Trying out the Uni-Ball Zento

[ninagobragh]

You already know I have a lot of Uni-ball One P gel pens. They’re short, fat, cute, and pair beautifully with just about every Hobonichi Techo layout I’ve ever used. But I’ve recently met a new contender for my favorite Uni-ball gel pen: the One P’s sleek sister, the Zento.

I picked up two Zento pens to try—one with a 0.5mm tip in black ink, and the other with a 0.38mm tip in blue. And good lord, do I love these pens!

The 0.5mm is perfect for larger handwriting or for thicker paper (I'm putting it through its paces in my B5 notebook), while the 0.38mm gives you precision on smaller grids or tighter spreads. I don’t have the red ink version (yet), but if it’s anything like the other two, I imagine it performs just as smoothly. Plus, unlike the One P gel pens, the Zentos are a bit longer -- which is great if the squatter body of the One P pens cause hand cramps. 

One of the biggest standouts is the grip. Both pens have a soft, almost rubbery feel that makes them super comfortable to hold. It’s not sticky or squishy—just grippy enough to stay put, even during a long journaling session.

As with most gel pens, you can expect a tiny bit of bleed-through on thinner paper. But honestly, it’s minimal and totally manageable. The Tomoe River Paper of the Hobonichi has seen worse. 

These have definitely earned a spot in my Best Of series. If you’re a Uni-ball fan or just looking for a smooth, comfy gel pen with solid ink flow, the Zento is absolutely worth a test run.

Comments

[sv4649]

are they waterproof or water resistant? the picture shows a very pretty ink!

[ninagobragh]

To be honest, it depends on the paper you write on when it comes to water resistance! I had better luck with thicker paper (and the 0.38 tip), but the 0.5mm is a bit less so. It's very hard to find gel pens with great water resistance/smudging, unfortunately!

But you're right about the ink -- definitely lovely! :)