Posts filed under Pen Reviews

Uni Boxy 100 Ballpoint Pen Review

The Uni Boxy 100 Ballpoint is a pen I expect fills office supply cabinets and student desks all across Japan. While it’s not quite the exquisite writing experience of it’s very successful sibling - the Jetstream - it fills the basic ballpoint needs of Uni-ball’s product lineup.

Assumedly, the Boxy gets its name from the rectangular shape of the barrel. Surprisingly enough, I find this shape to be comfortable for my grip and writing style. Not everyone will have the same experience, especially if you grip is outside of the traditional tripod realm. It is very light and the corners are rounded, so you still may be able to work with it.

The two longer sides of the rectangular barrel have grip ridges, but they don’t really come into play for me unless I want to hold the pen like I’m playing the game Operation and going in for the Funny Bone. Electrocution is super hilarious!

This is a retractable pen, but with two separate stages. You click down to engage the tip, then press the orange button on the side to retract it. Is there a practical benefit to this? I guess the tip is locked in more, but I’m not sure that is an issue people were looking for a solution to. It looks cool and is fun to play with. That’s as good as I could come up with.

I’m glad the standard tip size of this pen is 0.7 mm, which I think is the sweet spot for ballpoint pens. This one leaves a nice, clean black line. There was little to no extra ink buildup around the tip, which is a problem many basic ballpoints have. This one is a good writer, although I do wish the line was a shade of two darker. The Jetstream solves that problem.

For $1.75, I admit that it is a little expensive for an entry level ballpoint. I imagine in Japan, and before the import fees and taxes hit, that this is the equivalent of a 50 cent pen. A dollar at most. It’s a nice, useful, fun pen of good quality, but not necessarily a must have. It’s the type of pen I keep hanging around in a desk drawer for quick notes and scribbles.

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

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Posted on February 5, 2018 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Uni, Boxy, Ballpoint, Pen Reviews.

Uni Jetstream Stylus Ballpoint Pen Review

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

Over the years, I've come to really enjoy the Jetstream line of hybrid ballpoint pens. The ink is extremely smooth, the colors are vibrant, and the lines are crisp. When I received a Jetstream with a touchscreen stylus attached to the top, I was intrigued. In my experience, a stylus on a pen is a gimmick. I don't mind it if the stylus stays out of the way, but if it hinders my ability to use the pen in any way, I'll never use it again. Thankfully, the stylus on the Jetstream stays out of the way until you need to use it.

Since this pen uses the same refills found in the Jetstream multi-pens, you can expect the same level of performance and quality. A black 0.7mm refill is included with the pen, but there are a variety of sizes and colors available to guarantee you have a great writing experience.

The bright blue exterior of the model I have is a really great color. There's a slight hint of green in the color under certain light, giving it a hidden depth that you wouldn't expect for a pen in this price range. The cap, clip, and nozzle are all black plastic and are fairly well-made. The nozzle has an excessive number of threads, which means it can take about 10 full turns to unscrew or screw on the tip after replacing the refill. It's not a deal-breaker, but just odd. Another potential problem is the weakness of the clip. It doesn't offer a strong grip when clipping it to things. Luckily, the pen is light and doesn't need a massive amount of grip to stay put. The clip also serves as the mechanism that extends the refill for writing. There's a small notch/button on the opposite side of the barrel to retract the refill. It works, but it's not the best system for a retractable pen because it feels clunky. Still, it works dependably.

On top of the pen where the nock usually sits, there's a black stylus dome. You'll probably recognize this little piece as the same type of stylus tip used on a number of cheap styli. It gets the job done, but it's incredibly squishy and imprecise. For signing an iPad at a coffee shop, it's perfect, but I can't imagine it would be great for technical drawings, coloring books, or other forms of art that iPads and other devices are capable of today. At the end of the day, it's a functional stylus that is convenient in a pinch, but it also stays out of the way when you're not using it. If you intend to use the stylus a lot, you can even pick up a pack of replacements. The sleeve around the stylus unscrews, allowing you to pull the old tip off and replace it with a new one.

All things considered, this pen is exactly what it says it is. It's a known quantity (the Jetstream refill) with a stylus stuck on the end. It's also available in a handful of colors, like the blue featured here, black, silver, and pink gold. At the $6 price point, it's not a bad deal considering the inclusion of a touchscreen stylus. If you like the Jetstream and also need to use a stylus from time to time, this is a perfect match.

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

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Posted on January 31, 2018 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Uni, Jetstream, Pen Reviews.

Marvy LePen Marker Pen Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter.)

The Marvy LePen is one of those iconic pens that many of us remember from our childhoods--one that instantly drew our eyes with its bright hues and gave us hours of coloring bliss. A gateway drug for young pen addicts that soon led to gel pens and Sharpies. And it remains popular, even (mumbles) decades later. But I honestly can't quite figure out why--though perhaps the fact that it is inexpensive and comes in a lot of great colors is enough.

The Le Pen has an easy-to-spot, long, slim profile and a straight clip. The cap is friction-fit and snaps into place. It does post, precariously, on the narrow part of the end, but too much tipping or shaking (like, writing) causes it to fall off. There is a short section that is really more of a nose cone--the only way to hold it comfortably is back on the body. Even that may be too narrow for longer drawing or writing sessions. I find it fairly comfortable, though it feels like I'm holding the pen too far back for good control. The clip is springy--and a bit bendy. It's one of the more fragile metal clips I've ever met, but it does hold the pen securely in place. Just don't strain it, or it won't return to its original position. I have memories of my old LePens with clips winging out at odd angles--and it seems they haven't changed the recipe since then.

The plastic of the body matches the color of ink, which is always nice. There are quite a few ridges and shaggy bits left over from the plastic molding process, but they are easily removed if they're in a spot that interferes with comfortable use. "Le Pen Marvy Japan" is embossed in silver on the side, in keeping with its minimalist look.

The felt tip is at the end of a metal needlepoint sleeve. Some tips seem to protrude more than others, and I did find that, after some use, the felt tip was either disappearing into the metal casing or else squishing down. These are very delicate felt tips and require a pretty light hand in order to keep them nice. Even new, I did get a lot of line variation between the pens. Some wrote a finer line than others from the get-go, which makes them a little frustrating as tools for drafters, I'd think.

The ink itself has quite a lot of spread and bleed to it. Something about it just wants to travel through paper fibers. But the colors are very vibrant and well saturated. Even the pale colors show up nicely--which makes me want to use them for coloring books. That may indeed be their best use. There are reports of the ink fading very quickly or causing discoloration to the paper surrounding the lines. That isn't something I'd want in a piece of artwork or a scrapbook/memento designed to last. Though the ink is acid-free, it doesn't seem to be lightfast or very paper friendly.

So what is the appeal of these pens and what are they for? I think coloring books or zentangles would be a perfect fit. The low price point makes them a great entry-level fineliner for coloring enthusiasts both teen and adult. But if you need a fineliner for something more meaningful or lasting, there are much better options out there for not-that-much-more cost.

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

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