According to the advertising, the Pilot G-2 is “America’s #1 selling gel ink pen.” I can’t say I’m surprised by this. Walk into any convenience, grocery, or big-box store, and you’ll find more colors and varieties of the Pilot G-2 than are available for any other pen line. But is it just good marketing or do people buy G-2s because they are actually good pens? I think it’s a bit of both.

The aesthetic design of the pen is nothing to write home about. It’s mostly clear plastic with black trim, a rubber grip, and the G-2 branding printed on the clip in big, bold letters. I have to also point out the ugly, rust-colored blob of gunk at the top of the refill. This gunk – which I assume helps hold in the ink – is clear in a lot of similar pens, but Pilot has chosen to keep and prominently display this odd coloration in the G-2. Maybe it has something to do with branding.

Beyond that, it’s a decent gel ink pen. It’s comfortable to hold, and this 0.38mm version writes steady lines with little smearing or skipping. While there might be better gel pens out there, I’d be happy to grab one of these off the shelf any day.

Extra Links

• No Pen Intended did a great comparison of all four of the G-2 tip sizes (0.38, 0.50, 0.70, and 1.00)
• PenSwag actually likes the brown/yellow/rust color in the ink refill
• Review at Office Supply Geek