Review: Zebra Airfit 2+S Multi Pen

The Zebra Airfit 2+S Multi Pen was a pen I picked up off of eBay many months ago.  I very much enjoyed the original Airfit Jell I bought from JetPens, so I thought this one looked nice and was worth a shot.

I knew going into it that the ink cartridges were of the ballpoint variety as opposed to the gel that I was used to, but that was ok by me.  The funny thing is that what was supposed to be a black + red + pencil multi pen arrived with a blue ink cartridge in the black slot.  The barrel of the pen even says black on it!  Again, no worries.  I like Zebra's blue ballpoint ink just as well, if not better than the black anyway.  As you can see on the written review, both ink colors are very nice, but performance wise there was a decent amount of skipping which takes this pen down a notch or two.

I also found the cartridge switching mechanism on the barrel a little clunky to operate.  Instead of a knock or plunger type button, the clip twists around the top from station to station.  It is a little tight and clunky as it moves around - certainly not as smooth as some of Zebras other offerings.  The Airfit grip is always a nice touch, but the rest of the pen didn't really do much for me.  I'll stick with the single cartridge Airfit Jell for now.

Click here for the XL review.

See also:
Review: Zebra Airfit Jell 0.5mm
Review: Zebra SK-Sharbo+1 2 Color Eco Ballpoint Multi Pen + Pencil

Review: Uni-Ball 552 Drafting Pencil 0.3mm

So, what makes for a good pencil review?

This is the question I kept asking myself as I was doing the written review at left.  I know that form, function, and feel are all considerations, but do you care about things like the stock lead?  I imagine most avid readers have a favorite lead that they immediately put in most - if not all - of their pencils.  Should the lead itself be its own review?  What about the eraser?  Do most of you use a separate eraser like the Boxy with your pencils?  If I was a heavy user, I certainly would.  I would love to hear some of the things your are interested in hearing about the pencils I review.

On to the pencil at hand - the Uni-Ball 552 Drafting Pencil 0.3mm.  Why 0.3mm?  Well, I love the micro tip pens, so starting small with my pencils seems like a no-brainer.  I have found that the stock 0.3mm lead that came with this pencil isn't the best for my writing style though.  It is a bit fragile - I think I broke it two or three times writing the review.  That is easily remedied with a few different, stronger leads on the market though, which I will look into reviewing as well.  Otherwise, I like the look of this pencil, but I think I prefer a heavier full metal or aluminum barrel as opposed to the plastic body on this Uni-Ball.  But for a lighter weight drafting style pencil, the 522 Series offers several options, such as 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.7, and 0.9mm lead sizes. and the $7.50 price point is reasonable for this genre of pencil.

Click here for the XL review.

See also:
Review: Pentel Smash Q1005 0.5mm Mechanical Pencil

Ink Links

-- Q&A with The Pen Addict at Rhodia Drive  (Thanks Stephanie!)

-- Pen and Ink Serendipity  (Inkophile)

-- Once in a Blue Moon: The Pelikan P-55 Future Broad Nib and J. Herbin Bleu Nuit Review  (The PenUltimate Ink Blog)

-- #dailyarsenal  (Pens'n'Paper)

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-- Fathers Day Jet Pen Order  (My Supply Room)

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-- Review: Piccadilly Primo  (Notebook Stories)

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-- Behance Action Journal & Dot Grid Journal  (Writer's Bloc Blog)

-- The Stabilo pointVisco: A Touch of Gene Kelly  (Palimpsest)

-- The Raymay Studymate  (Leigh Reyes)

-- The Roadbook  (Unposted)

-- Sonnenleder pencil case  (Bleistift)

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-- Zebra Pens & Pencils - Putting the FUN in Functional (5 Vinez Monkeys)

-- Review: New Rhodia LeCarre Pads  (Spiritual Evolution of the Bean)

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-- Papermate Clearpoint Mechanical Pencil Review  (Dave's Mechanical Pencils)

-- Lamy Studio Stainless Steel Body Extra Fine Fountain Pen  (Office Supply Geek)

-- Pilot Custom Heritage 91  (Leigh Reyes)

-- Two new blogs for your perusal:  The Penny Writer and Pens, Pencils, and More