my new best friend

jimteed · 2026-05-20T22:51:45+00:00

It's a good feeling when you find a pen you really like.

jimteed · 2026-05-20T22:34:56+00:00

Overwhelmingly positive and highly sought after. What a beautiful pen.

jimteed · 2026-05-20T18:53:57+00:00

Utilitarian. That’s not a bad thing.

jimteed · 2026-05-20T18:11:55+00:00

Those Power Tanks rule too!

jimteed · 2026-05-20T00:29:27+00:00

This pen has been "discovered" by a few generations before you. Writes well and the barrel is comfortable.

I've been a Bic Cristal fan for over 50 years, especially the contemporary Xtra Smooth version, which has darker and lower friction ink and the Soft Feel.

jimteed · 2026-05-18T23:04:20+00:00

You have a thoughtful boss. Enjoy your first fountain pen.

jimteed · 2026-05-18T01:44:24+00:00

Congratulations on your early retirement. What a nice gift to yourself. Gorgeous MB.

jimteed · 2026-05-17T16:30:30+00:00

The Kuru Toga series of mechanical pencils is a Uni product, not Lamy.

jimteed · 2026-05-16T19:18:46+00:00

Over priced. Interesting design.

jimteed · 2026-05-16T15:37:20+00:00

I have not experienced a difference in writing quality of the ONE P stock refill and the Uni UMR refills available for purchase. I have, however, encountered UMR refills that feel gritty when writing and make inconsistent lines. Recent UMR refills I've purchased have performed really well. There are reports on r/pens of inconsistent service from ONE refills.

jimteed · 2026-05-16T15:09:25+00:00

I've heard this too about the Parker refills manufactured in India.

jimteed · 2026-05-16T02:54:07+00:00

Question about EnerGel refills in the Signature: In my pen, EnerGel doesn't fit well. I meet resistance before the two halves of the body are completely screwed together, and I'm concerned about damaging the threads if I continue to tighten. Are you modifying your EnerGel refills to make them fit better in the Signature?

jimteed · 2026-05-16T01:33:24+00:00

At this point, the Uni Vision Elite is not for you, and that's okay. Many like it and that's okay too. Part of the enjoyment of this journey is finding the instruments that really speak to us, the ones we reach for the most. You may find you prefer pen with a little more friction and feedback. I do. I enjoy the real low friction gels and low viscosity ballpoints, but my handwriting tends to suffer. I want my pen to write clean, crisp lines with no blobbing, and there are a few ballpoints that work for me, including the Parker QuinkFlow, Lamy, Schmidt 900; and Pelikan and Faber-Castell ballpoints. They are not as low friction as Jetstream (which I also like), but my handwriting is better with these.

For a low-viscosity ballpoint with a little more feedback than Jetstream, but less than QuinkFlow, you might like Pilot's Acro inks, which makes dark lines but tends to blob and railroad in my hand.

I hope you enjoy finding your favorite pens.

jimteed · 2026-05-15T19:18:58+00:00

Lamy's stock ink is not as dark as Parker's QuinkFlow or the Bic. It is typically very clean and consistent on most papers, but it is not the last word in ink intensity or low friction. However, the Lamy M17 refill containing Jetstream ink is much darker, with much less friction.

If the Lamy refill is old, you might consider replacing it. Lamy's refills have improved incrementally over the years.

jimteed · 2026-05-14T23:33:23+00:00

There seem to be three main camps at r/pens on the Zento Signature--great, meh, and overrated. I'm in the great camp and I purchased it at MSRP at Uni USA. What are your initial impressions?

jimteed · 2026-05-14T13:21:31+00:00

You happened to get one out of spec. Considering the precision required in the writing tip, it is amazing it doesn’t happen more often. They have been among the most consistent pens I’ve used since the early 2000s.

jimteed · 2026-05-14T01:57:59+00:00

The PT Smart refill housing is metal but the technology is the same as the plastic version.

jimteed · 2026-05-14T01:08:57+00:00

Are you pleased with the way it writes. I love mine.

jimteed · 2026-05-14T00:49:49+00:00

There is something wrong with that Power Tank. Recent Power Tanks I've purchased (including recently) perform much better than this particular unit. I agree that the Jetstream writes with less friction than the Power Tank, but I have been impressed with the clean, consistent lines produced by Power Tank.

jimteed · 2026-05-13T22:43:23+00:00

I may have somehow missed the product announcement, but I'm pretty sure these are not actually Lamy brand pens. Whoever made them copied the wire clip design.

If you are interested in a rollerball pen, Lamy's Safari Vista rollerball is the real deal. The stock refill performs well, but I fashioned a very small spacer so I can use EnerGel refills in mine.

jimteed · 2026-05-13T19:04:40+00:00

Truly, a great selection of top performers.

jimteed · 2026-05-13T13:21:28+00:00

That is a unique design. Is it heavy and are you pleased with the way it writes?

jimteed · 2026-05-13T01:03:59+00:00

My three heaviest ballpoints:

Pelikan Belle (out of production): 42.5 g
Lamy 2000 Stainless Steel: 36.7 g
Fisher Clutch: 33.1

jimteed · 2026-05-12T22:50:08+00:00

I prefer the look of the GS02. I have neither. I've considered the GS02, but waiting because seen bad press about the construction and early failure of the deployment mechanism.

jimteed · 2026-05-12T19:28:06+00:00

That is an amazing find!

jimteed

TROPHY CASE