Pilot VBall BeGreeN 05 Review

The Pilot VBall is a pen that has been around for years and has a large following. I know several readers would consider it one of their all-time favorites. What I don’t understand about the VBall is why isn’t it easier to find on store shelves? It is one of Pilot’s main pen lines, but I had to resort to Amazon to get a pack of my own to review. And I have had it on the radar for years.

Admittedly, I’m probably being too hard on Pilot. The VBall Grip and VBall Retractable are EVERYWHERE and use the same ink. I have used both of those pens, but I wanted the original VBall experience in the original VBall barrel design. Have you seen one of those on the shelf recently?

I settled for the VBall BeGreeN, which is a fine choice considering it is made from 81.6% recycled content. As happy as I am to be environmentally conscious, what I really wanted to know is how well the VBall writes.

I think my expectations were too high.

Liquid ink is challenging, especially in finer tip sizes. The VBall ink is wetter than I remember, more so than the VBall RT that I reviewed years ago. This causes my handwriting to not have the clean edge that gel or plastic tip pens provide.

When I bought this pen, I was hoping that it would find a place in my regular writing arsenal. Unfortunately it has been relegated to backup status.

Pilot Explorer Extra Fine Black Review

Raise your hand if you remember this pen.

I certainly do, as it was one of my favorites growing up. The Pilot Explorer has a very unique design, especially for a pen whose heyday was back in the 80’s and 90’s. To a youngster like me, it looked like it was from outer space. The best part about the Exlplorer though was how it wrote. I remember fine, crisp black lines, unlike the majority of the pens on the market at that time. So how does it hold up today?

It hasn’t skipped a beat.

Seth from Good Pens was kind enough to send me one from a stash he found at a stationery store in Europe. He has been on a mission for a while to find a good source for the Explorer, but has run into dead end after dead end.

From all appearances, the Explorer has been discontinued. You can find some strays available from various online office supply stores, but more often than not they are out of stock. I have looked through every Pilot Pen foreign site to no avail. I have even emailed the store in Denmark where Seth found them and got no response.

So, Pilot Pen, if you are listening - where can we get these pens?

The Explorer is as good as many of the pens that Pilot has on the market today. They write similarly to the Pilot VBall RT Extra Fine, which is very popular. I loved using one again and I think on nostalgia alone this pen would sell very well.

Please bring back the Pilot Explorer!

Top 10 Reviews of 2011

In what has become an annual tradition at The Pen Addict (see 2008, 2009, and 2010), here are the top 10 pen reviews of 2011. The rankings below consist of the top 10 pen review posts for the 2011 calendar year as determined by Google Analytics. This list isn’t my top 10 favorite pens, but rather a snapshot of what was popular over the last 12 months.

1. 
   

   Zebra Sarasa Clip 0.3 mm Blue

   
   

   This has become one of my new favorite every day writers. The 0.3 mm tip is super sharp although some would call it scratchy. That doesn’t faze me, but it is something to consider when shopping for pens.

   
   


2. 
   

   Uni-ball Signo 207 Micro Needle Tip

   
   

   Why this pen hasn’t become more common on store shelves I have no idea. I check my local Staples for it every single time I go and to this date I have NEVER seen this pen for sale. Office Max generally stocks them but I don’t have one nearby. Hello Amazon.

   
   


3. 
   

   County Comm Embassy Pen

   
   

   One of three pens with a permanent home in my backpack. I swapped out the 1.0 mm black Fisher Space Pen refill with the 0.7 mm blue and never looked back. I haven’t used many tactical pens, but this one is going to be hard to beat.

   
   


4. 
   

   Kaweco AL Sport Fountain Pen

   
   

   The one and only fountain pen I feel safe leaving the house with. The aluminum construction is strong and durable, and the threaded cap gives me peace of mind that the cap is going to stay put. One of my favorite pens ever.

   
   


5. 
   

   Pilot Hi-Tec-C 0.3 mm Grip Black

   
   

   Speaking of favorite pens ever, this is my go to daily writer. I love the clean, consistent, and quick drying lines. The rubber grip makes it more comfortable during long writing sessions.

   
   


6. 
   

   Kuretake Fudegokochi Brush Pen Super Fine

   
   

   A brush pen for taking notes? I thought that was a ridiculous idea until I tried the Kuretake for that exact task. If you are looking for more style and uniqueness than with a traditional felt or plastic tip pen give it a try. You might be as surprised as I was.

   
   


7. 
   

   Uni-ball Jetstream 101

   
   

   Is it a sad state of affairs that this pen is the only one of the top ten found regularly on store shelves? I don’t think so, but it is something I am trying to change one review at a time. The smooth-writing Jetstream 101 is a workhorse office supply cabinet filler.

   
   


8. 
   

   Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto Five Cartridge Barrel

   
   

   I am amazed at how popular the Coleto line still is. It helps that Pilot keeps pushing out so many new barrel designs each year, and each year they are better. The best customizable multi pen on the market.

   
   


9. 
   

   Pilot Delful Double Knock Double Knock Mechanical Pencil

   
   

   This was another big surprise for me. I generally stick to my Uni-ball Kuru Toga when a mechanical pencil is required, but the Pilot Delful was a pretty impressive tool. I still use it from time to time which says a lot considering the options within arms reach.

   
   


10. 
    

    Moleskine Classic Roller Pen

    
    

    Sometimes having no expectations lead to the best discoveries. I swore off Moleskine paper years ago, and the rectangular body design of the pen is admittedly odd. But guess what? This is a damn good pen.