Morning Glory Mach 3 Roller Ball Review

The Morning Glory Mach 3 0.38 mm Roller can safely be added to the "best pens you have never heard of" list. I knew this last year when they first came out and I reviewed the lime green model. It left a crisp, clean line and for an 0.38 mm liquid ink pen and that is no small feat.

I forgot about it though, until I saw someone mention the blue black model and realized it had fallen off my radar. That was corrected when I snagged three of them in a recent JetPens order. Why three? When a pen writes this well and is inexpensive, why not have one handy everywhere?

The "everywhere pen" puts it in good company with some of my other favorites like the Uni-ball Signo DX and Jetstream, Zebra Sarasa Clip, and Ohto Graphic Liner, to name a few. All are pens that work flawlessly and provide enjoyment when in use, and therefore I want to have them handy at home, at work, and on the go. While fountain pens are my first choice these days, finding a $2 pen that makes me smile is always great.

While my writing sample below came out a little dark, this is what I would consider a true blue black ink color. It's right in the middle of the spectrum with no hint of green, which is where I like it. And as I mentioned above, the lines are exceptionally clean for a liquid ink pen. Granted, I used Rhodia for this review, and many other nice papers are in the rotation, but this pen would be nice in a Moleskine, for example.

For $2.00 it is worth checking out. And if you like it, Morning Glory has a rainbow of colors to choose from at JetPens. Add it to an order or your wish list and thank me later.

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)

Morning Glory Mach 3 Roller Ball Pen 0.38 mm Review

The Morning Glory Mach 2 Roller Ball was a popular pen in its day. It was one of the few options if you were looking for a fine point, needle tip, liquid ink pen. Unfortunately, its run was short lived, despite its many fans. Morning Glory has stepped up with a replacement though: Enter the Mach 3 0.38 mm Roller Ball.

At only $2.00, the Mach 3 is priced as an entry level pen but plays above its weight easily. It's not often you get to use a sub-0.5 mm liquid ink pen and this 0.38 is very nice. I was continually impressed at how sharp and clean my lines were when testing it out. You may have to click on the picture above and enlarge it to see what I am talking about since lime green isn't the most photogenic ink color, but trust me when I say it is exceptional.

The barrel design is unique, not in that it brings something new to the table, but rather borrows from several existing pens for its look. The body is very similar to the new Pilot FriXion Point 04 (minus the eraser) mashed up with the grip of the discontinued Zebra Regal Roller and the cap of the similarly discontinued Uni-ball Signo Bit. In total it is fine, but the grip does end up being a little slick.

While it is not going to replace my gel ink pens in the same price and size range, the Morning Glory Mach 3 can certainly hold its own. If you are looking for a micro tip liquid ink pen this is the way to go.

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)