Multipens Anyone?

[MYU]

 

From Top:

• rOtring Trio (from 2000's)
• Pilot 2+1 (2 ballpoints, 1 pencil) all steel with black etching
• rOtring 600 Trio (knurled section)
• Unbranded "rOtring Trio" clone.

All of these write quite well. Mechanisms lock refills solidly into place. The older rOtring 600 Trio is the heaviest, but the mechanism is so smooth. The Pilot 2+1 is my favorite, so well put together and was quite affordable when it was still in production.

[888007888]

A customer sole mine off my desk.

[Misfit]

Oh no! So sorry that happened to you.

[majorworks]

While browsing Kinokuniya's NYC store, the Pilot Coleto Hi-Tec C multipens caught my eye at some point. I have two of them, one holding three refills and the other four.

 

I keep the four-refill one here at work on my desk for quick jotting of notes, messages, etc. While I like the pens, I've always found that the refills just don't seem to last very long. But they do write well. I have a mix of 0.4 and 0.5 mm lines in various office-friendly colors like dark blue, black, dark green, etc.

[Misfit]

I enddd up getting the Pilot Coleto because I found some Snoopy versions, with special refills that had Snoopy as the lever. <3 Snoopy

[Misfit]

Well I’m up to 12 multi-pens, with today’s arrival of a flat top Coleto. I’m hoping to stay at a dozen.

 

Here is how my dozen breaks down:

 

4 Uni Style Fit

3 Hi-Tec C Coleto by Pilot

3 Zebra Prefill

2 Pentel i+

 

I think my favorite ink is the Uni brand.

[flatline]

I got a jetpens giftcard for Xmas. I'm thinking of getting a Zebra Sharbo X. I had a Zebra multipen 25 years ago and got tons of use out of it before my wife stole it...

[Misfit]

Which vets of the Sharbo X are you thinking of getting?

[flatline]

I'll probably get the black Sharbo with .5mm pencil, black ballpoint, and green gel.

 

The Zebra multipen I had decades ago didn't play nicely with non-zebra refills. I hope that has improved because I'd like the option of using other brands.

 

--flatline

[Misfit]

A source for multi-pens is an online shop in Iowa called tokyopenshop.com. There is a helpful matrix guide to refill compatibility.

 

https://www.tokyopenshop.com/custommultimatrix.html

 

Of course trial and error is another way.

[Bill P]

I have the LAMY Multi - Pen and I really enjoy it...

 

I tried the Sailor Multi - Pen and returned it...did NOT like the Sailor at all.

[MYU]

I'll probably get the black Sharbo with .5mm pencil, black ballpoint, and green gel.

 

The Zebra multipen I had decades ago didn't play nicely with non-zebra refills. I hope that has improved because I'd like the option of using other brands.

 

--flatline

The ZEBRA Sharbo is a nice multi-pen and comes in a variety of materials and colors. The vintage ones made out of metal are very appealing, especially the grid pattern. As for refills, they all take D1 type. They've come a long way in terms of ink formulation. Zebra makes good ones but so does Pilot, Pentel, LAMY and Schmidt.

Edited January 11, 2019 by MYU

[WarrenB]

I have fond memories of multipens when I was a kid: from 'magically' changing colours in one pen, with the four-colour Bic; to a honkin' big, bright orange torpedo that held something like 10-20 colours. Picture little me hunched over a sheet, like my Avatar, scribbling away, wilfully denying the fact that ballpoints are bad at colouring-in...

 

With a fresh look at multipens, I like the idea of customisable pens, especially with the option to include a pencil mechanism. Anything to make a writing and sketching arsenal more pocketable and portable. I was tempted to follow Dillo's example and get a big bunch of different pencil grades and colours, but baby steps.

 

I bought a Uni Style Fit with three inserts: black ballpoint, pencil, and 0.28mm brown-black gel...

 

1. Looking around, I heard that leads in the Hi-Tec-C pencil insert can rotate, which was an automatic disqualification in my eyes.

2. Ordered it before I noticed the Zebra Prefill takes 0.7mm pencil inserts! Oh well, looks like it's not readily available over here - ebay, as with other japanese multipens, only seems to have barrels with cartoon characters on them. Still, anyone know if the Uni-Ball multipens can take Zebra inserts?

 

... good stuff so far. That jetstream ballpoint makes me reevaluate the attitude that brought me to this forum in the first place. There are ballpoints and then there are ballpoints. The brown gel, the 'also ran' insert ("Well maybe it'll look like sepia pen'n'ink") used on the first day to quickly modify some meeting notes. Dang, first time on this forum I can claim to use my pens for taking notes in meetings - and they weren't FPs!

The pencil, the star attraction, still has to be put through it's paces but it works fine. Might switch round it's order, though. I don't need the clip sitting any further down the barrel while I rotate the pencil. (I have a Derwent Precision that met a pair of clippers for that reason)

Lastly, I'm a little unsure about the sheer size of the five-function pens, at least until I see one in person, but the necessary diameter of three-function Style Fit fits my hand nicely, like a bowl of bear-porridge. A fairly comfortable write.

 

I might graduate to a Sharbo someday. Maybe.

[Misfit]

Hi WarrenB. According to the Tokyo Pen Shop Refill Matrix, Uni refills are too loose for a Zebra Prefill. Having both pens, I gave it a try.

 

The Uni refill goes into the Zebra hole, and for my limited test, it stayed while I wrote a bit with it, clicked another color and did that again. It does pull out easier than Zebra refills do.

 

Now would they pop loose while traveling with you? Maybe, maybe not. So you would have to reinstall them. But maybe they stay put.

 

I really like Uni colors. Zebra has three (I think) refill styles, but as for the .4 Sarasa that came with mine, Im not as pleased with them as other brands. It pulls out like it fits pretty snugly.

 

Yikes, I reread your post, and realized I did the test in reverse. Just tested Zebra in a 3-body Uni, and in went into the slot. It clicks out well, writes well, clicks off well.

Edited January 30, 2019 by Misfit

[WarrenB]

Thanks Misfit. It's all useful information.

 

However: 'Zebra' Prefill? Might as well be called the Unicorn Prefill, for all the presence it has in the UK. I can only find the Sharbo 0.7mm mechanisms, and they don't quite look like they'd fit.

 

But I won't pine away for it. Worst thing about the Uni component is the 'especially dark' fancy-diamond leads it's (ahem) prefilled with are a bit pale and wishy-washy.

[Misfit]

Have you checked shipping costs from US sellers and Japanese sellers?

 

Ive found at least 3 good sources online, but of course based in the US, which doesnt help you. Zebra does make solid color Prefill pen bodies.

 

Oof, I checked shipping on one site, and its $20 flat rate. Much too high, unless you really want to go shopping and spend enough to justify that shipping rate.

 

Edited to add I was looking at Cult Pens site, and wow, all the Bic 4 color multi-pen choices surprised me.

Edited February 1, 2019 by Misfit