Stabilo Com4 Ball Pen Review

On a grey wet morning I was disappointed to see yet another report on the news that handwriting is on its way out in the U.S. I recall reading back in 2011 that some states had dropped the need for cursive writing in favour of the keyboard. Here in the UK it appears that a recent study suggested a typical adult hadn’t written anything for 6 weeks.

Stabilo Com 4 Ball Black

As I prepare to review the Stabilo Com4 Ball pen I just can’t imagine life without pens. Whether it’s to jot down a shopping list, or to note an appointment there will always be a place for a pen.

Stabilo make a range of ergonomic pens, often aimed at children, these can help prevent the writer tiring or getting cramp, making them useful for those that need to write copious notes.

The Com4 ball is a retractable ballpoint with a chunky barrel & 3 indented triangular grip sections, available with a choice of black, blue red or green ink. The plastic barrel displays the ink colour in sections separated with black inserts. I’ve found the blue pen to be a little misleading however, expecting a turquoise line to land on the page I was disappointed to find a pretty standard blue ink appear.

The medium ball writes a 0.5mm line & didn’t blob, although on occasion it did skip, depending how I held the pen. Ergonomically designed pens are said to alleviate stress on the fingers & wrist, they also apparently benefit sufferers of arthritis & repetitive strain injury having been designed with consideration given to weight, length & the grip sections.

Whilst Stabilo tend to market their brightly coloured pens towards the young market they hope that the Com4 will become big players in the home & office. We can only wait & see if this wish comes true. In the meantime, I found the design comfortable to hold & like the combined push button retractor & flat pocket clip, Oh & its brought a little colour into an otherwise grey day.

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Tony Bridges

As a seasoned journalist and freelance writer, I've spent over three decades telling stories and exploring the world through the written word. With a passion for writing instruments, I found my niche at The Pen Vibe, a blog that shares our collective fascination with pens, pencils, and other tools that have shaped the art of writing.

2 thoughts on “Stabilo Com4 Ball Pen Review”

  1. > Might suit a man with huge bear paws for hands.

    This is exactly why I love them, I’m a programmer by trade so I spend a lot of time jotting notes and drawing diagrams and I absolutely adore the COM4ball (so much so I special order them as nowhere local stocks them).

    Absolutely cracking to write with, no smear, easily refillable and very reliable.

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  2. I was looking forward to having a good quality refillable pen, and I generally like Stabilo.
    However, I can barely write with this pen. It is well made and the ink flows smoothly. But the handling is terrible. It is bulky, top heavy and very uncomfortable to hold.
    Might suit a man with huge bear paws for hands. But as a woman with average size hands I feel as though I’m trying to write with a parsnip!!

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