Review: Uni-Ball Signo DX 0.5mm Light Blue

As if you haven't heard it enough from me already, the Uni-Ball Signo DX line of pens is once of the best around.  From a sturdy barrel, to clean, crisp line, there is nothing to dislike about these pens.  I don't have a list marked off, but I think I'm pretty close to having tried out all of the colors, and the light blue ranks near the top of my favorite colors list.  It really pops off the page, even on the blue grid background of my Doane Paper Idea Journal.  This year, I am going to work on getting all the different colors of the same pen reviewed, if nothing else to have a sample on hand if someone has a question.  I think there are a handful of DX colors I haven't posted yet.

Click here for the XL review.

Between Joy Division and The Smiths it would be hard for me to pick my favorite band of all time.  Over the last several years, Joy Division is has made a serious run at the top spot as I find myself reaching for their music more and more.  "Ceremony" is recognized by many as a New Order song, but it was written by Ian Curtis and composed by Joy Division.  The only problem is it was rarely played before Ian's suicide.  According to the songs Wikipedia page, there are only three recorded Joy Division versions of this song, none of which have well recorded vocals.  Hence, the song really became a New Order hit (New Order is comprised of the three remaining Joy Division members for the uninitiated).  Bernard Sumner and the boys do a great job, as the video below shows.  I never realized how much Barney looked like a young Robert Downey Jr.

I'd be remiss if I didn't post my favorite cover version of this song by Galaxie 500.  This gets a ton of play in the Pen Addict household:

Review: Zebra Expandz 0.7mm Ballpoint

Office supply stores have shied away in recent years from allowing users to test out very many pens.  I understand to a degree that it could get a little bit out of control, and also that companies have moved to selling pens and pencils in multi packs instead of individually, but it is always nice to try before you buy.  A few months ago, my local Staples brought back a pen testing area on the pen aisle that allowed you to test out three or four different pens, and the Zebra Expandz was one of them.  Well, I obviously came home with one, so does that tell you how effective these pen testing areas can be?

Honestly, I would have never purchased this pen if I wasn't able to try it out first.  I like Zebra pens a lot, but I'm just not an everyday user of ballpoints, so I really didn't need to add this one to my collection.  The Expandz aspect of the pen did interest me though, and once I got to put it to the test I felt how nice it really is.  The barrel is very sturdy and has a nice weight to it, and when expanded, it becomes a normal length pen.  There is no cap on the pen, but the sliding of the barrel in and out exposes and hides the ballpoint ink cartridge.  It is a very sooth transition.

From a writing perspective it does a nice job.  There is nothing I hate more than light ballpoint inks, and this ink is plenty dark, and smooth writing to boot.  I wish I could tell you how much I paid for this, but I no longer have my receipt, and Staples.com is impossible to search.  Prices on the internet are wide ranging, but I'm thinking I paid in the $6-7 range for it.  Certainly it was less that $10 - that is a price point I wouldn't have crossed.

I have added this pen to my ever increasing portable pen collection.  The Zebra Expandz would work great in a backpack, purse (or manbag - you know who you are), car, or anywhere you need to take a quality pen on the go.

Click here for the XL review.

Review: Pentel Rolly C4 0.7mm Ballpoint Multi Pen

The Pentel Rolly C4 multi pen was a purchase from a recent visit to Staples.  Reminiscent of the famous Bic 4-Color ballpoint multi pen, the C4 sports the same four basic colors - black, blue, red, green - but in a much upgraded barrel.  Unfortunately, the barrel is the highlight of the show.

Pentel did a nice job with the overall look and design of the pen, and that is actually what lead me to grab it off the shelf in the first place.  I normally wouldn't have a place in my arsenal for a basic ballpoint multi pen, but this one looked cool, and was reasonably priced around $5.  One of the other things that caught my attention was that the ink cartridges were 0.7mm as opposed to the 1.0mm you would usually find in a pen like this.  The rubber grip is a nice added touch, and the silver barrel color looks great against the clear blue plastic.

When you get right down to it though, the writing experience is nothing special.  It writes cleanly enough, but the ballpoint cartridges are pretty basic.  The black and blue ink do a nice job, but the red and green are too light for my tastes.  The pen does write very cleanly, so if you are a ballpoint pen fan you might like this.  For me, this is another pen where I am going to see what other types of ink cartridges I can fit into this nice barrel.

Click here for the XL review.