Posts filed under uniball

uniball Zento Basic Gel (or maybe Rollerball?) Pen Review

The biggest question I have about the uniball Zento is around the ink formulation used in the refill. Is it pigmented gel ink? Water-based rollerball ink? Oil-based ballpoint ink? A mixture of two, or even three of those formulations?

According to uniball Japan (via Google Translate): "uniball ZENTO uses newly developed water-based ink that has improved ooze and quick drying while maintaining the writing comfort of conventional water-based ink.”

According to uniball North America: “The uniball™ Zento features a liquid gel ink that dries quickly while providing a super smooth flow.”

According to JetPens: “Ink Composition: Pigment-Based, Water-Based”

Well, that’s as clear as the Black ink it lays down on the page!

Why does this matter so much to me? The type of ink sets expectations, and provides context. For myself, who likes to explain these things to someone looking for their perfect pen, this makes it challenging to narrow down.

For example, here are the currently available gel ink pen models from uniball:

Zento
One
207
207 PLUS+
307
Signo DX
Signo RT
Impact

There are other models, and other barrel shapes and styles available, but I believe these 8 are the different refill types and formulations (the last three listed could use the same Signo ink formulation, but all write differently to me.) Even if there were only five pen and ink types, where does the Zento fit in?

uniball Zento comparison — *L to R (all uniball): Zento, One F, DX, 307, Jetstream Lite Touch.*

The ink is dark and smooth, and it performs like a gel ink on the page, hence my categorization alongside other gel ink pens. It’s closest to the Signo and 207/307 pens as far as darkness of ink, but behind the One, which is designed to have more saturated ink colors. It’s smooth, like the entire 0.38 mm lineup I tested, which is a credit to uniball’s manufacturing quality and consistency.

uniball Zento ink comparison — *Not much you can tell here, other than the One is the darkest, and the 307 put down a wider line, despite the same tip size.*

Still I ask: why? Why the uniball Zento? I don’t know. The ink is great, but not superior. The barrel is a combination of the One and the new Jetstream Lite Touch, which is fantastic, but seen in other models. The cost is average, at around $3 for the Basic model. It even had two premium options on launch - the $10 Flow model, and the $27 Signature model - which tells me uniball REALLY believes in this pen, but I can’t shake the question.

I don’t think I’ll have a satisfactory answer until uniball begins to pare down their pen offerings, or clarifies the marketing. They have the data, and know their markets much better than I do. And hey, I LOVE that there are new pens for me to talk about. I simply don’t know when I’ll ever choose, or recommend, the Zento over the One, the DX, the Lite Touch, or a litany of non-uniball competition.

uniball Zento Writing — *No bleed, no feathering - as uniball intended.*

Or maybe the Zento is the ONE TRUE ROLLERBALL ink replacement, and the uniball Vision series will be completely replaced? One can dream.

I would recommend the Zento over the 207/307 models, and the barrel is better than the RT. If they are able to add interesting ink colors into the mix, I might take another look. Until then, the best I can say is that if you try it, you won’t be disappointed, but I don’t think it is the best at anything, or unique in any special way.

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

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Posted on June 16, 2025 by Brad Dowdy and filed under uniball, Zento, Pen Reviews.

uniball Jetstream Lite Touch Ballpoint Pen Review

*Top to bottom: uniball Jetstream Lite Touch 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm, two 0.5 mm 4+1 multi pens.*

There’s no point in burying the lede: the uniball Jetstream Lite Touch is better than the standard Jetstream in every line width and ink color I have tested so far.

uniball considers the Lite Touch a separate product from all existing Jetstream models. They did this recently with the uniball One as it compares to their other gel ink offerings, like the Signo lineup (which, in itself, has many different ink formulations.) With the Lite Touch, not only has the ink formulation changed, uniball added some design elements - and marketing - into the barrel.

The Jetstream is already the best ballpoint pen on the market, so how did uniball make it better? They focused on smoothness and lower friction while writing on the page, and I’d say they succeeded in comparison to existing models, if only slightly. The biggest change I see is that the ink is richer and darker compared to the standard Jetstream. I was already a big Jetstream fan, but the way the Lite Touch ink looks and performs puts it a clear step ahead.

There is a bit of “Keeping up with the Joneses,” in the Lite Touch release, as the quiet barrel of the Zebra bLen has become a hit on the store shelves. uniball redesigned the barrel interior and knock to limit vibration when writing, which can be an annoyance. An annoyance which I never had with any previous Jetstream model, but the market has dictated with the bLen and Pentel Calme that tip rattle is out, and quiet writing is in. What took them all so long?

*Standard version 4+1 on top. Ignore the refill length difference between the two - the orange one has a specialty grip.*

I had several models of the uniball Jetstream Lite Touch sent to me by a friend in Japan: 0.5 mm and 0.7 mm single barrel pens, and 0.5 mm 4+1 multi pen. When I began testing them alongside Jetstream pens I already owned, I could instantly tell a difference: the ink is darker.

The Lite Touch refill (top,) is marked SXR-L, assumedly for “Lite Touch.” SXR-L-7 for 0.7 mm, versus SXR-7 for the standard 0.7 mm. The refill shape is the same so you can swap the Lite Touch refill into your favorite Jetstream barrel.

The ink color differences may be difficult to pick up in pictures, but I can tell them apart easily in person.

*Lite Touch is on the top, and maybe you can see a slightly darker line compared to the bottom.*

The Black 0.5 mm and 0.7 mm Lite Touch inks are fantastic. And the Blue ink from the multi pen is the standout among all of the colors, with a richness that puts it as the single best Blue ballpoint ink on the market. I cannot wait until I can get it in an 0.5 mm single barrel.

*These are the Lite Touch 0.5 mm multi pen refills, with the LT ink sample listed first for each color. It’s difficult to tell looking at the image, but in person I can tell them apart.*

The only ink that performed poorly was the Green ink. This is expected, as it is always the worst performing of the 4+1 colors. If they dropped it from the lineup completely, it wouldn’t be missed. Red can be hit or miss, and the Lite Touch color is a hit. It’s nice enough to use in rotation with Black and Blue, instead of every once in a while.

*Same with the 0.5 mm Blue ink comparison.*

What does the future hold for the Jetstream Lite Touch? If we use the uniball One as a roadmap, different barrel types - hopefully still of the quiet variety - are likely in store. It wasn’t until the One F that I became a fan of that ink formulation, and I still prefer most of the Signo gel inks over the One.

With the Lite Touch, I don’t think that’s going to be the case at all. I think it is superior in every way to the existing Jetstream, and I wonder if it won’t completely take over in the next few years. The plan, for now, is to have both Jetstream lineups available. Superfans - like myself - will be relegated to paying a premium price for a premium product. In this case, it is well deserved.

Remember the Jetstream? Those were good times.

Availability of the uniball Jetstream Lite Touch is still mostly limited to Japan, for now. Wider release is expected in 2025, and, of course, there are many importers and second-hand markets where you can currently find these pens.

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