Uni SXR-600 Jetstream Ballpoint Refill Review

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

It wasn't that many years ago that the Uni Jetstream ballpoint pen revolutionized the humble ballpoint pen, but that doesn't mean it can't strive to continue being exciting. There's always new pen bodies and cool new multi-pen designs that will further the line, but what about different refill shapes? That doesn't sound very exciting until you hear about the particular shape refill that Uni is experimenting with for their SXR-600 refills: Parker-style.

The Uni SXR-600 is very plain — it's a single refill that is available in only one color and only two tip sizes, black and 0.5mm or 0.7mm, respectively. I prefer availability of color and tip options over everything else, but I'm still excited about this particular black refill simply because of the refill shape. The Parker-style refill is fairly ubiquitous, and possibly one of the most common refill types you come across in ballpoint pens. Up until now, my favorite refill has been the Schmidt EasyFlow 9000 due to its smoothness and crisp, dark lines. But, if I could swap in a Jetstream refill of my preferred color and size, I certainly would. That's why the Uni SXR-600 is so exciting: the possibility.

The concept is very simple: if your pen accepts a normal Parker-style refill, the SXR-600 will fit. Aside from the fit, though, does this new form factor feature the same great writing experience as the normal lineup? Yes, it absolutely does. That was my concern before trying this refill out. There was a possibility that the new refill shape could require a different ink formula or something that might negatively affect the writing experience, but that isn't the case here. Whatever Uni did to make this work, I can't tell any difference between this refill and any other regular Uni Jetstream refill when writing.

I chose the smaller 0.5mm refill for my tests, and it features the same ultra-fine and crisp lines that I expect. In every way, it meets my expectations based on using other Uni Jetstream pens. If your concern is that this uniquely-shaped refill won't feel the same as your beloved Jetstream pens, you can go ahead and file that worry away for good.

Now, that doesn't mean it's all roses and good times. This refill is expensive. At $7.25, it's a good deal more expensive than my lovely Schmidt EasyFlow refills, which are five bucks a pop if you buy them individually. I'm not sure why the refill is so much more expensive. Sure, it uses a metal cartridge over plastic, but I can't see that driving the price up by multiple dollars. Still, this isn't completely out of the ordinary for Parker-style refills. Five to ten dollars is a fairly common price per refill in this category, so it's not so hard to swallow when put in that context. What is hard to swallow, however, is that normal Jetstream refills are less than a couple of bucks.

The other current problem with this product is the lack of color and size variety. I'd be willing to spend a lot more money on several of these refills if there were (any?) more color options. Offering only black and only two size options feels like a market experiment more than a full-fledged product launch. Maybe Uni is seeing how these do before they invest more in building out the line? Maybe the availability in Japan is much larger and it's just the US market that they're experimenting with? I'm not sure what the reasoning is behind this, but I hope they decide to ramp it up soon!

With all that in mind, you really can't go wrong with the Uni SXR-600 refills as long as you like black and either a 0.5mm or 0.7mm tip. These refills can quickly spruce up an old ballpoint pen you have laying around, providing that lovely hybrid ballpoint ink writing experience that we've all come to love so much because of Uni and the marvelous Jetstream.

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

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Conway Stewart Lustrous Burgundy Pearl Fountain Pen with a Fine Semi-flex Nib: 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.)

I reviewed a beautiful Peppered White Conway Stewart Churchill awhile back for Pen Addict. Because I was so impressed with that pen I’ve kept an eye out for another Churchill in a different color scheme with a more interesting nib. I constantly monitor Fountain Pen Hospital’s “The Back Room,” and I’ve gotten some really great pens at terrific prices from them. When I saw this Conway Stewart, I snapped it up.

My first Conway Stewart came in a rather simple box, so I was quite surprised when I received an enormous package from FPH. Inside was a large, green, hinged box with clasps.

A tiny book about Winston Churchill, a cigar (!), the pen, and a bottle of Conway Stewart orange ink were tucked inside the white sateen interior. I wasn’t expecting such a fine tribute to Winston Churchill! However, I’m not quite sure what to do with these items other than store them in the box. I guess I have a cigar handy for some special occasion . . . when people smoke cigars . . . which is basically never?

The pen is exquisite. Lustrous Burgundy is a good name for this acrylic with deep burgundy and lighter pink swirls exhibiting lots of chatoyance. The luminescent color only appears in two vertical swaths down the barrel. The other sides of the pen are dark burgundy. I’d prefer more consistent color over the entire surface, but the dark and light contrast is beautiful, nonetheless.

The barrel is engraved with “Conway Stewart ‘Churchill’ Made in England” along with the limited edition number out of 500.

The Churchill model is distinctive with its slightly rounded top finial, bold lines, and tapered bottom finial. It’s definitely a large pen, measuring 5.71 inches/145mm capped, 5.4 inches/137mm uncapped, and 7.1 inches/180mm posted (as if!).

Deep grooves encircle the cap finial, and the 18K gold clip is engraved with the Conway Stewart logo.

A total of five 18K gold rings adorn the pen: two on the cap and three on the body. This is one classy looking pen.

I wish a pen of this size and price was a piston filler, but it’s a cartridge/converter. That’s not the end of the world, because a converter is a bit easier to clean than a piston filler. However, a pen this large could do with greater ink capacity.

The 18 karat fine, semi-flex nib is adorned with the Conway Stewart logo and name. I prefer this nib design to the more recent version that has the British flag on it--not that I have any problems with the British flag, mind you! I just prefer this simpler design.

When I first started to write with the nib, I was quite pleased with how smooth and bouncy it was. As a fine semi-flex, it doesn’t have a huge amount of line variation, but there’s enough to enhance my writing. I inked the pen with Iroshizuku Yama-Budo, which is a well-behaved ink and a good match for this pen.

Unfortunately, the more I wrote, the more frustrated I became. The nib writes beautifully for about one page, and then it exhibits skipping and hard starts. I have to unscrew the barrel and push more ink down into the converter, which is unpleasant and interrupts my writing. I don’t know if this is a converter problem or an issue with the feed, but it’s disappointing.

This limited edition Conway Stewart was produced in 2007 and is not readily available for purchase. In fact, my Google search resulted in one hit--an eBay listing for this pen (without the ink) for $1,800! “Holy &##@!” said I. I’m happy to report that I did not pay anywhere near that much, thank goodness. I realized that I got a Churchill Burgundy Pearl at a super price from FPH! Now I just need a nibmeister to work some wonders with the ink flow.

(I purchased this pen with my own funds.)

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Nakaya Dorsal Fin 2 in Heki-Tamenuri: 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.)

Nakaya pens are all grail pens in my opinion, but there’s one model, in particular, that has always captured my imagination: the Dorsal Fin 2. To me, the pen mimics the soft curve of a Samurai sword more than it does a dorsal fin. But I’ve never much liked the Dorsal Fin 1 model, even though it more obviously evokes a dorsal fin. Dorsal Fin models (especially the Dorsal Fin 2) are in high demand and are constantly on backorder. When nibs.com announced last summer that they were expecting a shipment to arrive in the fall, I preordered one immediately and received it in October.

Nakaya pens come packaged in a softwood box with a red velvet-like interior. Included with the pen are a box of cartridges and a kimono. The pen is also supplied with a converter.

Heki-Tamenuri is a lovely urushi with organic, earthy tones of brown and green.

One of the reasons I chose the Dorsal Fin is because the model’s unique lines show off the underlying green urushi so well.

When you uncap the pen, you see even more of the green in the threads and grip section.

This pen is pure zen. It is perfectly balanced capped and uncapped, and it feels absolutely luscious in the hand. Urushi warms to your body temperature, so the pen becomes an extension of you. Writing with it is a simple pleasure.

For this Nakaya, I chose a medium-soft nib with added flex, ground to a stub by John Mottishaw. The Nakaya branding on the nib is gorgeous and the nib performs exactly as I hoped it would.

You can see the flex of the tines in this photo.

I inked the pen with Iroshizuku Tsukushi. I’ve found that Nakaya pens work especially well with Iroshizuku inks. This nib is wet and smooth. It is bouncy when writing without flex and it offers good line variation when you flex the nib.

The Nakaya Dorsal Fin 2 retails at $1,500 plus additional charges if you want nib modifications like mine. It’s obviously one of those pens you think about long and hard before purchasing. I’m absolutely pleased with my purchase. Not only is this pen a piece of beautiful art, it is one of my best writers as well.

You can purchase the Nakaya Dorsal Fin 2 from nibs.com. The Dorsal Fin 2 comes in various colors, including Heki-Tamenuri, Kuro-Tamenuri, Aka-Tamenuri, Midori-Tamenuri, Toki-Tamenuri, and various Ishime colors.

(I purchased this pen with my own funds after selling several beloved pens so I could afford this one!)

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Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!