For many folks, ballpoint pens are the epitome of boring but they are incredibly versatile and, if we are being honest, they are probably the most efficient choice for most office spaces. So, you mine as well use a ballpoint that is comfortable and easy on the eyes. For me, the X-Pen is one of the most comfortable pens (ballpoint or otherwise) that I own. While it does have a certain “gift-box” ballpoint pen look, the design element that makes the pen so comfortable also adds a bit of design flair.

That design element is the graph-shaped ridges of the pen body. The combination of this pattern, the thick, tactile plastic of the body and the matte black finish of the upper portion result in a pen that is lies in the hand nicely. Also, the center of the pen body has a diameter of about 0.5 inches which is just about perfect for me. There are thin pens that make me feel like I need to grab tightly and there are fat pens that seem too unwieldy. This X-Pen hits the diameter sweet spot for me.

Retractable ballpoints deploy with either the snap of a button or a twist of the upper body. The X-Pen Master is a twister. I can’t lie – I prefer button action retractable pens but the twist mechanism built here is perfectly fine. There is the smallest hint of metal on metal rubbing in the twist action so it’s not the smoothest mechanism in the world. I also like the fact that the refill extends fairly far out of the hole when deployed. Refill tips that barely extend out of the hole are just the worst.

The silver-colored trim works nicely with the matte black of the body. The width of the clip matches the overall size of the pen and there is a bit of depth to the clip design where it connects to the top of the pen. With respect to the clip and pen, there is one minor design feature that bothers me more than it should. The bottom of the clip does not evenly bisect the X-Pen logo printed near the middle of the pen. I really like that the logo has a handwritten look to it but the obsessive part of me wishes the clip lined up with the middle of the logo. Yes, I’m probably being overly fussy.

The X-Pen Master ballpoint goes for a reasonable $33 on their website. I paid a fair $25 for mine during a recent visit to a New York City pen store. In short, the X-Pen Master is a reasonably priced, comfortable ballpoint with enough design flair to be more than a run-of-the-mill gift box ballpoint pen.