Posts filed under Pen Reviews

Uni Style Fit Single Color Slim Gel 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.)

Uni makes great gel pens and their Uni Style Fit multipens are very popular. But here's a fun new profile from them that I actually prefer: single color slim gel pens. These are ultra skinny pens with the same great Uni refills and ink, but with a small enough footprint that you can cram a lot more of them into your pen case...or house. The body is just wide enough to accommodate the refill, and there are no frills, bells, or whistles.

They can be refilled with any Uni Style fit refill, which includes ballpoint, gel, or even mechanical pencil. They can be .28 mm, .38 mm, or .5 mm. I have the 16-color bundle in .5 mm and they write smooth as glass with wonderfully saturated colors.

The colors in this set are violet, pink, baby pink, rose pink, red, mandarin orange, orange, golden yellow, lime green, green, sky blue, bright blue, blue, blue black, black, and brown black. It's a lovely spectrum, with enough difference between the shades that I can justify dragging all 16 around with me. And because they're so portable, I can do that easily.

Uni has great ink technology. The ink is resistant to water, fading, and forgery chemicals. It doesn't skip or railroad, and it writes easily even after being left exposed for long periods of time.

While I love the slim, clipless design, the pens are a bit flimsy. The clear plastic feels light and brittle, and it often comes unscrewed from the barrel--seemingly even by itself when the pen is just sitting in a pen cup. Unless my pen cup is haunted. I've had to twist them back together fairly regularly. The plastic wrap label is loose and seems like it's intended to come off, though you'd then lose your color label. Still, it's not difficult to identify colors with the tips and end-caps so clearly visible. The pieces are a bit rattle-y and don't fit together as flush as some of Uni's other pens. I was actually a bit surprised to learn that they're refillable, because they feel quite disposable.

Issues with build aside, I still really like these. The ink and portability take priority over other inconveniences. They're great to tuck into my planner case for journaling on the go and don't add extra bulk to my already slightly ridiculous edc situation. They also fit nicely into the slim pencil slots in cases, so if you prefer coloring with pens rather than pencils, these are great to take along.

I do worry that the very small refills will drain too quickly, but with the ultra fine-pointed refills, I doubt that will be a problem. And with 16 colors to choose from, they rotate quite regularly, so no one pen gets too much play.

If you've got journaling or coloring to do on the go, these are a good option. I don't expect them to last forever, and they aren't the cheapest of gel pens, but they do meet a specific need that I haven't had met by other varieties.

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

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Posted on July 19, 2018 by Sarah Read and filed under Uni, Style Fit, Pen Reviews.

Inventery Pocket Fountain Pen Review

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

Not long ago, I had the pleasure of reviewing a retractable rollerball pen from a small company called Inventery. It was an impressive pen that featured a minimal design and hearty materials, and I still really enjoy using that pen today. Just recently, I've been using a new pen from Inventery called the Pocket Fountain Pen. The model I have is made of brass and also includes some additional goodies that change the size and functionality of the pen. In all, it's a pretty exciting offering that I've been fairly pleased with.

All the features

The official name of the product I have is the "Pocket FP + Extender in Brass." There's a lot included in the "+ Extender" designation. To make it easy to follow along, here's a list of what's included in the box:

Inventery Pocket Fountain Pen with a gold-colored Schmidt nib
Additional section to extend the length of the pen barrel
Schmidt standard international converter
Schmidt ballpoint section that can be swapped out for the fountain pen section
Four different finial components that screw into place on the cap:
- Clip component
- Flush component
- Stylus component
- Lanyard component
Plus a bunch of short international cartridges with black ink (nine carts, to be exact)

All I could think when I opened up this package was "Wow." There's a lot going on here, and it's all shiny brass. Very powerful first impression. With a price tag of $165, this will be a difficult purchase for some, even when considering this is a machined brass pen. Do all the unique features and customizations make up for that price? Well, like most things, it depends on the user.

Look and feel

After assembling the pen in my favorite configuration (extended section with the fountain pen section and clip component to prevent rolling) and inking it up with some Iroshizuku Murasaki Shikibu, I was delighted with the performance of the F nib out of the box. Smooth as silk, responsive, and well fed. Schmidt nibs can be a bit fussy out of the box, and I was happy to find no such issues with a pen of this price. Being made of brass, there's a considerable weight to adjust to. At 39 grams, it's not a light pen, but this isn't new territory for machined pens. Either way, it feels great in the hand. Despite the weight, it's still a really small pen. It's somewhere between a Kaweco Liliput and Supra in size, but with the same form factor.

Given the extension that you can use in the body, you can change the feel of the pen quite a bit. As such, I found it comfortable to post the cap if the extension was not in use. With the extension, posting the cap made the pen too long for my hand, which threw off the balance when trying to write. The pen wanted to flip over the back of my hand during certain strokes.

This is all well and good — being able to control the length and weight of the pen is a good thing. But that customization is a moot point if you plan on using the included converter. You must use the extension to make room for the long converter. I've been perfectly happy holding the cap in my other hand while writing with the long version of the pen. This allows me to use what ink I want instead of being limited to the cartridges I have on hand. If you prefer cartridges, this limitation won't impact you.

Being made of brass, there's certainly a metallic odor associated with this pen after minimal use. Depending on what day it is and what side of the bed I woke up on, I either don't mind this smell or I really can't stand it. For that reason, I'd probably stick with the plated options that Inventery offer. You can choose either "Black Oxide" or "Brushed Chrome" if you don't want the raw brass option. They're all the same price, and they're all made of brass. The added benefit of the plated versions is that you don't have to deal with the natural effects of oxidation on brass.

The included finial components are more of a gimmick in my mind. It's all about customizing the aesthetic of the pen. I've never enjoyed pens that include a stylus, so it's great that they've left that decision to me. The flush finial looks great, but the pen rolls around. The lanyard finial seems like a good idea, but I don't use any pens with a lanyard. The clip finial is my favorite, but I don't like that the clip doesn't actually rest against the cap. It rests about 2mm away from the body of the pen, making it ineffective at actually clipping it to things. As long as gravity is on your side, the pen will be secure. If anything gets turned upside down or jostled too much, it will fly right out.

Swapping out the different finial components is incredibly easy since they are all threaded.

Build quality

The build quality of the Pocket Fountain Pen is on par with the other pen I've used from Inventery: it's fantastic. The main thing I want to point out is that Inventery have included a brilliant feature on the inside threads of the cap. Instead of brass-on-brass threads, there's a thing plastic lining on the inside of the cap. This means that when you unscrew/screw on the cap, you don't have the tactile feedback of scraping metal or the abrasive sound. The thin lining makes the experience incredibly smooth and quiet. I'm not sure how long this lining will last over the years. The lining is included on the cap threads as well as the interior threads of the section extension piece. I can't stress enough how much I appreciate this feature.

Tolerances are tight with this pen. It has a very slim profile, so that means that there are no visible gaps between the pieces and that the cartridge converter barely slips into the body of the pen. There is no room for larger converters or cartridges. They machined this pen exactly for the standard cartridge converter. This shouldn't be a problem since that size is very common, but it is interesting to see how that works when assembling the pen.

The fountain pen section and ballpoint section each unscrew from the grip section with ease. This is identical to how the Kaweco fountain pens operate, making nib replacements a breeze.

Writing performance

This is really two pens in one, so I'll start off with the fountain pen section. Like I said earlier, the Schmidt nib operated beautifully out of the box. The flow is great, the nib is smooth on paper, and I really enjoy writing with it. Given the smooth but contoured grip section and the weight of the pen, it's a joy to write with. As long as you can tolerate the smell of oxidation that comes with brass pens, it's a fantastic experience.

I've never used a ballpoint or rollerball pen that uses a fountain pen cartridge or converter, so this was a new experience for me. I'll start off by saying that the plastic ballpoint component does detract from the overall look and fell of the pen compared to all the brass. The Schmidt nib is also gold-colored, which fits in nicely with the color scheme. Not knowing what to expect, I popped in a J. Herbin Éclat de Saphir cartridge and started writing. After a few seconds, the ink started flowing beautifully. The 0.5mm tip is very fine and makes a great line. Cleaning it is also fairly simple; I used the same process as the fountain pen section, but it didn't take as long to clear out and dry. When the ballpoint section is installed in the pen, it's also a joy to write with. Like I said, though, it doesn't look as nice as the fountain pen section due to the black plastic.

One quirk regarding the two writing components is the fact that you can't swap them out with the brass section without also removing the cartridge or converter. This usually isn't an issue, but in some instances you might have some ink spillage.

Overall

The Inventery Pocket Fountain Pen + Extender is an interesting pen with a lot of options and customizations. Doing it over, I'd probably go with a different color option to avoid the brass smell, but the pen is a great writer and unique enough to merit a look. Given that the Kaweco Supra is a bit larger, but still less expensive, I'd recommend you look there first and weigh your options. I love the rounded ends of the Supra, but that's another matter of personal taste.

At $165, this pen sits in a category that is extremely competitive and fully stocked. I wouldn't recommend this to someone as a first "premium" pen purchase due to the other options that are available in the same price range (or lower). If you're familiar with brass machined pens and this design grabs you, then you won't be disappointed.

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Posted on July 18, 2018 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Inventery, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Caran d’Ache 849 Nespresso Ballpoint Pen in Dharkan: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

I rarely use ballpoint pens anymore, but I wanted one for my purse. I don’t carry fountain pens in it due to their potential to leak. Plus, my various pen cases don’t fit in my purse. So, I decided I needed a nice ballpoint that would be my “purse pen” for those rare times I need to write a check or when I need to jot down a quick note.

I ran across the Caran d’Ache 849 Nespresso pen on Instagram. I loved the color (it matches my purse pretty closely), and I liked that the pen was made from recycled Nespresso pods. I think those things are so wasteful, but Caran d’Ache came up with a way to make them into a lovely click pen.

The pen is packaged, appropriately, in recycled cardboard, and the presentation is sophisticated yet simple.

The pen comes with one Goliath medium black cartridge, but I ordered a fine blue because I don’t like medium points. Installing the new cartridge was simple: you just unscrew the click mechanism, remove the old cartridge and put the new one in, and press on the click mechanism while turning.

As I stated above, the pen is made from used Nespresso aluminum pods using a special alloy. The surface has some texture which is created with microbeading and electrostatic treatment. Caran d’Ache and Nespresso have collaborated to create a different color Nespresso pen each year. This year’s color is Dharkan which is a lovely grayish blue.

The body of the pen is hexagonal. One side is engraved with the words “Made with Recycled Nespresso Capsules.”

Under the modern-looking stainless steel clip “849 Caran d’Ache” is engraved, and “Swiss Made” appears just below the click mechanism.

The click mechanism is also engraved with “Caran d’Ache.” It is a very quiet mechanism, so if you like to irritate co-workers in meetings by clicking your pens, this is definitely not the pen for you. Or, maybe it is! You can click away without irritating others and, who knows, you might get a promotion!

The ballpoint writes smoothly, and the ink glides onto the paper. I did not encounter any problems while writing, such as ink blobs or skipping.

Unfortunately, this pen is way too skinny for my hand, though the hexagonal shape helps with gripping. Writing three pages with it was agony, and I was glad to put the pen down after finishing my handwritten review. This is obviously not the pen’s fault. I just prefer larger diameter pens. Folks who love skinny pens will find the Caran d’Ache Nespresso to be very comfortable. That said, a purse pen isn’t meant for writing novellas. I just want a light and leak-free writing instrument for times when I don’t have access to a fountain pen. For this the pen will work well.

Still, this is a rather expensive purse pen. I purchased my Caran d’Ache Nespresso from Goldspot Pens on sale for $45.90. Although the pen is well made and classy looking, I’m not convinced it’s worth almost $50. The refills are also a bit expensive at $9.50 a piece.

I will probably return this pen, depending on whether or not I have to pay Goldspot’s 15% restocking fee. If I have to pay that on top of shipping it back, I may just keep it or give it to someone as a gift.

Pros

The Caran d’Ache 849 Nespresso pen is a very nice looking ballpoint pen. I love that it is made from recycled Nespresso pods, which are otherwise quite wasteful.
The pen has a textured surface and a hexagonal shape, both of which make it possible to maintain a good grip on the pen.
The pen writes smoothly, and the Goliath cartridges are easy to replace.
I really like the Dharkan color.

Cons