Private Reserve Ink Orange Crush Review

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

Fall is officially here, and even though the temperatures in north Alabama are still arguing over that fact, I've already settled it in my mind by picking a nice fall colored ink to focus on for a while. I've only tried one or two other inks from Private Reserve, so I thought it was time to give them another try since they have such a large catalog. Orange Crush is the ink I chose for the new fall season, and I'm pretty happy with the color (not so much the name) and especially the performance.

Orange Crush is a dusky orange/brown color with some hints of red in some areas. It's not orange enough for me based on the name alone, but it's still a pretty color in its own rite. To me, Orange Crush makes me think of the soft drink brand, which is a really bright and cheerful orange. There's nothing wrong with the color of this ink, but the name was misleading for me at least.

Being a dark orange ink, it shows up really well on paper. Some orange inks can be so light that they look more like a highlighter ink than something you'd write with. The dusty orange/red hues look fantastic, and there's even a bit of shading that happens with larger nibs that uncovers some additional red, orange, and brown hues.

The inks feels well-lubricated and writes smoothly. I haven't had any issues with ink getting stuck or dried up in the nib, and it starts off beautifully after being capped for a while.

One area that I've had a little trouble with different types of paper is feathering/bleed. This ink tends to feather and bleed a bit on certain papers — even Rhodia. It also tends to bleed through to the other side of the page if you're using a really wet nib. It's not terrible, but definitely worth mentioning.

A different area where this ink excels is dry time. Using the 1.1mm stub nib for the writing sample, the ink was normally dry between 10 and 15 seconds, but it's even faster when using a smaller nib. I was surprised by how quickly it was dry to the touch!

Private Reserve Orange Crush comes in a stout 60ml bottle with an incredibly wide mouth. There's plenty of space for filling your pens, but that also means there's even more opportunity to make a giant orange mess. I like the extra wide bottle mouth, but I was definitely more careful when handling this open bottle!

At just under $16 for a 60ml bottle, it's a fantastic value. If you like the color and don't mind having a large amount on hand, it's a great deal. It's not my favorite orange ink, but it's certainly a solid dark, dusty orange if that's your thing. Aside from the feathering/bleed issues, it's also a great performer with quick dry times.

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

Posted on November 17, 2021 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Private Reserve, Ink Reviews.

Sakura Ballsign iD 0.4 mm Gel Pen Review

There are four main gel ink pen makers who I trust blindly to provide consistently great pens: Pentel, Pilot, Uni-ball, and Zebra. They all have decades of experience, and their manufacturing and quality control are always on point. While I don’t personally love every single product they make, I know that they are going to be good in the right hands.

Outside of those brands, it can be tough sledding. There is quality out there, but it is tougher to find. Sakura is looking to change that with the Ballsign iD gel ink pen.

If you have been in the stationery world for any length of time, then you are familiar with Sakura. Their Gelly Roll pens were the first gel ink pens on the market in the 1980’s, and their Pigma Micron lineup is the art marker that all others are measured by. But as classic or as great as those two models are, they really haven’t had a difference maker in the standard writing/office supply gel ink pen market. At least, nothing that can hang with the big four above.

The Ballsign iD is Sakura’s first real competitor. The Ballsign name has been around in various iterations for years, but nothing good enough to stick. The Ballsign Knock is a good pen, but even in my review of it five years ago I mentioned it was a tier down from the best. The iD, though? I think it has a chance.

This is a basic looking pen. It’s modern, with clean lines all around the four-sided (two flat, two rounded) barrel, and a bent-over-the-top steel clip that also serves as part of the knock. The plastic nose cone is the weak point of the design, and would have been served better with a metal that matches the clip.

It is comfortable, and writes well. I’m using the 0.4 mm Mysterious Purple refill in this review, which is the name for their Purple Black gel ink. The Ballsign iD also comes with Blue Black, Green Black, Brown Black, and standard Black refill options.

The refill feels like a combination between the Uni-ball Signo RT for the smoothness, and the Zebra Sarasa Clip for the dryness. This is not an overly inky gel pen, and even being 0.4 mm, may not be wet enough for some writers. Juicy the Ballsign is not.

So, does the Ballsign iD belong in the same category as some of the best in the category? No, but it is as close as any Sakura gel ink pen has been. I think the nose cone is an easy design upgrade, and better ink flow from the tip to eliminate the dryness would be a plus. If Sakura can keep on expanding and improving this lineup, then I think they have a competitor on their hands.

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

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Posted on November 15, 2021 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Sakura, Gel, Pen Reviews.