Sakura Ballsign Knock Gel Ink Pen Review

When I think Sakura, I think of only one pen: The Sakura Pigma Micron. This art/drawing/sketch pen is ubiquitous, appearing in creators pen stashes all over the world. Sakura makes other pens too, like the Grosso that I was a fan of back in the day, with the Sakura Ballsign Knock Gel the most recent to land on my desk.

The Ballsign is your basic entry level micro tip gel ink pen. Simple plastic construction, lightweight, knock retractable mechanism, 0.4 mm conical tip - pretty much how you would draw it up. One addition on the Ballsign is the presence of an elastomer grip, which is essentailly a grippy overlay that works surprisingly well. I actually didn't notice it at first. I thought it was just the standard plastic barrel continued through the grip, but I realized soon my fingers weren't slipping at all and the elastomer grip was why.

When writing, the Ballsign feels a lot like its competition. The lines are solid and sharp, although oddly enough I felt the orange lines were cleaner than the blue black. The colors look spot on too, at least on the two of the 15 colors I tried out. Another interesting takeaway is that the Ballsign refills match the shape and design of the Uni-ball RT1, so it could fit in those barrels that use RT, 207, and Jetstream refills if you are so inclined.

The Ballsign is not a world beater, but it is a solid option in the world of micro gel ink pens. For me, they rank lower than the Uni-ball Signo DX, RT1, and 207, as well as the Zebra Sarasa Clip and Pilot Juice. It falls in the Pentel Slicci/Muji Gel range, which is a good spot to be. Give them a shot, especially if you want to try some of the more interesting colors like brown black, red orange, and cherry pink.

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

Sakura Kakikata Felt Tip Pen Review

The Sakura Kakikata gets it done with simplicity. No bells, no whistles, no frills, Just excellent performance at a fair price. What more can you ask for?

The Kakikata looks like a throwback to marker pens from the 70's and 80's that you would find by the dozen in some beat up box in an office supply closet or desk. They may have even had dust on them when you saved them, but after popping the cap off and scribbling a few test lines you knew you were on to something. Where is the love for a simple pen like this?

This is another one of those pens where I'll take two or three of them, stash them in the places I like to write, pick up from time to time, and remember how nice it is to write with. The fine felt tip is clean and sharp, and the lines are dark. The ink is water and fade resistant too, so artists will enjoy them as well.

Will this pen replace the Pigma Micron, Uni Pin, or some of my other favorite art pens? Not likely, but its a fun pen and a reminder that you don't need much to make something awesome.

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

Sakura Pigma Calligrapher Review

I feel positively evangelical about this pen, which I think is unknown and underrated. At under $3 per pen when you buy a pack of 6, they're cheap enough to stash everywhere. I keep them at the office, in the car, in the kitchen, because at that price point I can afford to misplace them as often as I do.

I've been able to buy these locally as single pens (I live in Minneapolis) but I've only found the 6-pack online via Amazon. There are colors I'm less fond of than others - I find I almost never need to write in purple - but even the less loved colors get used as for quick jottings around the house.

The pen I'm using here is a 1mm. You'll see you can get some line variation, though not a ton. For me, it's just enough variation to make my writing look a little nicer while not being such a prominent italic tip that I feel like I need to slow down to write with it. The pens also come in 2mm and 3mm sizes. I've used the 2mm, but I just find it a little too thick for daily writing.

If you're looking for a cheap way to see if you'd like to write regularly with an italic point, this is probably your best bet. The chisel tip doesn't get soft and spread out like many, many other markers I've owned, and the colors look vibrant on every type of paper I've thrown at it.

The Sakura Pigma Calligrapher is available in packs of 6 at Amazon.