Retro 51Hex-o-Matic Black Ballpoint Pen - HEX-601BP

Update: I still love this pen and is my preferred pen to use. I did have to replace the spring as the clicker was too light and easy to press so the tip would deploy while in my pocket sometimes. I picked up a spring from Home Depot that makes it much harder to click. Probably overly so, but I really like it because I know it will never accidentally be pressed. It feels like a really manly, tough pen now and I'm extremely happy with it.Original review: I love this pen. The weight is nice and not too heavy or too light with good balance. Knurling provides a nice bit of texture so my hands don't slip when cold or sweaty. Clicker action is light and works well although it has a bit of a hollow sound from the cap that doesn't seem premium. It's a minor thing and doesn't bother me. The pen comes with a really nice Easy Flow 9000 cartridge which was the nicest ballpoint I've ever used. Still, I don't like ballpoints and my handwriting just doesn't look as good when I use them. I switched out to a Parker Gel and really like it. The barrel made a terrible metal on metal squeaking as I opened it up, but I put a little oil on it and that was fixed. With the ink replaced, it takes this pen to a perfect level for me and is now my EDC.

...but then I do have a tendency to lose things!I dig the pen, but not the insert. The pen feels nice in the hand. The knurling is comfortable and the weight is appropriate. It might be a little small for some, but it suits me fine. The look is very cool. With the unique texture & styling, significant weight, and the way it feels in your hand, it seems more like you're holding a TOOL for writing rather than just a pen.The ink, however, I just don't like. Not smooth, but I know this is just preference. Use the Parker Gel refills and the pen becomes magical.

This is an excellent pen. It is very thin so that may take some getting used to if you are accustomed to fatter pens. It appears to be constructed very well. It has a very nice click.The Easy Flow 9000 refill is fine and writes well but I replaced it with a Parker Quink Gel in Medium Blue and it is much more to my liking. I do wish the Parker refill was available in a fine but I still like it better than the Easy Flow ball point.The clip feels very secure and I haven't had any issues with that. This is definitely a great pen for the price.

Got this pen for rapid notes about patients on the floor when I don't have time (or stuff goes bad) and it excels in that application. Very excellent instrument. The tooling is first rate, great black matte finishing with superb knurling. Good balance in hand, not too heavy but feels very solid. Mechanism articulates well, good lockup at the tip with minimal play. The only thing I'd change is that the section could be just 1-2mm wider because it holds a little slim for me and I'll cramp if I write for a long period, but that's definitely workable given what I got it for and I have other pens for more relaxed situations. I threw a blue Parker gel refill in this instead of the stock one and it writes great.

You're wondering if this pen is better than a Rotring, aren't you? I own several of each, and in my opinion, it's better than the Rotring Rapid Pro, and on par with the 600. Yes, the black is painted on both pens, and mine is already showing the brass underneath, but I kind of like the way it looks. The Rotring Rapid Pro has plastic threads and the Hex has metal. I prefer the click on the Hex. I have big hands and the pen seems a bit thin, but my hand doesn't slip on the knurling at all. For the money I don't think you can beat this pen.

Upon opening, it’s a nice looking pen, but that was about it. It didn’t take long once I started using it before I packed it back up and returned it. The pen actually felt cheap when I held it and it didn’t write well. The pushdown mechanism to bring out the refill felt flimsy. And finally, this pen can only take the Easyflow 9000 refills, the Retro gel refills will not fit. I have two of the “traditional” Retro 51 pens that come with the gel refills and they are much better and can use any of the refills.

Loses a star because it skipped and couldnt write even one word upon receiving after purchase. Upon looking into it, the ballpoint has dried and got stuck. I googled some solutions but ended up running the ballpoint on paper I sprayed with wd-40. I struck and dragged the pen across paper and it ended up writing smooth again. I also eventually replaced the ballpoint cartridge with a .38 gel refill from jetstream. Works great!

The Hex-O-Matic Retro 51 is a fantastic pen!It looks good, has a great feel and has a smoother flow across the paper than pretty much any other pen I have ever used. I bought my first one at an art shop in Perth Australia and then lost it while doing a Voice Over for the ABC in Sydney. I had to replace it but couldn't find it for sale anywhere on the East Coast of Australia. Thankfully, I found it on Amazon. The price was so reasonable that I got the pencil too.Best of all, I went in to the ABC a month later and the Audio department had been jealously guarding it and using it since they found it in the booth.Now I've got two, which make me ridiculously happy because ...The Hex-O-Matic Retro 51 is a fantastic pen!