, especially if your writing surface isn't perfectly flat.

The other concern is the cap. It screws on, but the threads aren't machined very well, so if you don't get the cap positioned just right, it gets stuck on the threads and you have to start over. I usually have to try two or three times to get the cap on correctly, and that's frustrating.

Overall, I like this pen and it will join my grading pen rotation. But, to be honest, my $12 Pilot Metropolitans are much more comfortable, better writers, and a lot cheaper than the Tornado. They remain my top-choice grading pens.

Pros

The unusual design and subtle texture make the Retro Tornado Prism a unique-looking fountain pen. It is a colorful and fun pen to use.
The pen is light, but not overly so, the metal body giving it some heft.
The Schmidt nib is reasonably smooth and writes a solid western fine line.
The plastic converter does its job fairly well. An agitator ball would help keep the ink flowing.
The Tornado makes a good EDC pen because it is metal and should hold up well to abuse.

Cons

Although the nib writes smoothly, the converter doesn't always supply enough ink to the feed and you have to push the ink down manually. I'm having this trouble with several of my converters. The only ones that don't seem to suffer from ink flow problems are those with agitator balls in them.
The cap does not screw onto the barrel smoothly most of the time. I think this is an issue of bad threading.
You cannot post this pen.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on September 2, 2016 by Susan Pigott and filed under Retro 51, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Diplomat Aero Fountain Pen Review

As a manufacturer, Diplomat has been making pens since 1922. As a brand on my radar, Diplomat arrived about a year ago. How did a brand that has been in existence for over 90 years just now make it into the pen communities conscious? Marketing for one, but when you have a pen as beautiful and as well made as the Diplomat Aero you don’t have to sell it too hard.

The Aero engages you immediately with its good looks. The black matte aluminum barrel features rounded grooves that taper from the middle of the pen towards the gunmetal caps on each end. The satin gunmetal look continues in the grip section as well as the long, flat clip. The design is so tight I think it is right up there with the matte black Pilot Vanishing Point as an attention getter.

It looks good from far, and even better up close and in your hand.

Performance can sometime be an afterthought, especially when a pen looks this good, but that is not the case with the Aero. The Fine steel nib is as smooth as any I have used, and the ink flow is medium to wet. This is exactly what I would expect from a German nib. The Diplomat logo is stamped on to the nib for a nice visual touch.

It feels good, it looks great, and it writes wonderfully. The last element in creating the perfect pen is price, and that is where the Diplomat Aero falls short. It’s not bad, mind you: The Aero runs around $150 street price (Appelboom has it for $132). The issue is that puts it in direct competition with gold nib offerings like the Lamy 2000, Pilot Custom 74 and Vanishing Point, Platinum 3776, Sailor Pro Gear Slims, and more.

This is a tough spot to be in for a pen that deserves more. I wholeheartedly recommend it on its design and performance merits, but if you ask me to pick the Aero or the Lamy 2000 I will choose the 2000 every single time.

If the style of the Aero piques your interest you should go for it and not let the steel nib hold you back. I’ve paid more than twice as much for steel nib acrylic barrel pens (granted most were custom), and was happy to do so. What matters most is if the design aesthetic fits you and your style, and if you will get good use out of the pen and enjoy it. There is a reason that all of the Diplomat Aero reviews online are glowing.

(Points Of Distinction provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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