OHTO CR01 Ceramic Rollerball 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 Bluesky. And her latest book, The Atropine Tree, is now available!)

If you have someone in your life that needs a tough pen (maybe it's you!) the OHTO CR01 Ceramic Rollerball is worth a glance. It has an aluminum body with brass accents and a hefty weight to it, so it's much more likely to survive in a heavy work environment than a standard disposable pen. The matte finish on the metal feels very satisfying to hold, with a nice texture that helps you grip the pen.

The CR01 has a snap cap that is very sturdy and closes with a satisfying thunk. It won't open by accident in your bag or pocket. It has a firm clip with some flex to it. Both the bottom end and finial have a rounded shape. Under the cap, the pen has a rubberized section to help with grip when writing. The section unscrews from the body so that you can access the refill. It comes with an OHTO rollerball refill that has a special 0.5 mm ceramic ball point that will stand up to more wear and tear than a metal ball tip. Though, the rollerball ink flows quite well, so it's likely that the ink will run out long before the longevity of the ceramic is called for. The pen is refillable, however, and fits a variety of refills. You can choose another ceramic point refill (which also comes in other tip sizes and colors), or go with another brand you like, like Pilot, Uni, Pentel, or Zebra.

The Rollerball ink in the OHTO refill has a nice, dark saturation to it, but it does have some bleeding issues. It bled slightly through both Hobonichi and Midori paper, in addition to standard copier paper. But it writes very nicely, and the 0.5 mm ceramic tip has just the right amount of feedback--not too smooth, not too scratchy. It's a good writing experience, just don't plan on using the back of the page.

The OHTO CR01 is available at JetPens for $20, which is less than I would have guessed after writing with it. There are a number of comparable pens that cost considerably more. This price and quality falls very nicely into the gift category, and it's perfect for the person whose jeans pockets are stained with the ink from the broken Bic that got snapped in the workshop. The aesthetic should appeal, too. As gifting season approaches, the CR01 might make a good option that won't break and won’t break the budget.

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

---

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!

Anterique Mach Ball Brass Edition Ballpoint Pen Review

Classic, made modern. That’s what the Anterique Mach Ball Brass Edition Ballpoint Pen pen is to me. This look incorporates some of my favorite design elements of traditional ballpoint pens, mixes in new barrel colors, and the Brass section gives it that extra oomph when using it.

It was those last two features that sold me on it. The Brass section is large, making it the standout feature of this pen. It takes up a little over half of the entire barrel length, and while it does add significant weight to the pen, the lightweight plastic back third of the barrel balances it out well for a comfortable writing experience.

My grip latches on to the metal well, there is none of that normal Brass smell, and interestingly, the patina is taking a while to come in. I haven’t been using this pen heavily since buying it, but it has been sitting out and uncovered, and it still looks like new. I’ve used it plenty, though, so I would have expected a bit more aging, but I guess that’s a good thing!

I chose Lavender for the upper barrel, which is one of the 12 colors you can choose from. There is no wrong answer, which means it wasn’t an easy choice. The Grey looks fantastic, and any of the Blues or Greens would fit me perfectly as well.

The refill uses 0.5 mm oil-based ballpoint ink, and it is merely average. The shape is the classic old-style ballpoint refill, and it wrote like that for the most part. The Black in was dark, and the tip stayed clean, but it wasn’t super smooth (that’s ok for an 0.5 mm tip,) and it did leave some blobs of ink behind on the page. What it didn’t do is leave a mess on the tip, which is where the “low-viscosity” part of the ink comes into play, which also prevents the spidering seen between letters in older ballpoints.

Are there refills that I can replace this one with? Not many. There is a similar Ohto Needle Tip that is compatible, but I’ll have to do some research to see if there are any other options. It’s worth looking, because I love the barrel, but don’t have a use for the refill outside of quick notes and lists. I’d love to write longer with it.

The Anterique Mach Ball Brass Edition Ballpoint Pen runs $29, which is fair given the sizable amout of Brass in the barrel. If you are unsure about that, or the refill, the standard Anterique ballpoint comes in many different styles and colors starting at $5.50, including a Mini which I’m definitely going to have to buy one day!

(I purchased this product from The Gentleman Stationer for regular price at the 2025 Atlanta Pen Show.)

---

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!

Laban Pens - A Quick Comparison

(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!.)

Last year, Luxury Brands of America added Laban Pens to their portfolio of brands that they distribute (including Platinum, Waldmann, Colorverse, Girologio, and others). Founded in Taiwan, Laban Pens has been making pens since 1981 (and inks in 2020). While I own all of their mythology series inks, I didn’t own any Laban Pens, so I wanted to take a closer look at their various models. Thank you to Bryce Gillett from LBA for loaning these pens for review.

Note:

• These aren’t all of the pens that Laban makes/sells, just the ones I was able to get from Bryce since their inventory is often flying off their shelves.
• Since these pens are on loan, I did not ink them up.
• Some of the models are also available as rollerballs/ballpoints, but I am only reviewing the fountain pens.
• I confirmed with Bryce that Laban nib housings are glued in, but you can pull the nib/feed out (it took more force than I was comfortable with, so I did not do so).

325 (and 326):

One of the best known models of Laban Pen is the 325. Most of its colorways sport a cream & light brown cap and finial, while others have a solid black cap/finial. The 325 is a great canvas for highlighting various barrel materials. They announced the 326 earlier this year, which is the same pen as the 325 but with special artisan resins for the barrel. The first, and only colorway so far, is Blue Mirage.

The 325/326 is a fairly light pen, comes equipped with a gold-toned Jowo 6 nib, and is available in Extra Fine to Broad and 1.5 for steel, and Flex EF and Flex F in 14kt gold. Note that this is Jowo’s “flex” nib which isn’t very flexy, even in 14kt gold. The retail price starts at $160 (steel nib), or $360 (14kt gold nib).

Two examples of the Laban 325 model, made with Jonathon Brooks resins, one with cream cap/finial and the other with black cap/finial. Both gorgeous!

The many colors of the 325.

Antique’II:

The Antique’II is the second in the Laban brass series (the first being Antique), and has etched/engraved lines down the cap and barrel. It is made from recycled brass, so expect some patina on the trim (clip/finials/cap band) over time.

The Antique’II is available in EF to Broad. It uses a smaller, two-toned nib, which is made by Bock. I was unable to remove the nib or unscrew the housing to confirm if it is compatible with Kaweco Sports but it looks like it should. It is a slimmer pen with a smaller nib, but the brass gives it some heft. The pen retails for $120.

Laban Antique’II Fountain Pen in Grey.

Antique’II nib (left) next to a Kaweco Sport.

“Jewellery” Series - Abalone and Mother of Pearl:

The Abalone pen comes in two trim colors, Silver and Gun Metal (grey). The Mother of Pearl (MOP) has silver trim. Both start at $270 with a two-toned, size 6 Schmidt steel nib (EF to B). The Mother of Pearl starts at $330 with the same nib options. Both the Abalone and MOP pens are made from real abalone shell and mother of pearl.

Laban Abalone with Gun Metal trim (left) and Mother of Pearl.

Formosa:

The Formosa has a blue swirled resin base that is covered with a silver-plated overlay. It is equipped with a specially-engraved, silver-toned EF- Broad Jowo 6 nib and retails for $280.

Galileo:

The Galileo has a multi-layer overlay design - a resin base, topped with two different plated overlays. Despite two overlays, the Galileo is not a super heavy pen. It is very comfortable to hold because it’s not very hefty. There are currently two colorways, the one shown below (black, rose gold, silver) and rose gold (cream, silver, rose gold). It is equipped with a two-toned EF-Broad nib and retails for $280.

This Laban Galileo has a black resin base, rose gold gear layer, and a silver-plated overlay on top.

Galileo in hand, surprisingly as not heavy as it looks.

Rosa:

The Rosa is another pen in Laban’s Resin collection and has trim bands around the cap, and at the top & bottom. I like the slightly conical ends which makes it visually more interesting than cigar or flat ends. It is equipped with a two-toned EF-Broad nib and retails for $140.

Laban Rosa in Lilac.

Skeleton:

The Skeleton is another overlay pen in Laban’s Filigree collection. Unlike the Formosa or Galileo pens, which have non-transparent bases, the Skeleton has a clear, transparent acrylic base which is then covered with silver, gun metal, rose gold, or in this case, a rainbow plated-metal overlay. The Rose Gold version has a two-toned nib, while the other colors (including Rainbow) have a silver-toned nib. EF-Broad nib sizes are available and most colors retail for $280, while the Rainbow is $300.

Laban Skeleton in Rainbow.

Skeleton uncapped. Not gonna lie, I wish the nib was also rainbow and not silver-tone.

Taroko:

Like the Rosa, the Taroko is part of the Resin collection. The Taroko is a cigar-shaped, gold trim pen. Unlike the Rosa, the Taroko does not have trim rings near the top or bottom of the pen, giving it a clean, classic look. It is equipped with a two-toned EF-Broad nib and retails for $140.

Laban Taroko in Pinnacle.

Laban pens capped (left to right): 325, Antique’II, Abalone, Formosa, Galileo, Mother of Pearl, Rosa, Skeleton, Taroko.

Laban pens posted - While the pens are postable, there is nothing preventing the cap band or threads from potentially scratching the barrel when posting. As such, I gently put the cap on the barrel for the photos. It would also make some of the pens (especially the MOP) extremely back heavy.

Comparison with other pens (L to R): Platinum 3776, Sailor Pro Gear, TWSBI Eco, Laban Pens, Visconti Homo Sapiens, Pilot Custom 823, Pelikan M800, Leonardo Momento Zero.

All of the pens come with a Laban-banded converter (already installed in the pen), orange nib bookmark (and a little tag to let you know the sticker is below the pen panel), and booklet - all encased in a blue box and white box sleeve. Cartridges are not included.

Laban’s converter is standard international. The clear piston knob is less distracting in their Skeleton pens.

Laban’s packaging (minus white box sleeve) shown with the Laban Rosa. I like the orange nib bookmark (on top of the box.)

The Laban pens come in a wide range of styles and price points, and are outfitted with reliable nibs (based on my experience with Schmidt and Jowo nibs on other pens), making them worth checking out. After spending time with all the pens, I’ve been eyeing the Laban Rosa in Lilac and the Taroko in Pinnacle and might have to reach out to Bryce about buying one of them 😀 Laban Pens can be purchased from all of our site sponsors, including Vanness Pens, Pen Chalet, JetPens, and Goldspot, and you can see them at next week's San Francisco Pen Show at the Luxury Brands tables.

(Disclaimer: All pens were on loan for review by Bryce Gillett of Luxury Brands of America. All other pens are my own.)