Uni Power Tank Eco 1.0 mm Blue Review

Over the years, I have reviewed all of the Uni-ball Power Tank pens that I could get my hands on: the Original, the Smart Series, and the Smart Series High Grade. I had no idea there was an Eco version until my friend Carmen brought one back from Spain and sent it my way.

My first reaction: Wow, that is one ugly pen!

I understand that Uni is going for the eco-friendly look but I’m not sure they pulled it off here. It actually doesn’t look so bad in the picture, but in person it comes off as odd. The brown grip area is what gets me. It is lighter than the brown plastic clip, and grip wear shows up even lighter. That makes for a worn down looking grip before it has had much use.

While it may not win any beauty contests, it is still a decent pen. The blue 1.0 mm pressurized ink cartridge is smooth and dark. The line does have a good amount of white space in it, which is a flaw seen in many ballpoints. I have had more success writing with the 0.7 mm Power Tanks, so that would be my preferred Eco option as well.

The Power Tank line is a great choice if you are looking for a pressurized ballpoint pen. Just know that there are several barrel options, ink sizes, and ink colors to choose from.

Uni-ball Woodnote 0.38 mm Blue Review

Brian did a great job in his review of the orange Uni-ball Woodnote and I wanted to add in my thoughts using the blue ink model as an example. This is one pen with a very wide range of pros and cons.

I thought this was a fantastic looking pen when I first saw it arrive at JetPens. The natural wooden body is striking against the bright colored plastic and it uses the Uni-ball Style Fit refills so you know it writes very well.

The pen barrel is very light though, and is narrow in diameter. I was actually surprised at how small it was when I got it. It is along the lines of the Pentel Slicci diameter-wise and even lighter. It would make for a good portable pen if you are willing to let the barrel get dinged up and add some character.

One issue I have with the Woodnote is where the wood barrel meets the plastic tip. As you might imagine, where the hex of the barrel meets the round tip section there are some rough edges. Of course, that is exactly where I grip the pen and it doesn’t feel great. If you grip the pen higher than me you should be in good shape.

If Ikea designed a pen I think it would look a lot like the Woodnote.

Uni-ball Roller Grip 0.5 mm Blue Review

One piece of information I wish were more readily available is the year a pen was introduced. Very few people care about this other than me, but I think it is useful. I’m guessing this Uni-ball Roller Grip has been around for at least a decade and I would love to say “Introduced in 1998,”.

Why do I care about this all of a sudden? Because this is a pretty darn good pen, and it seems to have been lost in the shuffle over the years. I have been asked to review it several times in the past but it wasn’t until Carmen grabbed me one in Spain that I had one available to review. How funny is that? A great American pen that had to travel across the Atlantic to get reviewed.

It’s not that it is impossible to find in the States, it’s that it is just a pen. From Uni-ball’s perspective, it’s not going to get the same marketing push as the Jetstream or the 207, and therefore isn’t going to be on retail shelves everywhere. It is more of a buy it by the dozen office supply cabinet workhorse.

What I like about the Roller Grip is the ink. It is a liquid ink, but it is not too wet. As long as you don’t hold the tip on the page excessively the bleed is minimal. Uni-ball seems to have improved the overall ink quality over the years as well. It is listed as a pigment based ink that is archival, acid-free, and water-resistant. I had no idea until I read the specs when typing up this post.

Has and old standby become a new favorite? Well, I had a little grin on my face when I was writing this review, sort of a “I can’t believe it is this good” smirk. I think a dozen black are in my future.