Sunday, March 1, 2009

Uni-ball Signo 207

Summary: The Uni-ball Signo 207 (0.7) pen is a great pen for signatures.
Rating: 8/10
Price: ~$1.50
Where I buy it: Target


For most of my note-taking I prefer a pen with a narrower tip. But when I need to sign a document, this is the pen I reach for.

Pilot G-2 0.5

Summary: The Pilot G-2 Gel (0.5) pen has a cult following for good reason.
Rating: 8/10
Price: ~$1.75
Where I buy it: Target


The G-2 is a well-built pen. Like the Uni-ball Signo 207, this pen just keeps working. The thing that keeps it from being a perfect pen is its ink — it doesn't dry as quickly as other gel pens I've used.

Uni-ball Signo 207 Micro

Summary: The Uni-ball Signo 207 Micro (0.5) pen is one of my favorite general-purpose pens.
Rating: 9/10
Price: ~$1.75
Where I buy it: Target, Office Max, Office Depot

This pen is a workhorse. If I were to be exiled to a desert island, and got to choose one pen to take with me, this would be it.

My handwriting tends to be on the small side of the spectrum, and this pen's 0.5mm pen tip really helps keep my letters from running together. The tiny point also helps prevent bleed-through from the notes I write in the margins of my books.

I've found that gel ink tends to spread and feather less than rollerballs, and it creates a more uniform and consistent line than ballpoints.

I like using the Signo 207 Micro to:
  • track project time in my Franklin Covey notebook
  • journal in my small Moleskine sketchbook
  • take notes in my larger Moleskine notebook

Uni-ball Signo RT Gel

Summary: The Uni-ball Signo RT Gel (0.38) pen is my favorite ultra-fine-point pen.
Rating: 9/10
Price: ~$1.65
Where I buy it: jetpens.com

This pen is fabulous! It may be too fine for some uses (like signing documents), but if you have smallish handwriting like I do, it is unparalleled for precision note taking.


About Me

The pens that I review on this blog are pens that I have tested extensively. I have occasionally been impressed with a pen, only to discover that after a few days it has lost some of its functionality. By delaying my review of a pen until I have written with it repeatedly, I hope to give you more than just my initial impressions. These reviews are obviously my opinions, and what works best for me may not work best for you. Finally, to keep these reviews as unbiased as possible, my policy is to accept no free pens from any manufacturer, retailer or blogger.