If nothing else, the Pilot G-2 Mosaic Collection improves upon the original G-2 design in at least one important way by hiding the ugly G-2 refill. The barrel is instead covered in a pattern of broken hexagons, mimicking mosaic artwork (hence the name), and each barrel matches the color of the ink inside.

In addition to black, there are four colors: blue, red, green, and purple – all of which are quite dark. The green, the lightest of the bunch, is something like a darker shade of aquamarine. The red is more of a “blood red,” and is actually a great color for standard writing.

They write like typical Pilot G-2 pens, which is a mostly positive experience, and they come in a 0.7mm tip. There is some smearing, especially with the black ink, but I had no issues with the pens bleeding through the page. If you’re looking for darker colored gel ink pens, these are a pretty good choice – especially that beautiful dark red.