If you’re a fan of the wide array of Japanese gel pen options available, you’ve probably already tried a few Pilot Hi-Tec Cs, a Pentel Slicci, a Zebra Sarasa or a UniBall Signo. What I think makes these gel pens so great (besides the yummy gel ink, fine and extra fine points and great selection of colors) is that they are all available in multi-pens.
These are not your ordinary red/blue/black multi-pens of yore. Nope. These are fully customizable. Depending on which brand you prefer, there are multiple point sizes, mechanical pencil options and even the ability to combine gel ink components with ballpoint components or even a stylus (for touchscreens). Each brand has options for various numbers of colors/tools as well depending on how big you want your pen to be and how many options you need at one time. I’ve come to like the 4- and 5-color options which allow me to make one slot a mechanical pencil.
I started looking into the multi-pens because I loved that the Japanese gel pens were available in so many colors but I didn’t want to have hundreds of pens and then have to throw away all those plastic bodies. With the multi-pens, I can reuse the bodies and just dispose of the cartridge inserts. Makes me feel a little more enviromentally conscious.
Generally speaking the bodies I’ve chosen in the past have been relatively understated like the simple black-and-white polka dot UniBall Style Fit I purchased last year or the plain lime green Hi-Tec C Coleto Me I’ve had for awhile.
My most recent acquisitions are the Zebra Sarasa Pre-Fill 4 in multi-color polka dots ($3.30) and the UniBall Style*Fit Majolica Majorca special edition body ($4.95). I was feeling particularly girlie the day I ordered these. According to the description, the Majolica Majorca is a Japanese cosmetics line that did a cross-promotion with UniBall for these pens. Both are available in more subdued bodies.
Both pens have smooth plastic bodies with no rubberized grip area of ergonomic shaping. Even without a lot of fuss, they are quite comfortable. The larger bodies make them roughly the same diameter as a full sized fountain pen. Both have a clear section from the grip area to the tip so you can see which color is extended. Both the Pre-Fill and the Style*Fit are retractable designs and both use the clip as one of its retractable options (I always put my mechanical pencil on the clip retractor (did I just make up a word?) so that I can find it quickly. When full of pen cartridges, they both have a nice weight to them — still lightweight but balanced and east to hold.
The Zebra Sarasa Pre-Fill has a spring-loaded clip making it easier to clip onto bag, notebook or pocket. It wasn’t a feature I thought I would care about too much but its the same style of sprin-loaded clip they use on the regular pens so if that’s something you like, I highly recommend getting one of these multi-pens.
There is almost nothing different about the UniBall Style*Fit shown here from the black-and-white polka dot model I purchased previously. The gold detail on Majolica Majorca body is actually metallic and does remind me of a perfume bottle label. The text reads “Fullfills all your wishes” so how could I pass it up? I purchased another Style*Fit because I love them so much I wanted one for home and one for work.
I love the gel pens in the 0.38-0.4 range so I loaded both of these with an assortment of colors and each got a 0.5mm mechanical pencil as well.
I filled both pens with a blue-black and an orange-y color. The other colors I chose on a whim. I like having lots of color options in one tool making it easy to carry just one pen but have lots of options to entertain and annotate in long meetings.
One of the other compliments I have about these Japanese multi-pens is that the logos and branding is very discreet. The bar code info was on clear stickers I was easily able to peel off both pens leaving only the teeny-tiniest branding marks on both pens. I appreciate that I don’t have to be a walking advertisement for their company. If someone asks about my pen, you can be sure I’ll tell them in detail about it but I don’t have to let me pen shout it at passing strangers.
Both of these pens, plus the ink cartridges and mechanical pencil inserts cost me less than $15 each. The Zebra Sarasa Pre-Fill ink cartridges are $1.65 each and the mechanical pencil insert is $3. So the total for the Pre-Fill was $11.25. The UniBall Style*Fit was a bit more expensive because of the high-falutin’ body. The gel ink cartridges are $1.65 for the Style*Fit and the mechanical pencil insert is $3.30 making the total $14.85.
Are you convinced to try a multi-pen yet?
Just anoooother thing to add to my list for our trip back to Japan next year! That black one is intriguing. Interesting that pen companies cross-promote with make-up companies?
I wish I’d seen this post when the white with multi polka dots was available. I got a multi pen for a friend (Christmas shopping today) thanks to seeing this post awhile back.
I like the multi colored dots, but I guess it’s too late.
A white with polka dots is out in the 3 refill version by UniStyle Fit. l. It’s part of the Disney group with Mickey Mouse silhouettes among the polka dots. I chose it along with the Meister 3 metal body in Mint.
I really liked your white with dots pen but missed out on it. I was ready to get black with white dots when I found the Disney pens.
I am a fountain pen user, and had closed the door on non-fountain pens. That is why I missed out on the Retro 51 Tornado Lift-Off pen. No more. I’ve ordered their limited edition Dinosaur pen.
I’ll use the multi-pens in puzzle books, maybe in the Field Notes Expedition Edition, and depending on the paper in the Recollections planner I had to have in the Mint color. I hope the UniStyle Fit Meister pen matches well with it.
Thank you for the post Ana. I came back to it to compare your white dot pen with the Disney one. Different dot colors. But hey, Walt Disney spent some boyhood years in Marceline, plus time in Kansas City, so even though I liked Looney Tunes better than Disney, it seems fitting enough to get the Disney white with dots.
They have other colors….
Ana, I was hoping you’d see this comment because I have a question.
Do I have to use Zebra brand refills in the Zebra Prefill pen? I like the color range of Uni.
Lori, it looks like a $1.65 gamble to try a Uni Style Fit refill in your Zebra Prefill. I’d say throw one in your next JetPens order and give it a try. They look very similar in shape and size. Fingers crossed, it will work!
Thank you Ana. I have both pen models, so I can try putting one from the Uni Style Fit into Zebra and visa versa.
Oh, I found an eBay deal with the Zebra polka dots in white body and blue body plus refills.
Trouble is I’ve found a website that sells the Pilot i+ in Emerald like you have. I already have 3 Multi pens with 2 more on order. But I’ve never tried Slicci refills. Sigh.
Plus I have lots and lots of fountain pens. Does it ever end? Wanting more pens?
Holey moley Coleto has limited edition Snoopy multi-pens. Drool
I think the refills do swap by the way