Gravitas Twist Skittle Matt Ballpoint Pen Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

It's been a while since I've gotten my hands on a new machined pen, so the Gravitas Twist Skittle is a great change of pace. Gravitas is a company run by Ben Walsh out of Ireland, where he focuses on making unique and high-end writing instruments. If the Twist is an indication of the rest of the product line, then you don't have to worry about the quality and functionality at all.

The Twist Skittle is a special edition of the Twist that features a stainless body with a titanium nitride rainbow PVD coating that makes this pen pop. I mean, holy cow the exterior of this pen is just glorious. I can't help but pick it up and stare at all the pretty colors that shift and change so seamlessly across the surface of the pen. From blue, green, purple, and a little red, you can almost taste the rainbow. I really can't get over how awesome this pen looks. As a piece of desk art, I'm really in love with it.

The twist mechanism on the top of the pen is smooth and enjoyable to use. It makes a nice sound (Gravitas describe as a snick snick) when you extend or retract the refill, and it works flawlessly. The refill included with the pen is a Schmidt P900 M blue, which works perfectly fine. I would have been more pleased if it was an EasyFlow 9000 since that's my favorite Parker-style ballpoint refill, but the P900 does a great job. Plus, it's really easy to swap out this refill for any other Parker-style refill you prefer.

There's no clip on this pen (keeps from distracting your eye from the beautiful colors), but it does have a flat surface on one side of the pen to keep it from rolling across your desk. This flat side also adds a little grip texture when writing, and I think it adds a nice pop of visual interest along the side of the pen.

Now let's get to the not-so-great aspect of this pen: the weight. At 82 grams, this is hefty. I don't just find it slightly uncomfortable — it's incredibly difficult to yield properly, and I found a new muscle in my arm that I only use when writing because using this pen made that muscle tired after a couple of minutes writing. That's never happened to me before, and I think it speaks to the practical usability of this pen. It's just not for me. It looks splendid on my desk, and I pick it up to marvel at the colors quite often, but I'm not actually using it to write. Such a shame. I'm not sure why the main material is stainless steel — I imagine it has something to do with providing a suitable surface for the titanium nitride coating, but it just adds so much weight to the point of making it unpleasant to use as a pen. I'm very disappointed by this, but not enough to keep it away from my desk!

The overall size and shape of the pen is really exquisite, and I'm glad they offer an aluminum version that clocks in at just 34 grams — less than half the weight of the steel version. This is a much more comfortable weight for a pen, and I'm really curious how it feels in the hand. The shape of the pen carries a lot of weight above the standard grip area, and I think the aluminum version would feel just right. Unfortunately, you can't get the rainbow finish on the aluminum version! Alas, the compromises we have to make.

At €65 (about $80 USD), the Gravitas Twist Skittle not a cheap pen, but I think it's a fair price for the quality of materials, design, and function. The pen I have is the matte version, but there's also a slightly-more-shiny polished version for the same price. The aluminum version is €5 cheaper and comes in silver, black, blue, and rose gold. These would make great gifts!

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

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Uni Jetstream Edge 3 Color Multi Pen Review

In the world of multi pens, the Uni-ball Jetstream has long made one of my favorite ballpoint options. The Jetstream is my go-to ballpoint anyway, so the availability and pricing of their many multi pen options is a great combination when you consider the ultra smooth and crisp ink that comes in the refills. I prefer gel refills most of the time, but Jetstream still holds a special place in my stationery heart.

The latest multi pen I've tried from Jetstream is the Edge 3 Color Multi Pen. As the name implies, it features three different colors to choose from — black, blue, and red. Keeping with the Edge brand, the refills in this pen are all of the 0.28mm variety, which is extremely fine. Despite the ultra fine tips, they're still remarkably smooth and crisp. I don't think these feel any different than writing with a 0.38mm gel ink refill, which is quite a compliment to the Jetstream ink formula. Based on the packaging and seeing how small the tip was, I assumed it would be scratchy and unpleasant for regular writing, but I was completely wrong. It's actually quite easy to use, which can't be said for all ultra-fine refills. The black, blue, and red refills are all dark and crisp, and they write beautifully. They're the same size as the other Jetstream multi pen refills, so you could even swap out for a larger tip if you wanted.

The barrel shape is similar to the other Edge pens as well, but it's obviously a little wider to accommodate the extra refill options. The barrel width of any multi pen is usually wider than I prefer, but it's an easy trade-off for the added utility of having multiple ink colors on hand. I get used to writing with the larger barrel pretty quickly, and I hardly notice it unless I'm writing for more than a few minutes. The six-sided barrel looks great and I really adore the turquoise version that I have. The grip section is also nice, with a black metal finish and small grooves to improve the texture and feel. The nose cone is an odd shape, and the marketing material says this is done on purpose to allow you to see more of the paper while writing. That's true, but it took me quite a while to get used to it. I found that holding it so that the cone recess is below my thumb instead of my index finger (for a "standard" grip) works best. I grip pens fairly low and close to the cone, so this was a bit frustrating and difficult to get used to until I found that magic position. It's not so bad now, but I'd be happier if the nose cone was a symmetrical shape. I've never had issues with visibility on other wide multi pens, so I'm not sure why Jetstream decided to use this weird shape for this pen. Small complaint, but a worthy one.

Most Jetstream multi pens use a slide button along the upper body of the pen to control selecting and retracting refills, but this one uses a nifty dial at the top of the pen. Rotate the dial to cycle through the refills! There's a satisfying click when each refill is extended, and it's really easy to operate. If you want to retract the refills, just stop the dial when it's in between refills.

I do struggle to know which color is extended, though. There are color markers on the refill tips, but they're both small and faded, making it difficult to tell what color is extended unless you are in a well-lit area and hold the refill close to your face. It's been a little frustrating at times! There's also some very small color indicators on the top of the dial, but that involves changing your grip on the pen to see the dial properly. The color that lines up with the pocket clip is the color that is currently extended, so as long as you can see the little indicators on the dial, you're all set! The dial is a really nice touch, but I wish it was easier to see the colors — ideally, I'd like it to be obvious on the refill tip, and I think this is doable with darker color rings.

The pocket clip is a sleek wire design and is both strong and lightweight. It matches the other Edge pens in design and really enforces the overall aesthetic. I'm a big fan of the aesthetic of these pens, and really enjoy the smooth refills.

The turquoise version I have here is my favorite, but there are plenty of other options as well — Navy, White/Red, Black, and Red. At just over $32, this isn't a cheap multi pen, but I think it's a good price for the quality of materials and the smooth refills. After all, single refills cost $3 on their own. I'm still surprised by how smooth they are for the size, and the vibrant ink colors are the icing on the cake. Definitely worth checking out if you love ultra-fine ballpoint multi pens!

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

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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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Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!