The blue, (micro), pens I received seem to be new stock, and write smoothly.Originally tried the smooth-writing Uniball Vision 0.8 mm, but encountered some bleed-through of ink on the paper I regularly use (80/90 gsm). The Uniball Eye Micro 0.5 mm is perhaps marginally less smooth, but still quite acceptable, with my normal hand-writing and has the advantage of virtually no bleed-through. These are my rollerball choice pens at present.Disappointed by these pens. I've used them before and appreciated their fine tip and long life. But these five are from a poor batch. Within 300 words, the flow of ink is meagre and after 400 words they've all but given up. Amazon should check their supply of these 5 packs and make sure they're not all duff.I’ve used these pens for a while now. They work perfectly and do a lot of writing.Every one I’ve owned has worked perfectly from new until the ink eventually runs out.Check the width is correct for you though as they come in different sizes.Aaron :-)I am so happy with these pens. They write really nicely and the pen itself is comfy to use.Good value for money too, thanksGreat for writing different notes on the same page - helps to make the various sources for my notes stand out for me.