Posts filed under Signo

Uni-Ball Signo 207 Gel Pen Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold! This post contains affiliate links.)

Okay, look. Most of you probably already know the Uni-ball Signo 207, and if you don't know this pen, you should get to know this pen, and here's why.

Sometimes you just need to write something down.

I love all my fancy pens, but I love my basics, too. Gel pens were my gateway stationery to Pen Addict joy, and the Uni-Ball Signo is my favorite gel pen. Which is why, one morn a few weeks ago, I jokingly entered Brad's Twitch stream giveaway for this rainbow set of Signo 207’s. I rarely enter his giveaways, as I'm already spoiled, but I really do love these pens. He did say, upon seeing that I'd won them, that I would have to review them, but the joke's on him, because I already wanted to!

I'll start with my favorite thing about them. The ink. The Signo ink is archival--it's fade-proof, water-proof, and pigment-based, so it shows up bold even in light colors. And there are colors! This set comes in black, blue, light blue, green, orange, red, pink, and violet. Plenty of shades for practical use and for fun color-coded projects. You can even buy the ink refills (available in several tip sizes) to replace those you've inevitably used up, and the pen bodies are well-constructed enough to be refilled and reused.

The pen body is made from a sturdy, transparent plastic in the color of the ink it contains. That makes it easy to grab the color you want from a pen case. The clip is sturdy, but flexible enough to be useful. The click mechanism, which is charmingly in a bubble of colorful plastic, is substantial and satisfyingly fidgety. The white plastic (some models come in other colors) nose cone unscrews to access the refill.

The only pet peeve I have about this particular pen model is the grip. The textured rubber grip is, itself, great. But there's one section of it that's smooth, aligned with the clip. Sensory-wise, that lack of consistency drives me a bit crazy. The texture doesn't match, which is a distraction. Is that a nitpick? You betcha! But it's all I've got.

These pens are also on the more expensive side for gel pens, coming in at about $2 per pen, though price varies depending on where you look. That's not a lot compared to the snazzy pens that share my pen case, but it's more than many other gel pens out there. And worth it, in my opinion.

This is the pen I reach for when I need to write a check, sign a receipt, add some color to my planner, jot a super fast note, lend to a bystander, or do pretty much anything that I wouldn't do with a fountain pen. I particularly love the saturated color variety in this set, which ranges from business to neon--just like I do.

(Uni-ball North America provided these pens at no charge to The Pen Addict.)

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Posted on August 24, 2023 by Sarah Read and filed under Uni-Ball, Signo, 207, Pen Reviews.

Uni-ball Signo 207 Premier Review

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

I'm no stranger to the Uni Signo 207 line. In fact, they were one of my gateway pens into my stationery awakening back in the day. Regarded as one of the most accessible "nice" pens available at every big box store today, it's probably been a gateway pen for many, many people. Given the smooth, crisp refills and high quality body, it's no wonder. As good as the standard 207 is, I had to give the Uni Signo 207 Premier a shot to see if the extra cushion could improve on an old classic.

Since the refill inside this Premier body is no surprise, I'll just say that it is exactly what you can expect from the regular 207 line. They all use the same refill, so you can easily swap it out for the size and color that works best for you. I don't have any spares at the moment, but I mostly prefer blue 0.5mm refills with this pen. The black 0.7mm works great, though. The ink is smooth and crisp and I have zero complaints about it.

The key difference between a regular 207 and the 207 Premier is the luxurious grip section. This thing is a delightful little pillow for your fingers. I've had so much fun playing with it and enjoying the plush texture. The additional cushion does also make the overall diameter of the pen a bit larger as well, so it feels a little more chunky than the standard 207. In my experience, it hasn't really made the writing experience any more or less comfortable. This mostly comes down to how I hold the pen. My grip is fairly low on any pen I use, so I end up gripping the space between the nose cone and the beginning of the grip. At that part, there just isn't much cushion because of the underlying mechanism that locks the grip section into the cone. You don't really get to fully experience the cushy grip unless you hold the pen a little higher. This is uncomfortable to me just because of old habits, but I envy the people who can naturally pick this pen up and write with the cushion in the appropriate place for their fingers. I imagine it feels great and relieves fatigue.

I'm willing to discount this critique on the 207 Premier because one size does not fit all when it comes to pen grips. I knew what to expect, and I wasn't disappointed or surprised when I finally held it in my hand. But, one area I do criticize the 207 Premier's grip is how it reacts to lint and dust. It LOVES it. Between playing with the grip, writing, and cleaning lint and dust off the grip, I'd say I've split my time equally three ways. It really is a magnet for picking up lint, and I haven't even slid this pen into a jeans pocket. I really don't want to for precisely this reason. This is not something I expected from looking at the pictures, and it does prevent me from using the pen like I normally would.

At just under $9, you could pick up a couple of 3-packs of the regular 207s. Unless you know that your writing grip would fit this grip section perfectly, and you know you'd love to write with the pillowy cushion under your fingers, I'd recommend you pass on this one. The bonus of the fancy grip and larger body don't elevate the value over the regular 207 lineup. Save a few bucks and enjoy the already-excellent Uni 207 instead!

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

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Posted on May 15, 2019 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Uni-Ball, Signo, 207, Pen Reviews.

Uni-ball Signo Needle Gel Ink Pen Review

What do you do when the best gel ink pen gets an update? You buy a bunch of them of course! One of my all-time favorites, and my number one ranked gel ink pen for as long as I can remember, the Uni-ball Signo UM-151 0.38 mm is now available with a needle point.

Any time I am asked for a gel pen recommendation, especially in a micro-tip size, this pen is my answer. And it’s not really close. While I repeatedly profess my love for the Pilot Hi-Tec-C, and the Zebra Sarasa Clip is wonderful in its own right, the Signo UM-151 is a step above. If you prefer a needle point over a conical tip, then this is a pen you will want to try out.

Aesthetically, the needle tip model is nearly identical to the standard version. There are a few cosmetic differences, such as the addition of the racing stripe down the barrel, but otherwise, this is the same barrel, same grip, same cap, and same ink. And that’s good in my book. The only thing missing on this model is the DX marking, which I never knew why that existed in the first place or what it meant. It was easier calling it the DX though, as opposed the the UM-151, and now the UM-151ND.

Writing with this pen is a complete joy. The lines are fine and sharp, and the colors are rich and saturated. If you are a tiny writer like me, it’s practically perfect. I’ve never had a Signo UM-151 fail to work when I need it to, like the Pilot Hi-Tec-C. I’ve never had the ink run out quickly, like the Zebra Sarasa Clip. Uni-ball has set themselves apart with this pen.

And it is only marketed and sold in Japan.

Uni-ball clearly knows this pen is a success, so why isn’t it on store shelves around the world? Sure, we can all get them through importers like JetPens (thank goodness!), but I find it odd that this isn’t more widely available, at least in 0.38 mm and 0.5 mm sizes. The Signo 307 is the store shelf pen for Uni-ball, comes in many colors, and is amazing in its own right. I don’t see why the UM-151 isn’t out there more alongside it.

Speaking of colors, I grabbed my favorite five: Blue Black, Lime Green, Violet, Light Blue, and Orange. In the past, I would grab three of them to take notes at work so I could have tasks or similar details color-coordinated. These days, I’m a single color note taker, but like having the color options available. Blue Black is my go to, but I mix in the others frequent enough to get used. And there are 10 more colors to choose from, with possibly more to come.

Bottom line: This is the best gel ink pen on the market. It’s always an enjoyable experience whenever I pick one up, and I always make sure to have one - or more - within arms reach.

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

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