Customer Reviews

Pilot G2 Retractable Gel Ink Roller Ball Pen, Extra Fine Point, Clear Barrel, Black Ink, 12-Count (31002)

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I am a connoisseur of sorts in stationery, and have been for as long as I can remember. I enjoy writing longhand for letters, notes, journal-keeping, etc., and I'm always on the lookout for a better pen -- ballpoint, rollerball, fountain...any will do.

Well, I discovered Pilot's Extra-Fine Gel-Ink pens about 3 or 4 years ago, and my search is over. I have tried other new and different pens since then, but I keep going back. Nothing compares, and nothing surpasses them, even expensive varieties.

These pens don't require a scribble to start the ink (or to restart it when you pause for a thought), they never skip, they never get ink globs around the point (a common pitfall for gel-ink pens, and fine-point pens in general), and they always write a smooth, clean line. I've even found they will write upside-down, like the Fisher Space Pen does, so they're also great when a wall is your only flat surface to jot a quick note!

Other available colors include purple and green, as well as standard black, blue, and red! These pens are refillable too, so they are ecological AND economical. I have also started using the G2 refills in my more expensive pen barrels whenever they fit, since the cartridges that came with those expensive pens are horrible.

The ONLY negative thing I can say is minor: the first time you use it, it may be a little scratchy until you wear the point to your angle of writing, but this "breaking in" is over quickly.

If you want a pen that makes handwriting a pleasure, this is the one for you!

Gel ink rules! If you like a ball point pen but you also enjoy the water based ink in rolling ball pens, the G-2 Gel-Ink pen is the one for you. I have found the ink to be water resistant, smear-proof, acid free and archival safe once it has dried. The colors of the Gel-Ink is more vivid than other pens.

Since the pen is retractable, you can open and close it with one hand. Tired of losing caps - no problem here! The contoured rubber grip makes for a comfortable grip and flawless control. The pen has yet to slip out of my hands no matter how fast I write. Worried about how much ink you have? No problem, you can clearly see the level of ink left.

You must have this pen!

I much prefer the pilot G2 series to the 'equivalent' UniBall pens. While the G2 gel ink does dry faster it does not dry as fast as I would like.

_fyi_

* The G2 grip is round: much preferred to triangle variations of other brands

* grip has ridges nearer pen tip and slightly larger diameter smooth surface for those who prefer to grip further from the pen tip.

* I lose the pen before running out of ink [where lose usually means people permanently borrow without permission]

* prefer the 0.5 to the 1.0, but ultimately prefer the 0.38

* fine = 0.7
* x-fine = 0.5
* ultra-fine = 0.35

* I've never seen a refill kit in a BnM store for the G2 series though they allegedly exist

_pro_

* faster drying than uniball gel

* more comfortable grip than other gels I have used

* unlike an uncapped unibal gel the retractable (uncapped) pens do not self destruct because of prolonged disuse (after initial use)

* functions at narrow angle to paper

* does not "gum up" when certain people borrow to write on skin

* less tactile feedback from writing surface than uniball

_cons_

* ink does not dry as fast as I would like

** occasionally smearing- while inking my palm

* the dozen pack of 0.5 is three bux less at Office max

I loved these pens. They are so comfortable and write so nicely; my preference is an extra fine point blue ink and these G-2 05mm extra fine points were my favorite by far. I used them for years and bought them by the box of 12. Until about a year and half ago and something happened to the way they are made and the extra fine point pens would suffer loss of ink flow from the start of use. I tried heating the tip, shaking them downward, every trick I could think of, but to no avail. I went through 2 boxes and several individual 3 packs over a period of a year and a half(so I know it was not a short-term one-batch problem) and no luck, they just would not write. Very frustrating as I have not found any extra fine gel ink pen as comfortable. I would say their motto now is "feels great, doesn't write for beans."

My favorite pens. Good quality, reasonable price. I buy them by the dozens. I like the 05 width (07 is too thick - I'm a doctor and have tiny writing, and 03 is too scratchy).
Only problem is that probably 1/7 pens gets ruined by some wired eventually coming loose and out of where the ball is. At that point, pen is ruined.

However, I absolutely love the other 6/7.

I started with the .07 g2 a little too thick fro all the tiny spaces to fill on documents medical ones I write all day the g5 is very good I purchase bulk when I can and have noticed the same with a few duds I also write kanji it does the job very well I wish they would look at QC a little more closely

I absolutely LOVE these pens...IF they work! When you buy a package, you never know how many will be duds! When they work, they are smooth and the ink flows freely. I'm starting to reach a point though where I'm not willing to pay so much for cool pens to have several of them malfunction. Not sure if the ones that actually work are worth that price.

I conducted a Great Pen Review a few months ago, in which I purchased a 12-pack of the following 0.5mm pens and distributed them to friends and family for evaluation:

Pilot Precise V5 Stick Rolling Ball Pen, Micro Point, 0.5 mm, Black Barrel/Ink (35334), 12-Count
Pentel EnerGel Liquid Gel Pen, Fine Needle Tip, Blue Barrel, Black Ink, Box of 12 (BLN15-A)
Pilot G2 Retractable Gel Ink Roller Ball Pen, Extra Fine Point, Clear Barrel, Black Ink, 12-Count (31002)
uni-ball 207 Retractable Micro Point Gel Pens, 12 Black Ink Pens(61255)
Sharpie Pen Fine Point Pen, 12 Black Pens (1742663)

The overall favorites were definitely the V5 and the EnerGel. The EnerGel was generally preferred by those who liked a higher ink flowrate, while the V5 was preferred by those who liked a lower flowrate. First impressions of the Uniball 207 were quite good, but occasionally these pens drew the ire of my reviewers when they stopped writing seemingly randomly with large volumes of ink still remaining. The Sharpie pen, while better than expected, feels like a marker (because it is) and doesn't have wide appeal.

The Pilot G2 was scratchy and terrible all-around; this appears to be a problem with the 0.5mm tip size, as I have heard great things about the G2 0.7mm. Sometimes the ink delivery would slow to a crawl, and other times it would stop completely; sometimes it would then return to normal later, other times it stayed broken. Dropping or exposing the pen to the 'real world' in any way increases the probability that it is bound for an early grave.

There are some truly fantastic pens out there - see especially the Precise V5 and the EnerGel - so there is no need to spend money on one with this many issues. If you really love the G2 design, perhaps try out the 0.7mm instead - the tip isn't as fine as I require, but at least it doesn't have the ink delivery problems that this pen does.

I have used these pens - and no others - for 10 years! I love them. The black/blue have always worked - perhaps the person who said otherwise forgot to remove the small clear plastic ball at the end of the point. However, I have had the colored pens dry out before the ink runs out.

Let me start off by saying that I am picky about my pens. I journal a lot, and I like the ink to look just so- not too thick, not too dry, not blurry, and not bleeding. It also has to be comfortable to write with, of course.

All my expectations are met in the Pilot G2 .05. I started out using the G2 .07, but the ink was thicker and I couldn't write as neatly with it. This is absolutely perfect, though. It's just the right thickness, it doesn't blur or bleed, and it glides beautifully. I've been using them for a while now, and I've never had one dry out. They have a nice ink supply, too; I can write a lot before they run out. The cushion is soft with an excellet grip. It's very easy on my fingers. This pen also has good retraction. It doesn't get stuck, nor does it spring out too easily. I also like the design. It's sleek, and the orange bit is eye-catching. They are a little expensive, but I think they're worth every penny.

The Pilot G2 is pretty much the best pen I've ever used. The only problem is that they're kind of hard to find in stores. I make sure to stock up when I can, and I even hoarde refills (which I hardly ever buy for other pens). You can't find a better pen than this!