How often do you use the same pen? I have heard that some people can only write with a particular type of pen. I on the other hand am happy to sample a variety of writing instruments.
Today it is the turn of the OHTO Tasche NBF-10T ballpoint. This pen is pink & silver, the design is what I would call slim & classy. I’ve chosen to post the cap, making it 147mm long. I found that for me, uncapped & measuring just about 100mm it was a little too short to be comfortable to write anything other than the briefest of notes.
Established in Tokyo in 1929, Ohto initially manufactured ink & dyes. The first “Made in Japan” ballpoint emerged in 1949, & was also the world’s first ballpoint to have a chrome ball. Ohto went on to develop a ballpoint pen ink that was nonsmudge & resistant to fading, which was introduced in 1960.
The OHTO Tasche is a compact needle tip ballpoint, designed to produce smooth & consistent writing until its last drop of ink is used. When it is closed it would fit into a small purse, handbag or wallet, or whatever it is you call your carrying accessories, depending on which part of the globe you call home.
Made from aluminum with a glossy lacquer finish, this pen is available in two-tone black, blue, pink & silver, or if you prefer all silver. I found the 0.7mm tip produced a nice smooth finish, it didn’t smudge or create any extra ink, as many ballpoints seem to do.
The oil-based soft ink is said to be a low viscosity version of ballpoint ink. It is claimed that it produces dark clear lines, Ohto do state that their research shows the black soft ink to be twice as dark as other Japanese manufacturers. I wouldn’t say this ink was particularly dark compared to other black ballpoints, but that is my general view based on a variety of brand names, I can’t comment on the Japanese market.
Something else I noticed was the lack of a grip section which I’ve become used to, however the pen didn’t slip & was comfortable to use.
Overall a nice looking pen, that did write well at all angles. At 14.5g it wasn’t too heavy & it’s also refillable.
If you like to ring the changes or like the idea of something that is compact when closed but will also open up as a full-size pen then the Ohto Tasche is well worth a look.
