Posts filed under Rollerball

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.)

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Posted on September 4, 2025 by Sarah Read and filed under Ohto, Rollerball, Pen Reviews.

Retro 51 Tornado Big Shot USPS Dragons Stamps Review

It doesn’t take much for me to review a pen, but a pen with dragons? How fast can it get here?

The Retro 51 Tornado Big Shot USPS Dragons Stamps not only looks amazing, but sports a feature that I have yet to review on a Retro 51: it’s big. I guess the Big Shot name gave that away, huh? But maybe not, so that’s why I wanted to take a look at it today, and compare it to the standard sized Tornado that many people are familiar with.

As a regular standard Tornado user, the size of the Big Shot is immediately noticeable when you pick it up. The length of the two pen models is identical at 125 mm, but the diameter is where the changes are. For comparison, here are the specs:

Big Shot grip area: 6.4 mm

Big Shot upper barrel: 9.2 mm

Big Shot Weight: 40 g

Standard grip area: 4.4 mm

Standard upper barrel: 6.5 mm

Standard Weight: 28 g

Looking at the numbers, the 12 gram weight difference is noticeable, but not that big of a jump in overall feel. The Big Shot is a well-balanced model, and while I noticed the weight difference when switching back and forth between the two models, I didn’t find it to be too heavy. The diameter, though, did take a bit of getting used to.

I took the barrel diameter measurements with my calipers right in the middle of where I grip the pen, so take my listed measurements with that caveat. The grip is obviously wider in the Big Shot, and given the refill used - the stock Schmidt P8127 used across the lineup by Retro 51 - it works. Wide refills and wide grips go together in my book, and it didn’t feel like too much of an outlier.

What took the most getting used to was the much wider upper barrel. Even though that area of the pen (I measured just under the clip/mechanism hardware near the top of the barrel,) sits in the open area in the cusp of my hand, I kept thinking about how bulky it felt there. Not in a good or a bad way, but in a “I keep noticing this,” kind of way. It’s wide up top, for sure.

With the size comparisons out of the way, let’s talk about the one thing that Retro 51 usually nails: the design. They have worked in collaboration with the United States Postal Service (USPS) for years, and each of those designs has been a hit. But this one, featuring Dragon stamps, was the first design that I had to get for myself. It’s so cool looking, with the bright colors and different stamp designs placed around the barrel. I’m having as much fun looking at it as I am using it.

From a price perspective, the Retro 51 USPS Dragons is $61 and lands in the middle of the Retro 51 Tornado lineup. The base level solid color Tornado is $28, and the more detail and design elements the pen has, the greater the price, reaching upwards of $100 for very complicated releases.

I’ve been enjoying my time with this pen, and I’m glad to now have a Big Shot in the collection. As a model, I will always prefer the standard size Tornado, but if the design dictates it - as in this case - I may consider adding another to the collection down the line.

(Goldspot provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on April 2, 2024 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Retro 51, Rollerball, Pen Reviews.

LAMY Safari Rollerball Review

With my love for all things Safari, you would think I would have reviewed the LAMY Safari Rollerball by now. I checked, and I haven’t, although Jeff did share his opinion a few years back. It’s time for me to get on the board as well.

The LAMY Safari Fountain Pen has been a long time favorite of mine - this 2008 review is hilarious - and the Safari Ballpoint is a more recent fascination. (Side note: we don’t mention the Safari Mechanical Pencil around these parts.) While those two pens see regular use in my writing kit, it’s only with the 2024 Violet Blackberry Rollerball Special Edition did I commit to using one. So far, I’m thoroughly enjoying it.

Let’s get the obvious LAMY Safari issue out of the way first. This is not a pen for everyone due to the molded grip section that “places” your fingers into a set writing position. That’s all well and good if you have a traditional writing grip like I do, but it is a non-starter for many people for a valid reason.

I’m fortunate that it does work for me, because aesthetically I love everything about the Safari design. All of the bright colors they have released through the years - either in standard or special editions - are right up my alley, and they can design a pretty good dark-themed pen, too. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the famous LAMY Safari pen clip, which I also enjoy. It’s ostentatious, but somehow works.

With design talk out of the way, it is time to focus on what can make or break a rollerball pen: the refill. LAMY uses their proprietary M63 Rollerball refill and, luckily, it is a good one. I say luckily, because the downside of a proprietary refill is that it is difficult to hack in another refill if you love the pen but hate the refill. There is a Pilot G2 hack out there if you want to cut an extender for that particular refill, but otherwise, the M63 is your lone choice.

As best as I can tell without markings, the M63 Rollerball tip is approximately 1.0 mm. This is in the normal range for water-based rollerball refills, and while my preference lies in 0.7 mm tip sizes (there are a few rare 0.5 mm and finer rollerballs out there, but that’s an article for another day,) the M63 is manageable for my writing. Importantly, given the wide line size, it hasn’t exhibited bleeding and feathering on the papers I’ve tested it on, but I’m sure there are some non-compatible fibers out there. My expectations when I pick up this pen are a dark, controllable line, and the M63 delivers.

Should you buy a LAMY Rollerball pen? As much as I enjoy them, there is a solid list of pros (good refill, style,) and cons (grip, broad line,) to consider. At $20, the price is fair if you are interested, so add one to the list if it checks the right boxes for you.

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

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