Kaweco Sport Ice Roller Ball Liquid Ink Pen Review

Being the bonafide Pen Addict that I am, there are many cases where I can't wait to get my hands on a pen to try out, and this red body Kaweco Sport Ice Roller Ball definitely had me at hello. The idea of a liquid ink cartridge roller ball is not a new concept, but is a setup I have never used before.

The pen tip is your standard medium rollerball (right in the 0.7mm range), and the ink cartridge snaps in as if you were using a cartridge based fountain pen. I hear on the internets that these types of situations are called a "mash-up".

Kaweco has done a great job with the Sport line, building a barrel that is lightweight, durable, and very functional. With the cap on, the pen is a compact 10.5 cm, but when posted it expands to a comfortable 13 cm. Writing with the cap posted is just about perfect.

I already had the Aubergine Purple Kaweco refills for my Kaweco Sport AL, but I wanted to try a different shade than the blue that comes with it, so I went with the blue black. I honestly wasn't thrilled with my ink selection when I first started writing with it. The ink was a little watery, but the more I wrote with it, the more solid it became. I'm thinking it is a case where it took a little priming, just like if you were putting a fresh ink cartridge into a fountain pen.

Speaking of fresh ink, you can also convert the Kaweco Sport Ice Roller into an eyedropper style pen and use any fountain pen ink you want. Check out the how-to on the JetPens Blog.

The Kaweco Sport Ice Roller Ball Liquid Ink Pen is available in four different body colors for $16.00 at JetPens.com.

Updated for the Doane Paper fans!

Review: Platinum Japanese Art Pocket Brush Pen

This review is by Kalina Wilson, who can also be found at geminica.com.

The Platinum Pocket Brush Pen is in the family of brush pens that aren't actually brush pens.  Instead of individual bristles, these pens have a single molded tip that mimics the silouette of a brush but doesn't fan out against the paper the way a true brush would.  Something about this design makes for a very diverse assortment of products!  These false brush tips can be wet or dry, sturdy or fragile, floppy or stiff - it's a minefield and a treasure trove out there, with each pen feeling very different from the next when you get it in your hand.  

(A few examples, top to bottom: Copic Multiliner brush, Uniball brush, Pilot brush, Platinum brush)

The Platinum brush stands out visually due to the gold flowers stamped onto the barrel and a sparkly gray clip (that likes to come off in your hand when you try to remove the cap).   It looks and feels a bit cheap - but it is cheap, at $3.  

This pen gives a thick line in comparison to the others. You can get a fine line out of it here or there if you're careful, but it takes some effort and goes against the pen's wishes.  

Among the various brush pen options, the Platinum Carbon does have a unique set of characteristics: it is waterproof,  fairly dark, and has decent flow. The other options are either not waterproof (the Uniball and Pilot brushes), don't provide a large wet line (Tombow), or aren't as dark or smooth (Copic).

The nearest equivalent to this Platinum Pen is the Copic.  If you like Copic brushes in general, I'd say there's not a lot of cause to try the Platinum unless the slightly darker ink is a big advantage to you.  Personally I haven't had a lot of luck with Copic brush lines, and actually prefer the Platinum brush to work with even though it's cheap and kind of stubby-tipped.

 I won't lie to you - I don't love this pen.  I prefer to be able to get a finer line, and if I'm going bold I prefer the feel of the Uniball brush even though it's not waterproof.  However, if you are looking for a moderately wet-writing disposable pen with a waterproof line for the purpose of doing bold sketching, this Platinum brush is certainly worth $3 to try!  

#OnePenOneDay Uni-Ball Jetstream Color Ink Series Blue Black 0.5mm

Pens like this Uni-Ball Jetstream Color Ink Series Blue Black 0.5mm are a prime reason why I took up the #OnePenOneDay project. This pen had ben lost in the shuffle of pens from my old office at my previous employer. I found a bunch of pens like this in a ziploc in a desk drawer at my house just crying out to be used.

The Color Ink Series Jetstreams are as good as advertised. If you can get past the funky barrel (nearly every other Jetstream barrel I have used is better than this one), then you will find a great writing, uniquely colored ink waiting for you. I love this series, and I hope one day Uni-Ball expands these ink colors into different barrel styles.

By the way, this is the second #OnePenOneDay pen I have found that I don't have a traditional review on. I'll be sure to add it to the list. Here is the light blue review for reference purposes.