pen reviews

Review: TUL Retractable, Gel Ink, 0.5mm

by Andrew

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If you find yourself doing some back-to-school shopping at Office Depot, OfficeMax, or any subsidiary thereof, then you’ll probably spot some of the company’s TUL brand of pens. There’s actually a whole TUL family, which includes ballpoints, rollerballs, and mechanical pencils. But, of course, I was drawn to the TUL retractable gel pen – it has a needle point, a 0.5mm tip, and is exactly the sort of pen I typically like for daily use.

The look of the pen is right on. The black and gray fade on the barrel looks pretty cool, and the TUL logo right in the middle is simple and bold. I even like the demonstrator-ish look of the knock and the plastic, black accent on the clip. Although, in hand it feels a little cheaper than it looks. The aforementioned clip seems a bit flimsy, and the rubber grip could use a little extra cushion.

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In terms of performance, the TUL retractable is good but not great. Its gel ink is dark and smooth with minimal smearing, though I had some issue with ink flow consistency. It sometimes fluctuated between finer and heavier lines, but this happened to only be an occasional problem.

Overall, it doesn’t fall on the top of the “retractable gel pen” heap alongside my favorites (e.g. the Energel Deluxe RTX and the uni-ball Signo 207), but I do like it nonetheless  If these go on sale after the back-to-school shopping season, then I might just have to pick up a couple more packs.

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Review: BIC Bu3 Grip, Ballpoint Ink, 1.0mm

by Andrew

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In most aspects the BIC Bu3 Grip is a standard, if not slightly-below-average, ballpoint pen. The ink flow is on the sluggish side, it has a tendency to skip in and out while writing, and there’s more ink blobbing and smearing than one should expect from a $1 pen. On these points alone, I’d hesitate to recommend this pen to anyone, but there’s a little button on the side of the BU3 that pushes it into the “I’d never want to pick this pen up ever again” category.

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The button, located near the clip, acts as a retracting mechanism. The tip still ejects by clicking a knock at the top of the pen, like you’d typically expect, but you can only retract the pen’s tip by pushing the button. Why? The Bu3’s packaging states that it’s “for added convenience,” but it really isn’t convenient at all. I’ve seen similar retracting mechanisms that actually do serve some purpose – the Pilot Down Force comes to mind – but the Bu3’s retracting mechanism is, at best, mildly annoying.

Really, I’m having trouble finding good things to say about this pen. The grip is somewhat comfortable, I guess, but that’s hardly redeemable. So, unless you have no other options, my suggestion is to just avoid the BIC Bu3 Grip.

Review: Everyman Grafton, Gel Ink, 0.7mm

by Andrew

Kickstarter, in my experience, can be hit or miss. Any given Kickstarter project might have a good sales pitch, nifty graphics, and a well produced video, but creating and shipping a final product is a different matter entirely. A good project will meet your expectations, and a great project will exceed them. And I’m happy to say that since I received the Grafton by Everyman a few months ago, I believe that it fits into this latter category. In fact, it’s quickly become the pen I pick up more than any other.

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The Grafton is designed as an “everyday carry” pen, something that can easily be slipped into a pocket or purse without having to worry. To that end, the Grafton does a very good job. Its fully aluminum body, which comes with a black or silver finish, can take a beating, and the ‘click’ retracting mechanism is hearty and reliable. The clip, which is kept in place by a couple of tiny hex screws, is strong, yet pliable enough to easily attach to a pocket.

Inside the pen, a branded 0.7mm gel ink cartridge is included. The ink is dark and smears a bit, similar to what you might find in a Pilot G-2. But if you prefer a refill that can write through dirt and water, I was pleased to see that the Grafton also comes with parts that allow a Fisher Space Pen refill to fit inside the barrel.

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I really like this pen, but that obviously doesn’t mean it’s for everybody (despite the company’s name being “Everyman”). As you can see from my picture, the black finish does get worn with heavy use. I’m actually a fan of this worn look, but it would obviously be bothersome for anyone who likes keeping their pens looking pristine. From a dimensional standpoint, it might also be a bit big for some people. It fits into my pocket nicely, but it’s noticeably longer and thicker than other “everyday carry” pens like the Fisher Cap-O-Matic or the Zebra F-301.

My only complaint is that the threading on the barrel sometimes comes a little loose. It’s not so much that the pen falls apart, but it’s enough that I have to re-tighten it at least once a day. It takes a fraction of a second to fix and only occurs when I’ve been using the pen a lot, but I think that it’s a minor annoyance worth noting. Obviously this hasn’t deterred me at all from using the pen.

If you’re interested in the Grafton, you’ve unfortunately missed the Kickstarter campaign. However, you can now purchase one from the Everyman website for a little more money – $35. It might be a tad pricey for some, but it’s been a worthwhile investment for me. As the packaging insists, it’s meant to be a “Buy-For-Life” pen, so I intend to get my money’s worth.

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Review: Retro 51 Slim Tornado, Ballpoint, Medium Point

by Andrew

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Okay, full disclosure: I’m a fan of the Retro 51 Tornado. I’ve got a bunch of them. So when I saw the new Slim line of Tornado pens in the recent Retro 51 catalog, I knew right away that I was going to buy one. My only difficulty was deciding which one I wanted most.

For a while the Slim Tornado was made only in partnership with Apple, with four designs that match the four iPhone colors. The problem is that these pens are available only at Apple’s Cupertino headquarters. If you live outside of California then you’re out of luck, unless you’ve either got a good friend on the West Coast or you’re willing to pay triple the retail price on eBay. But have no fear, Retro 51 has three new designs for the Slim Tornado that are available everywhere.

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While I was initially tempted by the Graphite design, I was a bit more intrigued by the Electron. Unlike the other designs, which have a printed wrap, the Electron has a metallic barrel, anodized with a light blue color that covers the entirety of the pen’s body – tip, clip, twist, and all. It looks great, plus the barrel is acid etched with a hexagonal design that’s reminiscent of a carbon nanotube.

Compared to a standard Tornado, the Slim is slightly thinner, lighter by a hair, and has a shorter clip. However, both pens are the same length, and unless you’ve got them side-by-side, the differences aren’t overt. The Slim Tornado also uses a ballpoint refill, the Schmidt EasyFlow 9000, rather than the Schmidt Rollerball refill typically found in a Tornado  (which is just too fat for this pen). As ballpoints go, I like it quite a bit. However, that may be because it feels much more like rollerball ink. It’s dark and smooth, but it smears more than your average ballpoint, especially on glossy paper.

Overall, I really like this Retro 51 Slim Tornado, which perhaps is no surprise. I still prefer the larger-sized Tornado original, but that’s just a personal preference. My girlfriend, with her smaller hands, says she prefers the Slim. And, regardless, if you’re a fan of the Tornado like I am, then I would definitely suggest adding one of these to the collection.

Review: Paper Mate Inkjoy 550RT, Ballpoint Ink, 1.0mm

by Andrew

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While there’s a huge variety to Paper Mate’s line of Inkjoy pens, the Inkjoy 550RT is the only one which is “designed for fun.” At least, that’s according to Paper Mate’s marketing department. In reality, however, there’s nothing that’s exactly “fun” about the 550RT, but it still manages to be a decent, disposable ballpoint pen.

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Really, the design of the Inkjoy 550RT is nice but also relatively plain. Each end of the barrel is covered with a rubbery grip that narrows towards the pen’s middle, creating a very subtle and relatively comfortable hourglass shape. It has faux-chrome accents, a sturdy clip, and a clicker that’s reliable, though not terribly robust.

The ballpoint ink is surprisingly smooth and smear-free, and it dries darker than what you’d find with a cheaper ballpoint. Although it’s not quite up there with the Pilot Acroball or uni-ball Jetstream, it’s still a worthwhile product if you’re looking to buy a handful of ballpoints for only a few bucks. Only, you should be sure that your expectation for “fun” isn’t set too high.

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