pen review Archives - Page 7 of 8

Stabilo Bionic Worker Rollerball 0.5mm Review

October 13, 2013 by Blake

When I think of Stabilo I don’t think of great pens, I think of highlighters, as that is what they are most famous for. I have never been a fan of their pens but the Bionic Worker is the first that I would actually buy again.

The Bionic Worker is an unusual rollerball pen with a rubberized orange body. Stabilo labels this pen a 0.5mm but it’s definitely much wider than that; it seems like a 1.0mm to me. The rollerball is ultra smooth (as you would expect a 1.0mm tip to be) and the ink is nice and dark. Stabilo calls the nickle silver tip indestructible. I really like the details on this pen. There is a little knob on the side of the body that keeps the pen from rolling off the desk. The cap closes and posts flush with the body and there are three little portholes on each side of the pen that allow you to view the feed and ink level. The metal clip features the Stabilo swan and feels sturdy.

The Bionic Worker comes in black, blue, red and green ink with “0.5mm” and “0.3mm” tip sizes. This pen is not refillable which is too bad because it is expensive at $3.85. Next time I am going to buy the 0.3mm tip as I suspect that will be a bit closer to a true medium.

Here are some great reviews of the Stabilo Bionic Worker:

(I have no affiliation to the sites linked below)

Pencil Talk – Stabilo bionic worker

No Pen Intended – Stabilo Bionic Worker Roller Ball Pen – 0.3 mm – Black Ink

A Penchant For Paper – Stabilo Bionic Worker 0.5mm Black

Pocket Blonde – Stabilo Bionic Worker Roller Ball Review

The Pen Addict – Stabilo Bionic Worker Roller Ball 0.5 mm Review

Pilot Down Force 0.7mm Ballpoint Review

October 10, 2013 by Blake

The Pilot Down Force is a pressurized ballpoint pen that is designed to write at any angle. I don’t have any need for a pressurized pen but I liked the loud yellow body so I bought it as an impulse buy. My favorite thing about this pen is the satisfying click it makes, apart from that and the bright yellow body I didn’t find much else to like. The plastic body is a bit too fat for my taste and the 0.7mm refill is okay, not as nice as what you find in a Pilot Acroball. The line is darker and sharper than a Fischer Space pen’s and it’s cheaper but at $8 its not cheaper than a Uni Power Tank. The Uni Power Tank is writes better, is pressurized and costs less than half the price of the Down Force. If you really enjoy clicking pens the Down Force might be worth a look but if you just want a nice pen don’t bother; this one’s crap.

Here is another review of the Pilot Down Force: (I have not affiliation to the site linked below)

The Clicky Post – Pilot Down Force – Pen Review

Lamy Dialog 1 Ballpoint Pen Review

October 8, 2013 by Blake

Lamy’s Dialog line features high end pens designed by prominent industrial designers. The Dialog 1 was designed by Richard Sapper, most famous for the Tizio Lamp by Artemide and the original IBM Thinkpad. The Dialog 1 features a metal triangular shaped body with a matte titanium finish. The pen weighs about 24 grams, which is pretty lightweight for a metal pen. The triangular shape of the body is comfortable to use. The bottom side of the pen is lightly rounded and has two little plastic feet to steady the pen on a flat surface. The Dialog 1 uses a push click mechanism and has a spring-loaded metal clip. Underneath the clip is the Lamy logo etched into the body.

The Dialog 1 only takes propriety Lamy M16 refills that come in black, blue, red with a fine, medium, or broad tip. They write well for a standard ballpoint and last a very long time. The ink is archival and states “for documents ISO 12757-2 HM DOC” on the body of the refill. The sample above is written with a red fine tip M16 refill. To change a refill you have to use the non-writing end of an M16 refill to poke the small dot on the black plastic portion near the tip of the pen; this releases the front section of the pen so that you may load the new refill. It is an interesting way to change a refill but necessary to keep the lines of the pen ultra clean. Also worth noting is that the matte titanium finish does attract fingerprints; I usually don’t like metal pens for this reason but the matte finish makes it more bearable.

The Dialog 1 retails for $130, that is a pretty big investment for a pen that uses a $5 refill. I bought the Dialog 1 because I love the beautiful utilitarian design and wanted a nice pen to travel with. The Dialog 1 is a real conversation starter without being flashy or over the top; I highly recommend it.

Itoya Paper Skater Gel Pen Review

October 5, 2013 by Blake

The Itoya Paper Skater is one of my favorite non-fountain pens. It features a low resistance gel ink rollerball refill in a simple plastic body. The Paper Skater glides across the paper effortlessly and lays down a bold deep black line. The plastic body is very clean and dignified without any ugly logos or barcodes. The cap has a satisfying click and features Itoya’s signature elliptical clip. The Paper Skater comes with a blue, black or white body a black 0.7mm refill. I incorrectly stated in the written review that you can only get black refills; you can actually get blue, purple, green, and red; you just have to purchase them separately. Also, you can fit the 1.0mm and 0.7mm Itoya AquaRoller refill in the Paper Skater. If you don’t mind a thicker line I highly recommend the Paper Skater; it is a pleasure to use.

Here is a great review of the Paper Skater:

(I have no affiliation to the site linked below)

Gourmet Pens – Review: Itoya Paper Skater Gel Pen

Ohto Graphic Liner Needle Point Pens 005 + 02 Review

October 2, 2013 by Blake

The Otho Graphic Liner is a roller ball pen with pigment ink that is both water proof and fade proof. There is a line width for everyone, 0.3mm to 1.5mm. The 0.5mm is my favorite as it is ultra smooth while still laying down a fine and sharp line. The Graphic Liner feels a bit like a porous tip fine liner with the smooth ink flow and a bit like a roller ball with the hard metal tip; it’s a great combination. The O.3mm is a little more needle-like than I prefer but it is still smoother than most 0.3mm pens I have tried, including the Pilot Hi-Tec-C gel pen. These pens are labeled with numbers that correspond to their various line widths, however they aren’t labeled in millimeters, instead the 0.3mm is a 005 and the 0.5mm is a 02 so be careful when you purchase. The Graphic Liner isn’t the most attractive with it’s black body and orange accents. The clip is strong and functional.

Otho classifies the Graphic Liner as a “free ink roller pen”, meaning that the pen has no “fibrous ink reservoir” (if anyone knows what that actually means please let me know). The Graphic Liner only comes in black but Otho makes other free ink roller pens that come in multiple colors, so I will definitely be giving those a try. At $2.50 ($2.65 for the 005) I highly recommend it; it is easily one of my favorite non-fountain pens.

Here are some great reviews on the Ohto Graphic Liner:

(I have no affiliation to the sites linked below)

Papercide – OHTO Graphic Liner 005

LifeImitatesDoodles – Review of the Ohto Graphic Liner Needle Point Drawing Pen

Atomic Venetia – Product Review: Ohto graphic liner needle point drawing set

The Well-Appointed Desk – Ohto Graphic Liner 0.3

The Pen Addict – Ohto Graphic Liner Needle Point Drawing Pen 03 Review

Pilot Ageless Future Gel Pen Review

September 30, 2013 by Blake

Pilot Ageless Pen - tip position 1 - fully retracted — Pilot Ageless Pen – tip position 1 – fully retracted

The Pilot Ageless line comprises high quality pens with a patented two staged twist mechanism that completely retracts the pen tip. They come in two flavors: gel and ballpoint (the refills are not interchangeable). There are two barrel options that come in a variety of colors, the Future has a metal barrel with a silver grip section and the Presence has a plastic body with a translucent grey grip section.

Pilot Ageless Future - Tip position 2. — Pilot Ageless Future – tip position 2

Pilot Ageless Future - tip position 3 — Pilot Ageless Future – tip position 3

The design of the pen is nice and clean and is great for pockets as the tip completely retracts; no more getting stabbed by your pen. I like the Carbon Grey body of the Future which looks and feels high quality. The clip is small but strong. The Future is nicely weighted without being too heavy.

The Ageless Gel is one of the smoothest gel pens I have used. The refills only come in fine 0.7mm with blue or black ink and they aren’t that cheap; a pack of 12 costs $37 (about $3 a refill). The fine 0.7mm line is on the fatter side and the ink doesn’t look that sharp but I do enjoy writing with this pen and I can’t say that about many gel pens. The pen comes in a white tube which works as a storage box as well as a pen stand. The Pilot Ageless Future Gel makes a really nice gift for someone who wants a great everyday pen.

Here are some other great Pilot Ageless Reviews:

(I have no affiliation to the sites linked below)

The Pen Chronicles – Ageless vs. Timeline

Slow Burn Productions – Pen review: Pilot Namiki Ageless Future in Silver

Staedtler Triplus Fineliner Review

September 26, 2013 by Blake

I have been using a Staedtler Triplus Fineliner since my school days and it is still one of my favorite fineliners. The Triplus fineliner comes in 30 different colors and features a long thin triangle-shaped barrel with a metal encased tip. The tip is on the softer side but manages to still feel precise and ultra smooth. The Triplus fineliner puts down a very clean and crisp line that Staedtler measures at 0.3mm. I enjoy writing with this pen but others may find the line too wide. By changing pressure you can get some line variation.

The Triplus fineliner also features “DRY SAFE” technology that allows the pen to be uncapped for days without drying out. I haven’t tested this claim beyond 30 minutes but others have and attest that the Triplus wont dry out after a few days of being uncapped. It is worth noting that the ink is neither archival nor waterproof.

For a pen of this type, the Staedtler Triplus fineliner lasts a long time and at $1.30 a piece you can’t go wrong. Also if you buy these pens in a set the box turns into a pen stand which is awesome.

Here are some great reviews of the Staedtler Triplus Fineliner:

(I have no affiliation to the sites linked below)

The Pen Addict – Staedtler Triplus Fineliner 0.3 mm Review

Fitness and Filofaxing – Review: Staedtler Triplus Fineliner

A Penchant for Paper – Staedtler Triplus Fineliners

Journaling Arts – Review: Staedtler Triplus Fineliners in a Moleskine Sketchbook

Pilot 78G Fountain Pen Review

September 25, 2013 by Blake

The Pilot 78G is a great looking budget fountain pen. The pen I will be reviewing has a bold nib that is actually a stub; I do not know why Pilot doesn’t offer this pen with a round tipped bold nib.

The nib writes quite well with some feedback but it is a bit dry for my taste; I may have to experiment with some different inks to find what works best with this pen.

The Pilot 78G comes with an aerometric-style converter and also accepts Pilot cartridges. It is rare for pens at this price point to come with a converter. For example, the ultra popular Lamy Safari at $35 doesn’t come with a converter; you have to pay an extra $5 to get one. Unlike the aerometric filling system found in a Parker 51 the Pilot’s doesn’t hold a lot of ink. If you plan to do a lot of writing you would be better served by using this pen with a cartridge.

The body is made of a lightweight black plastic and features a gold plated steel nib and clip. The 78G weighs in at about half an ounce which is lighter than I prefer. Capped it measures about 5.25″ and is 0.5″ wide at its widest point. The grip section is a problem, at less than a quarter inch wide I find it too skinny to be comfortable for long writing sessions. If you have larger hands or a tight grip this pen may be a bit too small for you. The body of the 78G seems to scratch quite easily but at this price point it’s not that big of a deal.

I have been using the Pilot 78G for 7 days straight now and it is great for taking notes. Compared to my Lamy Safari w/1.1mm stub, the Pilot 78G writes better, looks better and costs a fourth of the price. In short the Pilot 78G is great entry-level fountain pen that I highly recommend.

Here are some great reviews of the Pilot 78G fountain pen:

(I have no affiliation to the sites linked below)

Gourmet Pens – Review: Pilot 78G Green Fountain Pen – Broad Nib

Ink of Me Fondly – Pilot 78G Fountain Pen Fine Nib Black Body

The Daily Acquisition – Pilot 78G Fountain Pen Review

Pilot FriXion Clicker Erasable Gel Pen Review

September 23, 2013 by Blake

While there are a lot of things I don’t like about the Pilot FriXion Clicker Erasable Gel Pen, it is easily the best erasable pen I have used.

Sorry about the picture quality. Out of town for the weekend and forgot my camera.

One thing I didn’t mention in the written review is that the eraser doesn’t make a mess like a normal pencil eraser. The ink disappears with heat caused by the “frixion” of the eraser against the paper.

Here is another Pilot FriXion Clicker review:

(I have no affiliation to the site linked below)

Pilot FriXion Clicker Erasable Gel Pen Review – by Y-uhao’s

S.T. Dupont Liberte Ballpoint Pen Review

September 23, 2013September 22, 2013 by Blake

I have never been a fan of non-gel ballpoints; the ink is generally inconsistent and not particularly vivid. I have received ballpoints as gifts on a number of occasions and on a pen blog it would be wrong to ignore them.

The S.T. Dupont Liberté ballpoint is made from a brass barrel finished in black lacquer (not the more expensive Chinese lacquer S.T. Dupont is famous for) with palladium accents. The tapered design is elegant and the top of the cap its faceted with “D” in metal. Even though this is a lower end model for S.T. Dupont it still costs a whopping $480 retail. The Liberté is a fingerprint magnet and that drives me nuts but the fit and finish is exceptional.

The Liberté weighs in at 1.16oz which makes it a heavier pen but in my hand it is incredibly well balanced. The body of the pen attaches to the cap with threading on the INSIDE of the barrel (see below). To deploy and retract the ballpoint you simply twist the pen. The twist mechanism is both very smooth and very crisp.

The ballpoint is an S.T. Dupont branded EasyFLOW Schmidt refill that is unusually smooth. It is so smooth in fact that I felt inclined to write in my normal cursive-esque hand. Unfortunately the look of the ink is unusually hideous. The easyFLOW refill always starts up without delay which is nice but when the ink looks this washed out and faint who really cares?

With a better refill The S.T. Dupont Liberté would be a great ballpoint pen that quality-wise is superior to many pens in the same price-range (the modern version of the Montblanc Meisterstück and the Cartier Diabolo come to mind).