pen 139: uni-ball uni roller pen super ink

today' s pen is the older and fatter sibling to the uni-ball roller stick micro and the uni-ball roller stick micro eco. both of those pens count themselves among the few pens that have earned the honor of a 5 on the rating scale at the end of each post. this is a pen that i haven't seen in a long time. in fact, i kinda thought that this pen was discontinued. that might actually be the case, im not entirely sure, but even on the official uni-ball website it doesn't mention this pen specifically, but does have a brief description of a pen that could be today's pen, or one of the two others mentioned above.

as usual, it falls to me to fill in the blanks.

the roller pen is a basic stripped down, no frills pen, the kind that seems to appeal to me, it is considerably thicker than the roller stick, which usually makes pens feel bulky and awkward. this pen has a 0.7 mm metal ballpoint tip, but unlike the micro stick, is not as likely to tear the paper since it has a little more surface area touching the paper. still, i wouldn't press too hard.

the uni roller pen has great flow, a consistent line, fair glide and good bite. am am a huge fan of the rich, velvety nature of the ink on paper. this pen is an extremely clean pen, it dries instantly, it doesn't acquire buildup on the tip, it doesn't pool on the paper, bleed out or though and is great for writing and drawing. the ink is supersaturated, it's an all or nothing pen, that will ink over pencil lines with no problem at all. there are things, like writing over paints or large format pieces that i would use a different type of pen, but this is one of those pens that is so versatile that i tend to carry one around with me at all times, either in my pocket, my bag, and my car. finally, at the end of the day, these pens are so inexpensive, you can lose one and not have it be the end of the world.

i highly recommend this pen, or one of it's siblings to anyone who has ever used a pen.

pricing:
amazon.com: $8.79+s/h (twelve pens)
staples.com: $10.49+s/h (twelve pens)

websites:
www.uniball-na.com
www.amazon.com
www.staples.com

what they say:

amazon.com

• Writes as smooth as a fountain pen, without the mess.
• Smooth, quick-drying premium liquid ink.
• Stainless steel point.
• Sold by the Dozen (12 each)

staples.com

• Fine point, 0.7 mm
• Black
• Durable stainless steel point with long-lasting tungsten-carbide ball for skip-free writing
• Black matte barrel with brushed stainless clip
• Quick-drying, smooth-flowing ink provides neat, accurate lines
• 12 per pack