Jetstream

A Trip to Tokyo — Stationery Adventures

/ Pete Denison / 7 Comments
The grand Tokyo Station

A working subtitle of what follows below might be: goals achieved, opportunities missed, and assumptions confirmed. The next-level summary would then kick down to: families put up with a lot when you are exploring your own niche interests and hobbies. This perhaps adds further context to the tales below.

Along with my wife and our two adult children, I recently spent 11 days in Tokyo. Our initial seven nights being unavoidably extended after our return flight was cancelled due to a cyclone threatening our home city of Brisbane. A stressful hour or two ensued, changing flights and extending accommodation, before we realised the fantastic opportunity we had to spend another four nights in such an amazing location. We were indeed thankful all was okay when we returned home, though many weren’t so lucky with damage, flooding, and power losses from the cyclone.

Aims and Plans

I really had no great plans on the stationery front, other than perhaps a leaning towards obtaining a Plotter notebook set up and having a good look around. I’d taken in some “Stationery trip to Tokyo” blogs and YouTube videos before the trip, however as far as a shopping list was concerned, the Plotter was mostly it. That said, I was always going to add to my Traveler’s Notebook setup, and was excited to visit their locations around Tokyo.

On the flip side, I’d also considered what the stationery side of the trip wasn’t intended to be: a search at all costs tour for Japanese exclusives, fountain pens, or endless inks. When you are talking about a couple of hobbies like stationery and coffee, a trip can quickly turn into family members waiting around for you to sample things or satisfy curiosity. Don’t get me wrong — they’d do it every day of the week, however even for me, our family holidays are far more enjoyable without the pressure of me seeking niche, out of the way stationery stores or cafés.

If you have progressed in this hobby to being all-in on fountain pens, then this post will disappoint you. Yes, I still love mine. However, I am very fortunate to probably have enough, and most of my daily drivers are gel or ballpoint these days. With that in mind, you’ll still find plenty of fountain pens at many of the places listed below, although none returned home with me.

Stationery Places

Loft — Shibuya

One of the first shops tagged “stationery” on our Tripsy itinerary list, largely due to the proximity to our hotel in Shibuya, however once inside it quickly became apparent as to the magnitude of stationery in Japan. My family happily pointed out we spent a good couple of hours in the store, and I didn’t make it off the basement (aka stationery) level. To be clear, while there are seven floors in this behemoth, you’ll find stationery on the basement level, and I do recommend spending some time on the other floors — maybe for a few minutes before heading back to B1…

Loft in Shibuya — leave yourself plenty of time

Checkout: Gel pens, a couple of Traveler’s Passport size refills and miscellaneous items (stickers, glue pen etc). Let’s call this an initial “recon” visit. Too many stores to come, and much of the time was spent on the Side-note below. On a return visit, I did pick up a bottle of Sailor ink to replace my ever dwindling Montblanc Daniel Defoe Palm Green. The Shikiori Rikyucha probably falls on the brown rather than green side of the ledger, though you get that with store lighting, aging vision, and looking at the small colour spot on the packaging. Nonetheless, I do like the colour.

The Lamy M17 Jetstream refill. I duly took my ticket from the display and lined up at the register to claim my “1 per customer” M17 refill. I ended up with the black fine (0.7 mm version). It’s a good writer and what you’d expect from the classic oil-based Jetstream ink. I’ve not yet compared it directly with the M16 refill, which incidentally I only have in medium.

Side-note: Plotter paralysis. A good part of that long stay on the stationery floor was spent at the Plotter display, musing on sizes (A5 was the plan before leaving home) and cover colour. I loved the orange, however wasn’t sure how that might play out in the office. The conclusion being: “think about it” and return another day.

Verdict: Like performing a Google search for “Japanese Stationery” and having the results presented to you in person. It’s vast, an assault on your stationery senses (in a good way) and I’m glad I had the benefit of checking out the other places below in the knowledge I’d easily return to Loft to fill in any gaps before we left.

Traveler’s Factory — Tokyo Station

A Traveler’s Notebook theme also heavily influenced the stationery itinerary of the trip (see also Starbuck’s Reserve and TN HQ below). I run a Bullet Journal type setup in my TN, and thought I might pick up some exclusives from the various TN locations we’d visit.

Traveler’s Tokyo Station – underground north exit
You’ll find many a stamp under this sign

Checkout: A few inserts, stickers, postcards, and a good few minutes spent collecting various stamps from the store in a passport refill you can see on the left of the image. They also had a cool main stamp press which aligned your refills nicely and printed the red and green TN Tokyo Station stamp on the cover (far R in the image).

Traveler’s Tokyo Station haul

Verdict: Tokyo Station itself was an amazing building, and it was fantastic to be able to visit the Traveler’s Store. Being the first of a Traveler’s theme of stops, I was excited for what was to come. A quaint store and an enjoyable visit.

Itoya — Ginza

After my I-need-to-think-about-this moment from the Loft excursion, I received a unanimous vote of encouragement by my family: are-you-serious-absolutely-get-the-orange-Plotter before entering Itoya. That turned out pretty well, as you can see in the image.

Unlike Loft, Itoya’s many floors were all stationery (or at least adjacent), however each were smaller in area by comparison. This saw me a little calmer than in Loft, with things segmented floor by floor, thereby providing a little reset between them.

Checkout: Plotter A5 cover in orange “shrink” (pebbled) leather with an antique gold backplate, along with just about every refill I could get my hands on. Until I can convince my favourite pen shop here at home to bring them into the country, it will either be international shipping for refills or my Japan-based niece as a stationery mule whenever she visits us in Australia.

The Plotter in fabulous orange

Side-note: The beginning of a theme and a little hilarity. Itoya was the first time the Uniball Zento caught my eye, by way of a small advertising display in an array of home office desk setups. The Signature Edition would be the perfect “unique find” to take home, given its design and magnetic cap system. Yes, a gel pen no less — and as you can gather, it was decidedly a non-fountain pen trip. Upon enquiring with one of the staff if any were in stock — the answer was a shake of the head and a “sold out everywhere”. It was the same in Loft and multiple Hands stores we visited along the way. Typical. I had set my sights on a pen that was probably the most popular thing to hit the shelves at that particular moment, with no way to get my hands on one before the end of the trip.

The hilarity of it all? Well, there are four variations of the Zento: the Basic, Standard, Flow, and Signature models. I wanted the Signature, which I’ll now be picking up online as they have just popped up locally on Bunbougu (well the lower tiers at least, the Signature model shows sold out — what a surprise). How’s the new “Zento” ink? Well, that I cannot tell you, as I was that obsessed with hunting the Signature model, I totally overlooked picking up a couple of the cheaper variants which were all available. Did someone say tunnel vision? Oh well, you live and learn.

Verdict: Itoya certainly was a joy to visit (along with the luxury shopping precinct that runs through Ginza) with many floors, lots of stationery, and a good deal more fountain pens. I did a quick whip around the fountain pen floor (well ok… perhaps a couple of laps) before moving onto more pressing Plotter purchasing matters at hand.

Starbucks Reserve Roastery — Meguro

Sure, if you were perhaps a coffee purist this mightn’t be the first stop on your list, however I’d argue it’s essential, simply for a look at the size, scale, and design of this place. I would also add it was here I had one of the best filter coffees of the trip (a Modbar brewed Colombian Pink Bourbon for anyone interested).

Starbucks Reserve – now roasting…
Siphons at the ready if you’d care to sample

But we’re here to talk stationery, and this was peak collaboration time. Starbuck’s Reserve and Traveler’s Company do a fantastic job at providing for those at the intersection of coffee and stationery obsession, and I am certainly here for it.

Checkout: Fairly self-explanatory in the associated image, anchored by a passport sized Traveler’s Notebook and some charm/clip hardware, with some associated passport sized refills and various stickers.

Coffee and collabs – Starbucks Reserve and Traveler’s

Verdict: I love a good collab, and this one was made for me. If you are in the Meguro area, it’s honestly worth stopping by Starbucks Reserve, yes for a bit of stationery (in the corner to your right upon entering), and even if you’re not into coffee, one of those four floors is dedicated to tea. Something for everyone. Loved it.

But wait… there’s more. Adjacent to the roastery is the famous Meguro river, endless cherry blossoms when in season, and if you keep wandering further down a quiet little street, you’ll find…

Traveler’s Factory HQ — Nakameguro

Along with Loft, also an early entry on the stationery list when planning our trip. The Traveler’s HQ. The mothership. Or rather, the quaint little backstreet store that is symbolic of everything wonderful about Japan. There is a quiet hum of customers inside this store which belies the idyllic outer. We did visit on a fairly rainy day, so perhaps things in the surrounding streets were a bit quieter than they otherwise might be. Absolute bliss.

Traveler’s HQ – a quiet back street…
…housing much joy

Checkout: Again, the image tells the story, and my favourites here were the selection of The Superior Labor bags and cases, along with the leather Traveler’s Factory coasters we now have on our side table at home. Some interesting looking refills and stickers were also added to the list — goes without saying.

Traveler’s HQ haul

Verdict: It was great to get along to both the HQ along and the Traveler’s at Tokyo Station. To be honest, I wasn’t entirely sure whether I was buying store exclusives or not, and really just picked up what looked appealing. If you have a specific list when visiting, I’m sure you’d have no trouble filling it. An added bonus? Visiting both locations removed the need to look at the Traveler’s sections in the other stores, such as Hands and Loft.

Customised indeed – from Traveler’s HQ

One thing struck me upon visiting the store, and that was the feel of the craft and workmanship all around you. Sure, your larger players in the stationery realm have their place, however brands such as Traveler’s and Plotter have their cult followings for a reason (and it’s not just the plan-with-me videos on YouTube). There is a sense of the culture in these products. Everything I found wonderful in Japan is encapsulated by brands such as these. The experience was certainly far more valuable than what I brought back, but of course, we all need those little keepsake stationery souvenirs, am I right?

Hands — Shibuya & Shinjuku

If there was a stationery race on this trip (besides the frantic Zento search…), Hands would be the dark horse, and could rightly stake a claim to victory. Right around the corner from where we were staying, to boot.

For reference, most of what you’d find on the stationery floor in Loft was also available across three or four floors in Hands — minus the people. An easy way to pick up many of the gel pens, stickers, notebooks, and stationery — including Traveler’s and Plotter if you are so inclined. Fountain pens, yes, and a decent array of Pilot CH 912 nib variations if you were in the market.

Certainly not an expensive haul – Zebra bLen; Jetsreams’ Lite touch, One; a Kurutoga; Zebra Clickart markers

Checkout: To be honest, I can’t quite remember, though a good few gel pens, the Zebra Clickart markers, and numerous stickers. A nice addition to the purchases was the Zebra bLen multi-pen, which I picked up in the 2 pen + pencil version. Interestingly I didn’t see many Energels around.

Many stickers and much fun for the travel journal…

Verdict: Your friendly department store (with a wonderful array of stationery and other items) likely kept a secret by the locals so they can avoid the tourist crowds, yet still have just about everything available. We loved our local Shibuya store; however, others were just as impressive, and I picked up a great Apple Watch band at the store in Shinjuku. Definitely worth a look inside when you pass one.

Honourable mentions

7-Eleven — there are more Campus notebooks around Tokyo than I’ve ever seen, and you can easily pick one up at most 7-Eleven stores, along with a reasonable selection of gel pens.

Muji — I didn’t buy anything this trip, however, always good for some stationery basics and great paper in the notebooks.

Kiddyland — Jetstream x Miffy anyone? That and a lot more in here. Release your inner child. You won’t be sorry.

Starbucks — another Campus notebook collab in most neighbourhood stores, a lovely sakura design given they were beginning to blossom during our stay.

I’d also highly recommend travelling with a notebook of some sort, as many of the train stations have their own unique stamps which can be fun to collect along the way. Not to be confused with Goshuin shrine and temple stamps — for these you’ll need a specific notebook, or they can also be obtained on a loose-leaf sheet of paper. More details here.

Most train stations have their own stamp…
I certainly collected a few along the way

No regrets, but perhaps I could have…

Taken more photos of the actual stores, although they will certainly live vividly in my mind. Pictures do speak louder than words. It would have been nice to provide you with some more here. Truth be told, I just don’t think to do it much when I’m deep in discovery or purchasing mode. I’m also a much happier explorer when I’m not thinking “I must take a photo of this for the blog”. In any event, I’m sure you’ll find things covered far better and in more detail elsewhere.

Spent more time buried in fountain pens and been more bullish on seeking those smaller boutique stores and manufacturers. Maybe, maybe not. I needed to get to the more well-known places to see for myself, and I’m certainly happy with what I ended up seeing and buying.

Visited in the summer of 2025, when the Plotter Flagship store opens in Harajuku.

Picked up a Zento in any of the other 3 variants — fool! (We all knew that one was coming, right?)

Signing Off

Glancing through my photos and the stationery items I’ve returned with brings a smile to my face. Sure, as with many trips, you could stay a month and still not get to everything. I had a pretty big list of saved stationery locations before we started, and I certainly didn’t get to them all, however somehow came back feeling as though I’d seen everything I wanted to. Perhaps when what you do see is so amazing, that’s how things turn out in your mind.

Goshuin from the Meiji Jingu Shrine
Sakura at the Sakura-jingu Shrine

My advice? Do a bit of research, save all the locations before you go, and simply immerse yourself in whichever ones you make it to — they’re all fabulous. I don’t think you need to be overly strict or obsessed in finding every possible store, particularly on a family holiday anyway. Of course, that is just the opinion of someone who has been fortunate enough to go, and enjoyed every second.

It’s probably also worth noting that this trip was also about 5% stationery and 95% family fun times, which resulted in one of the most memorable trips I’ve taken. There really is nothing like getting out and walking around. Things are best summed up in the Editor’s Note from the Traveler’s Times I picked up at Traveler’s HQ:

There are many things that are being left behind because of the prioritisation of economic efficiency. However, Tokyo’s charm is hidden in places that might otherwise be lost.

If a trip to Tokyo is something you wish to do, then I hope you get there one day. It’s a fabulous place — stationery goals achieved or not.

A Pilot G-2 Experience

/ Pete Denison / 2 Comments

G2_FullThe Pilot G–2, one of the most widely available and affordable gel ink pens on the market, which, according to the Pilot USA site, is America’s “best selling gel ink pen”. It would be reasonable to therefore assume the G–2 is quite a good pen. Many would no doubt say it is, and I do not necessarily disagree, however would suggest things are not quite as simple as that, with affordability and availability playing a big part here.

My issue with this assumption is best explained in terms of other markets, for example, is the best-selling album necessarily the best album? The best-selling app necessarily the best app? More often than not the answer is no. Best selling – the sales numbers don’t lie (though it can depend on when, what and how you measure them). Best – a whole other argument, where subjectivity, personal preference, opinion and emotion often rule the day. And rightly so, we are the consumer putting our hard-earned down for a product. Personally I’ll only keep doing that for something I really enjoy using.

Background

I first wrote about my impressions of the G–2 some time ago, in a post comparing it with the uni ball Signo 207 and Jetstream. At that time, the comparison involved 0.7mm models, and I had always planned on testing out the finer end of the G–2 spectrum at some point in the future.

A month or so ago I found myself standing in an Officeworks store wondering what my answer might be if asked: What is the best pen I can buy here, right now? Would I suggest a Pentel Energel, uni ball Jetstream or 207, a Pilot G–2 or something else? To be honest, I never really answered the question (though it would most likely not have been the G–2), however gave further thought to which tip size I might then suggest. Unsurprisingly, the G–2 was available in four sizes, not so any other pen in the store (in fact no others had more than two sizes available). What was I saying about affordability and availability above?

For the price, the G–2 is undoubtedly a reasonably good pen. One of my favourites? No. In spite of this, upon arriving home from the store, I filled one side of my Nock Co Sassafras with the 0.7mm (blue), 0.5mm (black) and 0.38mm (blue) G–2 models. Having previously used the 0.7mm, there was no need to include the 1.0mm in this comparison, having ruled out using anything broader then the 0.7mm. The next two weeks would then determine which size G–2 I preferred, and whether this would sway my previous opinion on the G–2 in general.

Look and Feel

Looking back on that original post, I had written the G–2 was “not the best looking pen out there”. I’d have to say that view still stands. Look, I am under no illusion that a sub $5.00 pen will necessarily end up as an icon of design, however some models at this end of market definitely look better than others to my eye.

IMG_4386

L to R: Jetstream, Signo 207, Pilot G-2

When viewed alongside a Jetstream or Signo 207, aesthetically, the G–2 probably ends up last in line. When placed alongside a Pentel Energel? The contest is much closer, however I still find the G–2 in last place. What is it in particular? I would say the majority of my dislike is both the clip and knock at the top end of the pen. The combination of a clip which reminds me of dripping candle wax, and the long, tapering knock on the end of the pen are just not to my liking. Compare that with the sleek lines of both the Jetstream and 207 in the image at right. The remainder of the pen I have no major aesthetic issues with.

Lets face it though, the simple aesthetics of a pen are so subjective, and a few photographs in a review are probably the last thing that should sway your own opinion.

How the pen feels in my hand? Another matter entirely. I absolutely love the G–2’s very slight taper at the rubber grip section. Having a quick look at some of the other pens on my desk here right at this moment, all of which I love using – a nice taper on the section is present in all. Although only a few millimetres of taper is enough, pens without one I find pretty uncomfortable and generally struggle where the size of the barrel and section are uniform through to the taper at the very tip.

Performance and Use

How does the G–2 perform when writing? The answer to that question lies, I believe, in your particular style of writing. It is here the variation in tip size has the potential to make all the difference to your writing experience. I find the broader tips more forgiving, whereas those on the finer end not so. My writing style is one where the pen is approximately 45º to the page (fountain pen or otherwise – this is standard for me). I have often found such a position not suited to finer tip pens, particularly when reasonably speedy writing is required. At times my slightly heavy handedness does me no favours, however again, that’s me, and my pens need to perform within that set of conditions.

G-2_Compare

Needless to say, I have at times challenged myself to use a finer tip pen, with the aim of somehow(?!) encouraging my brain to note down relevant points only, however mostly end up simply scratching out the same amount of text anyway, resulting in a less than enjoyable writing experience.

The main issue I had here was the amount of feedback from the paper with the 0.38mm, ranging from fairly minimal (Rhodia No. 16 Pad), to a moderate degree (office copy paper, Field Notes Shelterwood) to an annoyingly high degree (office supply spiral bound notebooks).

 

Completed_ETPStaples pic

Whilst my use of copy paper and office supply note books may be seen as heresy, I am sure I am not alone in using these types of items, for without going into great detail, there are certain office based workflows that simply require them in my current role. A story for another day perhaps.

G-2_TripointTo that end, I don’t believe the 0.38mm G–2 is necessarily inferior to the 0.5mm, however the fit with my writing style is not as good. If I am entirely honest though, at times the 0.38mm was my preference, for example when taking a few quick notes in my Field Notes (Shelterwood at the time) or on a tear off shopping list. It just wasn’t as good for slightly longer form writing.

As you would expect, the line production and inkflow of all three sizes performed flawlessly. There were no skips or false starts, and the ink produces a nice, vivid line, however given the fineness of its output, the blue 0.38mm occasionally seemed to fade a little “into” certain shades or even sizes of paper (for example when taking notes in an A4 sized office supply notebook).

Though also blue, the 0.7mm laid down far more ink, yielding a much more vivid line which stood out on the page. The 0.5mm is perhaps where the science of my comparison falls down a little, having only the black in this size, however I found no issues with the ink output and line production.

Conclusion

Medal ceremony. Unofficially brought to you by Nock Co.

Medal ceremony. Unofficially brought to you by Nock Co.

So, was there a sweet spot for me across the range of G–2’s? I’d probably say the 0.5mm overall. Though I didn’t reach for it quite as much as the 0.38mm. I think I shot myself in the foot a little by having the 0.5mm in black, as for some reason I have been enjoying using blue ink a little more recently. Were I to have a 0.5mm blue at my disposal, I’m sure this would have been the one to see the most use.

A photo I posted on Instagram recently with the three G–2’s in my Nock Co Sassafras, drew a few comments and suggestions recommending the Pentel Energel 0.5mm and the uni ball Signo 207. Funnily enough, both are two pens I do prefer over the G–2 (“taperless” sections aside).

I can understand why the G–2 is such a popular pen, however, always in the back of my mind is the fact that there are pens of equal cost and specs out there that are better. Some of these I have tried (Signo 207 and Energel), some I have not (Zebra Sarasa). I suspect affordability, availability and market awareness are the main reasons for the popularity of the G–2, however I cannot discount the fact that people do really like them.

To sign off, this past couple of weeks was an experiment in tip size as much as a G–2 “experience”, and probably brought me to the conclusion 0.5mm (or perhaps 0.4mm) is as fine as I’d probably go. For my writing style, anything beyond a couple of bullet points in a list became hard work with the 0.38mm G–2. Perhaps a similar sized pen with a smoother inkflow may sway me to go finer, and if anyone has any suggestions along these lines I will certainly give them a try.

What happens with the G–2’s? Retired. Probably for good I’d say.

 

Uni-ball Jetstream – Good, but not the best

/ Pete Denison / 11 Comments

More than a little discussion, both written and verbal ensued after the publication of this Wirecutter article concluding the “best pen” (read – “the best affordable pen around for taking notes at school or a meeting”) is the Uni-ball Jetstream. In addition, my wife had recently started using one and absolutely loves it. The article itself was published in September this year, and upon reading it and hearing my wife’s feedback, I began to wonder why the 4 pack I purchased at the beginning of the year remains unused. Does the Jetstream have a place in the list of pens I prefer to use? The short answer is no, though it would seem reasonable to explain why.

According to the reviewers in the article:

For an affordable pen that writes smoothly; dries quickly and indelibly; won’t bleed, skip or feather; and has the best ink flow of any non-fountain pen; grab yourself the uni-ball Jetstream. Available in a number of sizes and colors, it’s the best affordable pen around for taking notes at school or a meeting.

As you will see, the “pen pedigree” of those utilised by The Wirecutter to reach the final choice is without question, many of whom I follow on the internet for their opinions on these very matters:

It’s worth noting the segment of use we are talking about here. This is an everyday pen – one that you don’t mind lending and ultimately losing if it comes to that. An office supply type pen – not your bargain basement sub one dollar pen, but a cheap one nonetheless, at under five dollars. We are clearly not comparing this pen to those in medium to high price ranges.

The Pens

From left: Uni-ball Jetstream, Uni-ball Signo 207, Pilot G-2

From left: Uni-ball Jetstream, Uni-ball Signo 207, Pilot G-2

For a reasonable comparison, I picked up a blue rollerball ink 0.7mm Jetstream and a couple of other retractable gel-ink pens, the Pilot G–2, and Uni-ball Signo 207, spending a few weeks rotating between each. The conclusion? I prefer the Signo 207 over both the G–2 and the Jetstream – for very different reasons. So is the Jetstream really the best pen? The answer is probably yes as a recommendation for others – just not for myself.

My Use Case

A little background on my use first. This varies greatly depending upon what any particular day brings. The office I work in utilises a “paperless” approach, in that much of what I hand write is an initial or signature on the few pieces of paper which are produced and come across my desk to sign. Longer form writing occurs with meetings and telephone calls, for I am not capable of typing quickly enough to capture the necessary information electronically for either.

The paper? This varies between your standard copy paper for any printed documents (initialed or signed); a cheap office supply spiral bound A4 ruled notebook (telephone calls and general scratchpad); an extra-large ruled Moleskine Cahier (idea or ‘spark’ journal); a Moleskine Large Squared Softcover notebook (meetings); and finally, a Field Notes notebook – currently the Night Sky Edition (for random thoughts or anything else).

Pen Choices

As with most of us, my choice of pen is based on numerous factors. The look (overall aesthetics, design, colour) of the pen; the functional fit and feel in my hand (overall weight, distribution, thickness and length); the performance (ink flow, smoothness, skipping, boldness of line, feathering, bleeding etc); suitability for the variety of paper types I typically use in a day; and whether or not I look forward to using the pen – does it make me want to pick it up when I have something to write.

Listing the criteria above is a curious endeavour. Do I have a list of check boxes for each of the above in determining whether or not I like a particular pen? Not at all. For someone who is a little obsessed about what they write with, you would think this would be the case, however it is probably only when writing about what I write with that the delineation of these characteristics becomes more relevant.

Overall it is a fairly simple process:
– That’s a good-looking pen;
– It does or doesn’t feel right;
– It does or doesn’t write well, and has or hasn’t bled, feathered or smudged;
– Has it sufficiently dried by the time I need to turn the page

The Outcome

After already letting the cat out of the bag above, you know the Jetstream doesn’t come up trumps for me.

As far as looks go, firstly, I find the G–2 to be a pretty ugly pen, whereas both the Jetstream and Signo 207 are quite well designed, with the Jetstream probably looking a little more “premium” overall. In considering the feeling in my hand, here the G–2 does win out. I have always preferred a slight taper where my index finger sits on the grip section of the barrel. Both the Jetstream and the Signo 207 have no taper and the Jetstream appears to have a slight increase in thickness nearing the lower end of the grip (as an aside – is that an un-taper, de-taper or even an a-taper? – anyway, it gets ever so slightly thicker). So the winner here is the G–2.

One other issue I found with both the G–2 and Jetstream was the refill moved around in the barrel a little at the tip – something which constantly annoys me about a pen when it occurs. As for the writing, I will let the images from my Moleksine Cahier do the talking here:

IMG_4383

IMG_4384

IMG_4385 copy

Conclusion

Although I have compared three different pens over the course of the past two weeks and collected my thoughts as indicated above, personally, I don’t really think there is a clear winner. I can certainly see (and mostly agree with) where the conclusions drawn in The Wirecutter article are derived, and for most I think the Jetstream would be a fine pen. I would also have no problem recommending the Signo 207 if asked (though I rarely am). The only one of the group I would not recommend is the G–2 – not for long form writing anyway.

To summarise why, firstly, apart from the shape of the pen which suits my hand and writing style, there are not too many redeeming features I see in the G–2. The Signo 207 and Jetstream are fairly close, however I cannot write for any length of time with the Jetstream, which I believe relates more to my style of writing then the pen itself. I tend to press heavily when writing and use quite an angled pen position, so without a fairly heavy ink flow, things feel pretty scratchy pretty quickly. In thinking back, this is no doubt why I have always used rollerball and gel ink type pens, along with the fountain pen I wrote about in a previous post.

This combination of writing style and the Jetstream do not quite mesh, and it often felt as though it was too much effort to push the pen across the page. Notably, this improved markedly with better quality paper and lighter pressure, though the paper I use is not always of this quality, and that is not the way I write. The Jetstream also produced a much finer line than the other two, so it could be suggested the 1.0mm may be a better fit, however I recall using one a little while ago and finding the same issue.

On most occasions when the three pens were available in front of me, the default selection was the Signo 207 – it was the one I wanted to pick up, and hence was the winner in this comparison. There is always one caveat to reviews or comparisons such as these, and that is to remember this is my perspective, based on my writing style and use case – yours may be very different.

My advice? Pick up a couple for yourself and give them a run (I’d go with the Signo 207 and the Jetstream in varying sizes). It certainly won’t break the bank, and you may find yourself with the best pen – for you anyway.

Me? I am still on the journey to find mine, although in the mean time I will revert back to my trusty Retro 51 Stealth Tornado and Kaweco Sport.

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