ballpoint

Review: Zebra F-402, Ballpoint, 0.7mm

by Andrew

img_3546

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.

img_3547

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.

img_3545

Extra Links

Retro Talk: Crosswords and Space Pens

by Andrew

img_3462

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.

img_3464

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.

img_3461

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

by Andrew

img_3502

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.

img_3503

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.

img_3501

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: BIC Atlantis Exact, Ballpoint, 0.7mm

by Andrew

img_3478

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.

img_3479

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.

img_3477

Extra Links

Review: InkWorks BB-8 Projector Pen, Ballpoint, 1.0mm

by Andrew

img_3459

I don’t typically write reviews for novelty pens, but I’ve made an exception for this one, the InkWorks BB-8 Projector Pen. The reason is mainly because Star Wars: The Force Awakens was a very fun movie, and I really just wanted an excuse to buy this pen. After all, everybody loves the new BB-8 droid, and its orange and white color scheme looks great on a pen.

As far as novelty pens go, the InkWorks Projector Pen is about what you would expect. While novelty pens can be fun items own and make good souvenirs, a good writing experience typically isn’t in the cards. Indeed, the BB-8 Projector Pen has an uncomfortable ridge in its mid-section, it’s top-heavy, and it uses mediocre ballpoint ink. As far as I can see, there’s also no easy way to replace the ink, and even the retracting mechanism, which requires twisting the tip of the pen, is a little annoying to use.

img_3456

To add to the novelty, an image of BB-8 is projected from the top of the pen when a button on the barrel is held down. It’s a neat feature, I guess, but one that also gets old pretty fast. I suppose this adds some function as a mini-flashlight, but I’m not sure if it’s possible to replace the battery, greatly limiting its usefulness.

At under five dollars, the InkWorks BB-8 Projector Pen is not expensive for a Star Wars memento. However, you will be disappointed if you’re actually planning on using this pen, as you can find a better pen at any convenience store for a fraction of the price. Personally, I’m happy to have it sitting in a cup with my other novelty pens, though I doubt I’ll ever pick it up again.

img_3458

P.S. It looks like InkWorks make the same Projector Pen in a lot of different styles, from Angry Birds to The Walking Dead. However, I’m happy to only have the BB-8 version.