Reform Advertising Pen

February 8, 2008

At present, I don't have pictures of this pen. I will try to take some to add in the next few days. They are long out-of-production, but worth a quick write-up. :-) Enjoy!

First Impressions (5/10)

Initially, I was not very impressed with this pen. Cheap, thin plastic. The clip is a soft, semi-flexible plastic material. This pen was a Reform Ad pen used for marketing give-aways.

Appearance (5/10)

5/10 seems to be a very low rating, but I need to qualify such a low rating. This pen looks like a cheap, giveaway ballpoint when closed. The barrel is bright (not quite neon) yellow, and the silkscreening for the event is done in blue. The clip and “blind cap” are both in a blue plastic which compliments the printing color. All in all, not a bad looking pen by any means. When open, you see that the section is sky-blue in color, and there’s black plastic wraparound grip. The nib is coated in red. Not like Safari nib-coatings, more like an enamel or paint of some kind. I can’t decide if the look makes it more or less of a walk-away risk. On the one hand, it’s not flashy like some of my other pens that scream, “Steal me!” But on the other hand, it looks cheap enough that it’s not likely to be missed (and can easily be mistaken for a BP).

Design/Size/Weight (9/10)

Here, I need to be fair. It’s super-light, fairly small (slim, not excessively long), and looks ok. The little black plastic grip on the section ensures a good grip, even if your hands may be a little slick. The design of the clip is adequate for the pen. The light-weight and C/C system make it a great travel pen. The best design feature of this pen is the screw-on cap. It’s rare (but a nice treat) to find a pen in this price range with a screw cap. Really, it’s not a bad little pen by any means!

Nib (9/10)

This is where this pen really surprised me. The nib is unmarked, clearly painted (or otherwise coated) steel. It writes like a Fine to XF. Very nice, smooth writing experience. No skipping, not too wet and not too dry. Just about right in every respect. Zero tooth and very little feedback (but not out of control by any means). All around a good, utilitarian nib. Excellent performer and very consistent.

Filling System (5/10)

These have been called C/C pens. My experience has been that the pen is a cartridge-only pen. Not a big deal, but converters are a little to wide at the open end to seat properly. It takes widely-available International cartridges. Strangely enough, it won’t take two shorts piggybacked, but it does seem to take a standard length Int’l. Goofy. If it would hold two shorts together, this would be a great travel pen. (When on the road, I prefer two short carts to one long one. When the first runs out, I know I need to keep an eye on my ink level and get to additional ink soon. Kind of like Reserve on a motorcycle.)

Cost and Value (10/10)

Given some of my complaints, I guess the 10/10 seems a little odd, eh? It was about $5 from the Marketplace, so what can I say? For $5-10, in excellent condition, these pens are great utilitarians. They won’t win you any awards, or impress anyone in the board room. They are great pens for those inks you want to keep available at all times without tying up a “good pen.” Great for clipping to a jeans pocket on the weekend, great for keeping a spare pen in the bottom of your purse or briefcase, great for outdoors or high-risk activities.

Conclusion (43/60)

Given the givens, it’s an excellent pen. It writes better than my Kulturs, better than my Safaris, even better than my more expensive pens. These pens are long out of production (c. 1990’s, I believe). If you come across one for a 10-spot or less, you might give it a try. I would NOT spend any more on one unless you really have some tie to the company or event advertised on the pen. Penny for penny, this pen is a runaway steal. Money not considered, it still writes better than pens costing many times the price. The filling system (and its not-so-subtle nuances) keep the pen from it’s full potential, but it is a great writer if you can live with cartridges!

~~King

April 4, 2008

At present, I don't have pictures of this pen. I will try to take some to add in the next few days. They are long out-of-production, but worth a quick write-up. :-) Enjoy!

First Impressions (5/10)
Initially, I was not very impressed with this pen. Cheap, thin plastic. The clip is a soft, semi-flexible plastic material. This pen was a Reform Ad pen used for marketing give-aways.

Hi KingJoe.

Just read your review and I am interested in a picture if you could find/take one in the meantime. I own some Reforms myself and I wonder if any of my Reforms resemble the one you have been reviewing.

Besides that, I was surprised too of the writing qualities of these sort of el cheapo looking pens! Rating good to very good in my experience. Actually they are quite well made, but they used cheap plastic for (most of / not all off) their pens!

To illustrate that Reform could make nice pens also, here's a picture. It's not an MB, but not bad at all!

Thanks!

Lexaf

April 4, 2008

At present, I don't have pictures of this pen. I will try to take some to add in the next few days. They are long out-of-production, but worth a quick write-up. :-) Enjoy!

First Impressions (5/10)
Initially, I was not very impressed with this pen. Cheap, thin plastic. The clip is a soft, semi-flexible plastic material. This pen was a Reform Ad pen used for marketing give-aways.

Hi KingJoe.

Just read your review and I am interested in a picture if you could find/take one in the meantime.

Lexaf

Hey Lexaf,

Actually, that one looks much nicer than mine. Mine more resembles a Bic ballpoint with a nib. :ltcapd: I'll try to get a picture of it posted this weekend. Thanks for the reminder!!