The Ultimate Pen Showdown - Comparing mostly hybrid / low viscosity ballpoints

[pencomparer]

Album for this comparison: https://imgur.com/a/pnwA15F

 

The purpose of this review is two fold.

 

First off is to find the ultimate every day carrying pen that will last a lifetime. This means a refill that's incredibly smooth, can write on a variety of papers, can dry quickly (I'm left-handed), doesn't skip with excellent reliability, and with writing that has a feeling & appearance of quality. It should also be available in a very high quality and attractive looking pen body. The other criteria would be for the pen and its refill to be made by a company that has a big presence in a major market.

Further to that, for the purpose of this review, my preference is for the refill to match the pen body (pens that are sold pre-loaded with a particular refill, rather than matching say a Uni refill with a Pelikan pen). Of course many refills are interchangeable, especially in standard sizes like the Parker G2, but I want everything to fit like a glove.

I tried to buy the highest-of-the-range pens available for each of these refills, with the most premium version of each refill cartridge.

The second point of this review is to use the information gathered from this study to produce my own pen. To take the best attributes from each body, and the best refills, and turn this into a project. I have a friend who's been in the pen manufacturing business who offered to help out.

I don't know what I'll do with all these pens, but I suppose I'll keep my favourites and sell the rest.

 

Background:

I'm mainly looking at hybrid / low viscosity ballpoint inks here, because they're the only ones that really can meet all these criteria. One of the few rollerballs that would really meet these criteria would be the Pilot Multi Ball, but my understanding is that it doesn't have a refill, so it couldn't be used in my project, and it also only comes in a cheap body. I'd still like to try it one day. For gel pens, the main ones to qualify (due to their fast drying qualities) would be the Zebra Sarasa / Sarasa Dry, and the Pentel Energel. I didn't like the feel of the Sarasa refills (not as smooth as the Energels), and unlike the Energels there isn't a waterproof option that I could find.

The Ohto Rays and maybe the pen that ships with a Schneider Gelion 39 might also be interesting options, but I'm not completely sure (Are they waterproof inks? Can they handle different types of paper? Are they smooth despite being small needle tips?). They didn't really seem to meet my main requirements on first glance though.

 

Hybrids not included in this comparison:

The EF9000 (apparently smudges easily and has QC issues? Also Schmidt doesn't make pen bodies)

Anterique BP1 / BP2 (not a widely available enough refill to qualify, and also only comes in 0.5mm, but I'd be interested to try it)

Parker Quinkflow (I hear this writes more or less like a standard ballpoint)

Pentel GlideWrite (can't get it here in Asia, but might have to make it happen for the final runoff comparison)

Schneider Slider XB refill, available in Schneider Perlia (maybe for the runoff, but hard to find here - but I heard it's not such a dark ink)

I know there are also a lot of interesting pen brands from India, some of which may meet the requirements, but that seems like a whole other world to delve into.

 

So let's get straight to the review:

 

Pentel Energel Hexagon BL667 - Some of you might know the Taiwanese market version of this pen, the BL625 Hexreform. The 667 is the Thai market version, with a 0.7mm (instead of 0.5mm) refill. This pen is absolutely incredible. The refill is smooth as silk, and the tolerances in this pen are second to none. The refill fits perfectly snug, and the cap snaps into place oh so nicely. Everyone who picks up this pen seems to go 'wow' when using it. It's ultra slim, yet bold & angular.

 

Montblanc Rouge et Noir Serpent Ballpoint - I bought this pen just because I adore the design, but I can't really say anything good about the Montblanc Ballpoint refill, but thought it would be good to compare as a ballpoint baseline. Maybe it's because it's old, as I bought it used? Funny enough, I got a replica of this pen also to compare, and the replica takes Parker G2 style refills (though the pen body, especially the clip and other steel pieces, doesn't look as nice as the genuine).

 

Pelikan Italy with 337M Refill - Pelikan pens really feel high quality. The click mechanism on this one feels heavy duty. This pen is an exceedingly rare model with little info about it, but it was love at first sight. The 0.7mm 337 refill has a very rich and unusual blue colour to it, and also feels high quality, but very ballpoint-ey (this is another one I bought pre-owned though). It is the Parker G2 size. Not sure if Pelikan will offer a hybrid ink in the future, but if they do, I'll be buying it.

 

Pelikan Celebry R590 with 338F refill - Another gorgeous Pelikan pen from the discontinued Celebry line (my personal favourite line). I just wanted to try a top notch rollerball to see how the hybrid refills compare. The deep, rich blue ink flows so smoothly in this one with no feathering, and the fine 0.5mm point doesn't smudge much. But at the end of the day it is a rollerball, and won't hold up to water or smudging too well. It did make me interested in trying the more high tech rollerballs though.

 

Uni Jetstream SXK-330 with SXR-600-05 refill - Jetstreams took some time to grow on me, and because the finer tips are not always so smooth compared to their competitors, they can be a bit scratchy. But this particular refill with the metallic cartridge and 0.5mm tip is really nice. Also the pen itself is a new model that I think is only for the Japanese market. It's very heavy and has such a solid feel, though I'm not a fan of its twist mechanism (it engages the threads often when retracting the tip). It does skip from time to time though. It seems to be a middle ground between the Pentel Vicuna and the Pilot Acro refill.

 

Pentel Vicuna EX3 BX3005CG Cielina with BXS5J refill - Once again, Pentel delivers. Pentel's tolerances seem so tight. The click mechanism on this pen is very satisfying, and the pen is slim but weighty, with a lot of fine detailed machine work on the metal. I regret not getting a 0.7mm refill for this, or trying the EX2 models that come pre-loaded with the 0.7. This 0.5 is very comparable to the 0.5 Jetstream, but seems a hair finer (and therefore a bit less smooth and dark). I really wish the Vicuna even came in a 1.0, but the 0.7 is the widest tip, so I will try that out and compare it to a Jetstream 0.7. The Vicuna the most reliable of the hybrid refills, never skipping, and able to write on a wider variety of surfaces.

 

Platinum BOL-1000 with SBSP-80 0.7mm refill - Apparently Platinum is one of the major brands in Japan (despite being more minor abroad), up there with Pilot and Pentel, so I figure I'd give their hybrid a try. The info about their seemingly proprietary hybrid low viscosity ballpoint ink is all in Japanese. I won't say much about this pen body, because it's a cheaper model - looks great but feels cheap and plasticky. The refill is quite smooth and writes on many surfaces, but not as dark as its competitors. This is my least favourite hybrid, though it is quite versatile.

 

Pilot Legno Acro BLE-250K with BRFN-30 0.7mm refill - This pen was on my radar since seeing the Pilot S20, which looked amazing in the photos and videos I saw. This is when I found out that there are different grades of Acro refills, and some people were replacing the plastic Acro refills on their S20 with the metallic BRFN-30. I then discovered that Pilot makes an even more premium wood pen that comes standard with this refill, and this is it. This is a really handsome pen with fine details. The plus side of the refill is that it's probably the darkest of the hybrids with this tip size, and can be very smooth - it's actually more like a rollerball. The down side is that this refill skips a lot on certain surfaces/papers compared to the others (though fine on standard office paper), and the ink is slow to dry. The knock also has a bit of a rattle to it. I get the feeling that Pilot just doesn't have the same tight tolerances as Pentel. The company is doing a lot of interesting things though and seems quite innovative in their product line, and this pen is still very nice. I'd also be curious to check out an S20 for comparison. I think for a right-handed person who doesn't write on rough surfaces, the BRFN-30 can be a great refill. Apparently there is also a 1.0mm version of this refill (BRFN-30M)!

 

Monami 153 Neo with FX4000 0.7mm refill - Monami is an interesting company from Korea, and is the major pen producer there. They make a pen called the 153 ID, which had (or still has?) a 1.0mm refill made in Germany called the Monami EasyFlow, which makes me think at one point they might have been sourcing & rebranding their refills from Schmidt. The FX4000 however is their own low viscosity hybrid style ink as well, made in Korea, which seems to be now be their standard premium ink. The FX4000 0.7 is very smooth and fairly dark with a thick line, and comes in the Parker G2 size. It skips just a little bit, but not too bad. Their inks come in black, blue, green, and dark brown, and also in 1.0mm. I'd rank their 0.7 refill above the Platinum and the Zebra Emulsion, and I've already ordered a 1.0 in dark brown to test out. I'm not a fan of the design of the 153 Neo (a bit too fat, and too much chrome for my taste), but I'll for sure give the 153 ID a try, which comes standard with a 1.0mm refill. The Neo has a nice twist mechanism though, which slowly unwinds to retract the tip.

 

Uni Jetstream SXN-150S with SXR10 refill - This might be my favourite refill so far in this comparison. It feels so luxuriously smooth, even moreso than the 0.7mm Energel. The difference between the other Jetstream refills and the 1.0 is significant. It does still skip somewhat though, like the other Jetstreams. It's also not available in a metallic refill, nor a premium pen.

 

Zebra Filare 0.7mm EQ Emulsion - The pen has an exceptionally premium feel, very much for the executive office, something like a Pelikan 800 series. I had high expectations for the refill, as Zebra's inks have a strong fan base, but in my opinion it just wasn't as good as a Jetstream, Vicuna, or Monami. The ink is a bit on the lighter side, probably due to its relatively fine line, but it does show up darker than the Platinum. It skips a bit on certain rougher papers, but less-so than the Pilot refill.

 

Jinhao Rollerball - I bought a few Chinese rollerballs because of the nice bodies, and this one from Jinhao is really nice. Not much to say about the refill, as it's a fairly standard rollerball with a lot of feathering, but I will say that Chinese pens are really improving, and the fit & finish on this pen is surprisingly good. I bought another Chinese rollerball from a company called Dikawen with a lovely body, but the Jinhao refill feels smoother. Interesting to note though that there are probably a variety of Chinese refills out there.

 

Conclusion:

The themes I'm seeing here are: 1. I really like larger-tip hybrid inks, and 2. Pentel seems to lead when it comes to quality (at least for the refills and the top-of-the-range pen bodies). Uni is also up there when it comes to quality.

My personal favourite overall pens in this test are the Pentel BL667, the Pentel EX3 Cielina, and the Uni SXK-330 in that order. If the Uni had a better twist mechanism I would rank it higher. It feels much better than the photos can show. I look forward to trying the Uni and the EX3 with the 0.7mm refills from their respective brands, and I'd be tempted to to try out the EX2 pen as well. The Vicuna, Jetstream, and Energel refills are the best according to my criteria.

The results of this comparison for me, are the realization that I'm looking for a refill that writes like the 1.0mm Jetstream, with its incredible smoothness, fast dry time, darkness, and resilience, but has the tight tolerances, reliability, non-skippiness, and ability to write on multi surfaces like the Vicuna. If the Vicuna came with a 1.0 tip, Pentel would probably be the ultimate winner here. That's why I'm so curious about the 1.0 Pentel GlideWrite refills. They also come in quite a few colours. Unfortunately I'll have to go through some hassle to get it here in Asia, and also unfortunate that the GlideWrite Executive model looks so ugly.

Monami seems to have some potential as well in this race. They're making a wide variety of quality pens, and their FX4000 refill comes in 1.0mm in multiple colours.

 

Runoff - Final Round:

For the final round of these comparisons, I want to compare the Jetstream SXR10 1.0, Vicuna 0.7, Jetstream SXR-600 0.7, GlideWrite 1.0, and Monami FX4000 1.0. Maybe a Schneider Slider too, but not sure how this one performs, and it has a larger tip than the others. If anyone else has some input on what to include, I'd be interested to hear.

Should I include the gel pens listed above in the earlier section? Maybe a waterproof or a 1.0 Energel refill? Did I miss out on some great hybrid/low viscosity ballpoints?

As an aside, I also tested a Uni Air (feels weird, like a felt tipped marker) and a Sakura G'Soft 1.0mm Gel (just about as smooth as you can possibly get, but not as a precise as a ballpoint hybrid)..

Thank you and I hope you enjoyed this comparison. Would love to hear your feedback.

 

Also just threw together a quick blog to organize this:

https://penshowdown.blogspot.com/2021/03/the-ultimate-pen-showdown-part-1.html

[pencomparer]

In my last round of testing, I narrowed my refill candidates for the final round to Uni Jetstream SX-10 and Pentel Vicuna BXS7J, with the intention of testing the Pentel GlideWrite as well.

 

 

 

 

Since then, I managed to test various other low viscosity and lubricated inks as well, including the Zebra Blen NC-07, Faber Castell CX7, Stabilo Performer, Pilot Multi Ball, Parker Quinkflow, Uni Signo (and the RT version), Engerel Permanent, Sailor IC Liquid Hybrid, Sarasa 1.0, and the 0.7mm refills for the Pentel Vicuna and Uni Jetstream SXR-600 among many others.

 

Before getting to the final winners, I’ll mention a few words about the others.

 

Zebra Blen - Very well designed pen, but the NC-07 emulsion refill has the same issues mentioned in the last review with the EQ emulsion refill.

 

Faber Castell CX7 - I went through dozens of Faber Castell ballpoint models before finding one that was worth mentioning. Most of them were not very good. The CX7 definitely felt like it had a much better and smoother refill, but didn’t really rank compared to the others.

 

Stabilo Performer - This is an interesting one. It’s a bit scratchy, even for a 0.5 (granted, I could only find the 0.5mm one and not the 0.7). However, it does write an especially dark, wet line. The pen also feels well constructed and of high quality. I’d actually recommend trying it if you come across it.

 

Pilot Multi Ball - Very rough to write with. I only got it because it is unique in that it should write on any surface. Non-refillable.

 

Parker Quinkflow - Feels and acts like a normal ballpoint, with the usual sticky, draggy feel. But writes a nice dark line, reliable, nice colour.

 

Uni Signo - I tried the 1.0mm and the 0.5mm RT version. Not bad, and nice that it’s permanent. The 1.0 is very smooth (like many 1.0mm gels). The 0.5 RT draws a very light line that I’m not too fond of. The pen bodies feel great though.

 

Energel Permanent - I thought this would have the same great feel of the other Energel refills. For some reason it barely writes at all. If you check the reviews on the Pentel homepage, others say the same. Very disappointing, since I love writing with Energels in general.

 

Sailor IC Liquid - Very cool pen body, unusual shape, and capped. Feels so sturdy and high quality. However, I tried both the 0.5 and 1.0 refills, and they’re horribly scratchy.

 

Quantum Daiichi - Quantum is a brand in Thailand which seems to make their pens in various other countries. I tried their hybrid ballpoints which are made in India - the bodies are bad, but the refills are ok. But this Quantum Daiichi Dolly is made in Japan, and has a 0.7mm permanent gel refill that writes fantastically. Super smooth, dark, and reasonably controlled. Pretty high ink flow. It feels nothing like the Zebra or Energel gel refills, so I have no idea where they got this from.

 

Zebra Sarasa 1.0 - I keep giving Zebra a chance, but I just can’t really get behind their refills. Cool bodies, but the 1.0 leaves white streaks in the lines.

 

Tombow Ballpoint - Not a fair comparison because I had the refill but no pen for it. Didn’t seem to write particularly well though.

 

Ohto - I didn’t get to try out their ballpoints, but I tried their gel Rays pens. Unfortunately it seems they only use needle tips for both their ballpoints and gels? So I wasn’t too fond of these refills only because of that. 

 

 

 

 

 

The Winners

 

Best Refills:

 

I was really hoping to find a singular winner here, but honestly the fact that there are some trade offs with every ink makes it impossible. So I’ll let you be the judge. For me it's a three-way tie.

 

Pentel BXTM10 / BXTL10 (Glidewrite)  - This was my favourite writing experience of all of them. It really writes more like a gel pen, with a very dark, liquid ink. It maintains Pentel’s abilities (as with the Vicuna and the Energel) to write on all different angles too, and still deliver great performance. Reliable, less skipping than a Jetstream, and it’s the smoothest ballpoint I’ve tested. Interesting to note that these refills are made in Mexico (as opposed to Japan for the Vicuna). Unfortunately these smudge noticeably more than the competition on glossy surfaces. Also these refills don’t seem to be readily available, so it might be quite tricky to use them in my pen building project.

 

Uni Jetstream SXR-10 - Not as dark or smooth as the Glidewrite. But still pretty darn dark and smooth. It doesn’t allow for as steep a writing angle as the Pentel refills, and it skips more frequently, but not too bad. One thing that really impressed me, is once it starts writing on glossy paper (takes a bit to get started), the ink doesn’t pool out to the edges of each letter, which is quite different than most of the other refills. Keep in mind that the SXR-10 is quite a different refill than the SXR-C1, which was barely functional for me when I tested it (order brand new from Japan). The SXR-10 smudges less on glossy surfaces than the Glidewrite, which is a remarkable achievement considering it’s still quite a smooth refill. Worth mentioning that the SXR-600-07 writes similarly relative to its size (0.7mm vs 1.0)mm.

 

Pentel Vicuna BXS7J - I tested the Vicuna BXS5J, BXS7J, and KBXES7 refills. These are consistently fantastic refills. As mentioned in the previous review, they seem to write a hair finer than their Jetstream equivalents, but are more reliable, always start with no issues, and don’t skip. They also allow you to write at a steeper angle. These might have been higher for me than the other two, had they been available in 1.0mm, as these write a tiny bit finer lines and less dark than the Jetstreams - but only by a tiny amount.

 

 

 

 

 

Honourable Mention

 

Monami FX4000 - I wrote more about these in my last post. These are interesting refills, if not a bit puzzling. The writing has more of a shiny, oily ballpoint appearance than the others. But they put down more liquid than most, giving very intense lines. They skip a bit, but not too badly. They write very well on many surfaces, including glossy ones. They are also available in various sizes, up to 1.0mm, and come in colours such as dark green and brown. I’ll be testing a 1.0 in brown soon, so we’ll see how that goes. But this refill is definitely worth a special mention. It’s a Parker G2 size too, so you can try these in other pens.

 

Favourite Overall Combo

 

Uni SXK-3300 with SXR-600-07 refill

 

This was more or less a toss up between the Uni SXK-3300 (replaced with the 0.7mm refill) and the Pentel Vicuna EX3 (also replaced with the 0.7mm refill) - both came standard with the 0.5mm refill. If the Glidewrite even had a half-decent body it might win, but unfortunately even the metal executive version is not very good. The Glidewrites seem to be focused on the North American market, with the refills made in Mexico, the Glidewrite Executive body is made in China, and the Glidewrite Signature body is made in Mexico. I imagine if these pens are ever made for the Japanese domestic market, it will be a totally different ballgame. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Vicuna EX3 has really beautiful, detailed work on the metal, but it’s just not my personal taste. I’m tempted to try out a Vicuna EX2, which comes standard with the 0.7mm refill and has a body with perhaps more broad appeal. Anyway it’s clearly a very high quality pen and the Vicuna refill is outstanding.

 

The Pentel BL667 is the ultimate gel pen that I’ve tried, but most gel pens, especially without a permanent ink, might not cover as many situations. The Quantum Daiichi could fill this gap and definitely makes it worth a mention in this section. If anyone has an idea of who’s manufacturing this pen and the refill, I’d love to know.

 

Zebra is worth a mention for their pen bodies, which are very good, even if I never got along with their inks. Same with the Sailor pen I bought.

 

Ohto is another brand I’d like to mention here. I only tried the Ohto Rays, which didn’t appeal to me. But I got to see their other pens in the shops, like the Dude and the Blooom, and those ones are stunning and just exude quality. I’d even consider buying a Blooom, even though I don’t like multi-pens. It looks that good (in person).

 

The Uni SXK-3300 with the SXR-600-07 refill is the overall winner here for me. It was kind of the dark horse in this race, because it took me a while to appreciate Jetstream refills, and also this pen didn’t look anything special in photos. But when you get this pen in person, it’s very attractive. It’s fairly heavy, like it’s made of a chunk of metal. I’m not sure if it has a special type of paint, or if it’s a ceramic coating, but it has a great look & feel. I don’t really like the twist mechanism, as mentioned in the previous review, but overall I find myself using this pen the most.

 

 

 

 

Part 2 posted here: https://penshowdown.blogspot.com/2021/04/the-ultimate-pen-showdown-part-2.html

[MYU]

In my experience, the best ballpoint-hybrid ink is the BRFN-30. It's smooth almost like gel, while maintaining good permanence. Also, for pens that are used only on occasion, the BRFN-30 seems to do better in not skipping or drying out. I've run into similar ballpoints whereby if they're left idle too long, they can suffer separation. There just won't be flow, when you know that due to lack of use, the reservoir is mostly full. It comes in EF, F, M, and B sizes. Note, that there is a BRFN-10, which is essentially the plastic bodied version. The advantage to that one is being able to see the ink level inside the reservoir.

 

Another refill worth consideration is the LAMY M22. I find it writes comparably to the PILOT BRFN series. But alas, it's proprietary in design and thus meant for LAMY pens. I was able to adapt one to a vintage PILOT pen, by using the very long refill cap that it comes with. Also, it doesn't have as many size variations as the BRFN-30.

 

Pentel's EnerGel series is excellent. I've got 2 sizes of theirs and find they last long, write smoothly. But ink is more gel like than traditional ballpoint ink.

 

As for finding the ultimate pen... for me, it has to be the PILOT Hi-Tecpoint. It's the vintage version, back when PILOT had made it with a dedicated felt tip. Instead of a cap, the nose cone featured closing doors, to help seal it off and save the felt tip from drying out. Unfortunately, PILOT discontinued this pen. The latest Hi-Tec V5 and V7 refills do not fit the older Hi-Tecpoint pens. Without a viable refill, the pen is essentially "dead." That was, until I was determined to get some refills to fit. The two above ended up being viable candidates.

 

[pencomparer]

  On 4/10/2021 at 10:07 PM, MYU said:

In my experience, the best ballpoint-hybrid ink is the BRFN-30. It's smooth almost like gel, while maintaining good permanence. Also, for pens that are used only on occasion, the BRFN-30 seems to do better in not skipping or drying out. I've run into similar ballpoints whereby if they're left idle too long, they can suffer separation. There just won't be flow, when you know that due to lack of use, the reservoir is mostly full. It comes in EF, F, M, and B sizes. Note, that there is a BRFN-10, which is essentially the plastic bodied version. The advantage to that one is being able to see the ink level inside the reservoir.

 

Another refill worth consideration is the LAMY M22. I find it writes comparably to the PILOT BRFN series. But alas, it's proprietary in design and thus meant for LAMY pens. I was able to adapt one to a vintage PILOT pen, by using the very long refill cap that it comes with. Also, it doesn't have as many size variations as the BRFN-30.

 

Pentel's EnerGel series is excellent. I've got 2 sizes of theirs and find they last long, write smoothly. But ink is more gel like than traditional ballpoint ink.

 

As for finding the ultimate pen... for me, it has to be the PILOT Hi-Tecpoint. It's the vintage version, back when PILOT had made it with a dedicated felt tip. Instead of a cap, the nose cone featured closing doors, to help seal it off and save the felt tip from drying out. Unfortunately, PILOT discontinued this pen. The latest Hi-Tec V5 and V7 refills do not fit the older Hi-Tecpoint pens. Without a viable refill, the pen is essentially "dead." That was, until I was determined to get some refills to fit. The two above ended up being viable candidates.

 

Expand  

 

The Pilot BRFN-30 refill was in my first round of testing, but I wasn't too keen on that refill nor the pen it was purchased in, because the refill's reliability was very sensitive to the surfaces. It does make a nice dark line though.

 

Thanks for bringing my attention to that vintage Pilot, it's a beautiful pen. I did some reading on it, and apparently it takes a Parker G2 size refill?

I also haven't tried any Lamy refills, but I've been hearing some good things lately. I'll have to give it a try.

[MYU]

  On 4/11/2021 at 3:38 AM, pencomparer said:

 

The Pilot BRFN-30 refill was in my first round of testing, but I wasn't too keen on that refill nor the pen it was purchased in, because the refill's reliability was very sensitive to the surfaces. It does make a nice dark line though.

 

Thanks for bringing my attention to that vintage Pilot, it's a beautiful pen. I did some reading on it, and apparently it takes a Parker G2 size refill?

I also haven't tried any Lamy refills, but I've been hearing some good things lately. I'll have to give it a try.

Expand  

I've used the BRFN-30 primarily on white bond paper, but also receipts. No problems.

 

That Hi-Tecpoint pen takes a proprietary refill that is no longer made by PILOT. The G2 refill does not work in it, unfortunately. That's what inspired me down the path to discover how I could make the BRFN and M22 refills work.

[pencomparer]

  On 4/11/2021 at 6:15 AM, MYU said:

I've used the BRFN-30 primarily on white bond paper, but also receipts. No problems.

 

That Hi-Tecpoint pen takes a proprietary refill that is no longer made by PILOT. The G2 refill does not work in it, unfortunately. That's what inspired me down the path to discover how I could make the BRFN and M22 refills work.

Expand  

 

Any idea if the Lamy M22 and M16 use the same ink formulation / perform the same? I've ended up just ordering my first Lamy, which will hopefully arrive soon, but it uses the M16.

[MYU]

I suspect that the M22 and M16 use the same ink. LAMY is a rather conservative company.

[Mangrove Jack]

The combination that works well for me and one I have used for a few years is the Pelikan Ballpont pens with a Jetstream (G2 Parker style) refill in it.

I love the way the Jetstream refill writes and the Pelikan K200 ballpoint pen has the exact diameter, weight and balance for my taste. As far as I am concerned a perfect combination. 

[inkobsessed]

  On 8/8/2021 at 6:39 PM, MYU said:

I suspect that the M22 and M16 use the same ink. LAMY is a rather conservative company.

Expand  

I use black and blue Lamy M22 and M16 refills in my two Pico’s, two Logo’s, Noto, Scribble, Studio, 2000, (which is the best and most used), and don’t notice any difference in the ink.

 

Joop