Paper Mate InkJoy 500 RT 1.0 mm Blue Review

The Paper Mate InkJoy is the most recent store-shelf pen to receive a big marketing push. Advertisements and store displays are abundant, as are PR pitches to mark the launch of Paper Mate’s Revolutionary New Ink System. But how revolutionary is it?

On a scale of 1 to 10 it checks in at about a 0.

Special ink blends are the new black. Uni-ball has used this technology for years in their Jetstream line. Pilot and Zebra followed up more recently with hybrids of their own - the Acroball and Surari, respectively. Formulating an ink to give you smooth, consistent lines is neither new, nor revolutionary. Unfortunately for Paper Mate, all of the other companies do it better.

There is not a lot of bad to say about the InkJoy 500 RT that I reviewed. There is not much good to say either. It is just a pen. I use that phrase to describe pens that are average and offer nothing new or exciting. It writes smoothly (as every 1.0 mm pen should) and starts quickly, but the lines are not as crisp and clean as marketed. There is plenty of white space as if it were your basic generic ballpoint. It has that wonderful ballpoint ink aroma as well.

Regardless of what I think about this pen, Paper Mate will do well with the InkJoy. I bought this pen at Walmart, where Paper Mate has taken over approximately 25% of the pen section. That is where the problem lies. There is nothing new or interesting on the store shelves where the vast majority of consumers shop. The last big change in that section was when the Sharpie Pen started making waves, which was over two years ago.

The pace of innovation in mass-market pens is extremely slow. Inroads are being made by a few manufacturers, and let’s face it, I am not their target customer. The Paper Mate InkJoy is a prime example of that.

Say hello to your moms new favorite pen.

Cross Ion Modification and Review

(This is a guest post by Brian Draghi. You can flow Brian on Twitter @Sketchscape)

I came across the Cross Ion several years ago when I found it in a college bookstore discounted to 5 dollars and immediately purchased it. The small portable design was unlike anything I had seen before and its futuristic look of opening and closing the pen had me hooked. The pen was the perfect size to carry in my pocket without it being too distracting. I only used this pen for a brief amount of time because of the one main drawback which is the large point size.

The only available size for the Cross Ion was the 0.7 mm refill which is too large for my writing style. There was no way to add a smaller refill size from other pens because you could only use the non-standard refills made specifically for the Cross Ion.  Cross had never offered a smaller point size with this pen for those of us who prefer a smaller size.

It had been since shelved and forgotten into my collection of pens. I recently came across it again in my reserve stash of pens in my office. It had such a cool design that I really didn’t want it to go to waste. I was determined once again to find a way to use the Cross Ion with a refill that was smaller than a 0.7. It occurred to me to just try to find a replacement tip for the pen instead wasting my time with refills that would never fit properly.

After several failed experiments trying different tips from my collection of pens I finally found a solution to my problem. The tip from retractable version of the Office Max TUL brand 0.5 needle point as well as the retractable Energel X needle point fits the Cross Ion perfectly. Here is a simple and easy 5 min guide to convert to a needle point tip for the Cross Ion.

Cross Ion mod tools needed:

- One TUL 0.5 needle point refill.

- One Cross Ion refill.

- Pilers.

- A cloth over work area in case some ink spills.

- Good light source.

Four step process:

- Take a pair of pilers and grab the side base of the metal tip, not the needle point part.

- Do the same with the metal tip on the Cross refill. It should put out with some minor pressure.

- Use the pilers to insert the new tip in the Cross refill; it should snap into place perfectly.

- Enjoy your new needle point Cross Ion!

View the entire Cross Ion Mod photo set on Flickr.

Cross Ion refills can still be purchased off Amazon and the Cross website. Some Staples stores still carry these refills but they can be hard to find. I tend to buy multiples of the things I like, so I think I grabbed 3 when I saw them last at Staples a few months ago. I’ve tried to find something smaller around the .35 range but was unsuccessful. This is the simplest way to change the larger point size without having to mod the existing Ion refill or replace it all together. So far, the TUL 0.5 needle point tip works perfectly with the Cross Ion.

Rotring Tikky Rollerpoint 0.5 mm Blue Review

The Rotring Tikky Rollerpoint is an amazing pen, but even amazing pens are not for everyone.

If you have ever asked me for a pen recommendation, the first response you received from me is “What will you be using the pen for?”, that is, if you haven’t laid it out for me already. It is an important question because I want to help you find the best pen for the best situation. Not all pens are created equal!

This Tikky Rollerpoint is one of the most impressive pens I have ever had the pleasure of holding. The weight and feel of the barrel are phenomenal and you can tell by holding it that a lot of thought went in to the design. The needle tip is extremely firm as well.

Where I found the pen getting off track was in the ink flow department. It flows fast and I had to pick up the writing pace to keep ahead of the ink bleeding. For me, it doesn’t fit my style of writing. The output does look impressive on the page though.

Where I see this pen fitting in is with a long form writing style. If you are a cursive note taker or journaler who knocks out several pages in one sitting I would recommend taking a look at this pen. It reminds me of the Pilot V7, which is one of the best needle tip liquid ink pens on the market. If you are more of a stop and start, detailed note taker like me, then you may want to look at a gel ink needle tip pen.

Pen choices are nearly endless. Be sure to take the time to understand the pros and cons of each pen and how it would apply to your situation. Your next favorite pen is out there somewhere.