Not a lot of all-plastic pens look impressive, but the uni-ball Signo RT1 manages to pull it off with its all-black “stealth” style. It also has a rubber grip section that extends all the way to the tip of the pen, making it very comfortable to hold. And I love the design of its knock retracting mechanism – it has a good thickness, and it attaches to the clip in a unique-looking way, making it really fun to “click-click-click” all day long.

Although writing with ultra-fine pens can sometimes feel like you’re about to slice through your paper, this 0.28mm tip is surprisingly smooth, consistent, and it generally performs very well. Such a fine tip also means that you’re not putting a ton of ink on the page, so smearing is a non-issue, despite the fact that the Signo RT1 uses gel ink.

While the pen could use a stronger clip and a bit of added weight – it’s a lot lighter than it looks – the barrel design of the pen and the writing experience are top notch. Such a fine tipped pen is not ideal in many situations, but I definitely plan on grabbing this Signo RT1 next time I have to fill out the tiny boxes on a warranty card.

Extra Links

• Well Appointed Desk compares the 0.28mm Signo RT1 with other versions of the Signo pen.
• Review at Pen Addict of the blue ink version.
• Write Analog loves the 0.38mm version.