Gravitas Laser Etched 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'm not sure I've ever owned a pen that has intricate laser etching along the body, but there's a first time for everything. I'm no stranger to the Gravitas brand from Ben Walsh, but I hadn't given one of the custom laser etched pens a try before now.

A few months back, Ben teased a photo of a new pen design that featured some very fine etching work. The pen isn't available on the online shop, and I'm not sure if will eventually end up there or if this is just a one-off custom run. Either way, this pen took me by surprise and I have a new interest in laser etching. (Ed. note: Ben says it will be available once he can catch up!)

Now, if you're unfamiliar with the Gravitas brand, they're a custom pen manufacturer based in Ireland. Catch episode 465 of the Pen Addict Podcast to listen to an interview with Ben Walsh where he explains the Gravitas brand. Most of the pens on the website feature a sleek and minimal design, with either subtle color schemes or bright Skittles-like rainbow colors. The Gravitas pens I've used in the past have always felt top-notch in terms of quality and materials, and this custom ballpoint is no different.

Before we talk about the real star of the show (the exterior of the pen), let's take a look at what it's packing inside. There's a Schmidt P900 M black cartridge in the pen, and it's no slouch. I love the Schmidt EasyFlow 9000 for how smooth and dark it is, but the P900 does a really good job as well. In terms of refills, you can do a lot worse — it's a great refill. But, more interestingly, it's a Parker-style shape, which means you can use a wide variety of refills in this pen. That's great news because the Parker-style refill market is large and has plenty of variety. I've kept the P900 in this pen because it writes really well and feels right in this pen.

The exterior of this pen is what really makes it special. The shape is really simple — it's a cylinder that tapers to a point at the front end where the refill extends. The back of the pen has a separate section that rotates, and this is how you extend or retract the refill, and if you apply some more pressure and keep unscrewing, it's also how you replace the refill. It's a really clean and simple aesthetic that might be a tad boring if it weren't for the etching. Oh my, that etching.

The laser etching is what makes this pen for me. I really haven't been able to put it down. I've never seen laser etching this fine (microscopic almost) before. You have to look very closely to see the pattern that the laser has made. It adds visual interest and a level of art that I really enjoy.

I have no idea how laser etching is done really, but I assume that the etching machine only operates on a 2D plane. This means that you have to manually rotate and position the pen quite a bit to etch the pattern all around the pen. Think about that for a second — the position of the pen has to be perfect for the pattern to stay aligned as it goes around the pen. It's really impressive.

Apart from looking fantastic, it's even more interesting to hold. Since the etching marks are so tiny and precise, it's a weird sensation for your fingers and palms to interpret. It's hard to explain, but it simultaneously feels smooth and grippy at the same time. Something like a smooth cylinder that actually has tiny little claws trying to hold on to your fingers (in a good way). It's such a pleasant thing to hold and handle!

Of course, this combination of smooth and grippy make it a great pen to use for writing. There's just enough tactile friction to keep the pen stable, but not too much. Metal pens always run the risk of being slippery, but this will not happen with this pen thanks to the etching texture.

I've really enjoyed my time with this pen, mostly because of how irresistible it is to hold and fidget with. I really can't stress enough how cool this pen feels in the hand because of the smooth/grippy conundrum. It's like my fingers are confused by it and want to understand what's happening by continuing to handle it. It's magical.

If you haven't given Gravitas a good look, head over there now. These are some high-quality pens and they've brought me a lot of delight. I'm not sure if this pen will be widely available, but you should check out some of the other etched options either way.

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

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Uni-ball Jetstream Edge 0.38 mm Ballpoint Pen Review

I’m fond of saying that there is a pen out there for everybody. I’m also fond of saying not every pen is for everybody. The Uni-ball Jetstream Edge is firmly in the latter camp.

When you hear pen fans talk about the Jetstream, they are more than likely referring to the 0.7 mm model, and sometimes the 1.0 mm. They love the rich colors and solid lines - something standard ballpoints rarely have - plus the smooth writing experience with a refill that lasts longer that most. There is a reason it is one of my most recommended pens.

But the Edge model is a different animal. And Uni-ball is treating it as such.

In the past, Uni-ball has dropped into the 0.38 mm tip size with more standard barrel types, but it is a rare occurrence. I remember when I first got my hands on the 0.5 mm Jetstream (2008!) I raved about it, but even then I knew it was a pen not many people would enjoy. I still remember an email I got about that review, which told me in no uncertain terms how bad they thought this pen was.

The Standard barrel, my favorite basic Jetstream barrel, still has 0.38 mm and 0.5 mm options, but I don’t really see them leaning into those tip sizes - at least in this market. The Edge is their micro-tip refill vessel of choice, and I love it.

To me, Uni-ball is saying that 0.28 mm and 0.38 mm Jetstream refill are technical pens, and deserve a barrel design to relay as much to the consumer. That’s as much of the Edge story as the refill choice. This is my favorite pen barrel released in a long time, with its metal grip section, plastic upper barrel, unique clip design, and solid knock mechanism.

You know what other stationery products have similar design cues? Mechanical pencils, especially technical ones. And, the Edge has a similar price point to match.

This is a $15 Jetstream, not a $3 one. That places it firmly into the niche product market, and, I hope for my sake, that this technical, detailed writing niche takes it and runs with it.

The Edge launched four barrel colors with a 0.28 mm refill, then later added four more barrel colors for the 0.38 mm refill. The refill, while technically great, is the one flaw in this design, and maybe the one flaw in my theory why this pen exists in the first place.

The Uni-ball Jetstream Edge is designed around the refill they use for the Jetstream multi pen. It is thinner, and thus lower capacity than standard Jetstream refills, not to mention the Parker-style SXR-600 Jetstream refill. Single refill pens deserve a refill size commensurate with the pen, so this is a disappointment, especially in a $15 pen.

On the other hand, do we get the Edge if Uni-ball didn’t already have this refill design in-house? I’d argue yes. They already make 0.38 mm conical tip refills for the Sport series. I’m confident Uni could design a new needle tip for the 0.28 mm and 0.38 mm requirements for the Edge if they so desired, but they took the easy way out here.

I don’t guess I can blame them, because, in the end, I adore this pen. I just think it could be even better with a normal sized refill.

Will you adore this pen as much as I do? It’s unlikely. As I mentioned up top, this pen is not for everybody. Not by a long shot. It is a particular pen, with a particular job, and at a particular price point. But, if you are particular, like me, then you might find something interesting and unique in the Jetstream Edge.

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

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Kaweco AL Sport, Vibrant Violet - A Quick Look

(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)

This isn’t the first time that the Kaweco AL Sport has been reviewed on The Pen Addict and probably won’t be the last. Jeff wrote a great article about the Light Blue AL Sport and I highly recommend you give it a read because I don’t have much to add that isn’t already there. Here’s a quick run down:

The AL Sport is the aluminum sibling to the Kaweco Sport which is made from resin (the AL is short for aluminum - clever, right?). Being aluminum, it is more durable and about twice the weight of the Sport (.68 oz/19g vs 0.3 oz/8.5g). It comes with a Kaweco blue cartridge, but you can also purchase other accessories including a pocket clip or converter (I prefer the piston converter to the squeeze one and usually use a converter so I can prime the feed if I need to, plus I rarely need/want a cartridge’s worth of ink). This Vibrant Violet AL Sport is a special edition that comes in a metal tin with a specially designed outer box sleeve. The pen is fitted with a gold-colored steel nib, and has “Kaweco Collection Germany” written in gold on the cap. As of this writing, this limited production Vibrant Violet is still available, with an EF, F, M, or B nib size for $90 USD/70 EU.

Aside from the material being aluminum as opposed to resin, the other key difference is the ability to unscrew the nib unit from the AL Sport models. The regular Sport nib housing is often glued to the grip, so you have to pull the nib and feed if you want to swap nibs. With the AL Sport, you simply unscrew the entire nib unit and you’re ready to switch nibs.

Purple pen lovers rejoiced as there were several purple Kawecos that came out this year. The first was the Kaweco Sport, Lavender, which was released earlier in Spring 2021. The other 2021 purple Kaweco was an exclusive Violet Sport for Galen Leather. The Vibrant Violet is the second addition to the Kaweco Collection (the Lavender was the first). The color is a beautiful purple with a bit of magenta tone. It is a darker shade of purple than the AL Sport Lilac, which was a limited edition from a couple of years ago, but a lighter, redder shade than the Galen Violet one, which is also transparent. A bit of trivia on the Lilac Sport: Kaweco incorrectly printed “Kaweco Sport” on the barrel instead of “Kaweco Collection”, prompting some avid fans to collect both versions (I’m not one of them, lol).

Lavender, Lilac, Vibrant Violet, Violet (Galen Leather).

Over the years, there have been reports of quality control issues with Kaweco’s nibs in the Sport/AL Sport lines in terms of nib size consistency as well as quality of writing experience. I am a big Kaweco Sport/AL Sport fan (I always have at least one inked up) and have only had one Sport whose nib made me want to throw it at a wall, but otherwise they’ve been great writers out of the box even if the nib size wasn’t always spot on. I had already bought this pen and had it inked up prior to this pen showing up for review. Mine has a Broad nib and is currently inked with Papier Plume Mardi Gras Indians Purple in a Kaweco mini converter. The review pen has a Medium nib and I’ve chosen to use the same ink and converter to see how it wrote and to compare line widths. The Medium wrote perfectly out of the box. I didn’t flush it prior to use (though I always recommend it as one of the first troubleshooting steps). It gave me a medium line width and was indeed finer than the broad lines. It hasn’t been a big issue for me but I’ve encountered it, the most inconsistent line widths were between EF and F, and F and M. I’ve never mistaken a Broad for a Medium or BB.

Medium vs Broad - yup, they produced different line widths as expected. Neither were too fine nor too wide.

I had a tough time picking matching inks because the purple has some red/pink tones to it and not as much blue as other purple inks. It also depends on the nib size of your pen as well as how dark you want your writing to be.

Robert Osterd Velvet Crush (better in a Medium or Broad nib), Colorverse Project #3 Deep Purple, Papier Plume Mardi Gras Indians Purple, Kala Nostalgia Star Garnet, Diamine Amazing Amethyst (which is a much closer match in person than in the photo), and Akkerman #13 Simplisties Violet.

Writing sample on Clairefontaine Triomphe, 90gsm.

As I’ve mentioned, I am a big Kaweco Sport fan as well as purple pen fan, so when this was announced, it was a no-brainer for me. One of the few drawbacks I have about this pen is its diminutive size. Even though it is postable, it is definitely a pocket pen. So if you don’t like small pens, you’ll probably want to pass on this one. As for me, I think they did a great job on the color and both of the pens worked flawlessly right out of the box. I can’t wait to see what the next Kaweco Collection pen is going to be.

(Thank you to Goldspot Pens for providing this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes. The Broad one was paid for by my own funds.)