The Pen Addict

Review: Pilot G23 Luxury Gel Rollerball

This Pilot G-2 Special Edition was bought off of eBay many, many months ago.  So long ago in fact, that I am unable to pull up the original information from the purchase, nor am I able to find squat on this pen anywhere on the internet.  Maybe I should get around to reviewing my pens in a more timely fashion, huh?

Regardless of the lack of info, I can still tell you plenty about the pen.  While I knew that the 0.38mm Pilot G-2 gel ink cartridge would work just as well as any other I have tried, it was the barrel that had me intrigued.  The steel barrel looked really sharp, but one thing I didn't notice and has ended up turning me off of this pen is the cap design.  As you can see in the picture, there is a notch in the barrel that a matching point on the cap has to slide into like a puzzle piece to get the cap on securely.  This is endlessly frustrating to me, because I am used to just popping the cap on and going.  With this pen, I have to pay attention more to what I am doing.  The horrors!

If the rest of the pen was perfect I could overlook the cap design, but it really isn't.  There is a weight/balance issue with the pen for starters.  With the cap posted, it is too top heavy and unbalanced, and with the cap off, it is too light.  And I almost never write with the cap off.  Also, the grip area of the pen tapers a significant amount, making it a little too skinny to hold, especially considering the weight.

I believe I paid $12.50 for this pen, so I'm not out too much money, but I was hoping to enjoy it more than I have.

Click here for the XL review.

Update: Thanks to Michael from CultPens, I know know exactly what this pen is called.  Thanks!

Top 5 Pens Off The Store Shelf

I get asked frequently my opinion on various pens, and one of the more common themes is that people want to know what is the best pen they can run down to the store and buy right off the shelf.  The way I am approaching the list below is not from the standpoint of which pens are my favorite, but more of which pens would I recommend to a newbie pen addict to try out first from their local office supply store or big box retailer.  I hope you enjoy, and please feel free to add your favorites in the comments section below.

The elusive Uni-Ball Signo 207 Needle Tip - where does it rank?

1. Pilot G-2 0.5mm Black
It literally took me years to try out my first Pilot G-2, but once I did, I was hooked.  I kept overlooking them on the shelves thinking that they looked a little weird, or maybe just too basic to be any good, but the performance of the pen really outshines the rest of the competition.  The line is clean and pitch black - something not every black ink can say.  To feed your true inner addict, you can grab the G-2 Limited Edition barrel, or if you are like me, load up on the 0.38mm version.

2. Pilot Precise V5 Extra Fine Black or Blue
The granddaddy of all needle tip pens.  It may not be the first, and it may not be the oldest, but in my book it is the pen that all other liquid ink needle tip pens must go up against, and not one of them has taken down the Pilot Precise V5 yet.  If you are a heavy Moleskine user, this is also one of the best performers for long journaling sessions.  Ink flow is important for liquid ink pens.  Too much means it will bleed easily through the page, but the V5 seems to have the flow perfected and I never have any issues with it.  It also comes in a retractable version (RT) if you are looking for more portability.

3. Uni-Ball Signo 207 0.7mm Black
Make note of the 0.7mm size recommendation.  That is not usually my forte, but with the Uni-Ball Signo 207 line, it performs better and more consistently that the 0.5mm version.  Every size will protect you from check washing thieves though, which has made this one of the most popular pens around.  There are many different colors and barrel designs to choose from, and even a needle tip version if you are lucky enough to have a store in your area that carries them.

4. Sharpie Pen
You didn't think I would leave this one out did you?  This is probably my personal favorite pen on the list (right there with the Pilot G-2 0.38mm anyway), but I will say it may not be for everybody.  It is a plastic tip pen, meaning that if you use heavy pressure to write, you may wear the pen out sooner than you would like.  But if you are used to using plastic or felt tips pens, this is easily the best one on the market.  If you are looking for not your regular everyday pen then the Sharpie Pen is for you.

5. Uni-Ball Jetstream Sport 0.7mm or 1.0mm
This is not the standard Jetstream that comes in the nice dark blue or black barrel with silver accents, but rather the line that comes in the fun, retractable barrel colors (and I believe cheaper to boot).  For some reason, I have terrible luck with the ink flow in the original Jetstream models, but the pens in the Sport line write like a champ.  If you haven't used a Jetstream before, the ink is different than what would might be expecting, and is more of a hybrid between a rollerball and a ballpoint.  Definitely worth a look.

I hope everybody finds this helpful, but realize this is just one pen addicts opinion.  We all have our favorites, so lets hear what yours are.

Review: Pilot G-2 Mini Turquoise

It must be mini pen week here at The Pen Addict.  The Tombow Pfit ballpoint was reviewed earlier this week, and now it is the Pilot G-2 Mini's turn.  The G-2 Mini is available at most big box retailers and office supply stores, but I grabbed this turquoise model from JetPens (of course!) because I prefer to try just one of the pen I am interested in as opposed to buying a four or ten pack right out of the gate.  Lucky for me, this pen performed great, and many more G-2 Minis are in my future.

Since this was a G-2 model, I assumed the performance would be nice, and I assumed correctly.  The 0.7mm gel ink cartridge glides across the page, and the barrel is just the right length for me to write with comfortably.  Turquoise is not normally the first color I go for, but this shade is deep and much nicer than I had hoped.  I haven't tried many of the different color G-2 inks, but the way this one looks makes me want to try them all.

The only thing that would make this pen better for me personally is if it came in an 0.5mm version, but I have the Pilot Pockel to pick up that slack.

Does anyone use a mini pen regularly that they like better than the G-2?

Click here for the XL photo review.

Desert Island Pen

I was asked by @dancoopermedia on Twitter the other day for a pen recommendation, specifically, if I could have only one retractable pen, what would it be?  I didn't have to think very long before mentioning that I would pick the Pilot G-2 0.38mm and be a happy camper.  The pen writes great, is durable, and very affordable.  If I need to get something done and need a pen that I know isn't going to give be any trouble, the G-2 0.38mm is the pen I grab.

So that got me thinking on a broader scale - if I could choose just one pen to take with me on a desert island, what would it be?  I have been hard pressed to come up with an answer other than the aforementioned G-2.  I love plastic tip pens like the Sharpie Pen, but I don't think it would wear well.  Same with fountain pens - too high maintenance for me, but I know many of you can't live without your favorite fountain pen.  My favorite Uni-Ball Signo DX would be a good choice, but there is just something about the G-2 that says "MacGyver".

So what will it be?  What is your desert island pen?

Magnetic FieIds - Desert lsland -

Review: Pilot G-Knock 0.38mm Blue

Roberto on Flickr tagged me for a writing meme, so this gave me the chance to review my new Pilot G-Knock 0.38mm blue gel ink pen.  I have reviewed the Pliot G-2 0.38mm and the Pilot G-Knock barrel, so if you combine those two reviews, this is essentially what you come up with.  The results are very nice, and when I don't use my G-2 0.38mm pens very frequently, I forget how nice and clean they write.  As soon as I was done with this meme, I just wanted to keep on writing with this pen.  It is that nice, and very reasonably priced.