Posts filed under Pen Reviews

Zebra SL-F1 Mini 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.)

I've been on a small pen kick recently, and I've been using the Zebra SL-F1 for the past couple of weeks. It's an interesting little pen that has a unique open/close mechanism, and it is certainly a solid performer with plenty of refill options for stowing in bags, cars, purses, and other odd places where you might need a pen in a pinch. But, similar to other small pens I've used, it just isn't sensible for normal use.

A few weeks ago, I reviewed a mini mechanical pencil (also from Zebra), and I had the same complaints. I have many small and uber-portable pens that I love, but it seems a killer (not the good kind) combination is a short pen with a very slim profile. There just isn't enough to grip! One thing my favorite portable pens share in common is a short size, but normal width.

Even though the Zebra SL-F1 Mini isn't practical for an everyday note-taker, that doesn't mean it's unremarkable. If you approach this pen with the mindset that I believe Zebra designed this pen for, there's a lot to like and enjoy. This is another of those pens that falls into a specific category for me: backup situations. After all, a short, slim, uncomfortable pen is better than no pen!

Being as small as it is, this pen can really fit anywhere and go unnoticed. The clip is strong enough to keep it stowed on a pocket or interior bag flap, and the color options make it stand out against dark backgrounds if you want. Even the black model has chrome trim that easily catches what little light is available.

The aspect I enjoy most about this pen is the open/close mechanism. It's very similar to the Lamy Pico (which I can't recommend enough), and it's equally as enjoyable. To open the pen, simply pull on the two ends of the pen. The pen expands and the refill pops out of the front. To close it, simply push the two ends together and the refill disappears. It's an incredibly smooth action with a satisfying click on both ends. And, unlike the Fisher Bullet, there's no cap to lose.

Possibly one of the most attractive aspects of this pen is the refill type it uses. I'll be honest: the refill that comes with the pen isn't that great. It's a 0.7mm Zebra ballpoint with a dull black ink. It works great for what it is, but it's no gel ink. But, if you want to swap it out for a gel, your options are vast since it takes the popular D1 size. The D1 is known for it's diminutive size but excellent color and tip options. It's a popular choice for multi pens, but many small pens use it as well for the size advantage.

As a backup pen to stow in areas or pockets where you might need a pen in a pinch, the Zebra SL-F1 is a great option. It's incredibly affordable (less than $5), incredibly small, and incredibly flexible given the refill compatibility. It's available in black, navy, silver, white, light blue (featured here), and pink. All colors use the same 0.7mm black ballpoint refill. Pick up a couple to stow away for when you need a pen.

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

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Posted on May 29, 2019 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Zebra, Ballpoint, Pen Reviews.

Kaweco Frosted Sport Fountain Pen Review

The Kaweco Sport breaks the mold of what a pocket fountain pen should be. I'm a big fan of this product, and as a fan, I'm spoiled. So spoiled, that I almost take the Kaweco Sport for granted.

This is a great pen for me. I like small, pocketable, portable pens, and the bonus of it being a fountain pen is fantastic. It's lightweight, making it vanish into my pocket when I carry it, and durable, as it bangs up against other pocket accessories and keeps on trucking.

For as small as it is, the Kaweco Sport is a full-sized writer. The cap is designed to cover the majority of the pen barrel for a compact closure, but when writing, it adds length to the barrel when posted for a more comfortable experience. The standard section diameter helps with that too. This is not a skinny pocket pen.

My most recent pickup is the Frosted Sport in Light Blueberry, although it was a tough choice. Just look at all of the bright colors for 2019! Kaweco did a bang-up job with this series of Sport pens for sure. Anytime they bring bright colors to the table AND silver trim you can bet I'll pick one up - like the Sport Sunrise I bought from Fontoplumo last year.

I almost exclusively order steel EF nibs for my Kaweco pens, and this one was no different. It was fantastic right out of the box and continues to be. Nibs have always been a question mark around the brand, but they seem to have corrected most of the QC issues that have plagued them in the past. (Myke and I discuss this on the most recent Pen Addict Podcast.) It is firm, smooth, and leaves a clean, consistent line.

In a stroke of pure luck, I found the perfect ink match for this pen right out the gate. I bought a big batch of short international ink cartridges to play around with recently, and in there was this Waterman Radiant Pink. Any time I can get a cotton candy or 3-D look from my pen and ink combinations I am going to do it. This one turned out wonderfully.

For all of the praise I heap on the Kaweco Sport, it is not a pen I recommend very often. It rarely lands on any beginner pen list because it doesn't fit the traditional mold of pens like the Pilot Metropolitan or Lamy Safari. For a pocket pen, the plastic barrels are too light for some, and the metal barrels may not be at a price point consumers are comfortable with. But if this pen hits on the specifics you require, you won't find anything better. Heck, you may not find anything at all, which means that Kaweco is doing something right with this product.

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

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Posted on May 27, 2019 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Kaweco, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

PenBBS 350 Fountain Pen with Rollerball Adapter: 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.)

The PenBBS 350 is an aluminum fountain pen that comes in silver or matte black finish. It is supplied with a fine steel nib and a rollerball adapter that allows you to use fountain pen ink.

Because it is made of aluminum, the pen is rather heavy, weighing in at 23.6 grams. Without the cap, it weighs 15.7 grams, so it still has quite a bit of heft. You can post the cap, if you dare, but it makes the pen very unbalanced.

This is a medium-sized pen in length, 5.12 inches/130mm capped, 4.84 inches/123mm uncapped, and 6.5 inches/166mm posted. The grip is a little over 10mm in diameter, which is rather small for my hand (see my discussion on how it writes below). But it does have a lip that keeps your fingers from slipping.

The clipless cap is octagonal with PenBBS engraved on one of the facets. The finial is also engraved with “PenBBS 350” and a tiny “F” or “P” (I’m not sure which) in the middle. The inside of the cap appears to be lined with plastic.

The body of the pen is smooth aluminum broken only by the cap threads. The threads are placed well away from where your fingers sit on the grip, so they do not interfere with writing at all.

You can fill the pen with the supplied converter or you can use cartridges.

The fine steel nib is adorned with scrollwork and “PenBBS Since 2005 China.”

PenBBS nibs come only in fine and medium (and this model may be limited to fine). They are interesting nibs because their tips flip up just a tiny bit, almost like a mini-fude nib.

The nib writes smoothly, but I noticed a good amount of skipping with KWZ Baltic Memories. I read other reviews of PenBBS pens that indicated these nibs can be a bit stingy with ink. So, I’ll try the pen with a wetter ink next time.

Because the pen is so heavy and the grip so small in diameter, I found my wrist and fingers cramping up even after only short periods of writing. I normally like hefty pens, but they need to have larger diameter grips that help balance the weight more evenly. Then again . . . maybe it’s not the grip. Maybe I’m just old and a bit arthritic.

I’ve never tried a fountain pen with a rollerball adapter, so I was pretty excited about this little extra.

To my amazement, I actually enjoyed writing with the rollerball more than I did with the fountain pen nib. The rollerball was smooth and the ink flowed perfectly. You can see a writing comparison between the nib and rollerball below. I love the idea of using fountain pen ink with a rollerball. I will say, however, that trying to clean ink out of the rollerball unit was next to impossible.

This is my first PenBBS. I’m very impressed with the pen. It has a beautiful, simple design. All the components work well, especially the rollerball adapter. The nib seems a bit stingy with ink, but it’s usable, and I suspect it will write better with a wetter ink.

At only $22.00 I think this pen is a steal. You can purchase it from Vanness Pens in either silver or black. Other colors are available from the PenBBS Etsy site, but you have to wait quite awhile to receive your pen as it is shipped from China. I ordered two different models last week and plan to review them later this summer.

(This pen was purchased from Vanness Pens with a reviewer’s discount.)

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