Review: Zebra F-301 Ultra, Ballpoint, 0.7mm

by AndrewJanuary 20, 2016January 18, 2016

I’ve covered many iterations of the popular Zebra F-301 pen on this blog, and it’s been quite a hodgepodge. For example, there’s the F-301 Compact, a redesign that managed to be even more uncomfortable than the original. There’s also the rollerball version of the F-301, creatively named the R-301, which made some positive and interesting changes, yet still failed at some of the basics. And then there’s the 301A, a version of the F-301 that made almost no changes, positive or negative, except that the barrel looks a little prettier.

But, finally, I’m happy to report that Zebra has an update of the F-301, called the F-301 Ultra, which really is a marked improvement.

Within moments of using the F-301 Ultra, it’s clear that it is a much better pen than the original. There’s a couple small changes – a reinforced clip and a rounded-off knock mechanism – that contribute the overall improvement, but the most significant change is the grip. Rather than the hard-plastic of the original F-301, the F-301 Ultra has a softer, thicker grip. It’s impressive how this change makes the F-301 Ultra much more comfortable to write with than the original.

At around five dollars per pen, it’s about double the price of the original F-301, and depending on your personal use case, this softer grip will wear down eventually. But if you’re using your F-301 for more than jotting small notes here and there , then it’s definitely worth the upgrade to the Ultra. Now if Zebra could only improve its ballpoint ink refill to compete with something like the Pilot Acroball, this pen might really be a game-changer.

Extra Links

A review from the Tiger Pens Blog. Apparently, it’s a good self-defense pen? I don’t know about that, but he also agrees that the ink is less than ideal.
A review on the Fountain Pen Network Forum by member s5s. Again, the main contention is the refill, which is a proprietary design. So don’t think you’ll be able to switch this refill out with any other.
The F-301 Ultra is carried by many retailers online, but I’ve never seen one in a store – even Zebra’s website doesn’t really mention the Ultra anywhere. Perhaps it has been discontinued already.

Review: Jot Roller-Tip, Rollerball Pen, 0.5mm

by AndrewJanuary 18, 2016January 16, 2016

Though it serves little other purpose, the Jot Roller-Tip rollerball is a good example of why people should care, at least a little, about purchasing a decent pen. After all, it’s the sort of pen that typically doesn’t warrant a second thought. It is very inexpensive, it looks nice enough, and it even has a relatively fine, 0.5mm tip . But even for the dollar or two I paid for a 3-pack, these pens are really just a waste of money.

The Jot Roller-Tip is probably one of the more inconsistent pens I’ve ever written with. Thick lines, thin lines, or no lines, you never know what you’re going to get when you put this pen to paper. It’s scratchy and rough to write with, the clip is flimsy, and the plastic end of the barrel even pops off when it clearly shouldn’t. Throw this pen in a backpack or purse at your own peril.

Uh… I don’t think that’s supposed to just pop off like that.

On the positive side, the ink is quick-drying and, though it lacks a soft-grip section, it’s certainly comfortable enough for most uses. Still, it’s not enough to make a difference. The bottom line is that the Jot Roller-Tip is just not worth your money – no matter how little they’ll charge.

Colors Review: Pentel R.S.V.P. Eight-Color Set, 1.0mm Ballpoint

by AndrewJanuary 15, 2016January 14, 2016

The Pentel R.S.V.P. is a pen that’s ubiquitous to the school-supply isle. It’s nicer than the cheapo pens you’ll find in the typical office supply cabinet, but it’s inexpensive enough – and durable enough – that you could probably throw it into a kid’s backpack without much thought. This eight-color set of Pentel R.S.V.P. ballpoints follows along those same lines; they work, but there’s little that’s noteworthy.

The colors included here all feel fairly basic. The blue, red, purple, and green lend themselves best to utilitarian tasks like grading papers or taking notes. The orange, light blue, and pink are a bit brighter, but still might be best suited to highlight or mark passages in a book. Drawing, doodling, or coloring is best treated as an after-thought.

These R.S.V.P. colors don’t provide a particularly smooth or smear-free writing/drawing experience. Color with them too long and you’re bound to find ink blobs smeared across the side of your hand. And despite the soft grip section, hand-cramps are likely to occur after only a few minutes of continual use. Like most ballpoint pens, the ink works great for shading and darkening (depending on how hard you press down on the paper), but they don’t fill in areas particularly well either.

These pens are best put to work in a calendar, textbook, or notebook – anywhere drawing, doodling, or coloring will be secondary.

Review: M&G R1, Gel Ink, 0.5mm

by AndrewJanuary 13, 2016January 11, 2016

If you have never heard of the company M&G, you’re not alone. This is my first time ever seeing a pen with its logo, but from my brief research, it seems to be a fairly large operation based in Shanghai, China. The company manufactures a ridiculous amount of pens, with its website listing 117 different types of gel-ink pens alone. One of these pens is the R1, which M&G claims is its best seller.

The style of the R1 is pretty close to that of your typical “premium plastic” pen, like the Pilot G-2, albeit with gray-colored grip. By all measures, it’s a pretty good pen. It smears some, but otherwise produces consistent lines with dark ink. With its thick grip, it’s even quite comfortable to hold. It’s not hard to see why the R1 might be M&G’s best seller.

The R1 is inexpensive and a decent choice for the pen cup. The catch is that you’ll have to purchase it from an online seller, usually one from China through eBay. Oddly, these pens still tend to be less expensive than similar pens you’ll find on store shelves in the United States – even including the shipping costs, I paid less than one dollar per pen. Still, the R1 isn’t so great that it’s worth chasing after, but if you’re especially patient and frugal, they might at least be worth looking into.

Review: BIC Atlantis Exact, Ballpoint, 0.7mm

by AndrewJanuary 11, 2016January 11, 2016

Well, BIC has surprised me for the second time in recent weeks. Maybe we can chalk it up to some planetary alignment or the level of the tides, but either way, the BIC Atlantis Exact is a pretty solid ballpoint pen. Overall, it’s smooth, comfortable, and is a very consistent writer.

It’s not perfect, of course. The all-plastic pen comes across a little cheap in ways that similarly priced pens don’t. On closer inspection, even its “metal” tip seems to simply be just a shiny piece of plastic. It could also stand to have a stronger (metal) clip, and it would be nice to see it hold a bit more ink.

Regardless, the Atlantis Exact has a “pros” list that can’t be ignored. It has a grip that runs almost the entire length of the barrel, the ink doesn’t blob or smear, and it puts down nice, fine lines. I wouldn’t exactly jump at the chance to use one of these pens, but I wouldn’t be disappointed to pull one out of a supply closet either.