Guest Review: Uni JetStream 101 Blue 1.0mm Ball/Gel/Roller

(This is a guest review from Chris, who can be found blogging regularly at Pens'n'Paper)

So, a new JetStream, huh? I must admit, I'm not a horribly huge fan of the JetStream line... I like the 0.5mm JetStream color that I purchased due to it's extremely fine line width, but the others don't really impress me. They seem to just be a glorified and over-advertised ballpoint. Sure, they do write a bit more smoothly than the ordinary ballpoint, but the quality of the writing is about the same. The same skipping is present. I think it's one of the same reasons I never fell in love with the Zebra Surari, because I just wasn't impressed. Maybe I'm just a gel pen fanatic who won't be swayed by the pen companies attempt to yank me back to the age of ballpoints, but, YMMV.

As for the left-handed/quick drying aspect, I can agree with that. Being left-handed, I have always dealt with the issue of smearing ink or graphite all over the page as I was writing. I've slowly adapted over the years (weird hand/paper positions, a cover sheet, different paper, different pens), but it's still an ever-present problem. I can almost even attribute my interest in pens and paper to the fact that I'm still searching for the perfect writing utensil, but I digress... The JetStream 101 dries quickly and is relatively smear-proof (although there was a bit of smearing present when I swiped my hand quickly over it, but I usually don't write that fast), making it an excellent choice for the left-handed writer.

The only other issue I have with this pen is the grip. I grip my pens relatively hard when I write, and this pen doesn't give an inch.  Sustained writing (even in just writing the short paper review) caused my hand to begin to cramp. I'm sure I could train my hand out of this habit (or slide on one of the pencil-grippy-things), but I like a pen I can grip firmly without any discomfort.

Other than these small problems, the JetStream 101 is still an excellent pen for those people who love 1.) a smooth ballpoint, 2.) a dark and vibrant ink, and 3.) a relatively (for most) comfortable writing experience.

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Thanks again to Chris for providing this excellent review.  Be sure to check out all of his work at Pens'n'Paper.com.  If you would like to write a guest review for The Pen Addict, click on the About button on the right sidebar and send me an email.

Review: Uni-Ball Signo DX 0.38mm Red

One of the things I have mentioned over and over again on this blog during the past three years is the lack of availability of micro tip pens (tip width under 0.5mm for gel ink pens, under 0.7mm for ballpoints) on the big retailers shelves.  Earlier this week I made it back to the store that was the impetus for getting this blog started - the Office Max near Perimeter Mall in Atlanta, GA.  I was there for a training class just like I was three years ago when I first discovered the Uni-Ball Signo RT 0.38mm.  I figured I would check it out again to see what had changed over the past three years.  A quick glance down the pen aisle answered that question very quickly - almost nothing.

If I had taken a picture of the pen aisle back then and compared it to now, it would have looked eerily similar.  The only true micro tip pen on the shelf was the Pilot G2 0.38mm - not even the RT was still there.  About the only change from three years ago was the presence of the Sharpie Pen, and a bunch of the same pens as before but in different barrel colors.  I'm not sure if it is the retailers, the manufacturers, or the consumers to blame for the lack of change (I imagine it is some combination of the three), but I left the Office Max that night without spending a dime.

So why this diatribe on a Uni-Ball Signo DX 0.38mm review?  This would be the perfect pen to mass market to the American public.  It writes wonderfully, is durable, comes in a rainbow of colors, and is reasonably priced.  There is literally no downside to this pen that I have ever been able to find.  Uni-Ball put the RT on the shelf sparingly, so why not the DX?  It is a superior pen in my book, and I think it would do well.

I'm not going to get my hopes up though.  The rate of change for big box retailers is on the order of miserable.  Thank goodness for JetPens.

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