Review: Pilot G-2, Gel Pen, 0.38mm

by Andrew

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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.

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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.

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Review: uni-ball Jetsream, Hybrid Ballpoint Pen, 0.7mm

by Andrew

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Do a quick Google search on the uni-ball Jetstream, and you’ll see that it has plenty of rave reviews. It seems that a lot of people cite the Jetstream as their favorite go-to pen, and I agree with a lot of those positive points. The Jetstream is certainly smoother than your average ballpoint pen, smudging is non-existent, and these pens are readily available at your nearest convenience, grocery, or big-box store. But as I’ve been using the Jetstream, it’s been hard to ignore the downsides.

Similar to most ballpoint pens, the black ink is somewhat dull, nowhere near matching the richness you can get with a gel or rollerball pen. And though the Jetstream uses a hybrid ink that is supposed to give consistent flow, I had plenty of skipping occur during my use. On top of that, I find the pen very aesthetically boring.

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The uni-ball Jetstream is definitely a big step-up for people who are used to using the cheap pens found in most offices, and I believe it is probably one of the better options for left-handers who need a quick-drying ink. As a go-to pen, however, I think most people can do better.

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The Wire Cutter dubs the Jetstream The Best Pen. There are a few caveats because they wanted something cheap, easily found in most stores, and with easy appeal to the masses.

Review at Parka Blogs. The reviewer, Kenneth Chin, says the flow issues are much better with the 0.5mm version.

Office Supply Geek’s Review. Included in the review is a short interview with the Senior Brand Manager of uni-ball.

Review: Retro 1951 Tornado, Classic Lacquer Rollerball Pen, 0.7mm

by Andrew

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There’s something about the Retro 1951 Tornado that, even after you’ve only picked it up it for a few seconds, you know it’s a nice pen. Some combination of the sleek shape, the minimalist design, and a good weight and balance makes it a great pen to hold. But what really seals the deal for the Tornado is that it delivers a good writing experience too.

The Retro 1951 refill that comes with the pen is one of the smoother rollerballs that I’ve used, and the black ink has great vividness to it as well. It can smear a bit, but nothing drastic – probably even a little less than an average rollerball.

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One thing to note is that the pen retracts via a twisting mechanism protruding from the top. I have to admit that I’m a bit torn on this aspect of the Tornado. On one hand, it makes the pen a bit different and fun. On the other, it’s a bit gimmicky, and click mechanisms are really the more user-friendly design.

Regardless, I’m quite enjoying the Tornado whether I’m writing with it, holding it, or even just looking at it. Definitely $20 well spent.

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Review: BIC Triumph 537R, Needle Point Roller, 0.5mm

by Andrew

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With its bland black/grey barrel and a partially-transparent ink window, there’s nothing about the BIC Triumph 537R that really stands out. Still, this needle point roller pen draws surprisingly clean lines despite the fact that it drags a bit on the page. It’s a nice pen to write with, and it would make a decently good pen if not for the awful barrel and cap design.

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The main problem is that the cap has a tendency to stick, whether it is locked over the tip or posted on the barrel. There are times when removing the cap is literally a double-fisted endeavour. To make things even worse, the cap connects to the barrel in the same spot where the refill threads in. So sometimes removing the cap (or even spinning the cap slightly in the wrong direction) will cause the refill to become partially removed from the barrel.

If BIC were to keep the refill but fix and snazz-up the barrel, then this pen could be worth using. Until then, there’s no reason to bother with the Triumph 537R.

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Review: Zebra G-301, Gel Pen, 0.7mm

by Andrew

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There’s no doubt that Zebra’s got a hit with their 301 series of retractable stainless steel pens. There was a stretch of time when the F-301 – the original ballpoint version – was my everyday, go-to pen. While I’ve since moved on, there seems to have been an explosion of the 301 series. They’ve got the M-301 (mechanical pencil), the H-301 (highlighter), and even a fountain pen they’ve called the V-301. Because I’m more of a gel pen user, I was pretty excited to pick up the gel version of this pen called – you guessed it – the G-301.

I feel no shame in stating that I love the design of the 301 pens. It’s the kind of pen a cop would use to write your speeding ticket. Like the others in the series, the G-301 has a thin, stainless steel body with a black, hard-plastic grip. The thinner barrel design is not something that everybody would enjoy, but I find that it suits my grip-style very well.

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Unfortunately, while I loved holding the pen, I really didn’t like writing with it. Its gel ink runs so quickly that it feels very slippery while writing, and though it’s a 0.7mm tip, the line it dispenses ends up looking like a 1.0mm or higher. I like the darkness of the ink, but it smears like crazy. I also had problems with the grip frequently becoming very slightly unthreaded from the barrel, causing the ink cartridge inside to rattle around when writing.

The design of the barrel is great, but the innards leave something to be desired. Luckily, there are plenty of other versions of this pen, and I hope one of those will work out better.
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