[Pen/Pencil Review] Ohto Ray Flash Dry Pen
It’s no secret that I love Parker Pens – and their refills. Especially since they have gel pen refills for their classic styles. So, when Ohto put out their Flash Dry refills designed for their new Ohto Ray Flash Dry line, I had to try it. Not just is the Flash Dry refill a “Parker-style”, the design of the pens in a retro homage to the iconic and classic Parker Jotter.
I had to also compare the Ohto Ray to the Parker Jotter. Just a little. Which meant I had to go dig out my Jotter from (likely) DECADES gone by. I’ve had this thing for longer than I can remember. Classic Jotters are stainless steel and plastic (unless you get the full on stainless steel Jotters). Same with the Ohto Ray.
The Ohto Ray is the same diameter as the Parker Jotter – between 9 and 10 mm. They do vary in length. The Ohto Ray is 5.5″ inches long where the Parker Jotter is 5.0″ – so a half inch longer. It’s a comfortable length. The Ohto Ray has good balance and good lines – just like the Jotter. The retractions are solid.
The “innovations” to this classic style come with the refill – which ISN’T a half inch longer than the classic Parker. It’s the same size and style as the classic Parker refills. The “flash dry” part of the ink is the new thing. This ink does dry super quickly and is quite smear resistant. It’s touted for left handers, and I can see why. The ink is also dark and smooth – and comes in a stock 0.5mm – which makes it high on my happy list.
https://www.jetpens.com/Ohto-Rays-Flash-Dry-Gel-Pen-0.5-mm-White-Body
The Jotter is available anywhere – and is more expensive than the Ohto Ray Flash Dry. The Ohto Ray runs $3.90 on JetPens (in several colors). The refills (when available) are limited to black right now and run $1.90. The Jotters on JetPens (which are probably the higher end ones) are $14 with the refills in the $5.00 range. So the Ohtos are more affordable than the Parkers but you can’t just find them anywhere.
The numbers:
1. How does it work? – 1 – It works like it’s supposed to. The barrel is classic and comfortable with great ink in a solid needle point.
2. Grip and feel – 0.5 – It’s a slender barrel, so might be too slim for some, and like the Jotters, there’s no ergonomics. It’s a smooth plastic.
3. Material – 1 – It is what it is, a plastic and stainless steel construction. It’s a good solid pen
4. Overall Design – 1 – This is a classic office-style pen. It’s solid and serviceable.
5. Price Point – 1 – It’s $4 full price. That’s super cheap, but only available online. It’s super close to the Jotter and a fraction of the price with a great ink that’s also economical – $1.90 a piece.
That’s 4.5 of 5 bronze pencils.
1 Comment
These look like nice pens. They can be found at Rakuten as well. I have one “well actually” though: it is Rays not Ray. Hopefully they will show up at amazon someday too.