Described by Pentel as the original ballpoint the Pentel Superb is part of a large range of writing instruments brought to market by a company that have been making pens for over 60 years.
Appearance
The Pentel Superb Ballpoint Pen BK77 has a slim transparent barrel, the end cap & ball in the cap match the ink colour. The nib is encased in a bright sliver coloured housing. These pens have been designed in such a way that they apparently clean themselves every time the cap is replaced, the purpose of the ball in the lid maybe? There is also a handy pocket clip that hosts the branding.
Performance
I’ve written about my preference for a squishy rubberised grip section in the past. Clearly these would not fit with the design of this ballpoint but they do have three very subtle panels that I can best describe as horizontal rows of lines. These did provide a resting place for my fingers but I didn’t find the pen comfortable to use for long periods as I felt the need to grasp it tightly, resulting in cramp. When it came to the writing the Superb was smooth & the oil based ink certainly left a clean looking line on the page without clogging. The 0.7mm nib writes a fine 0.35mm line & I’d say it would be possible to squeeze a lot of notes into a small space if necessary.
Looking through some of the reviews, quite a few people comment that the Pentel Superb proves to be very economical due to its long lasting ink. When it does eventually give up the ghost the pen can be refilled by simply unscrewing the silver nib housing, removing the refill & replacing with a BKL7.
