Top 5 Pens - Fall 2011

Time for an update to my current Top 5 pens list. As I always state about this particular list, it is a snapshot of the pens I am currently enjoying the most, not a list of what I think are the best pens of all time.

One thing I am finding now that I am working from the house full time is that I haven’t been using multi pens as frequently. I’m not exactly sure why, but for my daily note taking requirements, there isn’t as much of a need to mix up the colors as there was when I was in the IT field. My pen needs have definitely morphed to fit my work needs.

On to the list…

1) Pilot Hi-Tec-C 0.3mm Grip Black

This pen (and #2) have far and away made the most appearances on this list. I keep going back to the well time and time again - why is that? Quality never goes out of style. From short notes, to page after page of details, I never get tired of how this pen writes. Black ink, micro fine 0.3mm tip, and a rubber grip. I reach for this pen constantly. It’s crazy how often I use this pen and don’t have a review on The Pen Addict of this exact model. Same with #2 - I must correct this asap!

2) Uni-Ball Signo DX 0.38mm Black

As much as I enjoy #1 on the list, this is the pen that leaves the house with me the most. It is a more durable and less sensitive to the environment choice. I don’t have to worry about banging it around, and it writes great outside when I’m watching soccer practice. I have said it a million times, but this is the pen I recommend the most to new micro tip users.

3) Kuretake Fudegokochi Brush Pen Super Fine

The lone shocker on this list. I never would have thought that a brush pen would be good for note taking, but this one is extremely versatile. I find myself reaching for it more and more, and while I keep waiting for it to break down, it is showing no signs so far. If you want to mix it up a bit, this is the way to go.

4) Pilot Acroball 0.7mm Blue

My lack of color ink use is disturbing. I have historically been a fan of writing with non-standard colors, but I have gone back to basics recently. The Acroball not only has supplanted the Uni-Ball Jetstream as my go to ballpoint, it is the lone non-black ink pen I have been using recently.

5) Uni-Ball Signo 207 Micro Needle Tip Black

A long time standby, now in a not so easy to find needle tip. If the exact same pen comes in both a conical and a needle tip, I am going to pick the needle tip 100% of the time. The only problem you might have with this 207 is finding it. Some readers are able to find them in their local office supply stores, I have only been able to find them on Amazon.

Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto Lumio Review

I have had several readers asking me to review the Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto Lumio barrel, which is the newest addition to the Coleto line. It has been available for many months now - sorry for the delay in getting around to it!

Pen Addict reader Dan guest reviewed the Lumio for me back in February, but it was only a few weeks ago that I got my hands on one. This is considered the ‘business’ style Coleto due to its more professional barrel styling, and it is sharp looking. My silver barrel is very shiny, and has nice looking chrome accents. It is very comfortable to write with.

Exterior appearance aside, the innards of the Coleto are essentially the same as the standard four cartridge Coleto. The cartridges insert and function the same, and you also have the option of adding a mechanical pencil cartridge. The real question is does the upgraded barrel design warrant over a $12 difference in price between the two?

If you work in an office and don’t want to show off your pink Hello Kitty looking translucent barrel to your co-workers, then absolutely yes, go for the Lumio. Otherwise, you get the same functionality - plus a rubber grip - in the base level four cartridge Coleto barrel, which is my weapon of choice.

Pen Type-A: A Minimal Pen

I was followed on Twitter by @saywey yesterday afternoon, and while I am not an auto-follow-bot, I usually at least check people out to see what they are into. As it turns out, Che-Wei Wang is a big fan of the Pilot Hi-Tec-C, and along with his design partner Taylor Levy (they run the Brooklyn based design firm CW&T), they launched a Kickstarter project called Pen Type-A.

All of the technical details can be found on the Kickstarter page, but in a nutshell, this is a custom built stainless steel barrel that is designed to hold Pilot Hi-Tec-C refills of any tip size and color. When not in use, it is housed in a stainless steel sleeve that also doubles as a ruler. A pen made by designers, for designers.

Once this campaign is complete, the Pen Type-A will retail for $99, but while it is funding, you can get one for $50 through your Kickstarter pledge. I put my money where my mouth is last night and ordered one. I wasn’t the only one apparently, because when I went to bed the campaign was a little over $1400, and is now at $3140 and has easily surpassed its $2500 goal.

There is still plenty of time to get in on the early pricing - 29 more days in fact - so if this is something that appeals to you may want to consider jumping on this now.

(I get nothing for writing this post other than the warm fuzzy of supporting a cool looking project that pushes all of the right buttons. You can view my full Kickstarter profile right here).