Uniball RE3 Biz

Not worth it… usually Uni brand has great line of pens. But they failed on this eraser gel ink pen. Instead Pilot Frixion is better!

I'm back here pricing more of these. No other pen will do, now that I've met this, the love of my life.
I love Japanese writing utensils. I'm mostly a pencil user, and I swear by the Kuru Toga Advance. Japanese is fiendishly difficult to write, and they need good tools to do it. I am a native English speaker (writer) and my needs aren't so precise as Japanese writers'. This is the best pen I've ever held, and it is not playing games.
I don't like gel pens. They smear, and I have no use for cutesy colors and sparkles. I don't like fat pens, or pens that look cheap or gimmicky. This pen is a streamlined marvel. Infinitely refillable, and it seems built to last. Almost the entire thing is metal. It's still rather lightweight, but not so lightweight as a disposable pen. I find I'm able to write with it more nimbly than with a Parker jotter or other "executive" model designed for looks first. The knurling on the grip was something that initially made me hesitate, as I generally prefer a rubber grip, but this knurling isn't uncomfortable in the least.
It rattles just a bit when I pick it up or turn it over. That's because there's a gravity-activated mechanism to lock the knock (clicky part) in place so you can use the "eraser" (it's hard rubber; won't ever wear out) when the pen is upside down. It doesn't rattle while in use.
The color selector is really elegant after a brief adjustment period. To change colors, you retract the knock, turn the selector a third of a rotation to whichever other color you want, then press the knock again. It's automatic for me, now. I mostly write in black, but sometimes I want to draw my eye back to somewhere, so I'll throw in a star or a word (important!) in red or blue. The ball point is very smooth. The pen glides across the page with minimal pressure.
The ink colors aren't your typical Bic ballpoint black/blue/red. The black is sort of off-black (if you love precise words or colors, look up "eigengrau"), but I have no trouble reading it even in poor lighting. The blue is pretty typical of a blue, though it's maybe a bit brighter than some brands I've used. The red is ever-so-slightly pink, but not so pink as to be feminine. It's definitely red ink. I've played with the Frixion pens before, and I wasn't impressed. This ink isn't perfect either, but it erases more cleanly than the Frixion pens I tried. It takes a bit of work with the rubber eraser to generate enough friction (I read it needed to reach 60 degrees C) to make the ink transparent, and I haven't been able to make a dark block of ink disappear completely. It's perfectly acceptable for my level of use. If I need something to look flawless, then I'm probably typing it anyway. This just saves me crossing something out if I sort-of care what the end result looks like.
Most importantly to me, this pen blends in. I'd still love it if it only had one color of ink, honestly. It doesn't look like a fancy pen. If I hand it to someone they're immediately impressed, but it does not invite attention on its own. Every visual detail is there for a reason (knurling, texture on the knock to remove the eraser cap, sturdy and well-designed clip), and everything else is as unobtrusive as possible. The whole pen has been very carefully considered. Unless someone shoves something better in my hands at some point, I'll never look for another model. This one ticks all of the boxes for me.