Review: Pilot Hi-Tec-C Slim Knock 0.3mm Blue

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This is a very cool pen, but also very situational. Its small size makes it very portable - I often carry it inside one of my Moleskine Cahiers in my shirt or pants pocket to jot down quick ideas. The size is also a bit of a drawback, making it hard to use over an extended period of time, but that really isn't what this pen is designed for to begin with.

Review: Pilot Hi-Tec-C 0.4mm Black

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I love how this pen writes, but I'm not the biggest fan of the barrel design. The size and weight of the pen are very good, but the cap is difficult to get off, and then barely stays on the end of the pen when I am writing. It has a tendency to spin around a bit, making me prefer the Coleto barrel when writing with the Hi-Tec-C.

Ink Links

RedPanda loves her new Pilot Hi-Tec-C's (RedPanda)

Pilot Hi-Tec-C hack? The pictures look like it, but the text is in Japanese (Hatena Diary)

The Uni-Ball Signo Bit 0.18mm pens are a little too thin for me, but Crueltown likes them, and is big big fan of JetPens as well (Crueltown.com)

Is the Moleskine Volant on the way this spring? (Moleskinerie.com)

I've never used a Lamy pen, but Patrick Ng is a fan (Scription)

HappyDoodleLand has a great pen sample post, testing out the Sakura Pigma Micron, Pilot Precise V5 Extra Fine, and the Pilot Hi-Tec-C. Oh yeah, she loves JetPens too! (HappyDoodleLand)

Review: Uni-Ball Signo DX 0.28mm

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This pen feels great and writes great. If that gap gets filled below the grip this pen would be just about perfect. I was finally able to get some black ink models in, so I will be sure to post about those in the near future.

Review: Pilot Razor Point Extra Fine

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This is one of my all time favorites, mainly because I have used them for so long for so many different things. I can't tell you how many Pilot Razor Point pens I have gone through over the years, and that is one of the problems - they just aren't that durable with heavy use. The newer model Pilot V Razor Point is just as nice, writes a darker black, and maybe lasts a bit longer, so I will write up a review on those soon.

Ink Links

The First Annual Moleskinerie Exhibit (Moleskinerie.com)

Favorite/Most Useful, Art/Design Supply/Book Discussion... (ConceptArt.com)

Awesome walk-through of how a comic page gets made, with the Pilot Hi-Tec-C in heavy use (curiousoldlibrary.blogspot.com)

Moleskine Collages by Barry Silver (Moleskinerie.com)

Review: Zebra Sarasa Clip 0.4mm

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I have found myself using this pen more and more since I made the writing sample above, and it turns out I like it better than I originally thought. This is easily one of the most comfortable pens I have used in a while, and the clicking I was explaining above has disappeared over time. I think I may try this one out in different varieties, including the multi-pen model.

Current Favorite Pens

I have added a field to the right sidebar which I plan on keeping up to date with my current top 5 favorite pens. Since I switch pens so frequently, I thought you may like to see which models are currently striking my fancy.

The current list is:

• 1. Pentel Slicci 0.3mm
• 2. Pilot Hi-Tec-C 0.4mm
• 3. Pilot G-2 0.38mm
• 4. Uni-Ball Signo DX 0.28mm
• 5. Pilot Precise V5 RT 0.5mm

The links go to the page where I reviewed the pen, or a model similar in the case of the Uni-Ball (the review was on the 0.38mm model, but I prefer the 0.28mm and will be reviewing it soon). Also, for the Hi-Tec-C, I very much prefer the Coleto barrel to the standard barrel, so that is what I am basing my ranking on.

Review: Pilot Hi-Tec-C 0.25mm (Blue Ink)

Get the Pilot Hi-Tec-C at JetPens.com.

The Pen Addict has moved to www.penaddict.com.

I was a bit hesitant with the 0.25mm tip size when ordering this pen, but it turns out I actually like it quite a bit. I can't use it for any heavy duty writing like the Hi-Tec-C 0.4mm pens, but it definitely has its place.

The pen barrel size and weight feel nearly perfect in my hand, but I have noticed some minor inconsistencies between models. First off, the 0.25mm model does not have the rubber grip like the 0.4mm model, despite the barrel width appearing to be the exact same size and weight. Secondly, when I take the cap off the 0.25mm model, it is a fight to click it on to the end of the pen. With the 0.4mm model, it goes on too easily and actually spins around when I write, which is a bit annoying. I need a happy medium! (You can see the cap off photos here)

None of the above are a deal breaker, but these minor little things make me favor the Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto barrel over these regular models.

Ink Links

Jordan at wantingseed.com shares my Japanese pen addiction.

The Pilot G-6 for your Moleskine notebook.

Fountain pens are not my forte, but Leigh Reyes tests a few out in her Moleskine.

Nice fountain pen and Moleskine photos.

Not Ink related, but now that NewsGator's RSS clients are free, I might give them a try. I love my Google Reader though!

Review: Uni-Ball Signo DX 0.38mm

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The more I use this pen, the more I like it, and I may like the 0.28mm model even better. If there wasn't that indentation just below the grip, this pen would be just about perfect. Hopefully black will be in stock next time I order.

Review: Zebra Techno Line 0.4mm

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This is a pretty cool little pen. It's not going to replace any of my gel or ink pens any time soon, but the fine line and compact size are really nice. Any ballpoint pen fans who like a finer line should take a look.

Review: Paper Mate Flair

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I have been so busy at work I haven't had a chance to review the new pens I just received, so here is a classic pen I had ready to post. Look for some of the new ones this coming week.

Ohto Orca Ceramic Roller Ball

I am not a ballpoint pen fan, but the sleek design of the Ohto Orca is beautiful! You can find them under the New Arrivals section at JetPens.com.

Ink Links

I spend a reasonably unhealthy amount of time reading feeds in Google Reader, and usually come across several articles, pictures, or general nonsense that I find interesting. Ink Links will be the home for all that is fit to post.

-- mckendall.net and I think a lot alike:

Oh the joys of Japanese pens. I’ve always been one for a fine tip and thought 0.5mm was the smallest I would be able to find. I stumbled across JetPens while looking at Moleskines. They have great products, excellent prices, and free shipping for any order over $25.

Pilot HI-TEC-C Coleto
All of your multi-pen lameness mixed with all of your choose-your-own-adventure style ink refills at 0.3mm and 0.4mm. So many colors to choose from, but the damn thing only holds 3 at a time.

Pentel Slicci
Sleek, light-weight, dare I say elegant in appearance? Available in 0.25mm and 0.3mm.

Pilot Slim Knock
Shrunken, mini, voodoo head of HI-TEC-Cs.

Uni-ball Signo DX
Can go toe-to-toe with the Slicci in performance but in my opinion a better balanced pen.

I just received my first Uni-ball Signo DX pens, so I'll try to review those sooner rather than later to see how they stack up. I think I will also work on a running top 5 pens list and post it on the sidebar.

-- Mashable: 10 New Years Resolutions Every Geek Should Make. So many I need to work on myself.