Posts filed under Rollerball

Retro 51 Tornado Big Shot USPS Dragons Stamps Review

It doesn’t take much for me to review a pen, but a pen with dragons? How fast can it get here?

The Retro 51 Tornado Big Shot USPS Dragons Stamps not only looks amazing, but sports a feature that I have yet to review on a Retro 51: it’s big. I guess the Big Shot name gave that away, huh? But maybe not, so that’s why I wanted to take a look at it today, and compare it to the standard sized Tornado that many people are familiar with.

As a regular standard Tornado user, the size of the Big Shot is immediately noticeable when you pick it up. The length of the two pen models is identical at 125 mm, but the diameter is where the changes are. For comparison, here are the specs:

Big Shot grip area: 6.4 mm

Big Shot upper barrel: 9.2 mm

Big Shot Weight: 40 g

Standard grip area: 4.4 mm

Standard upper barrel: 6.5 mm

Standard Weight: 28 g

Looking at the numbers, the 12 gram weight difference is noticeable, but not that big of a jump in overall feel. The Big Shot is a well-balanced model, and while I noticed the weight difference when switching back and forth between the two models, I didn’t find it to be too heavy. The diameter, though, did take a bit of getting used to.

I took the barrel diameter measurements with my calipers right in the middle of where I grip the pen, so take my listed measurements with that caveat. The grip is obviously wider in the Big Shot, and given the refill used - the stock Schmidt P8127 used across the lineup by Retro 51 - it works. Wide refills and wide grips go together in my book, and it didn’t feel like too much of an outlier.

What took the most getting used to was the much wider upper barrel. Even though that area of the pen (I measured just under the clip/mechanism hardware near the top of the barrel,) sits in the open area in the cusp of my hand, I kept thinking about how bulky it felt there. Not in a good or a bad way, but in a “I keep noticing this,” kind of way. It’s wide up top, for sure.

With the size comparisons out of the way, let’s talk about the one thing that Retro 51 usually nails: the design. They have worked in collaboration with the United States Postal Service (USPS) for years, and each of those designs has been a hit. But this one, featuring Dragon stamps, was the first design that I had to get for myself. It’s so cool looking, with the bright colors and different stamp designs placed around the barrel. I’m having as much fun looking at it as I am using it.

From a price perspective, the Retro 51 USPS Dragons is $61 and lands in the middle of the Retro 51 Tornado lineup. The base level solid color Tornado is $28, and the more detail and design elements the pen has, the greater the price, reaching upwards of $100 for very complicated releases.

I’ve been enjoying my time with this pen, and I’m glad to now have a Big Shot in the collection. As a model, I will always prefer the standard size Tornado, but if the design dictates it - as in this case - I may consider adding another to the collection down the line.

(Goldspot provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on April 2, 2024 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Retro 51, Rollerball, Pen Reviews.

LAMY Safari Rollerball Review

With my love for all things Safari, you would think I would have reviewed the LAMY Safari Rollerball by now. I checked, and I haven’t, although Jeff did share his opinion a few years back. It’s time for me to get on the board as well.

The LAMY Safari Fountain Pen has been a long time favorite of mine - this 2008 review is hilarious - and the Safari Ballpoint is a more recent fascination. (Side note: we don’t mention the Safari Mechanical Pencil around these parts.) While those two pens see regular use in my writing kit, it’s only with the 2024 Violet Blackberry Rollerball Special Edition did I commit to using one. So far, I’m thoroughly enjoying it.

Let’s get the obvious LAMY Safari issue out of the way first. This is not a pen for everyone due to the molded grip section that “places” your fingers into a set writing position. That’s all well and good if you have a traditional writing grip like I do, but it is a non-starter for many people for a valid reason.

I’m fortunate that it does work for me, because aesthetically I love everything about the Safari design. All of the bright colors they have released through the years - either in standard or special editions - are right up my alley, and they can design a pretty good dark-themed pen, too. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the famous LAMY Safari pen clip, which I also enjoy. It’s ostentatious, but somehow works.

With design talk out of the way, it is time to focus on what can make or break a rollerball pen: the refill. LAMY uses their proprietary M63 Rollerball refill and, luckily, it is a good one. I say luckily, because the downside of a proprietary refill is that it is difficult to hack in another refill if you love the pen but hate the refill. There is a Pilot G2 hack out there if you want to cut an extender for that particular refill, but otherwise, the M63 is your lone choice.

As best as I can tell without markings, the M63 Rollerball tip is approximately 1.0 mm. This is in the normal range for water-based rollerball refills, and while my preference lies in 0.7 mm tip sizes (there are a few rare 0.5 mm and finer rollerballs out there, but that’s an article for another day,) the M63 is manageable for my writing. Importantly, given the wide line size, it hasn’t exhibited bleeding and feathering on the papers I’ve tested it on, but I’m sure there are some non-compatible fibers out there. My expectations when I pick up this pen are a dark, controllable line, and the M63 delivers.

Should you buy a LAMY Rollerball pen? As much as I enjoy them, there is a solid list of pros (good refill, style,) and cons (grip, broad line,) to consider. At $20, the price is fair if you are interested, so add one to the list if it checks the right boxes for you.

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

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Posted on March 11, 2024 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Lamy, Rollerball, Pen Reviews.

Pentel Floatune Rollerball Pen Review

The Pentel Floatune is a recent pen release that has found its way on to big box retail store shelves. This category is always of great interest to me because one, they are widely available, and two, I want to know what is different about it. This is not an area where we see many new entrants - or at least new entrants that stick around for years at a time - so what is this pen all about?

For starters, the name. According to Pentel, the Floatune “enables your ideas to float down the stream of imagination.” This is due to the “synergy of a new water based ink infused with an oil-based lubricant and a finely tuned pen tip mechanism provides a smooth, floating-like writing experience.” Staying on theme, Pentel would like you to know that it also “floats across the page without skipping (unlike some pens,)” even on papers that matter most, such as “Greeting Cards, Receipts, Journals.”

Ok Pentel Marketing Department, you earned your keep this month!

Joking aside, this is information I want to see. Tell me what is different about your product, and why I should consider purchasing it. With the Floatune, the idea is that you will get smooth, wide, rich, skip-free lines on the page, and will look good doing it.

The key to Pentel’s marketing is the oil-infused water-based ink, and in my early testing, it is great. The best feature so far is the skip-free aspect of the line. It is solid, almost marker like, and yes, it floats - glides smoothly - across the page. The color is nice, and, oddly enough, feels like one of the most fountain pen adjacent standard inks I have used.

*Top to bottom: Pentel Floatune 0.8 mm, Ajoto Pen with Schmidt P8127 0.7 mm, Lamy Safari Extra Fine Nib, Pilot Precise V5 0.5 mm, Uni-ball Vision Ultra MIcro 0.38 mm.*

I did some comparisons with other water-based ink pens I use frequently, including my favorite Schmidt P8127 rollerball refill, and the Floatune held its own. By measurements, its 0.8 mm tip size is the widest I used, and I think even that sells it short. It is closer to a 1.0 mm line width on the page, or at least feels like that when writing. I would love to see the Floatune in 0.5 mm, similar to how Uni-ball brought their Vision rollerball all the way down to the Ultra Micro 0.38 mm size.

*If the Pentel Sign Pen had a metal tip.*

*I used the Studio Neat Keepbook for testing because it is an absorbent page. Only the fountain pen ink bled through. The Floatune (top,) showed no feathering or bleeding.*

But that’s just me, a proponent of fine lines. The Floatune may not be made for me, but it is a great choice if this is a category of pen you like.

The one hangup I have with the Floatune ties directly back to my friends at the Pentel Marketing department. This pen is made with “62% post-consumer recycled material,” but guess what? It is not refillable. Do not tell me your environmental bonafides when I have to throw away a complete $3 pen once I run out of ink. And you will run out of ink quickly at this level of ink output on the page.

*Good stuff on the back of the page - no issues.*

I think the Pentel Floatune is a good pen as long as it fits your needs going into the purchase. Lots of large-sized writing and notes? Perfect. Fine details? Not so much. I bought mine at JetPens, where they are $3 per pen, of $5.75 for a two-pack, in Blue, Black, or Red ink, and in 0.8 mm or 1.0 mm tip sizes.

Time will tell if this will be a new flagship pen for Pentel. My gut says no, especially when they have the comparable - and comparably better - Pentel Energy in their own lineup, but let’s check back in a couple of years and see where the Floatune is.

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

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Posted on March 4, 2024 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Pentel, Floatune, Rollerball, Pen Reviews.