Let me get this out of the way right up front, because as I start typing this review up I don’t know where it is going to go: The Uni-ball One is a good pen.
I wouldn’t expect anything less from Uni-ball. They make some of my favorite pens and refills on the market, after all. But with the introduction of the One, they are confusing me more than ever.
Yes, I’m old, so save your memory jokes, but the options and overlap they now have in their gel in pen lineup would boggle even the smartest minds. Here is a short list of choices, and their primary ink formulation:
DX - Super Ink
RT1 - Super Ink
Signo 207 - Super Ink
Signo 207 Plus - Cellulose Nanofiber Ink
Signo 307 - Cellulose Nanofiber Ink
One - One Ink
What’s the difference in those features?
Super Ink is Uni’s standard archival gel ink. It’s amazingly good, and used in the most popular pens in their lineup. Per Uni-ball, this ink embeds itself into the paper, making it permanent, and uses larger ink particles for more legible handwriting.
Cellulose Nanofiber Ink is designed with smaller ink particles for better ink dispersion and a smoother feel, while retaining the permanence features of Super Ink.
One Ink sounds a lot like Super Ink. Large gel ink particles designed for more vibrant colors and fast drying. But, instead of embedding into the paper fibers for permanence, it sits on top of the page. I’m assuming it is archival like the rest.
I think I got all of that right.
When you lay out the specs like this it makes some sense, I guess. But in reality, the everyday consumer cares very little about any of it. They want to know if 1. The pen gives them an enjoyable writing experience, and 2. Is it worth the price. I’d answer yes to both of those questions for most of Uni-ball’s products.
For myself, I am not your everyday consumer of stationery goods, so I want to know more than that. Things like 1. What is the difference between these pens? And 2. Which one would I recommend to which type of user?
The answer to both of those questions is “Heck if I know!”
That’s the confusion the Uni-ball One brings. Objectively, it’s a great gel ink pen. I think it is Uni’s best barrel design in ages, and the ink does have a certain richness about it when gliding across the page. Really, no complaints whatsoever.
But the One Ink feels different. Or at least I think it feels different. And I prefer the Super Ink feel over the One Ink. What I want to do next is get one of each of the pens listed above, in the same ink color and tip size, and do a true side by side comparison with several different paper types. I think I can tell the difference between One Ink and Super Ink in my random testing, but I want to even the playing field more to be sure.
In the end, I think anyone who uses the One will enjoy it for what it is, and what it offers. But for avid gel ink pen users, especially on the micro tip side of the scale, I think you can do better.
And so can Uni-ball, by presenting a more coherent, cohesive picture of what each pen they sell offers. There is far too much overlap. Narrow down the product line, and tell a better story for each individual product.
Until then, enjoy the Uni-ball One for what it is. Just don’t ask me to explain it.
(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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