[Pen/Pencil Review] The Uni Power Tank Smart Series Ballpoint Pen – 0.7mm

There’s one thing a writer needs to be able to do – write. Any time. Anywhere. At any angle. In any condition. Seriously. For quite a while, if you wanted to do that, your option was the Fisher Space Pen (which is awesome). Now other manufacturers like UNI are releasing economical and convenient pressurized pens for “all-terrain” writing. This week’s pen is the UNI Power Tank Smart Series Ballpoint pen.

The UNI Power Tank Smart Series Ballpoint pen in 0.7mm is pretty nifty (one because it comes in a 0.7mm – though a “High Grade” is available in the 1.0mm) because it is a decent looking, standardized ballpoint. The barrel is about 5.75″ and comes in an array of barrel colors – I got the Navy body with translucent black grip. The grip is molded plastic with a comfortable diameter but no cushion.

I like the 0.7mm conical tip. It’s smooth and dark for the size. It doesn’t seem to skip or glob nor does it feel scratch on paper like some finer points can. On glossy paper, there’s a small bit of smearing if you rub it right away, but it dries quickly. The ink is black, but uses the standard Power Tank refills, so you can get blue and red in 0.7mm.

These are also relatively economical. The pen itself runs just over $3.00 on JetPens with the refills being $1.65. You do have to order them, I don’t believe they’re available widely in the US. But they’re worth it if you do a lot of work on clipboards or just at odd angles. It’s a really solid pen that you can use for quite a while, and if it walks away? Not expensive to replace – unlike Fishers.

Let’s see the numbers…

1. How does it work? – 1 – it works well. The ink dries quickly – the 0.7mm point doesn’t smear easily. The line is good and dark.
2. Grip and feel – 0.5 – The length is good, the plunger is good. The grip is hard and can cause fatigue.
3. Material – 0.5 – It’s a plastic retractable pen. For a pressurized pen, you might want a bit more comfort in the pen.
4. Overall Design – 1 It’s a timeless design with an economical pressurized design that goes anywhere and does its job.
5. Price Point – 1 – You have to order these, but they’re worth it. If you write in challenging conditions, this is a good investment at $3.30 a piece and $1.65 for the refills Very economical for a solid office pen.

That’s 4 bronze pencils out of 5.

Tags: Ballpoint, black ink, Fine Point, pen, Pencil, pressurized ink, review, Uni