Colors Review: uni-ball Signo 207 Assorted Colors (Blue, Red, and Purple)

by Andrew

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This uni-ball Signo 207 color set is best characterized as utilitarian, meant for taking notes but probably not for drawing pictures. Along with black, the set includes three basic colors: a blue and purple, both of which have a fairly standard dark shade, and a red, which is somewhat brighter. They are comfortable to hold and don’t seem to skip or bleed, but they still don’t quite live up to the high standard set by the micro (0.5mm) version of the Signo 207.

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While this color set has reliability and comfort, the Signo 207 micro stood out for its professional look and its ability to avoid smearing. By replacing the black grip and silver accents with cheap-looking rubber and white plastic, the professional look is mostly gone. And the smearing is among the worst I’ve seen, especially the blue ink pen.

This Signo 207 color set is not an outright bad set of pens. They’re mostly a disappointment given how much I like the Signo 207 micro. Still, a color set of Sharpie Pens or Pilot G-2s are better options, no matter if you want them for work or art.

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Review: Inc R-2, Rollerball Pen, 0.7mm

by Andrew

Inc R-2 Rollerball

The Inc R-2 rollerball pen has a thick, sturdy look about it, and it feels like a permanent marker in the hand. It’s fully disposable, yet seems durable enough to hold up to the abuse of banging around in a backpack. I was excited to use the R-2, but when I finally had a reason to pull one out and write, I was quickly disappointed.

The R-2 has a decent grip, making it fairly comfortable to hold, but it delivers neither the smoothest nor the cleanest lines. It has a really nice dark ink, but it bleeds through the page. Worst of all, the flow is just no good – there is no consistency in line width, and the ink frequently skips out.

Inc R-2 bleed through test

The R-2 is an inexpensive pen – I bought a 2-pack for one dollar – but they’re still not worth the trouble. The writing is so inconsistent that they’ll only frustrate you. Instead, spend an extra dollar or two to get something at least a little better.

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Review: SKB Click Ball, Ballpoint Pen, 0.6mm

by Andrew

SKB Click Ball

The most striking thing about the SKB Click Ball is how much it looks like the uni-ball Signo RT1 gel pen. The all-black design, the shape of the barrel, and even the knock/click mechanism seem nearly identical (click here for a comparison pic). It’s as if the Click Ball is the Signo RT1’s younger brother, albeit one that still has thing or two left to learn.

The Click Ball provides a great writing experience once it gets going: it’s smooth to write with, the ink doesn’t blob up, and there’s no smearing. Getting to that point, however, can be a bit of a struggle. After the pen has been sitting, it seems like the first few words drag on the page, and there are some intermittent issues with ink skipping.

SKB Click Ball Parts

Like SKB’s Soft Ink pen, I’m not overly impressed with the Click Ball. It’s not bad considering that it’s something of an economy-priced pen in Taiwan. To get it in the U.S., however, you’re probably paying more money than it would be worth. And if you just like the look of the pen, you’d be better off with the Signo RT1.

SKB Click Ball Review

Colors Review: BIC Velocity Assorted Colors, Ballpoint, 1.6mm

by Andrew

BIC Velocity Color Pens

At 1.6mm, these BIC Velocity ballpoint pens are terrible for writing, but their colors make them all right for drawing. For ballpoint pens, which tend not to have the greatest-looking colors, the pink stands out quite nicely, and the purple takes a good dark note. The green and blue are bright, but they seem to come out a lighter on the page.

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Just like the Velocity Gel pen, the clip feels pretty flimsy, and I’m not a fan of the way the grip flares out near the tip. However, they are still relatively comfortable to hold. There is plenty of blobbing up with the ink, so be prepared for some smearing, but the ink flow is both smooth and consistent.

Because of the thick 1.6mm line and the blobby ink, I can’t imagine artists enjoying these Velocity colors. On the other hand, this seems more like a set of colored pens to give to kids. Keep in mind, however, you may need to replace them soon because these pens don’t have a very large ink cartridge.

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P.S. My apologies to How-To-Draw-Funny-Cartoons.com for butchering this hippo. And, yes, it is supposed to be a hippo.

Review: uni-ball Air, Rollerball Pen, 0.7mm

by Andrew

uni-ball Air

Between the name and the design of the pen, the uni-ball Air makes me feel like I’m writing with a Blackbird stealth jet. It’s a black, all-plastic rollerball pen with a faint hexagonal pattern on the barrel and a grey swoosh near the tip. It looks really cool.

uni-ball Air tip

The Air has a very interesting feel while writing.  It’s somewhat waxy on paper and is almost like writing with a crayon. The ink is very rich and dark, and it spreads out on the page so much that it feels much thicker than a 0.7mm tip. Though it doesn’t smear nearly as much as I expected, it does seem to bleed readily through paper.

One of the main advertising points of the Air is that it writes at any angle, and I think it actually produces a finer, cleaner line when writing upside down. If uni-ball offered the AIr in a smaller tip size, I’d probably jump to recommend it. At 0.7mm, however, it runs and bleeds enough that I’m inclined to pass it up.

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