Angels are weeping right now, Uni-ball, and they are not tears of joy.
I’m not particularly subtle when it comes to my feelings about the Jetstream line of pens. I constantly shoehorn in mentions of them. I rank them somewhere between a writing utensil and a god (perhaps on par with Hercules, or something that writes in a combination of butter and black gold). I hold the Jetstream to a high standard, because that’s what the Jetstream delivers. That said, I’m not sure these are Jetstream pens.
They are perhaps wolves in pens’ clothing
They look like Jetstream pens. Exactly like the black 0.5mm Jetsteam I so dearly love—that same slick and sweeping modern design, attractively and accurately color-coded to match the ink inside.
The purple seems to be coming out too dark in several of these pictures. This is a more accurate representation of what this purple looks like. Pretty close to what Wikipedia terms “Mardi Gras” purple
Really spot-on with the color. You have no idea how much I appreciate that.
This is shattering every fundamental truth I ever knew about the universe, Uni-ball. The sky is blue, the earth orbits around the sun, Pilot G2s are generally pretty terrible, and the Jetstream writes like an oil-based miracle. THAT IS THE WAY THE WORLD IS SUPPOSED TO WORK
Let’s not kid ourselves—even on Clairefontaine paper there, this ink performance isn’t up to snuff. The tip is an absolute mess, and I think that’s where all the problems are coming from.
CRUSTED WITH PROBLEMS
Picture it: the ink gums up at the tip, leading to blobs. Blobs that don’t get transferred to the page lead to slight, jerky resistance as they get worked around the surface of the ballpoint, and all this inconsistency and uneven distribution of ink leads to the occasional ghosting.
These two are up to no good
It wants to be smooth, really it does. But something about the formulation for colorful inks is having this terrible side effect. This is a ballpoint pen. Maintenance is not part of the repertoire for a ballpoint pen this inexpensive. I shouldn’t have to be cleaning off the tip of a ballpoint pen. I’d also like to note that in handwriting this post, the blue pen just started having the pen equivalent of agonal breathing, and I had to switch back to the purple.
I thought maybe using bottom-barrel paper might bring out some kind of desperate last-minute hat-trick-miracle, but no.
What is going on here, Uni-ball? Whatever it is, it’s not okay, and should NOT be called a Jetstream.
Take those nametags off right now, you rank impostors!
You can either find a way to fix this ink, or don’t dare call this thing a Jetstream. Your choice.
EVERYTHING IS A LIIIIIIIE
So, where do we go from here, my fellow penficionados? I suggest stockpiling canned goods, and buy up more REAL Jetstreams.
Real Jetstream Ballpoint Pens at JetPens
But it’s your money, you can do whatever you want.
Uni-ball Jetstream Color Series Ballpoint Pen – 0.5 mm – Light Blue Body – Light Blue Ink at JetPens
Uni-ball Jetstream Color Series Ballpoint Pen – 0.5 mm – Purple Body – Purple Ink at JetPens
P.S. Many thanks to JetPens for providing these sample pens free of charge!
It’s officially a G2 world now. All your JetStreams are belong to us. Also you can get Uni Signo .38 at Office Max now.
I am appalled. I never expected this insanity!!!! Noooo!!! They held so much potential…
Bummmmmer. I cannot tolerate globs of ink around the ballpoint tip. This is a real shame.
[...] No Pen Intended: Sailor A.S. Manhattaner’s NY Artists Guild Fountain Pen & Uni-ball Jetstream Color Series Ballpoint [...]
Glad to have you confirm my experience with the jetstream purple ink, but kind of sad too – i was really looking forward to a multicolor jetstream world. Thanks for reviewing pens. I obsess over writing instruments for some reason. I’ll have to remember to check your blog before my next purchase.