Pen Review: Uniball Jetstream Multi Pen

December 21, 2016

I've been on a bit of a multifunction pen kick recently, picking up a handful of multi pens as part of a larger project I'm working on comparing the different options currently available on the market. A good multi pen has become an integral part of my daily carry and my workflow, giving me access to different ink types and colors - and sometimes a mechanical pencil - in one pen body. As I've said before, the downside to multi pens in general is that the refills can run out quickly, increasing the long-term cost of your "efficient" purchase. The Uniball Jetstream multi pen, which I'll review today, is probably one of the more cost-effective options of the "higher-end" multi pen bodies.

Four colors of ink + a .5mm mechanical pencil.

Uniball's Jetstream pens are famous for their smooth, quick-drying hybrid ballpoint ink that doesn't smear, and Jetstream multi pen refills are no different. The model that I purchased features a .5mm mechanical pencil, plus four different ink colors: black, blue, red, and green. With the exception of the green, the inks all lay on dark and smooth. (Like many green ballpoint inks, I found the Jetstream green be a bit skippy and somewhat temperamental.)

As you can see, most of the colors write a nice, solid line, with the exception of the finicky green.

The one potential drawback for some people might be the size of the pen. I'd characterize the Jetstream multi pen as moderately large, and since it's a five-unit pen, this thing has some girth. Despite the bit of bulk, it's very comfortable to use due to good ergonomics and a light weight. I also found the soft grip section very comfortable.

.5mm vs .7mm

There is something of a debate with respect to .5mm vs .7mm in the Jetstream line. Many people don't like the .5mm and find it writes too thin and scratchy of a line. I've personally had nothing but good experiences with the .5mm, but the .7mm is excellent as well, so if you're on the fence I would go with the wider tip size. You can always swap the refills out later.

Takeaways/Where to Buy

I'm really enjoying the Jetstream multi pen, especially at work where I need a fine point for annotation and I sometimes have to deal with copy paper so thin that it's impossible to use with fountain pens. The ability to switch between different color inks on the fly, knowing that all of them will write reasonably well on nearly all paper, removes yet another thing from the "worry list" in the midst of a hectic workday.

In addition to the excellent writing experience it offers, the Uniball Jetstream is probably the most reasonably priced of the good multi pens out there on the market. Right now, you can find both the .5mm version and the .7mm version on the market in various iterations, including several special editions that Uni has been releasing such as the “Bamboo” version that we stock in our own shop. Individual color refills are also available separately. Note that the refills for this particular multi pen are proprietary, so you are limited to the four colors Uniball offers and won't be able to swap in refills from another brand (unless, of course, you figure out a way to hack the pen.)

For those of you who already use a multi pen that accepts D1 refills (like the Lamy 2000 4-color ballpoint), Jetpens also carries a Uniball Jetstream D1 refill, which is more expensive but makes for a nice writing experience.

Disclaimer: I purchased the pen featured in this review with my own funds for my personal collection.

Pen Review: Montegrappa Passione

December 17, 2016

You can probably guess how quickly I jumped at the chance to review this pen, the Montegrappa Passione. I've never owned a Montegrappa - prior to receiving this pen I'd never even written with one - so I had no idea what to expect. I came away impressed and looking to learn more about the brand.

Though their edgier, super-expensive limited editions like the "Pirates" and "Memory" pens tend to grab the most press, Montegrappa's more classic designs have developed a following among fountain pen fans. In recent years, the company has introduced the Fortuna series (in countless variants), as well as pens such as the Parola and the Ducale. All of these pens are vintage-inspired and good examples of what could be considered classic Italian pen design. The celluloid and sterling silver Passione is the latest entry into the Montegrappa lineup, and it's both visually stunning and an excellent writer.

Build

The Passione has all the hallmarks of a high-dollar pen that's worth what you pay for it: a sterling silver section and trim, celluloid, an 18k gold nib with an ebonite feed, and an understated design that is easily characterized as "timeless" rather than "trendy." Yes, this pen does have a metal section, which might rule it out for some people, but the the heft of the silver balances the lightweight celluloid nicely. It's an extremely well-balanced pen to write with, though I opted to use this pen unposted. Posted, I found the Passione a bit long and top-heavy, probably due to the sterling silver trim on the cap.

The "1912" finial on the cap ended up being one of my favorite features of this pen. Also, check out the red enamel inlay on the clip.

I'm always happy to see modern pen companies use celluloid, which is one of my favorite pen materials of all time and gives pens a vintage feel. This particular celluloid, which Montegrappa calls "Cinnamon," to me resembles red and black swirled ebonite. It's a very pretty material, and at some point I'd like to see the other Passione options in person: the pen is also available in Mediterranean Blue, Orange, and Zebra. Each celluloid has a different pattern. Zebra looks particularly stunning - you can check it out in Matt's review over at the Pen Habit.

The Passione sports a cartridge-converter filling system. While some people might balk at the lack of a piston filler at this price point, I honestly don't mind, and have come to prefer cartridge-converter pens overall due to the ease of cleaning, especially since I change inks often.

A close-up of the Passione Cinnamon celluloid, with Montegrappa's roller-clip and engraved cap band.

Montegrappa Passione in Presentation Box

Nib and Writing Experience

The Passione is a great writer, period. Montegrappa uses relatively stiff 18k nibs - I'd compare the nib on this particular pen to an Aurora Optima nib, or maybe a Sailor. The Passione also features an ebonite feed, which can be heat-set to the nib to ensure steady ink flow. I'd characterize this nib as extremely smooth, moderately wet, and size-wise on the narrower side of medium. While the pen probably performs best on fountain-pen friendly paper, paired with a drier ink I wouldn't hesitate to carry this pen to work and use it as a daily driver.

Takeaways

If you're looking for a celluloid pen with an excellent nib, the Montegrappa Passione should be on your list of pens to try. It's an expensive pen, but it's made with expensive materials, and Montegrappa didn't cut any corners on the workmanship. In my opinion, you get what you pay for here. Whether the design appeals to you, of course, is always an issue of personal preference.

Time spent with the Passione has definitely increased my interest in Montegrappa as a brand. I've already placed an order for the Montegrappa Fortuna in white with ruthenium trim (the "stormtrooper" aesthetic), and I'm anxious to see how Montegrappa's steel nibs compare to their gold. While I'm not sure that I'll be picking up a Passione in the immediate future, it's not because I dislike the pen. Rather, I'm saving my money for one of Montegrappa's Flagship Extra 1930s in the Bamboo Black. (And I'll probably be saving for a while.)

Where to Buy

Montegrappa recently lowered the MSRP on the Passione to $795, with most retailers now listing the pen for just over $700. Nibs.com currently has all four colors of the Passione in stock and priced at $716. In case you're unfamiliar with the company, Nibs.com is owned and operated by master nibworker John Mottishaw, one of the best in the business. Every pen sold is set up and tuned to the purchaser's preference, and you even have the option of requesting a custom nib modification at checkout (for a supplemental charge). I've purchased pens from Nibs.com before and have always found their service to be top notch. They've also recently redesigned their website, making it much easier to navigate.

Disclaimer: Kenro Industries (Montegrappa's U.S. Distributor) loaned me this pen for review purposes. Though I contemplated keeping it and absconding to a remote island, I ultimately decided that I should send it back so Cary doesn't get in trouble.

Image Courtesy of Anderson Pens. (I don't have an actual Bookbinder's Bottle, though I love the design).

Ink Brand Profile: Bookbinders Inks

December 14, 2016

The past couple of years have seen an explosion in new ink brands, with a new line of inks hitting the market what seems like every month. It’s never been a better time to be into fountain pens, especially if you’re drawn to the hobby by the ability to customize your writing with what is now a nearly infinite combination of pen, ink, and paper. Personally, I’m still catching up on a lot of these new inks, and I’m fortunate enough to have sponsors who will send me samples so that I’m not continually adding to my accumulation. Today I’m going to turn my attention to another brand of ink from Australia: Bookbinders’ “Snake Ink,” the house brand of the Bookbinders online stationery retailer based in Australia.

Q-tip swabs on the left, dip-pen writing samples on the right. Check out the vibrancy!

Bookbinders inks sneak up on you, meaning that at first glance, people might tend to write them off as just a set of “standard” colors that gets lost in the shuffle amidst inks like Robert Oster, Akkerman, or even Sailor, that offer a wider range of hues, including some very unique and offbeat shades. That would be a mistake, in my opinion.

Out of all eight of these colors, there’s only one that I’m not crazy about, and that’s Red Spitting Cobra, the red ink. It’s a touch too washed out for my taste (reminiscent of Waterman Red), as I tend to like my red inks a bit more saturated. Four of these colors really impressed me: Eastern Brown Snake (brown), Everglades Rat Snake (orange), Blue Coral Snake (turquoise), and Ground Rattler (gray). I surprised myself by liking the brown and gray inks, as these typically aren’t colors I use.

You may recall this shot of the Eastern Brown Snake from my Faber Castell e-Motion review a few weeks back. This ink is a rich brown that can have some reddish tones, depending on how the light hits it.

I’ve not had the opportunity to use all eight inks extensively, but I did load both Eastern Brown Snake and Everglades Rat Snake into pens for testing over the period of a week. Both inks performed well on various papers. I found the Everglades Rat Snake to be on the drier end of the spectrum, which means that it behaved relatively well on copy paper and pocket notebooks without major feathering and bleed-through issues. Eastern Brown Snake seemed to be wetter, but I tested it in a broad Faber-Castell nib so that likely made a difference. Some people who have used Bookbinders found the inks dry across the board, but I never experienced any actual flow issues such as skips or hard starts. The Lamy 2000 extra fine nib that I used to test the Everglades Rat Snake is a fairly dry nib, and if any pen in my collection would have a hard time handling drier inks, it's this one. I did notice a slight increase in feedback from the nib when writing, but nothing more.

Fans of shading will want to check out Blue Coral Snake and Ground Rattler. Red Bellied Black Snake (the black ink) will show some reddish sheen in a very wet nib, which makes it an interesting option if you need to use a classic color - say, for work - but still want to add some character to your writing.

Where to Buy

Anderson Pens carries the entire line of Bookbinders’ Snake Inks, both bottles and samples, so if you're in the States, you can order these inks without having to worry about long-distance international shipping. The inks are priced at $12.50 for a 30ml bottle. I’ve heard that if you visit a pen show where Bookbinders is in attendance, you can purchase a special set containing sample bottles of all eight colors. A brilliant idea that I hope they bring to retail soon!

Disclaimer: The good folks at Anderson Pens were kind enough to send me samples of all eight Bookbinders inks free of charge, for purposes of this review. Anderson Pens is also a paid sponsor/on this website.

Field Notes Lunacy Limited Edition Pocket Notebooks

December 10, 2016

It's been a long time since I've offered my impressions of a Field Notes Colors edition. I skipped several editions because they didn't speak to me enough (Workshop Companion, Sweet Tooth, and Snowblind), but started picking the notebooks up again with Byline and pulled the trigger on a subscription once I saw Lunacy. I'm glad I did, because so far I'm 2/2, with Lunacy and the current Black Ice edition both justifying the purchase. So here goes for Lunacy:

First Impressions

The first thing I want to say about these notebooks is that I absolutely love the cover. The material is a heavy textured stock ("Neenah Classic Crest 'Epic Black Stipple' 100#C") which almost feels like plastic. It's somewhat reminiscent of the covers on the Drink Local edition, only textured. I've not made it to "staple day" yet, but other than some slight wear on the edges, the cover on this notebook still looks almost new despite heavy pocket carry over the past two weeks.

Field Notes subscribers received two four-packs of the Lunacy edition, adding to the value of your subscription. The all-black notebook is subscriber-exclusive. More of my thoughts on this below. — Field Notes subscribers received two *four*-packs of the Lunacy edition, adding to the value of your subscription. The all-black notebook is subscriber-exclusive. More of my thoughts on this below.

I initially worried that the glossy "moon" peeking through the die-cut covers would be a bit much and make the notebook too "busy" looking for professional use (i.e., in meetings for my stodgy office job, where silly things like "individualism" and "creativity" are frowned upon). Having these notebooks in hand, I'm not too worried. The end result is much more understated than you'd first expect, probably because the rest of the notebook is blacked out, from the embossed "Field Notes" logo and moon on the front and back covers, to the black staples, to the gray reticle-grid paper. That said, I probably will use the all-black subscriber-exclusive notebooks first, then the crescent moon notebooks, then the quarter moon, and finally the full moon, mainly because I worry the cutouts will snag on things in my pocket and my bag and end up not lasting as long as they should.

Paper Quality

Lunacy is one of the most fountain-pen friendly Field Notes editions I have used. Honestly, the paper may handle fountain pen ink better than any other edition I've tried. (Take that with a grain of salt - I like my Field Notes, but I'm not an addict to the point where I can say I own or have tried them all.)

Two fountain pen inks tested on the Lunacy paper. The Bookbinder's Everglades Rat Snake (the orange) did really well, with the Montblanc Burgundy feathering a little in a very wet nib. There was absolutely no show-through or bleed-through with eithe… — Two fountain pen inks tested on the Lunacy paper. The Bookbinder's Everglades Rat Snake (the orange) did really well, with the Montblanc Burgundy feathering a little in a very wet nib. There was absolutely no show-through or bleed-through with either ink.

Even though this paper handles the ink well, for some reason I still don't find this paper particularly pleasant for fountain pens. While there's minimal feathering and absolutely no bleeding, I've experienced a scratchy "draggy" sensation when writing on this paper with fountain pens, likely caused by the fibers. I suspect using a more lubricated ink might help, but lately I've been perfectly content to use my Baron Fig Squire and Steel and Flint pens for most of my pocket notebook writing, both kitted out with the Schmidt Easyflow 9000 refill.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

The only way you can get the all-black notebook pictured here is by starting a Field Notes Colors subscription beginning with Lunacy. Lunacy subscriptions seem to still be available as of the time of writing, but I imagine they may close out soon since Black Ice has been released. Act quick!

If you're interested in picking up a regular Lunacy three-pack, Pen Chalet has them in stock, and you can use the current HOLIDAY discount code to snag them at 10% off the $12.95 sticker price. (It's also a good opportunity to pick up the Black Ice edition!)

Thoughts on the Field Notes Colors Subscription Service

Since I offered my thoughts on the Baron Fig subscription service(s) last week, I thought I'd take a moment to discuss my impressions of the Field Notes Colors subscription. To my knowledge, Field Notes was the first pocket notebook company to offer a subscription service, and they continue to surprise everybody with the sheer breadth of their creativity and ingenuity in developing and executing new ideas. Most of their limited editions have earned rave reviews, some were a little out-there and off the beaten track (Sweet Tooth, anyone?), but I haven't spoken with many people who consider their Field Notes subscription a "bad investment." Why? Because by any measure it represents good value for someone who is a fan of Field Notes products and/or uses a lot of pocket notebooks.

When you subscribe to Field Notes Colors, your first package contains not only two packs of the latest Field Notes Colors limited edition (currently the awesome-looking "Black Ice"), but you also receive two packs of the classic Kraft paper original Field Notes, and some "extras" like Field Notes pencils or pens. Going forward, you receive two three-packs of each new Field Notes Colors release, along with more "extras", some of which are subscriber exclusives (like buttons, etc.). This year, subscribers also received a special surprise in the form of a personalized reprint of the first two Field Notes Colors editions: Butcher Orange and Butcher Blue. Since Field Notes has used this "special shipment" as a selling point to attract new subscribers, I expect they will do something similar in the future.

The cost of a subscription is $97, shipping included. By purchasing all of items listed above separately (not including subscriber-exclusive "extras"), the cost would easily exceed $115. If you like Field Notes, and buy all of the special editions anyway, it makes financial sense to subscribe. That said, you do bear the risk that you'll get one or more editions you aren't crazy about. If that happens to me, I plan to do what I do every year to clear out my stationery overstock: Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers for the rest of my family!

Disclaimer: I paid for my Field Notes subscription with my own money, for my own enjoyment, and have not been compensated for this review. This post contains affiliate links.

Pen Review: Lamy 2000 4 Color Ballpoint (Multipen)

December 7, 2016

So I finally caved and bought it. After sitting in my Amazon cart for most of the year, last week I pulled the trigger and ordered the Lamy 2000 Multi Pen (which Lamy refers to as the 4-Color Ballpoint), and this is another of those purchases where I'm kicking myself for waiting as long as I did. This is hands-down the best multi pen I have ever used.

Fit and Finish

Makrolon + Brushed Stainless Steel = Classic Design

No surprises here. This pen is pure Lamy 2000, from the brushed Makrolon finish to the stainless steel spring-loaded clip and knock. It resembles a slightly girthier Lamy 2000 ballpoint pen, and I've found that the added width makes it more comfortable to hold for longer periods of time. This pen looks stunning in a three-pen holster along with my Lamy 2000 fountain pen and ballpoint. I'm tempted to finish out the set by picking up the rollerball and the .5mm mechanical pencil, especially since I've read that the rollerball can be hacked to take a wide variety of common refills, including Montblanc fineliner and Pilot G2 refills.

Gravity-Driven Color Changing Mechanism

By far the coolest thing about this pen is how you switch between the different colors. At the back of the pen, around the knock, there is a series of colored panels in blue, red, and green. To change colors, you rotate the pen so that the color you wish to use is facing you ("black" is the clip), then press the knock. Once you're finished, press the knock again to retract the refill, rotate to select a new color, and repeat. It's mind-bogglingly simple to use, and it baffles me how Lamy can come up with this idea and execute it in such a way that the mechanism works perfectly nearly every time.

One note: while you can use any color refill in your Lamy 2000 Multi Pen, the color references will always show black, blue, red, and green. There's no way to change the colors on the body of the pen itself, BUT many D1 refills also have a splash of color around the tip for reference purposes. If you venture outside the black-blue-green-red range of colors, it might otherwise be easy to forget what you have in the pen.

Some D1 refills, like this red Uniball Jetstream, have a colored ring around the tip so it's easy to recognize which color you're about to write with.

Refill Options

The big downside to D1 refills is that they are small and therefore don't last very long, especially the gel versions. (Zebra Sharbo X gel refills are excellent, but they can get very expensive very fast if you're using your multi pen for more than quick notes here and there.) To get more mileage out of your refills, I'd recommend sticking to ballpoint or hybrid ballpoint refills. Based on what I've used so far, I'm most impressed with the Uniball Jetstream D1 in .5mm. I have these loaded into the blue and red slots in my Lamy.

Just to give you an idea how small these refills are. Uniball Jetstream and most other Japanese refills are sold individually (I'm currently using the packaging to store the stock Lamy refills that came with the pen), but Monteverde and Schmidt sell… — Just to give you an idea how small these refills are. Uniball Jetstream and most other Japanese refills are sold individually (I'm currently using the packaging to store the stock Lamy refills that came with the pen), but Monteverde and Schmidt sell their refills in packs of four.

In terms of standard ballpoint refills, the stock Lamy refills are fine, but they can be a bit light in certain colors, especially the red and the green. I purchased a couple packs of the Monteverde Softroll D1 refills in blue-black and orange, since I'm generally a fan of Monteverde ballpoints. The blue-black is nice, and I currently have it loaded in the "black" slot, but the orange looks gross (brownish in color and way too light to be usable). I have a pack of the Schmidt D1 refills on the way, so we'll see how they turn out. I'm a huge fan of Schmidt's Easyflow 9000 and the D1 version has received good reviews.

For a complete discussion of the various D1 refill options, I highly recommend that you visit Ana's Epic Refill Guide over at the Well-Appointed Desk. It's comprehensive and will give you a good idea of what's out there. In my experience, JetPens and Amazon typically have the widest selection of D1 refills.

Takeaways/Where to Buy

I consider the Lamy 2000 4 Color Ballpoint to be the gold standard of multi pens. It's well-built, reasonably priced, and takes a readily available refill style that's not proprietary. Given the small size of the refills, they can be expensive to own as your primary writing instrument if you plan on using them for something like journaling or writing extensively in longhand, but I've always appreciated multi pens as annotation and note taking tools.

The Lamy 2000 4 Multi Pen can be somewhat difficult to find from traditional pen retailers, because it's a bit of a niche product. [2023 Update: Over the years, I became frustrated with how few retailers were carrying the Lamy 2000 ballpoints and focusing on the non-fountain pen portion of Lamy’s excellent lineup, so I became a retailer! You can now purchase the Lamy 2000 line of pens, including the 4-color ballpoint, directly from T.G.S. in the Curated Shop.]

Further Reading. There are tons of Lamy 2000 Multi Pen reviews out there. To name just a few, check out reviews by Bob at My Pen Needs Ink and Azizah at Gourmet Pens.

Disclaimer: I purchased this pen with my own funds for my own collection. This post does not contain affiliate links.