battle of the multipens

I have Japanese pens coming out my ears, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to resist buying a couple during my recent trip to Japan. In order to narrow down the selection and try to keep my head from exploding, I offered to bring some pens back for the Pen Addict, knowing he’d be up on the latest and greatest. He did not disappoint!
So what do we have here? Well, for a baseline, I included the Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto, since I believe it can do no wrong. The other contenders are the Uni Style Fit and the Pentel Sliccies. Let’s see how they did!
First up we have the 3-color Uni Style Fit in .38mm. Now, I am a big fan of Uni writing implements. Their Jetstream Sport ballpoint pens have completely changed my life and my opinion of ballpoint pens. Also, isn’t the Style Fit purty? It looks kind of fancy without being pretentious. And, the cool thing is you can select gel ink, ballpoint ink, and pencil lead refills in various sizes. Sadly, the Style Fit was my least favorite of the multipens. Though it looks great, it just didn’t feel particularly sturdy in my hand. The way the refills are inserted into the pen casing and the click mechanism seem too delicate. It does write smoothly, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it broke easily. Another issue is you can’t quickly tell which color corresponds with which clicker dealie (what are those called? Cartridge propulsion lever? Anyway … )
And here’s the 3-color Pentel Sliccies in .4mm. Now, it’s been my experience that there are Pentel Slicci people and Pilot Hi-Tec-C people. I put myself in the latter camp. I have one Pentel Slicci pen, and I like it, but I don’t adore it like I do the Hi-Tec-C pens. I think it has to do with the pen tips (more on that in a bit). However, I found myself really liking the Pentel Sliccies multipen. I had some initial problems with proper installation of the ink cartridges, but once I got that down the pen worked fine. The tips are very sturdy, so the pen feels much more substantial than the Uni Style Fit. It’s also easier to identify the colors, but it’s NOT as easy as the Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto.
Hmm, Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto. I guess I didn’t take a photo. For my review and a photo, go here. Basically, the refills are a breeze to insert, and it’s actually fun to put them in. What’s clever is the refill also acts as the clicker thing, so it’s super easy to tell which color is available. The tips are super fine, but I love the way the ink flows, and the tips don’t feel too dainty to me.
So here’s a closeup of the tips. You can see how much sturdier the tips of the Sliccies are in comparison to the others (or maybe you can’t tell. I guess you’ll just have to trust me). So as usual, it all comes down to personal preference! Why not give them all a try? You can get the Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto and the Pentel Sliccies at JetPens. The Uni Style Fit is not yet available in the US as far as I can tell, but I doubt JetPens is very far behind!