pen reviews

Review: Pilot B2P, Gel Pen, 0.7mm

by Andrew

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Every time I see the Pilot B2P on the store shelves, I can’t help rolling my eyes at the terrible gimmick. 89% of the pen is made from recycled bottles, and to make sure you know it, Pilot designed it to resemble a plastic water bottle. It’s a  translucent blue, all-plastic pen with water-like ripples molded into the barrel and a plastic label wrapped around the middle. It’s such a silly concept that I’m almost ashamed to admit that I actually quite like the way this pen looks.

The inside of the pen is nothing particularly special. It’s a standard 0.7mm Pilot G-2 gel ink refill, which is relatively good despite the fact that it writes a bit unevenly – in my opinion, the 0.38mm G-2 refill works a lot better. It’s a bit slippery to hold because the B2P has no grip, though I definitely wouldn’t call it an uncomfortable writing experience.

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If you really want to do the environment a favor, you should probably just get a sturdy, stainless steel pen that will last the rest of your life. But if you want an off-the-shelf pen with a unique look, the Pilot B2P isn’t a bad choice.

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Review: Sharpie Pen Retractable, Porous Point, Fine

by Andrew

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Having passed by the Sharpie Pen on the store shelves for years, it was a revelation to me when I finally used one for the first time. Its clean, consistent lines seem to improve the way handwriting looks, it barely smears, and Sharpie even managed to make the pen look nice. Because I have a predilection for retractables, I was eager to grab the Sharpie Pen Retractable, and though this version improves upon the original, I’m sorry to say that it didn’t quite meet my high expectations.

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Let’s start with the good: The Sharpie Pen Retractable has the same great writing performance as the original, adding a couple great features. The grip was a good idea – though I never had too much issue handling the original, a grip makes it much easier to write with for longer periods. The thicker design helps too, making the whole pen feel a bit more durable, and the flimsy clip of the original has been replaced with metal.

On the other hand, the clicker/knock mechanism is annoyingly long, there’s some slight rattling in the barrel while writing, and, although it’s slightly heavier than the original Sharpie Pen, it still could use a bit of added weight for a good balance. These are all very minor complaints, but at more than twice the cost of the original Sharpie Pen (at all the places I looked), I can’t say that the Retractable is a particularly good value for a non-refillable pen. It might be better to just stick with the original Sharpie Pen.

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Review: Pilot Acroball, Hybrid Ballpoint Pen, 0.7mm

by Andrew

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In the history of pens, hybrid ballpoints are a relative newcomer, ostensibly combining the fast-drying properties of ballpoint pens with the smooth writing experience of rollerball or gel ink pens. But how well do these hybrid ink pens actually perform? It turns out that Pilot’s hybrid, the Acroball, does a pretty good job.

Like most ballpoint pens, the Acroball’s ink dries immediately on standard papers and writes very noticeably smoother; similar to the uni-ball Jetstream, another hybrid ballpoint pen I’ve reviewed. But compared to the Jetstream, the Acroball’s ink is slightly darker and doesn’t seem to skip nearly as often. The Acroball is also comfortable to hold, and its white and grey color scheme stands out nicely, even though its all-plastic design looks a bit cheap.

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Though it can’t quite reach the smoothness and color-richness of gels and rollerballs, the Pilot Acroball is definitely one of the best options for people looking for a no-smear pen. You really might as well just throw out all your ballpoints and get one of these.

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Review: BIC Velocity Gel, Gel Ink, 0.7mm

by Andrew

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The BIC Velocity Gel is a “premium plastic”-style retractable pen, very similar in design to the Pilot G-2. It has a transparent barrel, a rubber grip, and black trim. It’s an uninspired design, but it looks nice enough. The gel ink inside, however, could leave your writing a little uglier because it flows a bit unevenly and smears pretty heavily, even transferring to the opposite page in a notebook that is closed too fast.

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The Velocity Gel is comfortable enough to hold, although it’s worth noting that the grip flares out a bit at the tip-end of the pen. For someone like me who grips the pen close to the tip, it feels a tiny bit awkward. Anybody who grips a pen a bit higher on the barrel won’t have this issue and might actually like this feature, as it will prevent your fingers from slipping too far down.

It isn’t a bad pen, probably ranking somewhere on the lower end of mediocre. But with so many options, it’s just not a pen worth buying. On every store shelf with a BIC Velocity Gel, there is probably a better pen sitting right next to it.

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Review: The Sharpie Pen, Porous Point, Fine

by Andrew

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It may be enough for me to say that The Sharpie Pen has become one of my go-to writing instruments. It’s a porous point pen that makes very clean lines, has very minimal smearing, and dries to a fairly dark black. Consequently, I find that it really improves the way my writing looks, and the consistent ink flow and sleek design make it a great pen to use on the go.

That’s not to say that it’s perfect. While the packaging advertises The Sharpie Pen as no-bleed, I do see some bleeding occasionally while writing – and plenty more bleeding while doodling. The pen is also very light and could use a little bit of added weight to give it some balance. The lack of any grip area, too, makes it a little harder to write with for longer periods of time.

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Still, I really like this pen a lot, and I even prefer this disposable version over the stainless steel model. If you haven’t used The Sharpie Pen before, I heartily recommend it. It’s a good pen to always have available.

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