Review: Zebra F-402, Ballpoint, 0.7mm

by Andrew

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If the Zebra F-301 Ultra is an upgrade from the original Zebra F-301, then the Zebra F-402 is like a double-upgrade. It’s noticeably heavier, the barrel is a little bit longer, and all of the plastic has been replaced with stainless steel. But best of all, the F-402 is thicker and, like the F-301 Ultra, the hard grip section has been improved with a comfortable, rubberized material.

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The only thing that hasn’t been upgraded between these three iterations – the F-301, the F-301 Ultra, and the F-402 – is the 0.7mm ballpoint refill. That’s not to suggest that it’s a bad refill, just mediocre when compared to the smoothness of the Pilot Acroball or the usefulness of the Fisher Space Pen refill. While the extra heft of the F-402 gives some gravity-assist to what is normally a cramp-inducing writing experience, the pen would still be much better with a higher quality refill.

But if you are a fan of the F-301, then the F-402 is worth trying. At 2 or 3 dollars per pen, it doesn’t cost a much more than the F-301. Yet it’s a more substantial, nicer pen overall. And, more importantly, the F-402 is a lot more comfortable to write with.

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Extra Links

Nib Novice, Part 1 – The Pilot VPen

by Andrew

Fountain pens, frankly, are intimidating. For someone like me who’s never used one, they seem a bit finicky and archaic. Learning to become a fountain pen user seems almost like learning to drive stick or learning how to ferment homemade vinegar. There are fervent advocates for all these practices, but to an outsider, they seem like they might be more trouble than they’re worth. So why bother?

Type “why use a fountain pen?” into Google, and you’ll be met with a host of reasons listed on various websites and blogs.  Unfortunately, most of these reasons just don’t speak to me. For example, a blog at oPENions describes how fountain pens can be great for left-handed writers, but I’m not a lefty. A blog at Writer’s Bloc does a great job of explaining how fountain pens are good for people with weak wrists, carpel tunnel, or hand-cramping issues, but none of these are problems for me. A post at Goulet Pens even mentions that fountain pens can save you money in the long run, though if this were a major concern, it would be cheaper for me just to swipe ballpoints from bank lobbies.

For me, there’s only one reason that makes sense. All of those blogs touch on it in one way or another, but I think blogger Ed Jelly puts it best: “Maybe it’s the inner pen geek speaking, but I find it fascinating that there are several parts and either a steel or gold piece of pointed metal that deliver ink to page. Capillary action draws ink from the internal reservoir through a feed to regulate the flow, all the way to the tip of the pen… Different pens have different filling systems and clear pens (called ‘demonstrators’) let you see all the inner workings. Tell me that isn’t more interesting than your standard ballpoint?!” In other words, fountain pens are just kind of neat.

So, in order to learn about fountain pens and decided for myself whether they’re worth the trouble, I’m starting this new series of posts to explore them. Because fountain pens come in a wide range of varieties – different types of nibs, ink refill systems, barrel materials, etc –  I intend to look at a broad spectrum. And I’m beginning with the simplest fountain pen on the market, the Pilot VPen.

At $2.60, the Vpen is also probably the cheapest fountain pen you’ll find on the market, and it definitely looks the part. Its body is light and made of plastic, It’s non-refillable, and entirely disposable. Still, it was fun to use, and surprisingly smooth.

Of course, nobody would consider this a great pen. The ink flow skips in and out occasionally, and it bleeds through paper fairly easily. A decent gel pen beats it any day, but it nevertheless has me looking forward to trying another fountain pen. And perhaps next time I’ll spend  few more dollars.

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Review: Tombow Ultra, Rollerball, 0.5mm

by Andrew

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The Tombow Ultra feels like a pen you’d whip out to write your personal number on the back of a business card. It’s a hefty, thick, and professional-looking pen. It exists to impress, but it isn’t just for show either. It’s durable and comfortable, and it comes stocked with an amazing rollerball ink.

The Ultra is in the 25-50 dollar price range, and for your money you get a good-quality metal and enamel pen. However, it does have a rubberized grip – it’s thick and comfortable, but it’s worth noting that it might wear down with heavier use.

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Still, the only major flaw in the Ultra is a plastic piece inside the cap that exists to create an airtight seal around the tip of the refill, preventing it from drying out. Unfortunately, this plastic piece is too thin and malleable. It frequently gets bent out of shape when attempting to cap the pen, making it necessary to bend it back in place before the cap can be properly secured. It’s a very annoying aspect of an otherwise nice pen.

Regardless, I do like the Ultra. It even comes inside a Tombow case, making it nicely giftable. And, as I mentioned, I am very impressed with its rollerball refill, which is clean, dark, and low smear. It’s possibly the smoothest rollerball I’ve ever used, and it even comes in tip sizes as small as 0.3mm. I can’t say I’ll be using the Tombow Ultra as much as I use my (similarly-priced) Retro 51 Tornado, but I’ll definitely be looking to put that Tombow rollerball refill into any pen that will accept it.

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Review: Pilot Juice, Gel Ink, 0.38mm

by Andrew

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Picture a Pilot G-2 with a spring-loaded clip, and you’ll have a good idea of what the Pilot Juice is all about. Like the G-2, the Juice has the clear-plastic body and black trim that looks like so many other pens you’ll find on most store shelves – I call it the “premium plastic” style. But that isn’t to say that the Juice is a bad pen, and, to the contrary, it’s probably a lot better than most of the other pens in its category.

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Compared to the G-2, the Juice’s ink is a bit smoother, the grip is a little softer, and the refill lacks that ugly brown gunk. And while these minor improvements might not make anyone go out of their way, the Juice’s aforementioned spring-loaded clip might. Never underestimate the usefulness of a good clip. Whether attaching it to a notebook or a pocket, it’s nice having a pen that knows how to stay put.

It’s easy to see that the Pilot Juice is a good gel-ink pen, but its competition can’t be ignored either. For my money, the Juice still doesn’t beat the nearly smear-free ink and the professional look of pens like the Pentel Energel and the uni-ball Signo 207. However, if the Juice’s spring-loaded clip speaks to you, it might be worth a try.

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Extra Links

  • A review at The Clicky Post says that the Juice delivers a top notch writing experience. He also notes that the tip-size and color options are “literally insane.”
  • Speaking of colors, you can see many of the Juice’s color options over at The Well Appointed Desk.
  • Another review at The Finer Point calls the Juice “middle of the park.” In particular she dislikes the cheap-looking barrel, and she describes the pen as best for taking shorter notes.

Retro Talk: Crosswords and Space Pens

by Andrew

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Crossword puzzle enthusiasts can be divided into two categories: those who use pens and those who use pencils. In my everyday experience, the pencil seems to be the more popular choice. Flip through a disheveled Sunday paper left behind at a coffee shop, and, nine times out of ten, the crossword puzzle was solved in pencil. The reason is obvious; pencils have erasers, so mistakes are more easily fixed. Perhaps that’s why Retro 51 no longer makes the (above pictured) Crossword Tornado pen, yet the company still produces the Tornado Crossword pencil.

Discontinued after 2008, the Crossword Tornado pen is similar to the standard Retro 51 Tornado but with a crossword-themed wrap. They’re quite difficult to find. I saw this one listed eBay about six months ago, so I quickly snapped it up. However, I haven’t seen one listed since, and no other online seller seems to have any in stock. Whether this is due to their rarity or the general lack of interest in a crossword pen, I couldn’t say. Regardless, the advantage of using a pen for solving crossword puzzles should not be overlooked, as it so often is.

Jim Horne, a former writer for the New York Times and a crossword puzzle enthusiast, writes that “counter intuitively the best way to ‘pencil in’ answers is to use a pen. You can write guesses very lightly, scribble in better ideas a little darker, and then press down when you’re sure of the letters.” But with pencils, “once you start trying to use the eraser the page quickly becomes a mess.”

To use a pen in the way that Horne describes – jotting down guesses very lightly and writing darker for more certain answers – you need a ballpoint pen, which uses oil-based inks. The standard Retro 51 Tornado refill, on the other hand, uses a (water-based) rollerball ink. Rollerballs are great for producing pronounced, dark lines, but they’re terrible for doing shading the way that Horne describes. So, the Retro 51’s rollerball will have to be replaced.

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After a little thought, I decided that the best option for a crossword puzzle pen has to be the Fisher Space Pen refill. Not only is it a ballpoint, perfect for shading, but it also uses a pressurized ink cartridge. It lets you write at any angle and on dirty/wet surfaces – great for travel, whether you’re killing time on a commuter bus or at an airport terminal. The problem is that the Space Pen Refill doesn’t properly fit into the Retro 51 Tornado barrel. The refill is a little too short. To solve this, I added a little plastic spacer that I pulled from an SKB Click Ball, and, after cutting it down a little, it seemed to work.

Personally, I’m not very good at solving crossword puzzles. My mom, on the other hand, flies through crossword magazines at an impressive pace. And being newly retired (since the beginning of January), she’ll also be flying through those BICs pretty fast. So, I hope she likes this Retro 51 Crossword pen as a little retirement gift. And that Space Pen refill should keep her going, even if she accidentally drops her crossword magazine into a sandy puddle on the beaches of Key West.

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