Posts filed under Rollerball

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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Posted on October 1, 2020 by Sarah Read and filed under ystudio, Rollerball, Pen Reviews.

Lamy Swift Rollerball Racing Green Review

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

The Lamy Swift rollerball pen is one that I've seen and thought about picking up so many times in the past. For some reason, I just never went through with the purchase — now that I have one, I can really appreciate the thoughtful and unique design of this pen.

The Swift is unlike any other Lamy design, and it certainly stands out. The sleek metal barrel and shiny chrome accents compliment the unique shape and complete an overall style that is hard to put down. On top of that, the unit I have is one of the limited Racing Green editions that Lamy has been releasing for many of their pen lines recently.

What really sets this pen apart is the unique slip design. The Swift has a trick up its sleeve, and the secret is that the clip retracts flush into the barrel when you extend the refill with the nock. When the refill is extended, the clip is totally flush with the pen barrel, which just looks really cool. When you retract the refill, the clip slides back out again for normal use.

Aside from being a cool trick, this means you can't accidentally clip the pen to a garment pocket or a bag while the refill is extended, and it also can't extend while in transit since the clip wouldn't be able to retract. No more accidental ink stains on your clothes and bags! I have to guess that a lot of work went into this unusual design, and it really shows in how smooth the clip action is in practice. The clip mechanism also necessitates a shift in where the nock is located, so this is probably the only pen I've ever seen that has a nock that isn't centered on the diameter of the barrel. It's off-center enough to make room for whatever mechanism is handling the clip movement, but I think it also just looks cool.

Moving further down the pen barrel, you'll notice a cool dotted grip section that adds some visual interest as well as a pretty sturdy grip. Since the outer barrel is just an aluminum sleeve, the machined holes allow the shiny chrome material to shine through. It's a great visual feature, and feels great in the hand!

The nose of the pen is nothing special, but it keeps the shiny chrome accent going to the very tip of the pen. Something about it seems different from the rest of the pen design, but I can't decide what it is. Maybe it's the sharp chamfer that contrasts poorly with the otherwise straight and round lines of the pen? Whatever it is, it always catches my attention (in a bad way).

Aside from that one complaint, I think this pen is quite attractive! It definitely gets a lot of comments.

Writing with the Swift is also pretty nice. The included M66 refill is the same one that's included with the Lamy Tipo rollerball, so it's no slouch. The ink is a rich, dark black with plenty of flow and easy movement. It's a smooth writer and is very pleasing to use. On the odd occasion, I had some very minor issues with skipping, but it never persisted for long. It's not as good as the Schmidt P8126/7 that many of us know and love, but it's certainly a great refill. One thing that I'll have to investigate a bit more is the possibility of using a G2-style refill in this pen. The Lamy Tipo, which uses the same M66 refill as the Swift, easily accepts a Pilot G2 refill with no modification. It makes the Tipo a great pen for me simply because of how it accepts so many refills. For some reason, the Swift doesn't quite work correctly with the Juice refills I was trying to use. It seems like the refill doesn't have enough clearance at the very end of the nock depression to allow the mechanism to finish its path. I wonder if a little razor work could fix the problem, but that's a time commitment I can't make right now. Has anyone else out there tried hacking a G2 refill to a Lamy Swift?

Overall, the Lamy Swift rollerball is a great little pen. It's an attractive package with a cool trick up its sleeve that will prevent ink leaks on your clothes and bags, and it looks cool while doing it! The machined grip is comfortable and sturdy, the refill is bold and reliable, and the price is still reasonable at just over $50. This would make a great gift for someone who could appreciate the clever clip design and who also may not be comfortable with fountain pens or other specialized pens just yet. If Racing Green isn't your thing, you can also choose from Matte Black, Imperial Blue, Graphite, or Palladium for the same price. Keep in mind that Racing Green is a limited color!

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

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Posted on January 8, 2020 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Lamy, Rollerball, Pen Reviews.

Tombow Zoom 505 META Rollerball Pen Review

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

In a world that's absolutely full the brim with excellent gel ink, hybrid ballpoint, and fountain pens, it can be easy to look over the humble liquid ink rollerball category. This category isn't as full as its relatives, but there are some really strong contenders to take note of.

One I've been using quite a bit lately is the Tombow Zoom 505. I reviewed the standard model a few months ago, and I was impressed with the build quality and writing experience that the Zoom offered. Today is a similar review, but this one is a special Zoom 505 - the META in Hairline Black.

The shape and feel of the META is identical to the standard Zoom 505. That means it's very comfortable in the hand, it looks more premium than it costs, and the included refill is dark and crisp. The additional cost of the META, however, is due to the increase in material quality.

The Tombow Zoom 505 META features an anodized, brushed aluminum body and cap that is paired with a matte black brass section. The section is also covered in a luxurious rubber grip that makes using this pen a delightful thing.

To quickly recap, the META uses the same refill as the standard Tombow Zoom that I wrote about a few months ago. The refill contains a good portion of ink, comes in several sizes, is affordable, and is also available in black and blue. The refill that came with this META is a bit scratchy, but I'm confident that it's a one-off issue. I have a few other refills for the Tombow rollerball pens, and they don't have any issue with being scratchy. What they do all have in common, though, is the dark, crisp lines that they produce on paper. There's not much that's more satisfying than the lush dark lines that a liquid ink rollerball produces, and the META is no slouch. I love writing with this refill. While it's not the ubiquitous Schmidt P8126/7 refill that we all know and love, it's a pretty close second, and much more affordable to boot.

Now, getting into what makes this pen unique to the standard Zoom, the materials and aesthetic of this blacked-out edition is something I really enjoy. The black brushed aluminum is sleek but still professional. It has an unassuming look while also looking unique, which is a hard line to balance. The logo is a dark color as well, adding to the allure of the pen. When you see it on a desk, you're not really sure what it is, but you are certainly tempted to pick it up and use it for a bit.

The clip on the cap is really strong and also features a matte black finish to tie into the rest of the unassuming theme. Even the cone and grip section are blacked out. If you're a fan of that sick blacked-out look, this pen is entirely in your alley. The only non-black thing on this pen is the refill tip.

Uncapping and capping the pen is fairly easy as long as you line it up correctly. Since the grip section is a rubber material, it tends to stick and drag against the inside of the cap if there's too much of an angle. This isn't a big deal once you practice the motion a few times. Securing the cap on the pen produces a nice tactile "slide and bump" when it's in place, and pulling the cap off feels equally smooth. I can tell there's a specially-designed mechanism inside the cap that accepts the grip and cone perfectly, which means there's a good seal around the open refill when the pen is capped. This prevents it from drying out when it isn't being used.

The cap can also post on the back of the pen, but it produces a metal on metal feeling which puts me off. This isn't a big deal, but I can't help but cringe when I feel it, and I have to wonder if repeated use would leave any markings on the back of the pen body after a while.

Overall, writing with this pen is incredibly pleasing. The refill is crisp and dark, and the grip is cushy and comfortable while also providing a firm place for your fingers to rest while you write. The blacked-out aesthetic is definitely a perk with this model, but it doesn't have that cheesy "tactical" look that some all black products try to achieve. This pen is at home in a military-style bug-out bag, but it also looks equally at place in a suite pocket or leather folio.

At $33, the Tombow Zoom 505 META is a bit more expensive than the standard model, but that extra bit of cash is worth it for me. The all-black look is classy and awesome, and the matte aluminum materials are a big bump for the longevity of the barrel over the standard lacquered version. This makes a great gift or daily carry pen!

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

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