Posts filed under Gel

Uni-ball One 0.38 mm Gel Ink Pen Review

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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Posted on May 24, 2021 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Uni-Ball, Gel, Pen Reviews.

Sakura Craft Lab 005 Gel Ink Pen Review

Pop quiz time: does the pen in the picture above cost $5, or $50?

Ok, the answer is probably obvious, or else I wouldn’t have been able to write this introduction. And while it isn’t exactly $50, at $48, the Sakura Craft Lab 005 Gel Ink Pen is close enough for arguments sake. And it’s an argument - with myself - that I’m about to have.

I love this pen. Let’s get that out of the way right up top. It’s everything I am looking for in a cool Japanese stationery product.

The design is beautiful. It features a long, torpedo-shape, plastic barrel, with a twist mechanism that engages near the middle of the pen. The long, vertical lines in the grip section morph into a Sakura blossom at the end of the barrel, giving this pen its signature look.

And it feels great too. This is a thick-wall plastic, giving the pen some density, along with the internal metal hardware for the twist mechanism. It’s not heavy, but it’s not light, either.

This pen ships with an 0.5 mm gel ink refill in Sepia Black. Now that’s a choice, isn’t it? I love the unique color, and even though I would like the brown to break through on the page a little more, it shows up well enough in comparison to a standard black ink.

*Side by side with the Zebra Sarasa Clip refill.*

When writing, I would compare it to the Zebra Sarasa Clip 0.5 mm gel ink pen. For those familiar with that pen you know it writes well, but with a slight scratch it the tip. That is something I enjoy, but a glassy 0.7 mm Pentel EnerGel this is not.

And here, the fawning ends, because there are two issues with this pen that make it difficult for me to recommend.

First up, the price. As mentioned up top, it’s $48. That’s admittedly outrageous for this pen. The funny thing is, I don’t think it is overpriced. This is a case where a high-design, low-volume, boutique-like pen has become more widely available. I get it. I don’t know that I can wholeheartedly recommend it, but I get it.

What I don’t get with this pen is the refill choice. It is proprietary in design, half the length of a standard gel ink refill, and replacements are costly at $4.15 each. This is where they lose me.

The mid-barrel twist forces this design decision. And if you are familiar with gel ink pens - in relation to rollerball and ballpoint pens - then you know that they are the fastest refills to write dry. If you think the pen is expensive, then you really don’t want to consider the ongoing costs of using it.

That’s too bad, because I genuinely love using the Sakura Craft Lab gel pen. It’s fun, it’s cool, it feels and works great, and it’s a money pit.

What a dilemma.

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

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Posted on May 17, 2021 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Sakura, Gel, Pen Reviews.

Iconic Color TwinPen Gel Pen Review

I think the Iconic Color TwinPen Gel Pens are worth considering - if you consider up front how you are going to use them.

I was into them immediately for several reasons. I mean, I’m not the type of stationery user who says no to 0.4 mm, needle-tip, gel ink pens, that - oh, by the way - are two sided, have cool colors, and cost just over five bucks for the set. That’s kind of my purpose in life, right?

Korean-based Iconic is not a brand I've used previously (Sarah has,) but I like what they have done here. The barrel design reminds me of the classic Crayon markers, with a simple, clean barrel, ink color band, and short cap. The design is a good mixture of modern and retro styles.

The TwinPen aspect of these pens is the entire reason for buying them. You can buy standard gel ink pens anywhere and everywhere these days, but the double-sided, two-color aspect of these is the main selling point. Black and Orange, Brown and Green, and Blue and Red are the three setups, and a good mix of colors. Would I have argued for purple over brown in the design meeting? Yes, but that is admittedly pedantic at this point.

From a writing perspective, the 0.4 mm needle-tip is a good one, but not spectacular. Similar tips from Uni-ball and Pentel are smoother, as are standard conical tips from those, and other brands, like Pilot and Zebra. These from Iconic leave a clean, bright line, but I feel more metal from the tip than I do from the big brands. They aren’t scratchy, but there is some drag on the page, if that makes sense.

If you think of these pens as note-taking pens as opposed to novel-writing pens, you will be happy with them. I think that is exactly what they are designed for.

The Iconic Color TwinPen Gel Pens are a fun addition to any note-taking arsenal. And the price - $5.50 for the three-pack - makes them easy to take a chance on.

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

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