Customer Reviews

Pilot(R) P-500 Gel Ink Rollerball Pens, Extra-Fine Point, 0.5 mm, Black, Pack of 12

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Well, this pen is unbelievable.

It's a Gel pen that lasts and lasts.

Forget about having your V-ball not write for a couple of seconds after you took it out of your pocket. (V-ball's liquid ink takes a few seconds to flow) This pen is ready to write every single time.

It actually writes finer than the V-ball. Trust me, I didn't believe it myself at first.

I am a resident at a hospital and after writing all day this pen is a joy. (no cramps like with regular ballpoint, no frustration like with the V-ball)

Hands down the best gel pen out there.

If you like a thicker line it even comes in 0.7.

The ink dries instantaneously.

I highly recommend this pen to everyone.

I can't believe I'm writing a review of a pen, but this has been my favorite for years. It's virtually impossible to find the P-500 in office supply stores (the thicker 0.7mm P-500 is the one sold by Office Max, Target, etc), but the P-500 has typically been a "special order". I like that it makes a very smooth, consistent line (lots of gel rollers "hiccup" and leave blank spaces on the page) and writes first time, every time. I also prefer the finer point of the P-500 because I often write quite small and it makes a very precise line. Like other reviewers, I've bought more expensive technical pens, but none has matched up to this "pedestrian" drug store pen. I doubt I'll ever write another review of a pen, but this one is worth it.

I know some crazy people who like ballpoints and just don't like this pen, but I love it. I'm sure you could go buy some fancy boutique brand for hundreds of dollars or an artist-specific brand and really expensive ink, but for something off the shelf, there's nothing better.

The ink is smooth and consistent. The fine tip is super precise. It feels great in your hand. For writing or drawing this is just plain the best pen in the world.

Unfortunately they are getting harder to find in stores so buy a bunch now and stockpile them!

The pen seemingly lasts forever, but my favorite thing about this pen is how fine it writes. There are lots of .5mm pens on the market, but I guarantee you -- this is by far the finest (i.e. "thinnest line") of them all.

I can write smaller and more clearly with this pen than any other pen I've ever tried. For example, the Pentel EnerGel Liquid Gel .5mm is a damn fine pen, and supposedly has the same line thickness as this pen (they're both .5mm). But the Pilot P-500 writes WAAAAAY thinner lines.

If you want to write very small, very clear, or if you want to write on both sides of very thin paper with minimal bleed-through, this is the pen to get. I promise you -- you won't find thinner lines than any other .5mm pen.

Well, I must agree with the previous reviewer. This pen is utterly spectacular.

Doesn't bleed through like those generic brands- needles to say, this is no Bic.

The grip surpasses all others. There is no pen on the market quite like this.

A resounding success.

It all started when I had to sign a receipt for traffic court and they gave me this pen... I loved it and asked the clerk if I could have it. He told me, "Of course". It was by far the best pen ever to grace this earth (and I'm not exaggerating). It writes very fine - the thinnest line I've seen a pen write. It doesn't leak, it doesn't stop working where you are forced to scribble a little on another sheet of paper until the pen starts working again. It writes smoothly from start to finish. And by some miracle, my hand doesn't cramp. Believe me. No matter what KIND of pen you enjoy, this one will make anyone turn to gel ink, roller ball pens. Stock up on them, because I can't find them ANYWHERE (no, not even traffic court. I was the dope who went in a few months later just for their pens. haha)

I recently ordered four models of .5mm Pilot pens (G-2, Precise, V-Ball, and P-500) in order to compare them. They are all 5-star pens, but the P-500 is best.

The ribbed plastic grip on the P-500 is simple and effective.

A very thin layer of ink comes out every time. The thin layer is very consistent, dries quickly, and as a result this pen has tremendous capacity. The end result of writing with a P-500 is easier to read than when I use the other pens. You can write smaller and it will still be legible.

In contrast, the more popular .5mm G-2 can "hiccup" (no ink comes out for a very brief amount of time, leaving part of a letter blank), especially if you have a light touch, and seems to run out of ink faster. The difference is probably in the ink formula and/or because the P-500 has a patented "needle point" tip.

Because it is gel rather than liquid ink (like the V-Ball and Precise), the P-500 doesn't blot if you pause with the pen on the same place on the page and is less sensitive to pressure. This leads to more consistent handwriting.

i really love this pen. it is very smooth and almost never drips or leaks. however, it skips when the ink is about 25% remaining. if you leave the cap off for an extended period (overnight) it will have a high tendency to skip.

This is by far my favorite pen for many reasons. First, nothing writes smoother or better in any way. Like another review wimsically stated, it doesn't "hiccup"!!! Very smooth!

Also, from the time I was born, my mother always had one of these pens in her car. After she totaled the car, the pen almost got thrown away. I snatched it up and stuffed it into my pocket before it was thrown out with the car. I still write with that very pen, and I consider it my Good Luck Charm!!! Silly, but true!!!

I hope this will someday be available in office supply stores! In addition to being a great pen, it comes with memories for me!!! I love it!

This is by far my favorite pen and I've been using them exclusively for about 10 years now. However, every now and then you'll get a "dud" pen that will skip or seem to dry up even if the ink is full. Here's how to fix it: take a cigarette lighter and quickly run the flame over the tip of the pen. Don't touch the flame to the tip for more than a second or you'll melt the tip. The ink should flow quite nicely once you do this. And if it happens again later on with the same pen, just hit it with the lighter again. Works every time for me.