The Pentel R.S.V.P can probably best be described as a budget pen. It’s a step up from the cheap ballpoints often found in office supply closets but less expensive than more “premium” ballpoints like the uni-ball Jetstream or the Pilot Acroball. It mostly performs like a typical ballpoint pen – it’s not particularly smooth, the ink isn’t particularly dark or rich, and there’s also the occasional appearance of ink blobs, which love to smear themselves across the paper.

To its credit, the R.S.V.P. provides a steady stream of ink. I never once had to scribble on scrap paper to reboot the ink flow, a common problem with ballpoints. You also get plenty of ink the cartridge, which lasts quite awhile. And Pentel has wisely included a rubber grip, an often missed feature for ballpoints, which typically require a firmer hand to write with.

Overall, the R.S.V.P. fills that “budget pen” space perfectly. It’s certainly a nice step up from a junky office pen, but you’d probably be better off throwing down an extra dollar or two to buy something that looks and performs a little bit better.

Extra Links

• Review at Darek’s Pens and Pencils. He also had issues with ink globs.
• Review by Rhonda Eudaly. On the other hand, she says she doesn’t have problems with ink globs.
• The final word goes to No Pen Intended who also points out the blobbing issue. Still, she says she prefers them to the Pilot G-2.