Uni-Ball SXN-210 Jetstream RT Retractable Rollerball Pen Black Ink - Pack of 12

I have spent much time hunting for the perfect pen for me. My job involves constant note-taking, and these notes are then filed and could be used in court to make me look sloppy, so I am very keen that the pen be completely reliable, comfortable and without smudging. I also like to use nice notepads for lists and the like (currently loving Leuchtturm1917 pads) and I'd like an ink that looks like it belongs there. Finally, I want the pen to be inexpensive, because I lose the flaming things all the time. So, in my experience using them for the past year, Jetstream pens are... RELIABLE- I've never had one that dries up 5 minutes into my writing, returning sporadically and requiring me to draw increasingly angry circles on the page to get it to come back. It just doesn't stop until it's ended and I've usually lost it long before then. At this price point, you cannot take that for granted. COMFORTABLE- There's a slight curve in the body of the pen that eases it into my hand without forcing me to write in an unnatural way. It is covered with a pleasant rubberish coat with perforations that prevents it feeling like you're writing with a tent peg and helps with grip. The metal is probably a bit more shabby and looks cheap, but that's fine by me. DOESN'T SMUDGE- At least not in my experience. The ink seems to dry very quickly, and the pen doesn't really leave think blobs of ink that might be more resistant to drying. I can be pretty confident that I won't find my writing on the other side of the page when I reopen my files or notepad. LOOKS NICE- The pen looks quite sleek really, which I like. But I was more meaning that it writes well. I don't have any particular eye for inks, but lines are the size they are supposed to be without variation and with no ink trails from where the pen is lifted. And it is black, which is as advertised. Enough said. INEXPENSIVE- I buy the packs of 12 at a time, and apparently I lose around one every four weeks. Fortunately, that means I have spent only about 16 quid a year on excellent pens. I should stop losing them, but I don't feel like such a mug. To me, these pens feel and write like a pen worth closer to a tenner each. Now that I've found these, I don't bother looking anywhere else. They have one downside for me- that they are just slightly too wide to fit into the pen loop of my notepad. My answer is to buy a different pen loop next time.

Ink quality is amazing, it’s a very consistent pen with excellent writing quality, a nice grip and ergonomic design making it pretty easy to use.

A pretty good pen. Smooth writing and comfortable to hold.

Nice pen and very smooth writing

In every review I looked at this pen was either top or near the top. I wanted a pen that I could rely on, that would work when it was called on and, more importantly, looked good when I whipped it out. It is probably the single most handsome 14cm (7-1/2") piece of rubberised plastic I own. The pen is very reliable (I bought the 12 pack) and from the first "click" the ink flows reassuringly steadily with no smudges. So.....to hold, the pen is very comfortable. It is well balanced and the rubberised coating gives it an assured grip. When the retractable tip is depressed, it drops firmly into place and locks with no play in the pen or tip. At the bottom of the rubberised outer are 4 vertical strips which allow you to view the ink cartridge and see that you have a level of ink to start any long missives with, without having to unscrew the nib and take the pen apart. In my view, this is an excellent pen which offers great value for money, and should be at the top of any list, for anyone who wishes to write using a finely engineered tool as opposed to a keyboard.

Great pens and fast delivery

I'll start this with the obligatory, "I'm not one to usually write reviews", arguably this is more so the case for an item as mundane as a pen; yet here I am typing away. I am a lefty and for as long as I can remember have struggled with writing implements, though primary school, university and even in the workplace. I have spent inordinate amounts of money on pens from all manufacturers, testing different grips, inks, shapes and sizes and have never found a product that I could just use without issue. They would not write smoothly, the inks would run out too quickly, inks would seep through the pages and so on. In the end I resorted to using a standard ball point pen, yet even those by the end of the day would leave me with ink on the side of my hand where I had been dragging it across the page. Finally I came across the Uniball Jetstream and thought to myself to give them a go. The article that had directed me here had mentioned they are perfect for lefties and after a quick cost per unit calculation I opted for the 12 pack and crossed my fingers that these pens were as good as I was promised. Thankfully, they are. The ink is smooth, it flows like a liquid gel pen, rather than a scratchy biro, it dries instantly, it doesn't seep through my pages and it doesn't smudge or leave unsightly marks on my hands. To date I've only written 13 double sided pages of text and drawn a few doodles, but the pen thus far is holding up and there seems to be no indication of the ink running out. This pen has made my writing experience a lot more pleasant and while a small victory, I'll take it thank you very much. If I were to nit-pick, I'd make mention of the fact the pen goes from a rubber plastic barrel to a plastic chrome coloured nib. This nib is quite slippery compared to the rest of the pen and it took a little while to get used to the Jetstream since I was coming from the Sharpie Stylo which was a fully rubberised nib. And it should be noted that I can't talk about longevity of each pen, but I've got 12 of them so I'm (hopefully) not going to run out any time soon.

I work in a hospital, and always ALWAYS need a pen. There are never any spares, and if you do find one they're horrible and broken and impossible to use. I've gone through phases of pilot hi-tec C's and many others, but since picking up a pack of these from Staples, I haven't looked back. I'm never without one now. Taking notes in lectures, seminars, conferences, writing in patient and hospital notes, these are really versatile pens. Why? They write at just about any angle, on slippery paper, notecard, uneven thick sketch paper, magazines. The ink is heavy and very opaque, and dries extremely fast to avoid smudges (big problem with the ever-popular felt-nibs). The tip doesn't clog, skip, stick, scratch or slide. The pen body is comfortable and tough, doesn't crack or split if you sit on it or leave it at the bottom of your bag. The ink reservoir is large, and lasts for a good month or two of heavy use. It might be a bit sad to get so enthusiastic about a particular kind of pen - but this one genuinely makes my working day so much easier, and is everything I've been looking for for ages. Some might prefer a smaller nib size (1.0mm is kind of chunky) but despite my tiny handwriting, I still find the nib really easy to control, much better than any gel-rollers such as the pilot G-2 series and much smoother than a felt-tip. Of course I always keep a rubbish, broken nearly-dead bic in my pocket as well, just so when somebody asks me "Do you have a pen?" I can pull it out with a smile, and keep my jetstream safe from forgetful colleagues.