Review: Pilot Acroball 3 Color Multi Pen

The first time I used the Pilot Acroball, I loved it.  From the smooth, clean lines to maybe the best grip in the business, my love for the Acroball hasn't waned at all since that time.  In fact, I keep one within reach at all times, and find myself going to it more frequently than my Jetstreams.  So when JetPens started carrying the Acroball 3 Color multi pen, it was a no-brainer order for me.

The multi pen version is just as great as the single barrel originals.  The ink cartridges write just as well, and the grip is identical.  But you know what?  I can't get into ballpoint style multi pens as much as their gel ink counterparts.  The is really nothing wrong with this pen at all, but I prefer the single barrel Acroball (and Jetstream for that matter) much more than the multi pen.  This isn't the case at all with my gel ink multi pens.  I like them as much, if not more, than the single cartridge versions.  Why is that?

I don't have a great answer, but for me, I think it boils down to my writing form.  Ballpoints lend themselves to a looser, more flowing writing style, and the wide barrel doesn't allow me to write as cleanly.  But I don't seem to have this issue with wide barrel gel ink pens.  I don't know if I am making any sense at all (I am writing this while watching Tosh.0 so my brain has shut down), but I have noticed this for a while.  My ballpoint multi pens just don't get a lot of use despite being nice pens.

Click here for the XL review.

Review: Uni-Ball Jetstream 4+1 0.7mm Ballpoint Multi Pen

More Jetstreams?  More multi pens?  Well, for me the answers are unequivocally yes and yes!  I am as big of a multi pen fan as they come, and the Jetstream line from Uni-Ball is one of my favorites, so combining all of that into a four ink cartridge plus pencil package - a sleek black package at that - I am all in.  And the best thing about it is something that I have never tried before, nor actually seen before - green Jetstream ink.

Has anyone else seen green Jetstream ink available in a single cartridge barrel?  I personally haven't, but I would love to know if that combination exists.  As a general rule, I am not a big green ink user, but like red recently, I am coming around to using it more often.  This green is nice and solid, and a very good shade.  It compliments the blue Jetstream ink very nicely.  I use the black and red in conjunction a lot as well, but the pencil only gets rare action.  If you have ever used a Jetstream pen before, you can rest assured that the performance is at the same high level.

I do have two minor quibbles with this pen, and they kind of work in conjunction.  The barrel is wide and the grip is firm.  I use a lot of pressure to write with, so that combination doesn't always work well for me, but this pen is set up perfectly for someone with a nice flowing handwriting.  At $15 it is not cheap, but you can justify it at $3 per cartridge, right?  ;)

Click here for the XL review.

Products used:
Uni-ball Jetstream 4&1 4 Color 0.7 mm Ballpoint Multi Pen + 0.5 mm Pencil - Black Body from JetPens
Writing Pad from Doane Paper

Review: Uni-Ball Signo MF2

Have I reviewed the Uni-Ball Signo MF2 before?  You would think I might have already, but you would be wrong.  I reviewed the Uni-Ball MF3 - the three cartridge version available in Japan via JetPens - well over a year ago, but it wasn't until a recent Target run that I grabbed the MF2 model - 0.5mm black gel ink and an 0.5mm pencil - despite the fact that the MF2 had been out for nearly as long.

You would think Uni-Ball would market a pen as cool as this a little better, but Target is the only store in my town that carries it.  Not Staples, not Office Depot, and not Wal-Mart.  Maybe it doesn't hit that core office products user in the sweet spot, but it sure is a nice pen, and especially great for students during this back to school time of year.  My favorite thing about this pen is its simplicity.  The barrel is no frills - it is a nice translucent smokey black plastic with a smooth rubber grip.  To eject either the pen or the pencil, you just flip the pen clip into the proper position, and that is really it.  Just a quick back and forth to change it up.

The gel ink Signo writes great.  The black gel ink is solid, and lays down a clean line.  It is comparable to the Signo 207 Micro in performance, which is a good thing.  The pencil does a great job as well, and the eraser is quick and easy to get to on the end of the barrel.

So why aren't these types of multi pen setups more prevalent in the States?  It is really hard to find a non-ballpoint multi pen on store shelves, and I for one would love it if they became more of an everyday option.

Click here for the XL review.