The biggest question I have about the uniball Zento is around the ink formulation used in the refill. Is it pigmented gel ink? Water-based rollerball ink? Oil-based ballpoint ink? A mixture of two, or even three of those formulations?
According to uniball Japan (via Google Translate): "uniball ZENTO uses newly developed water-based ink that has improved ooze and quick drying while maintaining the writing comfort of conventional water-based ink.”
According to uniball North America: “The uniball™ Zento features a liquid gel ink that dries quickly while providing a super smooth flow.”
According to JetPens: “Ink Composition: Pigment-Based, Water-Based”
Well, that’s as clear as the Black ink it lays down on the page!
Why does this matter so much to me? The type of ink sets expectations, and provides context. For myself, who likes to explain these things to someone looking for their perfect pen, this makes it challenging to narrow down.
For example, here are the currently available gel ink pen models from uniball:
Zento
One
207
207 PLUS+
307
Signo DX
Signo RT
Impact
There are other models, and other barrel shapes and styles available, but I believe these 8 are the different refill types and formulations (the last three listed could use the same Signo ink formulation, but all write differently to me.) Even if there were only five pen and ink types, where does the Zento fit in?
L to R (all uniball): Zento, One F, DX, 307, Jetstream Lite Touch.
The ink is dark and smooth, and it performs like a gel ink on the page, hence my categorization alongside other gel ink pens. It’s closest to the Signo and 207/307 pens as far as darkness of ink, but behind the One, which is designed to have more saturated ink colors. It’s smooth, like the entire 0.38 mm lineup I tested, which is a credit to uniball’s manufacturing quality and consistency.
Not much you can tell here, other than the One is the darkest, and the 307 put down a wider line, despite the same tip size.
Still I ask: why? Why the uniball Zento? I don’t know. The ink is great, but not superior. The barrel is a combination of the One and the new Jetstream Lite Touch, which is fantastic, but seen in other models. The cost is average, at around $3 for the Basic model. It even had two premium options on launch - the $10 Flow model, and the $27 Signature model - which tells me uniball REALLY believes in this pen, but I can’t shake the question.
I don’t think I’ll have a satisfactory answer until uniball begins to pare down their pen offerings, or clarifies the marketing. They have the data, and know their markets much better than I do. And hey, I LOVE that there are new pens for me to talk about. I simply don’t know when I’ll ever choose, or recommend, the Zento over the One, the DX, the Lite Touch, or a litany of non-uniball competition.
No bleed, no feathering - as uniball intended.
Or maybe the Zento is the ONE TRUE ROLLERBALL ink replacement, and the uniball Vision series will be completely replaced? One can dream.
I would recommend the Zento over the 207/307 models, and the barrel is better than the RT. If they are able to add interesting ink colors into the mix, I might take another look. Until then, the best I can say is that if you try it, you won’t be disappointed, but I don’t think it is the best at anything, or unique in any special way.
(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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