Review: Tombow OnBook Clip Friendly Ballpoint Pen

It is the simple things in life that make me happy, and if you couldn't tell by now, a good pen is one of them.  Especially when one that I had zero expectations for really shines.  The Tombow OnBook Clip really impressed me with its comfort, smooth writing, and functionality.

This pen is marketed as a portable pen, made to be attached to a notebook, journal, calendar, or any paper product of your choice when not in use.  When I initially ordered it, I was expecting not to like the flat side of the pen (JetPens calls it "slightly triangular"), but when I tested it out, I was happy that it was very comfortable to write with.  My thumb sat perfectly on the flat side, with my index and ring finger resting nicely on the rounded side of the barrel.

As always, what good is a great looking pen without it performing well when put to the test.  This is another area where I was pleasantly surprised with the Tombow OnBook Clip.  If you check out the XL photo link below, you will see how solid and clean the black ballpoint ink is.  Nary a glob of ink or white streak to be found.  It also didn't take much pressure to put the line down, which is a problem I have with some ballpoints.

Did I mention the barrel color is Cocoa Brown?  I couldn't really pass that up, now could I?  I am very pleased with this pen, with my only minor quibble being the button to retract the ink cartridge.  You click the cap down to expose the cartridge, but then have to click the button on the barrel to retract it back in.  No big deal, but kind of pointless.  I can't tell you how many times I have tried to click the top of the pen to retract it so far.  I'm finally coming around to pushing the button though.

JetPens has much better photos than I could muster of the pen attached to a planner, so check out the full gallery right here.

Click here for the XL review.

Ink Links

-- Redcircle “mixed color” leads  (Bleistift)

-- Should We Just Get Rid of Handwriting?"  (Moleskinerie)

-- BIC Rondo Mechanical Pencil  (Dave's Mechanical Pencils)

-- Review: Monologue and Dialogue Notebooks by Grandluxe  (Notebook Stories)

-- A Few of My Favorite Things  (Pocket Blonde)

-- New Pencil in the Stable  (Dog eat Doug)

-- Top 5 Pens  (The Pen Archives)

-- User Review: Gail Young on the Exacompta Exafolio  (Rhodia Drive)

-- Pentel Roller Ball Pens  (My Supply Room)

-- Derwent Pencils: Charcoal and Drawing  (Palimpsest)

-- Platinum Preppy Fountain Pen Review  (Coffee-Stained Memos)

-- Quo Vadis Habana Journal  (Trains, Pens, and Planners)

-- Moleskine 0.00 Night Limited Edition Notebook  (Inkyjournal)

-- Inside Your Sharpie Pen  (Office Supply Geek)

-- Review: DAKS Simpson Slim Blue Fountain Pen  (The Pen Chronicles)

-- Staedtler WOPEX pencil review  (Pencil Talk)

Review: Zebra Sarasa Clip 0.4mm Blue Black

Seeing this exact Zebra Sarasa Clip 0.4mm blue black gel ink pen kick of the Top 10 of 2009 series at Good Pens jarred my memory enough to realize I had one sitting in my backpack just waiting to be reviewed.  I've gone on record in the past about how much I like the Sarasa Clip line of pens, so putting this blue black model into heavy rotation was a no-brainer.

As the risk of redundancy, I'll repeat myself again:  this is an excellent pen.  One of the best bangs for the buck going in the pen market.  There is one issue though.  The Clip version of the Sarasa is not readily found on office supply store shelves, at least that I have seen.  The regular Sarasa models are everywhere, but not the Clip, and there is a definite difference in the way they perform.  The Clip seems to lay down that clean, crisp line that I like.  The regular Sarasa is just that - regular.  Don't get me wrong, it's a fine pen, it's just not the Clip.

The blue black ink is another thing I have been gravitating to more and more these days as well.  I still predominantly use black ink, but I think blue black has eclipsed standard blue as my number #2.  It is available in all of my favorite pens, and I just enjoy writing more when I use it.  And that is what it is all about.

Click here for the XL review.

Product Links:
Zebra Sarasa Clip 0.4mm Blue Black from JetPens.com
Large Idea Journal from Doane Paper