Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This is the king of all ballpoints. As a fountain pen fanatic, I admit that sometimes they just don't work, particularly when you're forced to write in a terrible chemistry copybook that bleeds and feathers every ink known to man. I bought this because I needed a ballpoint and the history of this pen is just fascinating. It's still made in the USA, on the same machines, with ZERO changes, as the original ones that went into space. I dig that. The ballpoints are spectacular with one exception (if you're an artist that sketches or a lefty that has a really oblique hand hold, the pressurized nature of the cartridges means they can sometimes leave a speck of ink that doesn't dry instantly and will smear. Alternatively, parker cartridges fit this pen.) and smooth and consistent and will never dry out, unlike a cheaper ballpoint. You can get a lot of different colors and finer points of cartridge for the pen too. The pen is noticeably back-heavy, and quite heavy overall, but it winds up being really balanced in the hand. The grip is textured wonderfully and even the sweatiest paw will not slip, it's very rotring-like in that regard. I can write for hours without issue. The clip is well designed and has perfect tension. my favorite thing about the pen is the retraction mechanism. It's just a fidgeter's dream. Press down on the back like a traditional click pen, but the button stays down, and they designed it to not flop around, a nice design touch. To retract, you press the button on the side, which causes the tip to snap back in with satisfying feeling of sliding the bolt on a well made rifle. Chrome has been spectacularly durable, not a scratch on it after several months. If you need a ballpoint and aren't prone to losing your pens, an AG-7 will last you the rest of your life.