Nowadays, it seems that any manufacturer will eagerly slap on the word “tactical” onto anything. However, the Frontline series tactical pens from Tuff-Writer truly fall into the “tactical” realm. Because the pen is designed to be a tactical self-defense pen, this review will reflect that.

This pen functions exactly as the Precise V5, only now with a snazzier barrel, a rubber grip, and a retractable cartridge, so now you can use it on the go.

Zebra has a fairly good reputation when it comes to pens, and the F-701 is no exception. The pen has a good heft, and is balanced so that the center of gravity is towards the front. The knurled grip is VERY effective, and would be suitable for writing with for long time periods, or for people who's hands perspire easily. The click mechanism is not as smooth as it could be, and does not make a very positive "click". I find that sometimes, the clicker will actually malfunction (I might have just gotten a lemon). Made in Japan, the build quality is excellent.

I received the Mont Blanc Meisterstück Classique as a gift 10 years ago. Since it's such a pricey pen I assumed it would be worlds better than my favorite $2 pen from Staples. After many years of using it, I'm still partial to the disposable gel ink pens. This pen is really lovely, but it is so heavy that my hands hurt after writing with it for very long. Perhaps, it would be fine for a man, since men have larger, stronger hands, but this is not a great pen for a woman. I have been through several refills and I'm still disappointed with the inconsistency of the ink flow. It gets gummed up on the rollerball and you have to have something handy at all times to wipe the ball of goop off the tip.

The Jetstream from Uni-ball is one of the best overall rollerballs I have found. With its comfortable and attractive design in black(for 1.0mm) and blue(0.7mm), and the tungsten carbide rolling ball which ensures brilliantly smooth writability, it is a must have. The only fault I can find is the occasional inconsistency of ink flow. Although this can be irritating I stopped noticing it not long after becoming accustom to it.

This review is almost identical to my review of the Parker Jotter with the stainless barrel. However, I am doing a separate review on the plastic barrel version because there are some details that are different from the stainless version.

The Parker Jotter is one of the flagship pens that Parker produces.

The design of the stainless barrel is very interesting. The stainless threads are stamped into the metal, instead of being milled or tapped. The threads inside of the cap are plastic, which to some degree, contradicts the stainless threads on the barrel. The plunger action is very firm, with a strong spring. The pen is quite light, which could be both an advantage as well as a disadvantage. This pen is not suited for long term writing.

This is a simple pen with no frills or tricks--yet it delivers excellent writing performance. The ink comes out without fail the second the tip touches the page. Only the slightest amount of pressure is required to get a steady smooth ink flow as your pen moves across the page.

The Paper Mate Liquid Expresso is a felt tip pen with very smooth writing that keeps up with fast writers, not with thinning ink in fast strokes like a lot of other felt tips.

The Paper Mate PhD has one of the best feels around, and I believe, was the one that started the ergonomic grip for pens. The PhD is a bit thick, but the ribbed, triangular grip is endorsed by the American Physical Therapy Association.