YSTUDIO Ocean Sustainable Rollerball Pen Review

The YSTUDIO Ocean Sustainable Rollerball Pen was one of my most anticipated releases of the year, and, in typical YSTUDIO fashion, they delivered a great product.

YSTUDIO came on the scene several years ago, and gained popularity with their lineup of Brassing pens. The concept was to use an underlying brass barrel and coat it with a matte-like black paint which will wear off with age. My favorite is the Brassing Portable Fountain Pen, which quickly became a mainstay in my collection.

Years later, YSTUDIO added resin models to their product lineup for those who didn’t like the weight of their full-metal pens. These, too, performed well. I reviewed the Resin Fountain Pen, and while there was a converter issue with the early models, it turned into a fast favorite as well.

There is something about those faceted barrels, and YSTUDIO got me again with their most colorful release to date.

The Ocean Sustainable Rollerball series features resin barrel made from reclaimed fishing nets in Taiwan. These plastic nets are recovered, recycled, and transformed into the pens you see here. To read more about this process, YSTUDIO has built a page discussing the steps involved. There is great detail shared here, and is well worth your time.

The finished product is classic YSTUDIO, with a range of barrel colors that pop. I chose Sky Blue, which, according to them, represents “open-mindedness, and a clear and radiant heart.” Ok, maybe you don’t need your pen to hit you in the feels like that, but I do appreciate the story they are trying to tell across the product lineup. Each of the other four colors - Dawn Yellow, Sunset Orange, Evening Purple, and Sea Indigo - has their own story to tell.

From a writing perspective, it’s fantastic. This isn’t a small pen, but it works exceptionally well in the hand due to the plastic barrel fronted by a brass grip section. I love the balance and control this setup provides. The only downside is that the taper of the metal section is smooth, and if you have dry fingers, they may slide down. I tend to grip it a bit further back, as the angle of the grip is steep as well.

Ghosting on the back of the Maurman Mnemosyne A5 Notepad. This is an awesome writing paper, especially for fountain pens, but dark, wide, rollerball pens look like this on many paper types.

Fortunately, the refill in use fits the design of the pen perfectly. The Schmidt 5888F Ceramic Roller in Black features a dark, rich line. The tip is marked as 0.6 mm, but given the traditional water-based rollerball ink, the line on the page is wider. To me, it writes like an 0.7 mm marker tip, which is great if that is your expectation. If not, and you use it on fibrous paper, you will see it bleed and feather on the page.

Refill access through the back of the pen. Easy to twist with your fingernail.

I like this refill as an option, but if I want to switch it up, it is compatible with Pilot G2 refills. That means you have hundreds of options to choose from. I’m sticking with the Schmidt for now, as I like the setup and feel of the pen barrel and ink combination.

Will you like it? As I say with every YSTUDIO pen I review, it may not be for you. They are a favorite brand of mine, but there are things to think about when buying one for yourself. Will I like the barrel shape, and feel? Does the grip work for me? Do I have to change the refill to better fit my style? Finally, is it worth $50, which is the going price for the Ocean Sustainable Rollerball?

My answers to those questions made it one of the easiest purchases of the year. Your mileage may vary.

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

Ystudio Resin Fountain Pen in Black: A Review

I've hankered after a Ystudio Brassing Fountain Pen for awhile, but I've never bought one, partly because of the price ($160 for the Portable and $172 for the Desk Pen) and partly because I thought the pen would be too thin (I prefer pens with some girth). I was happy when JetPens sent us a resin version for review because I really wanted to try it out.

The pen comes in a simple cardboard box.

When you open it, the pen is nestled inside--there's nothing else, other than a pamphlet explaining how to ink the pen. Its sleek, minimalistic packaging reminds me a bit of Apple.

The pen is small, measuring 141mm/5.6 inches capped, 164mm/6.5 inches posted, and 128mm/5 inches unposted. It weighs 19.65 grams capped/posted and 15.61 uncapped (this is with the ink cartridge inserted). The grip is 9.72mm at its widest and 8.72 at its narrowest. "Ystudio" is embossed in gold on the barrel.

Although the body and cap are made of matte black resin, the pen features brass elements. The cap finial and barrel finial are adorned with flat brass discs.

The grip is made of brass as is the inner screw section in the barrel, and these give the pen a good balance in the hand. I prefer using it unposted.

The barrel and cap are hexagonal with the barrel tapering slightly where the cap snaps on. The lines of this pen are beautiful.

My Ystudio pen came with one black ink cartridge. This worked perfectly well, but I prefer converters so I can use my own ink. There is a Ystudio converter, but it seems to be available only from Ystudio or Kohezi for around $7.00.

The nib is a gold-plated Schmidt stainless steel fine. It is decorated with some scroll work and the letter F for the nib size.

I was surprised by how smooth this nib is. It's perfectly aligned and exhibited no issues, such as skipping, hard starts, or scratchiness.

I've been writing with this pen daily, and even though it is a thin pen, I find it extremely comfortable. The fine nib doesn't offer any line variation (nor should you expect it to), but the ink flows well and writing is quite pleasant, even for longer writing sessions.

I find myself reaching for the Ystudio Resin Fountain Pen often, especially when I want to write a quick note. I like how easily the cap pops on and off, and the shape and balance of the pen are perfect for my hand.

The Ystudio Resin Fountain Pen comes in black, red, and white, and costs $72.00 (This product isn’t live yet on JetPens ystudio Fountain Pens page, but can be found at Pen Addict sponsors Goldspot, Pen Chalet, and Vanness Pens.) That's still a pretty penny for a resin pen (even with the brass accents). However, this pen is beautifully designed and doesn't have the plasticky feel of some other pens in this price range. I'm pleasantly surprised at how much I like this pen, which probably means a Ystudio Brassing Pen is in my future.

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

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Ystudio Brassing Rollerball Pen Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)

Plenty of companies have a brand, or an aesthetic, and lots have Design, but it's not that often you find a company that has a philosophy, and whose brands, designs, and products encompass that philosophy as wholly as Ystudio’s do. We tend to fall in love with those companies. Field Notes is a common example. I think Ystudio is one fewer people have heard about, and who ought to be on everyone's radar.

I got my first Ystudio pen a few years ago when they first became available at retail stores in the US. It was the Brassing Fountain Pen, and it became an immediate favorite of mine. This Brassing Rollerball model is its sibling, and they make a great pair.

Like the fountain pen, the Brassing Rollerball is made of brass, with a black lacquer coating its facets. The lacquer is designed to wear away as you use the pen, revealing the raw brass beneath. Then the brass will patina, creating a whole new layer of character to the pen's life and your use of it. This idea of forming a unique look to your pen through a lifetime of use really appeals to me. The process is definitely a slow one, though. I've used my fountain pen pretty regularly for years and it's not yet showing any signs of wear.

This is a sturdy pen. The brass walls are thick, and it's quite heavy in the hand. It's well-balanced, though, and is very comfortable to write with. The metal is cold to the touch at first, but it warms up as you write. The cap clicks to close, with a friction fit that clicks solidly in place. It does not post, and there is no clip, but the six facets keep the barrel or cap from rolling off the desk.

The grip section is on the narrow side. It is also raw brass, so it quickly takes on the patina of your grip. The raw brass isn't slippery, and there's a metal ridge that stops your fingers from sliding forward. I believe that ridge is also part of the click-closed mechanism, which is high up in the cap.

The pen takes a Schmidt 5888 refill, which writes wonderfully with a fine black line. It's similar to what you get in a Retro 51, so if you've used one of those, you know it's a fantastic ink. To insert the cartridge, you need to unscrew the bottom of the pen. There's a small screw there that opens up the refill chamber. It's flush with the pen, but it's not difficult to undo. You can use a coin, but I had no trouble just using my fingernail. The refill goes right in the pen, and the screw keeps it in place.

The Ystudio aesthetic, design, and philosophy have totally enchanted me. I love these pens, but they are not inexpensive. They exude the sense that they are crafted not manufactured, and the price reflects that. This rollerball sells for a pretty $110 on JetPens. That's more than I'd usually pay for a rollerball, but I think this is one of those pens where it's worth if, if you decide it is.

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

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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.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!