Pilot Hi-Tec-C 0.3mm Grip Black Review

Finally!

After all of the talk, after all of the praise, after all of the top rankings, I finally have a review of the exact Pilot Hi-Tec-C 0.3mm Grip Black that I talk about so much. This is my go to pen.

So, what makes this pen so special? The lines. This pen lays down the best, sharpest, and most consistent lines around. The grip is an added bonus that is only available on the black, blue, and red ink colors, so why not take advantage of that? I also buy the 0.3mm black refills for my Cavalier when I want to switch up the barrel but keep the same writing experience.

The only thing I regret is my photography. I might break down and reshoot this page. The lighting is funky, and the clarity is poor, making it hard to see how clean the lines really are, even in the larger size photos on Flickr. I didn’t realize how bad it turned out until I sat down to write this post.

As much as I love this pen, it is not for everyone. Some find that the 0.3mm tip is just too fine. But if you ever want to take a chance on a pen and a new writing experience, the Pilot Hi-Tec-C 0.3mm might just be for you.

Pilot B2P Guest Review

This is a guest post by Lou Rinaldi, who can also be found at cfug.org and on Twitter @LouRinaldi.

I wanted to hate this pen. After all, it's just a G2 refill in an eco-friendly body, right? I'm supposed to look down my nose and scoff at it, aren'€™t I? Well, I don't hate it. I don't know if I love it either, but it has enough redeeming qualities that I can't dismiss it outright. It feels better in my hand than the standard G2 barrel, though not as good as a G2 Pro. For this ink, the 0.7 seems to flow more smoothly than the 0.5.

I definitely prefer the aesthetics of the B2P to those of the standard G2, but that may be simply because the G2 hasn't had an update in eons, and I'm just sick of looking at it. (Enough with that gross, rusty-looking area near the top of the refill!) The biggest design differences in my opinion are that the B2P barrel is a little wider, and the 'grip' is simply some indentations cut in the plastic. The eco aspect (89% recycled content) is a nice touch, and the price differential is actually insignificant enough that it'€™s easy to justify choosing the B2P over the G2. That was an important business decision by Pilot, because as the premium prices of hybrid vehicles have shown us, sometimes the upfront cost of going green can be hard to swallow.

At the end of the day, it'€™s still a G2 at heart. That can be a good or a bad thing, depending on your writing habits and personal preferences. While I may be a tad biased, I will share a story that I hope proves the degree of objectivity with which I approached this review. I put the B2P up against the three other pens that JetPens recently sent me for review, and let a small group of my work colleagues evaluate them with no pretext whatsoever. This is a group of people with diverse tastes in writing implements, and every single one of them independently chose the B2P as the winner. Take that as you will, but it certainly speaks to the broad mass-market appeal of this pen.

Be sure to check out Brad’s original Pilot B2P review for another opinion.

Top 5 Pens - Fall 2011

Time for an update to my current Top 5 pens list. As I always state about this particular list, it is a snapshot of the pens I am currently enjoying the most, not a list of what I think are the best pens of all time.

One thing I am finding now that I am working from the house full time is that I haven’t been using multi pens as frequently. I’m not exactly sure why, but for my daily note taking requirements, there isn’t as much of a need to mix up the colors as there was when I was in the IT field. My pen needs have definitely morphed to fit my work needs.

On to the list…

1) Pilot Hi-Tec-C 0.3mm Grip Black

This pen (and #2) have far and away made the most appearances on this list. I keep going back to the well time and time again - why is that? Quality never goes out of style. From short notes, to page after page of details, I never get tired of how this pen writes. Black ink, micro fine 0.3mm tip, and a rubber grip. I reach for this pen constantly. It’s crazy how often I use this pen and don’t have a review on The Pen Addict of this exact model. Same with #2 - I must correct this asap!

2) Uni-Ball Signo DX 0.38mm Black

As much as I enjoy #1 on the list, this is the pen that leaves the house with me the most. It is a more durable and less sensitive to the environment choice. I don’t have to worry about banging it around, and it writes great outside when I’m watching soccer practice. I have said it a million times, but this is the pen I recommend the most to new micro tip users.

3) Kuretake Fudegokochi Brush Pen Super Fine

The lone shocker on this list. I never would have thought that a brush pen would be good for note taking, but this one is extremely versatile. I find myself reaching for it more and more, and while I keep waiting for it to break down, it is showing no signs so far. If you want to mix it up a bit, this is the way to go.

4) Pilot Acroball 0.7mm Blue

My lack of color ink use is disturbing. I have historically been a fan of writing with non-standard colors, but I have gone back to basics recently. The Acroball not only has supplanted the Uni-Ball Jetstream as my go to ballpoint, it is the lone non-black ink pen I have been using recently.

5) Uni-Ball Signo 207 Micro Needle Tip Black

A long time standby, now in a not so easy to find needle tip. If the exact same pen comes in both a conical and a needle tip, I am going to pick the needle tip 100% of the time. The only problem you might have with this 207 is finding it. Some readers are able to find them in their local office supply stores, I have only been able to find them on Amazon.