How I haven't discovered this pen prior to a couple of weeks ago is beyond me. And actually, I only found it because of my recent trolling of the Every Day Carry Forums (edcforums.com), and every other post mentioned the F-701. After reading about it, I literally hopped in the car and headed to Staples to see if they had it on the shelves (I know, I have a problem. The first step is admission, right?) Well of course they had it in stock. It has probably been there every time I have even set foot in the store, but somehow I had overlooked it until now.
The barrel of the F-701 is the real star of this show. The sleek, stainless steel barrel is a beauty, and the knurled metal grip is a welcome option for a pen that will likely be on the go. I haven't stood out in the rain or rolled around in the mud with it, but if I'm a betting man, I bet this grip is about as good as it gets for imperfect writing conditions. Pair it up with an Apica Rain Guard Waterproof Notebook and you could probably take down The Terminator, or at least throw your pen at it and run like a little girl.
For a pen geek like myself, the ballpoint performance leaves a little to be desired. I was pleased with the sharpness of the line and overall smoothness, but it does leave behind the typical ballpoint residue from time to time. There is a lot of talk on the EDCForums about ink cartridge replacements, so I will keep trolling through there to see if I can find a good option to swap it out for. Other than that, I can't really complain for $5.99 off the shelf. It is a good looking, good performing pen that will likely handle any situation you could put it in.
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