[Pen/Pencil Review] Baltimore Airport Stylus Pen – Black Ink
I had a lot of time to kill in the Baltimore airport a couple of weeks ago, so I did goofy shopping – some Christmas some not. One of the things I picked up was a Baltimore ballpoint & stylus pen in one of the gift shops – in green (the barrel, not the ink). I was rather surprised by this pen.
This pen is well constructed and attractive. The barrel is green aluminum with “silver†(aka non-colored aluminum) accents – or shiny chromed. The grip has textured bands for traction. The clip is solid metal molded to the clicker cap. The word Baltimore is etched into the barrel so it won’t rub off. The pen is about 5.5†with the tip retracted and 5.75†with the tip extended. The tip extends through the rubber stylus.
This pen has a medium point black ink, which is fine. It feels like a 1.0mm – which means more potential for smearing and glops. I would LIKE to make it a 0.7mm, but you take what you get with this kind of pen. The ink seems like a generic ball point ink insert, so it may be possible to customize.
What threw me for a moment when I first got it was this little tab of plastic/rubber that lay beside the pen tip when I was using it. I thought it was a flaw. It is not, and I’m glad I didn’t pick it off. It’s a flap. When the tip is retracted, this tiny bit of rubber closes the hole in the stylus so you don’t accidentally push too hard on the stylus and write on your screen (not that I’ve ever done that… no, not me).
The barrel can be cold and hard, but it’s still a pretty comfortable pen, and it was $3.99 in the Baltimore airport, so not horribly expensive – but I don’t recommend flying to Baltimore for JUST a pen. But if you do go through there, they’re in the one of the gift shops. And it’s a pretty decent, go to pen. Especially if you like the pen/stylus combos.
The numbers:
1. How does it work? – 1 – It works just fine. The ink is dark and rich. The mechanism extends and retracts. The stylus operates touch screens just fine.
2. Grip and feel – 1 – This is not designed to be complete “ergonomic”. So the grip is textured metal. It’s a good length and width. It’s well balanced and long enough to be comfortable.
3. Material – 1 – This is well made, especially for the price. It’s all metal and strong. It’s attractive. And the stylus is good quality rubber.
4. Overall Design – 1 – Once I figured out the stylus cover wasn’t a defect, I was a lot happier. The pen is solid, it’s decent ballpoint. The stylus functions. It does what it’s supposed to do.
5. Price Point – 0.5 – Considering you have to go to Baltimore to get one? Yeah… or find one similar somewhere else… but still $3.99 for a gimmick pen is a bit pricy. It can be refilled if you figure out what refill it takes.
That’s 4.5 of 5 bronze pencils.
