retractable

Review: Lamy Dialog 2, Rollerball, Medium Point

by Andrew

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I received this Lamy Dialog 2 rollerball pen as a gift for my birthday last year (thanks, Dad!), and with online listings at $100+, it’s probably the most expensive pen in my collection so far. However, that hasn’t deterred me from taking it out of its case a handful of times. I’ve used it both at home and taken it to work, being careful not to leave it sitting anywhere unprotected for too long.

The Dialog 2 was designed by Holscher Designs, a Danish company founded by architect Knud Holscher, which specializes in industrial designs. It is a beautifully machined pen, made of stainless steel with a finish of palladium, an element commonly used in jewelry. It has a great weight and even balance, and the barrel has a good thickness, making it a pleasure to write with and hold. But the most interesting and impressive design element of the Dialog 2 is the retracting mechanism.

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When the tip of the pen is exposed, the metal clip lays completely flush with the barrel of the pen. To retract the tip, twist the pen at the midsection, and a spring-loaded clip will simultaneously pop out. It’s a very neat design that ensures against clipping the pen to your pocket with an exposed tip, preventing stains to your shirt or pants. Just don’t set it down on your desk un-retracted because this mechanism can also make the pen a rolling hazard.

The only real downside of the Dialog 2 is the ink refill. It’s a nice refill with a dark ink that writes very smoothly, but it’s a proprietary design by Lamy that is only offered in medium and broad tip-sizes. If, like me, you like finer-tipped pens, you’re out of luck. I’ve yet to find another refill that will fit.

Overall, the Lamy Dialog 2 is a great pen for its unique and innovative design. At its price point, it’s not the type of pen I’d ever be comfortable throwing in a backpack or clipping to a notebook. It will likely spend most of it’s time in its case on my bookshelf. It has, however, become the first pen I reach for whenever I need to write my rent check.

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Review: TGL BB-8 Pen, Ballpoint, 0.5mm

by Andrew

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If you hadn’t figured it out from my review of the InkWorks Projector pen, I really liked Star Wars: the Force Awakens – especially the adorable, new BB-8 droid. And, shortly after writing that review, I stumbled across another BB-8 themed pen, one with a large, molded-plastic clicker to go along with its orange and white paint job. I just couldn’t resist.

This BB-8 pen, however, is produced by TGL, a company that seems to make a lot of similar pens for Disney. Unfortunately, they only seem to be available in Asian and European markets, so it took some hunting around online to find one I could purchase in the U.S. Eventually, eBay came through, and $10 and 30-days later, my BB-8 pen arrived on my doormat directly from Malaysia.

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The pen, flat-out, looks great. It’s surprisingly detailed, with BB-8’s antennae and eyes protruding from his head. But it’s also immediately clear that this pen is not very functional for anyone with adult-sized hands. The barrel is just too thick, it doesn’t fit in a pocket, and, it probably goes without saying, I feel rather ridiculous using this pen in public. And poor BB-8’s head constantly bangs into my hand whenever I write with it.

Obviously, it’s a novelty pen, most of which look nice but function poorly. In this instance, the size of this BB-8 pen might be best suited for children’s hand. But in my case, I’m happy just to prop it up on my shelf next to my Rey bobble-head.

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Review: uni-ball Signo 307, Gel Ink, 0.7mm

by Andrew

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Along with the uni-ball Air, the Signo 307 is one of more recent offerings by uni-ball to hit store shelves in the U.S., and if we’re to take its name at face value, it seems to be an upgrade to uni-ball’s popular Signo 207 pen. Of course, it just so happens that the Signo 207 is one of the best gel pens on the market and one that I end up recommending quite frequently. So if uni-ball has somehow managed to make it better, then that would be quite an accomplishment.

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The main difference between the Signo 207 and the Signo 307 is their refill – the 207 uses the UMR-87 refill, and the 307 uses a refill labeled “UMR-87E,” both of which are quite good. The 307’s ink is a little smoother and bolder, but the 207’s ink seems to smear less. The 3o7’s main selling point, however, is that it writes better glossy paper, and for a gel pen, it does a surprisingly good job of this. But if writing on glossy paper is a major concern for you, then you’ll still be a lot better off with a pressurized ballpoint pen.

In terms of aesthetics, the Signo 307 is undoubtedly cheaper than its predecessor. While I like the 307’s all-black, stealth style, I still prefer the Signo 207 for its professional look and low-smear ink. It should also be noted that the 307 currently only comes in a 0.7mm tip, and UMR-87E replacement refills cannot be purchased separately. So if you want a smaller tip size or intend to refill the ink, you’ll be stuck using a 207 refill anyway.
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Extra Links

  • On uni-ball’s website, they show that the Signo 307 is available with a 0.5mm tip. I’ve looked high and low, and I haven’t been able to find that size available for purchase. Maybe its coming soon.
  • A review at the Penman Post shows some close-ups of the 307’s barrel, which actually has a carbon-mesh design (though he says it chips off easily). He prefers the 307’s refill to the 207, and says that it works well inside a Retro 51.
  • Check out the review at That One Pen for lots of good comparison shots between the 307 and 207 (and more).

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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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.