This ballpoint is part of the Jetstream range of pens which are unique to uni-ball & refers to the ink. It’s a quick drying ink that they claim to dry 9 times faster than a standard ballpoint ink.
The sleek classically shaped stick barrel on the black uni-ball Jetstream SX 101 looks pretty bland to me. A soft rubbery finish covers most of the barrel, with the exception of two plastic stripes about a third of its length. If I look hard enough I can just about see the words uni & Jetstream embedded into these stripes. Whilst the idea that this displays the ink colour is effective on red & blue pens it’s lost on my black one.
The grip section has several circular rows that form grooves, they do the job for which they are intended fairly well. At the other end is a smokey translucent cap with a none too sturdy pocket clip that promptly pops off as I try to clip it on my notepad, not so impressive. To turn a negative into a positive, the cap does click as its posted on the nib leaving no doubt it will stay put.
That just about covers the appearance of the 101, now on to writing a few lines.
The uni Super ink is designed to be resistant to water & light & is therefore not going to fade, making it unappealing to fraudsters. This is due to the ink having larger particles than dyestuff inks, meaning the pigments are less liable to sink into the page, remaining firmly on the surface.
My writing advanced across the page with ease without clumping or skipping. The ink also lived up to the claims of being quick drying & my experience was that it was almost instant & very smooth. These ballpoints have certainly come a long way since my schooldays. I still have memories of those yellow bic’s that left smudges & blobs galore in my notebooks.
I’ve already mentioned the Jetstream 101 is available in 3 colours, the 1.0mm tip writes a 0.45mm line. This is just the sort of pen I’d have in my bag for jotting a few notes, although I’d probably choose a different colour because in my opinion they have a little more style.
