Uni-ball Field Lead Holder Review

Do you ever see a pen or pencil that looks cool but you have no real use for it? You justify it in your mind - "I'll figure out a way!" - and into the cart it goes. How many times did that work out well for you? Yeah, never for me too.

That is my situation with the Uni-ball Field Lead Holder. I don't own a lead holder but the bright red plastic and silver knurling screamed "BUY ME!!!" through the computer screen. And it has red lead too? Yes please!

I knew better than to order it, knowing I wouldn't know what to do with it when it arrived. Design wise, it lived up to the hype. This is a great looking and feeling lead holder. Performance wise, I guess it is good too, although I didn't do much more than write with it a few times. The lead color is lighter than I expected it would be but the reddish-orange shade photographed well.

The only drawback I can see is that there is no built-in sharpener, which some brands do provide. I imagine most hardcore lead holder users have their own favorite sharpener so that's not as much of an issue as it seems.

Are you an avid lead holder user? I'd love to hear about it in the comments section. Enlighten me!

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)

Ink Links

-- Review of Palomino Blackwing Pearl (Pencil Revolution)

-- Parker Urban Fountain Pen (Informal Scribble)

-- Sharpie Accent Highlighter (A Penchant for Paper)

-- Visconti Turquoise Ink Review (Goldspot Pens Fine Writing Blog)

-- Sula Jane and Earl Single Pen Sleeve - Carnation Pink (Gourmet Pens: Review)

-- Pelikan M620 New York inked with Noodler’s American Eel Turquoise (JustDaveyB)

-- Visconti Viscontina (2001) (kmpn)

-- Rhodia Webbie Dot Pad Notebook Review (Write to Me Often)

-- Private Reserve Invincible Aqua Blue (Peninkcillin)

-- Tchaikovsky - De Atramentis Ink Review (Ink of Me Fondly)

-- Prized: Edison Extended Mina in Cinnamon Swirl Acrylic (EF nib) (From the Pen Cup)

-- May's Goulet Ink Drop (Inkdependence!)

-- Clairefontaine Back to Basics 1951 (Pens Paper Inks...Whatever!)

-- Vintage Parker 21 Review (The Well-Appointed Desk)

-- J. Herbin – Terre de Feu (Ed Jelley)

-- My Son's Dragon Fountain Pen (The Daily Acquisition)

-- It's Carnival Time! (Rants of The Archer)

Platinum Balance Fountain Pen Review

I was a little concerned after opening my package from JetPens and taking my first glance at the Platinum Balance Fountain Pen. Do I like the design? How durable is it? And most of all, is it worth the price?

At $50, this is not a toss in the cart add-on. Some thought is required to commit to a pen like this. Like I mentioned in the podcast this week, I don't want another "one and done". Fortunately, once I inked this pen up and started using it, all of my concerns flew out of the window.

The nib on the Platinum Balance is the primary selling point. For a Japanese steel F nib it is nothing short of fantastic. I inked this pen up with a Platinum Blue Black ink cartridge and was amazed at how fine, clean, and consistent the lines were. From a writing standpoint alone, it ranks as good as or better than any other pen in its price range.

Since the nib is so great, the real decision is whether you like the design or not. I am a fan of demonstrator pens and branched out with the Crystal Blue instead of the Shine Crystal (I didn't consider Crystal Rose). It is a good weight - not too light - and comfortable while writing. The only visual issue I have is that I don't care for the white insert inside the cap. I assume it is there to hide any stray ink that may fly off the nib when jostling around.

Color me surprised with this one. I thought it was just going to be another average fountain pen but as well as it writes I think I will be getting regular use out of it.

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)