Review: Uni-Ball Signo DX 0.28mm Lime Green

Sorry gang - you are going to have to put up with me fawning over another one of my Uni-Ball Signo DX's.  Memo to Pentel and Uni-Ball:  I need to build my own multi-pens out of Slicci's and Signo DX's.  See Coleto, Pilot Hi-Tec-C for reference.  I use way too many colors every day to keep popping caps off of pens and putting them back on all the time.  Give me a two or three cartridge barrel, lots of colors, and I'll go to town, as will I bet most readers of this blog.

Thank you, drive thru.

Oh yeah - the Lime Green DX 0.28mm is smokin' hot!

Ink Links

-- Pentel Slicci 0.4mm (ISOT 2007 Winner) now in stock (but going fast) at JetPens  (JetPens)

-- Sakura SumoGrip Mechanical Pencil Review  (Dave's Mechanical Pencils)

-- Are Rhodia Webnotebooks the Moleskine replacement?  (Spiritual Evolution of the Bean)

-- Mucu Type RN-B Notebook - looks really neat  (Pencil Talk)

-- Review: Pilot Precise V5 RT  (Cheap Pen Review)

-- Jon Burgerman interview  (Format Mag)

Quick notes:
I'm finding myself Plurking a lot these days, so feel free to friend me if you are a Plurker too!

Also, I had to turn on comment moderation for posts older than 14 days - too much spam is getting through.  Your comment will be posted, I just have to approve it, so it may take a short while for it to show up.

Link: We Love School Supplies: Pens and Pencils

Sorry gang, this one just couldn't wait until my weekend Ink Links post.  The gang at Stickers and Donuts did an awesome job reviewing new supplies for the upcoming school year.  The Pentel Slicci is included, as are the Pilot FriXion and the Uni-Ball Signo, but you haven't lived until you have seen the Nerf Dart Blaster Toy Pen and the Connect Four Game Toy Pen.  If had those back when I was in school, I would have never graduated!

It's a great article, so go check it out now:  We Love School Supplies: Pens and Pencils

Updated Favorite Pens List

It is about time for me to update the sidebar with my current favorite pens.  Nothing has changed in the top three spots, but I'm moving the Pilot G-3 0.38mm into the four spot, and the Sharpie Pen into the five.  They replace the Zebra Sarasa 0.4mm and the Uni-Ball Signo RT 0.38mm, respectively.

Here is how the current top five stands:

1. Pentel Slicci 0.3mm
2. Pilot Hi-Tec-C 0.4mm
3. Uni-Ball Signo DX 0.38mm
4. Pilot G-3 0.38mm
5. Sharpie Pen

I'm not sure how long the Sharpie Pen will be there though - I think these new Copic Multiliners I received may knock it off the list pretty quickly.

Review: Pilot Spotliter Dual Tip

It hit me at work a few weeks back that I hadn't bought a new highlighter in years, so I pulled up my handy dandy JetPens link and this Pilot Spotliter Dual Tip caught my eye.  I like the fact that the ink isn't too heavy on the paper, which is an annoyance to me.  This highlighter is the perfect shade of blue for marking and for readability.  The fine tip is a bonus for quick underlining or labeling pages.  I wouldn't hesitate to purchase more colors of this pen.

By the way, the underlying pen is a Pentel Slicci 0.3mm - it looks great!  :)

Also, let me apologize for the photo angle and cropping of the picture.  I was taking the pictures and uploading them so fast I did a poor job.  I guess that's what happens with a newborn in the house!

Ink Links

-- Slicci Japan Kokuhaku Collection (Slicci.jp)

-- Clean Pen Marks Off Your Hands with a Teabag (Lifehacker)

-- Pelikan M200 Official First Impressions Fountain Pen test (Notebookism)

-- Added to the blogroll: MTBooks

-- The new Zebra Extendable Mini Ballpoint pen looks interesting (JetPens)

Ink Links

Anthony sketching with his new Uni-Ball Signo Bit 0.18mm (Anthony's Drawring Board)

Ryan tackles hacking Signos, Sliccis and Bits (Brassing Adds Character)

Red Monkey reviews some JetPens product, as well as their website (Red Monkey)

Pictures from the 2008 Chicago Pen Show (Notebookism)

Moleskine Notebooks: The Ultimate Guide (Put Things Off)

The cool looking Lamy Pico Pen (JetPens)

Updated Favorite Pens Ranking

I updated my favorite pen rankings on the sidebar to reflect what I am using and enjoying the most these days. All of the entries are linked to the post where I review the pen. After repeated use of both the Uni-Ball Signo DX and the Zebra Sarasa Clip, I have jumped them both from off the list to into the top five. They replaced the Pilot G-2 0.38 and the Pilot Precise V5 RT.

Review: Pentel Hybrid Technica 0.3mm

Another decent pen from Pentel, but the Hybrid Technica line is still not quite up to par with the Slicci line, or with the Pilot Hi-Tec-C or G-2 lines. The best part about this pen is that the Slicci cartridge is a perfect fit - no modifications required. So for those of you wanting a wider barrel for your Slicci, here it is: Perfect Pentel Slicci Hack

Review: Pentel Slicci 0.25mm Blue/Black

(Click on image above for larger view)

I spoke too soon on two fronts with this pen. One, I did order the blue/black ink, and two, it turns out I actually like this color! I used this pen at work almost exclusively all of last week, and the ink color didn't bother me at all. This 0.25mm version writes just as well as the 0.3mm Slicci, but I prefer the slightly wider version in the grand scheme of things, mainly because I can write a bit faster and still maintain a solid line. Overall, this pen lives up to my already high expectations of the Pentel Slicci line.

Perfect Pentel Slicci Hack!

Ryan got me thinking in a recent comment on my Pentel Slicci review about using the Slicci ink cartridge in other pen barrels. Most of the complaints about this pen are its relatively small barrel diameter compared to other fine point pens like the Pilot Hi-Tec-C. Well, as luck would have it, I found the perfect barrel match in my latest JetPens order.

I had ordered two new Pentel pens - the Hybrid Technica in a click pen model, as well as a standard capped model. I was thinking I had a fair shot at making one of these work since all the pens involved were made by Pentel, and it turns out I was right. The Hybrid Technica click pen was not a match, but the standard barrel model was a perfect fit! The Slicci ink cartridge required no length modification, and even snapped right into place in the Hybrid Technica barrel. It fit so perfect it was like it was made for the Slicci cartridge. I have a couple of pictures below, but it is really a no-brainer. The cartridge fits like a glove with zero play room - it is very solid.

So there you have it. For those who aren't crazy about the thin Pentel Slicci barrel but love how the pen writes, this is the solution for you.

(Click on images for larger view)

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.

New Pens Are In

See all sizes of this photo on Flickr.

Reviews coming soon....

Review: Pentel Slicci 0.3mm Blue

See all sizes of this photo on Flickr.

Since I have raved so much about my black Slicci, I figured I would post the blue one for comparisons sake. This one writes equally as well, and I use both of them constantly.

One quick note - any blurring you see in the photos isn't the ink, but rather my poor photography. I'm working on that!

New Pen Case

I just bought a new pair of Oakley wire frame prescription glasses last week, and they came with an added bonus. As I realized a day or two after purchase, the mini-case/cleaning cloth is a perfect pen case for my backpack. Check it out below:


Yes, I am a complete dork.

Review: Pentel Slicci 0.3mm

See all sizes of this photo on Flickr.

I think I just found my new favorite pen. Smooth and steady from the very first use, the Pentel Slicci is the most consistent micro tip pen I have used in recent memory. The lines are sharp, and I have yet to experience any skipping or clogging. It is going to take a lot for me to replace this pen as my main day-to-day writing instrument.

Coming Soon

I just received my first order from JetPens.com (wow, that was fast shipping!), so look for reviews on all of the pens listed below in the near future.

See all sizes of this photo on Flickr

2 x Pilot Hi-Tec-C Slim Knock Gel Ink Pen - 0.3 mm - Black
1 x Pilot Hi-Tec-C Slim Knock Gel Ink Pen - 0.3 mm - Blue
2 x Pentel Slicci Gel Pen - 0.3 mm - Black Ink
1 x Pentel Slicci Gel Pen - 0.3 mm - Blue Ink
1 x Pilot G-2 Gel Pen - 0.38 mm - Black
1 x Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto 3 Color Multi Pen - Pen Body - Black
1 x Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto Multi Pen Ink Cartridge - 0.4 mm - Black
1 x Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto Multi Pen Ink Cartridge - 0.4 mm - Blue
1 x Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto Multi Pen Ink Cartridge - 0.4 mm - Pink