My Stationery Life

According to me, that is...

I’m starting this occasional series called "Best of" and dividing it into categories—because trying to crown one stationery item as the ultimate best just isn’t fair. Gel pens, multi-pens, fineliners, pencils, planners, notebooks, sticky-notes -- they all have their own strengths, and I want to do each category justice.

Today’s pick is the Best Three-Color Ballpoint Multi-Pen.

This is, as always, based on my own research and (many) personal purchases. I've tested a lot of multi-pens over the years—some hyped, some hidden gems—and there’s one I keep coming back to.

But before we get into the winner, here’s what I look for when evaluating a ballpoint multi-pen:

What Makes a Great Multi-Pen?

• Durability – Will the clip survive a commute in my commuter bag or a pocket, or does it literally snap under pressure?
• Comfort – Can I write with it for ten minutes without my wrist falling asleep?
• Tip Performance – Regardless of tip size, does the ink flow smoothly? Does the tip get gummed up?
• Clickiness – A little niche, but it matters to me! Do the different color options click into place cleanly and stay put?

With all of that in mind, here’s my top pick:

Winner: Uni Jetstream 3 Color Ballpoint Multi Pen (0.5mm)

If you’ve used this pen, you probably saw this coming.

The Uni Jetstream 3-Color (0.5mm) hits every point I care about. The tip never gums up on me, which means the ink flows consistently and smoothly every time I write. Since it's light and slender, I can write with it comfortably for long stretches at a time without my hand cramping up. I’ve never had an issue with the color tabs snapping back up unexpectedly; each color clicks into place cleanly and stays put.

Fun fact: If you’ve ever ordered a Hobonichi Techo from the official store, this is the pen they include—just in a limited-edition. So if you’ve used it and loved it, now you know what it is!

Runner-Up: Uni Jetstream SXE3-507 (0.5mm)

This one is so close to number 1. It’s basically the same pen with a slightly different body.

The SXE3-507 uses the same reliable Jetstream ink, which means you get all the benefits of smooth, skip-free writing. I really appreciate the design of this one, too—the red and blue color sliders are built into the body, while the black ink is controlled by the top clicker. It’s intuitive and makes selecting your color feel effortless.

The reason it lands in second place? The body is just a bit thicker than the regular Jetstream 3-Color. That doesn't mean it's unusable and hard to write with. It just means that you (like me) might prefer a slightly slimmer pen to write with. While a thick pen might be better for larger hands, smaller-handed people could find this a bit bulky during longer writing sessions.

Final Thoughts

Your mileage may vary when it comes to pens. Writing preferences, hand sizes, and pen habits are unique to everyone. But you really can't go wrong with the Uni Jetstream 3-Color. It's a reliable, high-quality three-color ballpoint pen and one I keep buying—and using—again and again (I think I have three now -- I'll have to check). 

Of course, here are plenty more pens out there and I keep buying/getting more. Who knows? Maybe next year’s “Best Of” list will look different.

Fineliners aren’t my everyday pens, but they’ve carved out a specific niche in my stationery rotation: delicate printing on small paper. They’re great for fine notes, labeling, and writing in planners with tight layouts—like my Hobonichi Cousin, for example.

I’ve already written about the Staedtler fineliners, which I like quite a bit. But recently, I bought a few Stabilo Point 88 pens from a fineliner sampler and wanted to see how they measured up. I’ve reviewed Stabilo highlighters before (and liked them, even if the pigment runs a little dark), so I was curious to test out their fineliners too.

Pros for Both Brands

• No bleed-through in my Hobonichi Cousin. Always a big win.
• Body shapes are thoughtfully designed: Staedtler pens are triangular; Stabilos are hexagonal. Both styles keep the pens from rolling off the desk, and both are comfortable to hold.
• Snap-on caps that actually snap—always satisfying. Staedtler includes a clip on the cap, which could be useful for some, but I personally don’t love clipping plastic pens to anything. That’s just asking for the pen to break in two.

Key Differences

The big difference between these two came down to pigment strength. While I didn’t have two of the same color to compare, I did notice the Stabilo pens felt bolder and darker on the page than the Staedtlers. This could be a good or bad thing, depending on your needs:

• Darker pigment = better visibility, especially on light paper.
• Lighter pigment = might be better for layering or writing on colored/darker backgrounds.

In my case, I preferred the bolder look of the Stabilo. It just popped more. The pen left a stronger impression—literally and visually.

Final Thoughts

Even though the Stabilo edged out slightly for me in this mini face-off, I’m still happily using my Staedtlers. I’ve had them in rotation for two months and have more colors in that line. But if you’re fineliner-curious and looking to try something new, the Stabilo Point 88 line is a great place to explore.

I totally understand your reasoning if you’re hesitant about felt tip pens.

They tend to have wide tips, they often bleed through paper, and they’re usually not great for actual writing. The image that comes to mind is probably a dried-out Sharpie or one of those Paper Mate Flairs that were always floating around the house as a kid—still half-full of ink but missing their caps.

So yeah, I get it.

But if you’ve sworn off felt tip pens entirely, let me gently suggest you give them one more shot—specifically with the Staedtler Triplus Fineliners.

Here’s the link to the 10-color set I use, but they come in all sorts of combinations.

Why Are They Different?
For starters, the tip is only 0.3mm, which is surprisingly fine for a felt pen. That means your handwriting stays neat and legible, even if, like me, your usual style is more of a rushed chicken scratch than clean print. These pens make my handwriting look better than it has any right to.

Even better: no bleed-through. I’ve used these pens on Moleskine paper and Tomoe River paper, and the ink holds up beautifully. It doesn’t feather, ghost, or make a mess on the other side of the page. For someone who journals and plans with thin paper, that’s huge!

The pen bodies are long, thin, and lightweight—easy to hold, whether you have small hands or just prefer a more delicate grip. They also fit nicely in most pen cases, and they’re comfortable enough to write with for long sessions.

And the colors? So many to choose from! I have the 10-color set, and it’s perfect for color-coding notes, creating visual systems, or just making things more fun to look at. The ink dries quickly, which means I can even highlight over my writing without smudging—something that I struggle with using my Mildliners.

There’s even a small bonus: the plastic case the pens come in folds back into a little easel, which makes grabbing the right color easier and keeps your desk looking slightly more organized than usual.

Who Are These Pens Good For?
If you like to write tiny, take detailed notes, or work with delicate paper, these are fantastic. They’re great for small hands, and while I’m not much of an artist, I’ve seen them used for drawing, doodling, and line work with excellent results.

If you’ve written off felt tip pens because of bad experiences in the past, I totally get it. But the Staedtler Triplus Fineliners aren’t like the ones you remember drying out in the kitchen drawer. They’re sleek, functional, colorful, and—dare I say—kind of magical.

I’m so tempted to buy another set.

I don’t regret many pen purchases, but every now and then, I end up with something that should have been reliable—and just wasn’t.
I bought two Uni Jetstream 4&1 multipens: a cream-colored one for Torah study and a green one for my Hobonichi Techo 5-Year. They were supposed to be staples—dependable pens that lived alongside my notebooks and planners, always ready to go. But instead of being trusty everyday tools, they turned out to be one of my biggest stationery disappointments.

What Made Me Buy It?
I’ve always liked multipens because they’re practical and efficient, letting me color-code notes without carrying a dozen individual pens. Since I already loved Jetstream ink, I assumed the 4&1 would be an easy win—after all, Jetstream is known for smooth, quick-drying ink, which is a huge selling point for me.

The idea of having four ink colors plus a built-in mechanical pencil in one sleek body seemed perfect for both Torah study and my 5-Year Techo.
I take a lot of notes in a Papermates notebook for Torah study, and my headers are black, subheaders are green, main text is blue, and key terms are red. For my 5-year, I just alternate each day: black, blue, red, green. I will use the pencil if I have to jot something down I'm not sure about and then go back to write in ink. At $15 per pen, I expected something sturdy and reliable, an all-in-one tool I could use daily. (We’ll come back to that price in a minute.)

On paper, this should have been the perfect pen. Literally.

Where It All Went Wrong
The Ink Was Cursed
That’s the only way I can describe it. The green ink in my Torah pen was the first to stop working. Then the blue ink followed. Then the red ink. Eventually, I was left with only the black ink and pencil lead actually functioning.

Thinking maybe I’d just gotten a bad batch, I bought refills and replaced them all. Nothing changed!

No matter what paper I tested them on, no matter how many pen warm-up scribbles I did, the ink refused to flow properly. And just when I thought I had isolated the issue to my cream-colored pen, my green pen started doing the same thing. Just like before, it all started with the green ink.

The Eraser Was Useless
The eraser is far too delicate, and both of them popped right out of my pens way too easily. This wouldn’t be a huge issue, but for a $15 pen, I expect better design.

The Plastic Feels Cheap
Speaking of price vs. quality, the overall build just doesn’t feel good. The plastic is light, fragile, and not nearly as sturdy as other multipens I own—some of which were half the cost of this one.

The Mystery of the Self-Unscrewing Pen
My green pen constantly unscrews itself while I’m writing. I have no idea why. I admit to being a heavy-handed writer, but it still doesn’t make sense that one of them keeps coming loose while the other one stays intact.

Final Thoughts: A Rare Miss from Uni
I wanted to love these pens! They should have been solid, everyday writing tools, but instead, they ended up being frustrating, unreliable, and overpriced.

For $15, I’ve bought far better multipens that actually work for half the cost. I still love multipens, and I have several 4-in-1s that I use regularly, but the Uni Jetstream 4&1 is a rare miss.

If you’re considering this pen, save your money and try a different multipen instead.