Posts filed under Uni

Uni SXR-600 Jetstream Ballpoint Refill Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

It wasn't that many years ago that the Uni Jetstream ballpoint pen revolutionized the humble ballpoint pen, but that doesn't mean it can't strive to continue being exciting. There's always new pen bodies and cool new multi-pen designs that will further the line, but what about different refill shapes? That doesn't sound very exciting until you hear about the particular shape refill that Uni is experimenting with for their SXR-600 refills: Parker-style.

The Uni SXR-600 is very plain — it's a single refill that is available in only one color and only two tip sizes, black and 0.5mm or 0.7mm, respectively. I prefer availability of color and tip options over everything else, but I'm still excited about this particular black refill simply because of the refill shape. The Parker-style refill is fairly ubiquitous, and possibly one of the most common refill types you come across in ballpoint pens. Up until now, my favorite refill has been the Schmidt EasyFlow 9000 due to its smoothness and crisp, dark lines. But, if I could swap in a Jetstream refill of my preferred color and size, I certainly would. That's why the Uni SXR-600 is so exciting: the possibility.

The concept is very simple: if your pen accepts a normal Parker-style refill, the SXR-600 will fit. Aside from the fit, though, does this new form factor feature the same great writing experience as the normal lineup? Yes, it absolutely does. That was my concern before trying this refill out. There was a possibility that the new refill shape could require a different ink formula or something that might negatively affect the writing experience, but that isn't the case here. Whatever Uni did to make this work, I can't tell any difference between this refill and any other regular Uni Jetstream refill when writing.

I chose the smaller 0.5mm refill for my tests, and it features the same ultra-fine and crisp lines that I expect. In every way, it meets my expectations based on using other Uni Jetstream pens. If your concern is that this uniquely-shaped refill won't feel the same as your beloved Jetstream pens, you can go ahead and file that worry away for good.

Now, that doesn't mean it's all roses and good times. This refill is expensive. At $7.25, it's a good deal more expensive than my lovely Schmidt EasyFlow refills, which are five bucks a pop if you buy them individually. I'm not sure why the refill is so much more expensive. Sure, it uses a metal cartridge over plastic, but I can't see that driving the price up by multiple dollars. Still, this isn't completely out of the ordinary for Parker-style refills. Five to ten dollars is a fairly common price per refill in this category, so it's not so hard to swallow when put in that context. What is hard to swallow, however, is that normal Jetstream refills are less than a couple of bucks.

The other current problem with this product is the lack of color and size variety. I'd be willing to spend a lot more money on several of these refills if there were (any?) more color options. Offering only black and only two size options feels like a market experiment more than a full-fledged product launch. Maybe Uni is seeing how these do before they invest more in building out the line? Maybe the availability in Japan is much larger and it's just the US market that they're experimenting with? I'm not sure what the reasoning is behind this, but I hope they decide to ramp it up soon!

With all that in mind, you really can't go wrong with the Uni SXR-600 refills as long as you like black and either a 0.5mm or 0.7mm tip. These refills can quickly spruce up an old ballpoint pen you have laying around, providing that lovely hybrid ballpoint ink writing experience that we've all come to love so much because of Uni and the marvelous Jetstream.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)


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Posted on April 1, 2020 and filed under Uni, Jetstream, Pen Reviews.

Uni EMOTT Sign Pen Review

Any time a new sign pen hits the market you better believe I’ll be getting them to test as soon as possible. The Uni EMOTT Sign Pens look exactly like a pen that would be perfect for me. Now that I have them in hand, are they?

First of all, they write wonderfully. 0.4 mm plastic tip pens are not the norm by any stretch, and based on the way I write, they are great. The line is sharp and clean, which is the exact requirement for a pen tip like this.

The marketing of the EMOTT focuses a lot on the durability of the tip as well, stating it is “no bend, no breakage, and a consistent fine line width.” So far, I’m buying what they are selling, but I have a lot more writing in front of me to really test the durability.

The water-based ink is also water resistant, no bleed, and no smearing - which is honestly the cost of entry into this market. Your marker/sign pen has to have those features. What else can the EMOTT bring to the table? How about 40 colors of ink.

I chose the No. 8 Retro Set, which consists of Blue Green, Red Wine, Apple Green, Straw Yellow, and Iris Purple. It’s a great combination of colors, and it will shock you none that Blue Green is my favorite of the bunch. The only downside of this set is that they aren’t sold as individual pens like the 10 base colors are.

The two hangups with the EMOTT that some may have are the barrel shape, and the price. These are long, skinny pens with a square barrel. I’d prefer it to be triangular, if not round, but square works for me. It may not for others.

Price-wise, I think $3 per pen is the top end of what I’d pay for these. It looks and feel more like a $2 sign pen, but if the durability is there as it states, they are probably worth it. I’ll likely pick up a basic black soon to write with more frequently and see how they really stand up.

So, are they perfect for me? No, but they are really good. Especially the tip size and the colors. I’m definitely enjoying them so far.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)


Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

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Posted on December 30, 2019 and filed under Uni, EMOTT, Sign Pen, Pen Reviews.