On October 3, 2019 Mitsubishi Pencil announced the Uni Jetstream Edge, the first “ultra-fine” ballpoint ever. This traditional ballpoint pen — with oil-based ink — has a 0.28 mm tip, a size which only gel- and water-based inks have been able to use so far.
This is an impressive innovation and will be a great pen for journaling.
The Jetstream Edge’s launch date was set for December 20, 2019, though only limited quantities were sold at the time. The expected retail price is 1000 JPY, though prices have been much higher in the US (up to $17). The model will be the SXN-1003-28.
The Jetstream Edge is currently only sold in black ink with a 0.28 mm tip size. The pen body will be sold in five colors: black, champagne gold, navy, white red, and orange.
Being a Jetstream, this is considered a ballpoint pen by its manufacturer because it used an oil-based ink, but we’d consider this ink a “modern” ballpoint or even a hybrid ink. The ink is nothing new here, but rather its the tip size, which was clearly made possible by Uni progressing their manufacturing technology.
The writing is nearly as smooth as the rest of the Jetstream line thanks to the low-viscosity oil-based ink but the skinny tip is somewhat pointy and will can create ridges in the other side of most papers.
The Edge uses the SXR-203-28 refill, which will be sold in blue, black, and red.
The small ball diameter is housed in a non-standard writing tip. Instead of cone the Edge has a curved taper which then goes into a flat cone with the tiny ball at the end. This is called the “Stream Edge” tip.
Despite the price the Jetstream Edge had a number of plastic components. The grip section is metal (it feels like aluminum) as is the wire-style clip, but the body and top button are both plastic.
Jetstream Edge Pen Review
The Edge is a specialized pen designed for tiny, fine writing. This will be ideal for journaling, Hobonichi, bullet journals, and other very small writing that if often done on lightweight paper.
The Edge is a great looking pen, with an aluminum grip section and great colors. The pen has cool extras too, like vertical knurling on the grip and a color-contrasting wire-clip that is a decidedly old-school feature.
Despite the metal grip the Edge still feels a bit flimsy, thanks to the entirely plastic barrel, plastic top button, and lightweight clip. The flared grip is nice and wide (10.7 mm) but it’s not hefty enough to fully counterbalance the pen in the way the Pilot Acro Drive does.
The main innovation to the Edge is the new 0.28 mm ballpoint refill, which works quite well, but isn’t hugely difference then other refills in this size class. The big change is that fact that it uses an oil-based ink, which is more versatile then the gel-based ink found on something like the 0.25 mm Hi-Tec-C or the 0.28 mm Uniball Signo RT1.
One of the downsides of the pen is that it uses an undersized refill. This proprietary refill looks like an old-school ballpoint one, consisting of little more than a plastic barrel. Its short length uses a pressure fit with a grommet at the top of the pen, meaning only refills of this length will fit the Jetstream Edge. This also drastically limits what other pens can use the SXR-203-28 refill.
Uni Jetstream Edge Information
| Street Price | Check Price |
| Manufacturer | Uni |
| Pen Type | Hybrid |
| Rating | |
| Barrel Color | Black, White, Platinum, Blue, Orange |
| Barrel Material | Metal |
| Body Diameter (mm) | 10.7 |
| Grip Color | Black, White, Platinum, Blue, Orange |
| Grip Material | Metal |
| Grip Diameter (mm) | 10.7 |
| Country of Origin | Japan |
| MSRP | $10 |
| Still Sold | Yes |
| Release Year | 2019 |
| Similar To | |
| Refills | |
| Capped? Retractable? | Retractable - Top Button |
| Clip? | Metal |
| Length Capped / Retracted (cm) | 14.7 |
| Weight (g) | |
| Writing Sizes | Extra Fine |