At first glance (and second and third) it is an odd one. No way around that.

But it isn’t ugly…it’s UGLee. And UGLee stands for the following:
U = Ultimate
G = Grip
Lee = Dr. James Lee, the designer and creator of this “revolutionary ergonomic” pen

Here’s how Dr. Lee introduces the pen on his website, www.ugleepen.com:

Hello I’m Dr. James Lee,

inventor of the UGLee Pen. Believe me, I have put a lot of thought into the creation of this pen. I know that I haven’t come up with the cure for cancer, or even the common cold, though that is next on my list! But what I have done is designed the world’s first, truly comfortable ergonomic pen. Please, try one of my pens. You will be amazed at the comfort. Even if you never thought you had problems with writing pains. You will love the Ultimate Grip Pen, guaranteed! [Note: Unlike the Fisher Space Pen inventor, Dr. Lee is very much alive, so there are no pesky "how do I send a pen back to someone who's dead?" issues. Not that you'll want to send it back.]

I don’t have writing pains (well, not physical ones, anyway), but once I heard about it, I knew I had to test drive Dr. Lee’s creation. His website is full of details and videos about the design and benefits of the pen as well as testimonials from doctors, nurses, and students, and just plain people…basically anyone who writes. Folks with arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and MS also sing the praises of the UGLee pen because its ergonmic design gives them a pain-free writing experience.

You can read all of that on his site. I won’t bother rehashing the very thorough information here. I will, though, discuss a few of the pen’s details.

Detail #1: The Grip. Or should I say THE GRIP? Because that is one substantial grip.

The pen measures a hair over five inches long, and the grip covers about 2/3rds of this length; from just under the end of the clip to just a spit above the the writing tip. So no matter how you hold your pens…high, low, or somewhere in-between…your fingers will be holding the pen’s “ultimate” grip. Or more accurately, the grip will be holding onto your fingers. That’s what’s cool…the material grips your fingers, not the other way around. You can keep a loose hold on the pen and still write securely. No heavy gripping required equals less pain and no cramping.

The grip’s ridges makes it possible for everyone…from small children to ham-handed adults…to experience the well-executed design of the scooshy (technical term)  grip material. A little hard to describe, but hold one and you’ll see what I mean.

Detail #2: The Notchy Thing (again, more technical jargon)

For most people, this notch (or indented area) in the pen’s body rests right on that web between your thumb and forefinger. Like this…

Because the pen is perfectly notched, it almost feels like it’s part of your hand, rather than resting on your hand. Yet another well-executed piece of the overall design.

And if your hand is of a size that causes the notch to fall elsewhere, the indented areas of the grip will serve the same purpose (e.g., for small kidlet hands, the indents on the grip will give the same feel as the notch on the actual body). So the notch/grip notches are just the ticket for making this pen feel custom fit to your hand.

Detail #3: The Ink
Dr. Lee describes the ink as “the smoothest ink system known- smoother than any rollerball, gel ink, or fountain pen.” Here’s where I have a few gripes. While the writing experience is smooth, it seems to me that that has more to do with the tip size (it’s big…maybe 1.4 mm) than the actual ink.

The line is dark and bold, but there is some white space, and that always irks me. See?

Despite all of the design features, the tip is just too fat and the ink too streaky (with an occasional blob) for me to consider this the perfect pen. It’s certainly not bad by any stretch, and if you’re suffering from writing pain, could be the answer to your pen prayers. Oh how I wish the UGlee pen was offered in 0.5, 0.7, or even 1.0 mm sizes. Maybe the experience would be a little less smooth, but I’d happily give that up for a finer line. Right now, I feel like a surgeon working with a chain-saw rather than a micro-scalpel. The ability to write with precision and finesse just isn’t there.

But wait, don’t give up hope yet! I have it on good authority that the refill in the Dong-A Anyball Ballpoint Pen fits the UGLee pen, so I’ve ordered a few in smaller tip sizes in hopes that I can hack this pen into perfection. Stay tuned for follow-up!

So maybe the pen isn’t exactly beautiful, but it’s not ugly. It’s UGLee. And there is a difference.

Write on.

The Lamy Balloon Roller Ball’s translucent body and spot-on green color sucked me in. The white clip is cool. And it’s a Lamy. Lamy is a German pen company and I’m never disappointed by German stuff (German grandparents, German car, fabulous road trip in Germany in the 80′s, even sauerkraut). Until now.

While the body is stunning, lightweight, and fun, the writing experience is, bluntly put, just atrocious. There’s no way around it. Here’s a sample:

And the same sample a little bit closer:

And the sample again with all of the skips circled:

Every few months I get the pen out in hopes that it has miraculously cured itself. (Irrational, I know.) No such luck. A quick check of the reviews on www.jetpens.com shows that I’m not the only one disappointed in the way this pen writes. The overwhelming verdict is that the pen skips, and skips badly. Others have swapped out refills only to encounter the same problem, so it doesn’t appear to be an occasional issue.

A while back I wrote to Lamy USA (with the pen!) and pointed out how badly the pen writes. What I heard back was…..crickets. Not a peep.

So, my advice? Run away from the Lamy Balloon. Run far, far away.

A few closing questions:
1) Anyone else suffering from Lamy Balloon frustration?
2) Are there any other refills that can be hacked into the body? I’d love to put it into action with a refill that does the body justice.
3) Why, Lamy, why?!

But then the Fisher Space Pen (FSP…much quicker to type) started cropping up in a bunch of respected and discerning pen review blogs (Hi, penaddict.com!). Since decades have passed since I wallowed in the tar, I plunked down a little birthday money and picked up the FSB (black matte bullet model).

What a difference a handful of decades makes.  This FSP is a blast to use…very minimalist and compact. Because it’s clipless, it can roll off  of a desk or counter, but I really like the stripped down look. I think a clip would get in the way, visually.

The pen came with a medium black refill which wrote fine (I mean, okay), but was a little broader than I like. After a few weeks, I swapped out that refill for a fine point and am happier with the writing experience (though fine feels like medium, which is probably why medium felt like broad.) I plan to stick with the fine refills from here on out.

The pen feels sturdy and well-made, and even though I’ve been carrying it around in my pocket with change and keys and a pocket knife, the finish is still pristine.

The back of the FSP package gives a brief history of the pen, as well as a view of its “guts.” This is where you can read about the gas plug and sliding float, the thixotropic ink, and the ultra-hard tungsten carbide ball, if you’re into such things.

From the package: When astronauts began to explore the reaches of outer space, Paul Fisher realized that there was no existing pen which could perform in its freezing cold, boiling hot vacuum. [Sounds like my house throughout the seasons.]

Countless experiments and a common sense approach to findings resulted in the invention of the sealed and pressurized Fisher Space Pen cartridge and in 1967, after 18 months of rigorous testing by NASA, the Space Pen was selected for use by the astronauts.

The packaging goes on to say that if you’re not satisfied (Lifetime Guarantee!), return the pen directly to Paul C. Fisher for repair or replacement. See?

Turns out Paul C. Fisher passed away in 2006, so mailing it “directly” to him is a little tricky (what’s the zip?!), but you get the drift.

Now for the best part…the writing experience. Gone are the thick blobs that so plagued my memory of this pen. The line is smoother and darker than I remember, and definitely cleaner.

I’m now a fan.

Not only is the writing experience on plain old paper very good, but the pen ALSO promises to write in all kinds of extreme conditions…from -30 to +250 degrees, through greasy, wet, or zero-gravity conditions, even upside-down. Writing letters on a trapeze, in the rain, while eating french fries, on a hot summer day? No problem.

Reliable, is what it is.

So while I may never be THAT hot or THAT cold or lacking gravity, I may find myself in a chilly car or writing at a weird angle and for those times, I have the go-to pen.

Having a plain old luke-warm, full-gravity day? Well, it’s fine for that, too.

Paul C. Fisher, I salute you, wherever you are.

Oddly enough I:
1) RARELY write in books;
2) read e-books almost exclusively
so pens and pencils are not really needed by the bed, but there they are. I suppose a great idea COULD strike at any time. And when it does, I’m ready.

So with the blowing dusting done, I selected the long-neglected silver Pilot Cavalier Hi-Tec-C (0.4mm) from the cup and did a little scribbling on an index card. (“WOW…NICE pen.” I think I actually said this out loud.) And it’s been with me ever since. Despite its lengthy stand-by status, it wrote on the first try…crisp, clean, and dark.

The body is slim and the lines are classic. Despite the slim size, this pen feels substantial and weighty (in a good way). Really well-balanced.

My favorite part of the body is the satisfying way the cap clicks into place when the pen is recapped or the cap is posted. I can’t stop playing with it (sort of like popping bubble wrap). Really, I can’t.

The ink is gel, so the 0.4mm line is fine and neat and smooth. And like I said, it wrote immediately, even after months of neglect.

The Hi-Tec-C at work…a true professional.

Love the 0.4mm tip. Yup.

The lesson here? I should probably dust more often.

Initially I fought down the urge to buy a pack because, have I mentioned, I HAVE ENOUGH PENS?! But then there was a Staples internet coupon, and who has the willpower to resist pens AND $2.00 off. Not me.

The InkJoy line comes in a numbered series, sort of like BMWs (except not). This link explains the differences between the 100, 300, 500, and 700 series. I chose the 500RT series because Staples’ stock was pretty well ravaged. Buzzards circled the few remaining packs. I probably would’ve chosen this series anyway, because of the colors, the RT (retractable) version, and the look of the grip. Shoo..buzzards.

So…how do they write? The line is 1.0mm…pretty bold. The colors are fairly dark/saturated, especially for ballpoint inks, and the inks are decently smooth. Not quite Jetstream or Surari smooth, but a step (or two) up as far as the usual Papermate fare goes.

My only beef is with the tip size. 1.0 mm is broader than I’m used to writing with (now that I’ve discovered 0.38, 0.4, and 0.5 mm pens) so the line feels less precise and just a little messy…not super crisp, is what I’m saying. And sometimes there’s that annoying little blob of ink when you first put the pen to paper. Once the blob clears (and it’s not ALWAYS there), the experience is pretty good.

So is there JOY? Mmmmmm…maybe more satisfaction than outright joy. Which is not necessarily a bad thing.

EnJOY.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Edited to add:

This morning at Staples…

All gone. Even the tied down display pen. Hah!

Let’s get to it.

This Surari, with its orange body, is a flat out winner. No doubt about it. In fact, a sane person would stop buying pens after they acquired this one. After all, you’ve got all four of your daily ink requirements packed into one medium sized pen body. Black, blue, red, and green. This team can handle any jotting, editing, drawing, scribbling, list making, color-coding need.  Buy this and you’re ALL SET.

The grip is just right, too. It’s grippy enough to be helpful, but not so grippy that it’s distracting. Know what I mean?

The ink color is selected by sliding down the associated plunger button thingie (is there a technical term for that?), except for black, which is selected by sliding down the pen clip. But you would’ve figured that out for yourself.

And the emulsion ink is just wonderful. You can tell that by the green. SO many times, the black, blue, and red look great, but the green is anemic and disappointing. Not so in this one. I don’t use a lot of green, but when I do, I want it to be GREEEEEEN.

Emulson ink is, according to Jetpens, low-friction, smear-proof, and water-resistant. All this for $4.95. Mere peanuts.

You’re welcome.

Here’s one of my favorites…one that I recently re-discovered…the Jetstream F*Series 2 Color 0.5 mm Ballpoint + 0.5 mm Pencil (quite the name!). According to the description on the Jetpens website, the “F” stands for “feminine.” I don’t see this pen as being all that feminine, though I suppose the slim design, stripes, and little charm on the end could be considered more feminine than masculine. All I know is that I fell in love with the stripes and the fact that I could carry black ink, red ink, and a pencil in one pen body.

,

Because it’s a Jetstream, the 0.5mm line is sharp and crisp and the colors are true. Black is black and red is red. No wishy-washiness. Jetstreams, as a rule, do not disappoint. Simply twist the pen body forward or backward to rotate through the three options. My only beef with multipens is that I sometimes forget to check which point I’ve selected, and I wind up writing in red when I want to write in black, or vice-versa. But that’s not the pen’s fault, just user error. And age.

The pen tips are sharp, but smooth. Just perfect, especially if you prefer a fine line. There’s not even a HINT of scratchiness. Smoooooth.

And on the end…a tiny charm. Thus the F series, I guess.

A charming pen, no?!

I stuck the empty box in a dresser drawer and let it languish for years. It was one of those tricky items…too nice to throw away, but a little bulky to store forever. Then, one night, lightbulb over head! Hey, I thought, I’ll use it to make a little traveling office. So that’s exactly what I did. Here’s what it now holds:

Baby stapler:

Forever stamps:

Pencil Shield pencils from Baseball Hall of Fame game:

Pilot G-2 Minipen:

Well-worn eraser:

Glue stick (just in case):

*Lamy Pico ballpoint pen:

Binder clips:

Scotch brand Pop-Up Tape:

The whole shebang:

So now I’m ready for just about anything (office-wise), just about anywhere. And the wonderful Cross box is no longer collecting dust. Win-win.

——————

* While I love the now-you-see it/now-you-don’t mechanism of this pen, Lamy’s ballpoint ink refills leave me cold. The black ink is too grey for me and writing with it feels draggy rather than smooth. But it’s fine for occasional use. (When will Lamy improve the state of their ballpoint inks, she asked hopefully.)

While Fred was parking the truck, I headed up to our room and started checking out the amenities– AND I almost drank a $2.00 (small!) bottle of Saratoga water thinking that it was free. Eek. The suite was wonderful…cool bathroom (phone by toilet??), comfortable sitting room, cozy bedroom, two TVs, nice desk, free wif-fi, and magazines. Sweet.

As I was poking around, I found the obligatory notepad and pen. Actually two. And imagine my surprise when the pen had heft! This was not one of those god-awful, barely writes hotel pens. (Hate those…and yet I take them. WHY??) The body had the look of brushed metal and wrote a nice dark line. Must dissect, I thought. When I yanked it apart, I found a familiar Cross refill. Color me impressed.

The tip is extended by twisting the pen body, which is nice. I’m a nervous pen clicker so with a twisting pen, that temptation is removed. Probably a good thing.

Our stay was short but wonderful. We enjoyed the spa’s hot tub, the lobby’s chaise lounges and fireplace, and the peace and quiet. When we left, I took the charming little soaps, and of course, this pen.

One year’s ended, and the new one has begun. May your year be full of happiness. And nice pens.

PROS:
Aside from the pen color/stripes, I also like the fact that the pen body is made of wood. This makes the pen feel like a pencil in hand. Kind of cool. The line is very fine, even at 0.5 mm, and is pretty consistent and smooth, though not really as dark as I like.

CONS:
One thing I didn’t realize was how easily the wooden pen body could be marked up. This one’s relatively new, and well cared for, but already shows some dents and dings. (Ouch.) The other issue I’m having is with the plunger/knock mechanism. The one on my pen is very loose, in that it appears to be fully outside of the pen body. Because of this, it rattles when handled, though not so much when I’m actually writing.

See what I mean about the knock? Strange.

So, even though I’m happier with the 0.5 mm refill, this pen probably won’t make it to the prized pen cup on my desk. It’s more likely to be relegated to the one full of oddball pens in the kitchen. Too bad…the orange stripes are lovely.