Uni-ball Signo RT1 0.38 mm Blue Black Gel Review

(This is a guest review by Brian Draghi. Find Brian on Twitter @Sketchscape)

I have enjoyed the retractable Signo RT series of pens for while now and they have been working well as-is, or at least so I thought. Uni-ball recently released an updated version of the Signo RT called the Signo RT1 with a sleek new body and a tip design that provides a smoother writing performance that the original.

The new body style of the RT1 really caught my eye the first time I saw it. It has a unibody design that looks like it’s made from one continuous piece. The bottom part of the pen near the tip is made from smooth rubber that is comfortable to hold for longer periods of time. Unlike the grip of the RT that stops near where the pen tapers towards the tip, the RT1 grip continues on to the very end of the pen. If you like to hold the pen near the tip, you still have a nice grip for your fingers to hold on to.

The main body of the RT1 is made of a translucent color that reflects the color of the refill you prefer and is see-through enough to allow you to see how much ink you have left. It’s an excellent feature and makes the RT1 feel like a streamlined, stylized pen. The RT1 also has a clip that is integrated with the click mechanism. This causes the clip to move when you extend and retract the pen instead of being stationary on the regular RT.

Comparing the line quality of the original RT to the RT1, the RT1 has the smoother writing experience. The RT1 just glides across the page without any effort required. It creates a smooth, dark, fine line that does not skip across the page.

The RT, in comparison, almost needs a bit more pressure to use since it tends to drag across the page slightly. This causes the RT to have a scratchy quality when writing. Maybe it’s this particular RT refill I currently have or I just never noticed the scratchy quality until now.

Despite the many positive elements, the clip is one of the worst things about the RT1. It is too flexible and doesn’t feel as secure as I would like. This is something that could break off after frequent use, especially if you are one that likes to fiddle with their pen clips. Another problem with the RT1 is the retracting mechanism. When you press down on the click mechanism to extend the refill, the clip and mechanism tend to rattle back and forth when you lightly shake it. This would be a huge issue if this occurred while you were writing but thankfully that does not happen. The rattling isn’t too distracting unless you are waving your pen around like a crazy person with a purpose.

Besides the minor issues with the clip and click mechanism, this is a great pen to carry away from home. The updated barrel design is nice, and the line is smooth and dark.

The RT1 is $2.50 at JetPens which is slightly more expensive than the RT but it is well worth paying an extra dollar for. It’s hard to complain about a pen that works consistently every time you put it in use.

Uni-ball Jetstream 0.38 mm Ballpoint Review

I have seen a lot of pens, pencils, and paper in my day, but I am still capable of getting my mind blown and acting giddy like a school child. And unlike my recent several hundred dollar fountain pen purchases, this is for a pen that costs less than $3.00.

Say hello to the Uni-ball Jetstream 0.38 mm Ballpoint.

This pen caught me off guard. Jetstream already had one of the finest-tipped ballpoints on the market in the 0.5 mm (which lays down a line of 0.4 mm or less) so I didn't really see the need, but I am oh so happy they produced this.

My original fear that this pen would be too scratchy to use - a common refrain with the 0.5 mm - was swept away the first time the pen hit the page. It is shockingly smooth, even more so than the 0.5 mm in my mind. It also requires almost no pressure to leave a solid, consistent, skip-free line. There isn't much more I could have asked for.

The 0.38 mm Jetstream is an immediate Top 5 Pen and will take up permanent residence in my daily arsenal of pens.

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)

Uni-ball Insight 0.7 mm Rollerball Review

If you are anything like me, a trip to the store is not complete without a visit to the office supply aisle. The majority of the time there is nothing new, and on the rare occasions there is, it is coming home with me - for better, or for worse.

I was hoping the Uni-ball Insight would land in the “for better” category, but my expectation was it would fit squarely in the “for worse” bucket. At the risk of ruining the rest of the review I’ll go ahead and cop out right now: It is somewhere in the middle.

The good: Like most of Uni-ball’s products, the design and overall quality are top notch. I rarely have any issues with their pens and the Insight is no exception. The barrel is solid, lightweight, and comfortable to hold. It also uses Super Ink technology, which means the ink is archival quality.

The average: Shockingly, the Insight is also “refillable”. I use quotes around the term because one, I haven’t laid eyes on any refills, and two, like the Uni-Ball Vision Elite, you are replacing at least 50% of the entire pen (ink cartridge, grip, and tip) with each refill. I don’t see how that is good value.

The bad: While I do appreciate the Super Ink technology, the ink flow of the Insight is too heavy for me. In my book, this is a redesign of the base-level Uni-ball Vision, a pen that I don’t care for at all. It bleeds profusely on most standard papers, and is overall a messy writer. If you enjoy the standard Uni-ball Vision then you will like the Insight very much. But, if you are looking for a liquid ink Uni-ball pen that performs better than average, skip these and go straight for the Uni-Ball Vision Elite.

One pricing note: The black and blue dozens at Amazon run in the $15 range, but for some reason the red dozen is only $8. If you are a heavy red pen user that is an excellent deal. The Insight is certainly worth that.