Jetstream ballpoint pens are some of the finest writing instruments sold today, but which Jetstream pens are the real winners?
The Best Uni Jetstream Pens of 2022
The Best Pentel Energel Pens of 2022
Pentel’s Energel is a legendary set of gel pens and they all very good purchases, but which Energel is the best?
Best Chinese Fountain Pen of 2022
If you are shopping for a very affordable — as in sub-$30, sub-$20, or even sub-$5 — fountain pen and you want high-end features like screw-on cap, included converter, or piston-filling mechanism then you will almost certainly want a Chinese fountain pen.
These pens have made incredible advances in the last decade and now offer a set of features and a price range that makes them distinct and interesting type of fountain pen unto themselves.
Rotring 461-900 Controlled Lettering System Explainer
Prior to the proliferation of computers, making super uniform letters was a challenge. Companies like Leroy and later Rotring developed “lettering systems” so letters could be drafted in a controlled, computer-like manner.
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Leuchtturm1917 Notebook and Journal Sizes Explained
If you are buying a Leuchtturm1917 notebook, you may have some difficulty understanding the company’s size offerings. This article will help simplify your selection process.
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Is Ink Toxic? What Is Ink Poisoning? Can You Get It From A Pen?
A surprisingly popular set of questions in the writing and pen world have to do with ink poisoning. What is it? Can you get it from a normal pen, and so on. While not being poison control experts, we’ve done our research and will answer these questions.
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Pentel’s Wood Pencils
Pentel is famous for its Energy pens and mechanical pencils, but actually has made some wooden pencils in the past. These are famous with collectors but aren’t well known on the whole.
Uni-Ball Develops The First Paper Pen Refill
In an effort to reduce the use of plastic and increase the amount of biodegradable components used in pens, Mitsubishi Pencil Company’s Uni-Ball brand has developed a ballpoint pen refill made primarily of paper.
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The Best Retractable Fountain Pens of 2021
If you want a retractable fountain pen, you have to understand that you are diving into a niche within a niche. Only a tiny subset of fountain pens are retractable, so there isn’t as much competition as you’d expect, but this is still a rich and interesting segment of the pen market.
Let’s review today’s top retractable fountain pens.
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Rotring 600 vs. Rotring 800 Pen Comparison
The Rotring 600 is a fine ballpoint pen and one of the most popular writing instruments on Unsharpen.com. The Rotring 800 is a similar pen, and, based on the name, possibly better. But is it better? If you are buying a pen, which should you get?
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Rotring 600 vs Rotring Newton Comparison
When discussing vintage pens and pencils, the Rotring Newton is often confused with the older — the original — Rotring 600. Both are great pens and mechanical but they are quite alike. Even so, they are distinctly different models and while the Newton echoes the design of the 600 it is not a Rotring 600.
Sorry to say it, but there is no “Rotring Newton 600,” that’s just something people write on Ebay auctions.
Does any of this matter though? Are we just splitting hairs? Or is there a real difference between the Rotring 600 and the Newton models. Let’s find out.
The Best Fountain Pens Under $50
If you are looking for a great fountain pen under $50 you are going to have a lot of options… too many in fact! You might feel the pressure to spend more, but you certainly don’t have to if your goal is simply to get a great, highly usable pen.
This article will run through some of our favorite sub-$50 fountain pens sold today. These are pens we’ve tested, owned, and lived with long enough to form an opinion.
How To Choose An Everyday Fountain Pen (And Some Recommendations)
Many people see fountain pens as occasional writing instruments, maybe for doing some before-bed journaling or writing a letter, but that doesn’t have to be the case. The right fountain pen can be a great everyday tool, even if it never approaches the no-nonsense functionality of a ballpoint pen.
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What Is The Best EDC Pen?
If you are looking for a pen to carry with you, you want something tough, stylish, versatile, and affordable. You want a pen that’s a tough as your worst day. That’s an “EDC” or everyday carry pen.
Lamy 2000 Fountain Pen Survey Results
Recently, in the Unsharpen YouTube channel community area, we dropped in a poll about the Lamy 2000 fountain pen. This is, of course, one of the most popular and highly regarded 14k nib fountain pens of the last 50 years.
But how does is the L2K hold up in 2021?