Posts filed under Pilot

Pilot FriXion Fineliner Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

It's been quite a while since I've tested out the Pilot FriXion pens. I'm not normally in need of any erasable options, so these pens just don't get the exercise they deserve. With the latest Fineliner version from Pilot, I decided to give it another go.

The Pilot FriXion Fineliner is an erasable pen with a fine plastic tip that works great for drawing lines that retain crisp lines around the edges. These pens really remind me of the Staedtler Triplus and Paper Mate Flair pens, which is fair since they share the plastic tip designation.

It's hard to describe — any Pen Addict will understand — but the Fineliner is a delight to use. The ink flows well, the plastic tip is crisp but smooth, and there's even a small bit of shading present in the light blue and red ink colors that I'm using. I've been using these pens quite a lot in my everyday use, and I haven't seen any degradation in the tips. I'm fairly confident that the tips will outlive the ink supply. Since these aren't refillable, that works out great.

Writing, drawing, and scribbling with these pens is great fun, but what about the other signature feature of any FriXion pen? How well does it erase these nice markings? Wonderfully. I've used FriXion pens in the past and have mixed feelings about their ability to erase. In the case of the Fineliner, I've been impressed with how well it works. I think the main difference in the performance is that the plastic tip doesn't create as much of an impression on the paper compared to a metal roller ball. Whatever it is, it's magical.

Along with the great writing and erasing experience, the dry time is also remarkably fast. You can write something and erase it almost immediately without blurring anything. And, if anything does blur, you can just wait a couple of seconds for the ink to fully dry and then erase away the mistakes.

Everything else about these pens is remarkably simple. The slim body is lightly decorated and branded, the cap is small and able to post securely, and the eraser on top of the cap matches the color of the rest of the pen. It's a great package!

Now, with any FriXion pen, there are some drawbacks. The main one being that this is not permanent ink. It's funny to point that out since the main marketing feature of this pen is that the ink is erasable, but I'm referring to the archival properties. You can't rely on this ink to last in notebooks for years and decades to come. Maybe it will be fine, but there's also no promises that it will endure.

The Pilot FriXion Fineliner is available in a variety of fun colors for just over $2 a piece. You can even pick up a six-pack or twelve-pack if you want to round out a complete set while also saving a couple of bucks.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on April 3, 2019 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Pilot, FriXion, Pen Reviews.

Pilot Acro 1000 Ballpoint Pen Giveaway

Sometimes being second is ok, and when you’re up against the behemoth that is the Uni-ball Jetstream, next-best is pretty great. The Pilot Acroball may not get the press of the Jetstream, but it is as good, or better depending on who you talk to.

Pilot has recently added the premium barrel Pilot Acro 100 to the lineup, and I have one to give away in the barrel color of your choice. Read the rules below and enter away!

Posted on March 26, 2019 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Pilot, Acroball, Giveaways.

Pilot Grance Fountain Pen Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

The Pilot Grance is a relatively new addition to Pilot's North American lineup (in 2024!), and I'm really glad they decided to bring it here. When you look at fountain pens as a whole, there's an overwhelming majority of pens that use a screw on cap versus a friction fit slip or snap cap. While that's not a bad thing, I've always wondered why that's the case. The Grance is an elegant, slim-bodied pen that packs in a fantastic nib and comfortable feel that looks great in any setting.

In my mind, the Grance is the more refined and elegant version of the Metropolitan. The Metropolitan is affordable, accessible, and a great deal. The Grance builds on top of that with more premium materials, but also nails the writing experience. From what I can tell, the interior of the Grance is made of brass, with a thick metal covering that features a metallic, pearlescent finish that glimmers in the light. There are also black resin accents that are offset with yellow gold pieces. When I first saw this pen, the gold hardware put me off until I picked the pen up and started writing with it. While I wish there were other options (they're all gold, baby!), I quickly got over my aesthetic issues with the yellow gold. It might not be my number one preference, but this pen is a champ that has become my daily writer despite our color differences.

The Grance is also a fairly small lineup, sporting only three color options: Pearl White, Pearl Pink, and Pearl Blue. Again, the options aren't plentiful, but I can only imagine that Pilot have plans to expand this line if it does well.

The grip section is a black resin that picks up fingerprints easily, but feels great when in use. There's a small taper toward the tip of the pen, but there's also a small ring of gold around the end of the grip that provides a nice place to rest your fingers when writing. In my experience, the grip does not get slippery when writing despite the lack of texture. And the slim body makes longer writing sessions comfortable as well.

The cap design for the Grance is a snap cap that works very well in practice. In some instances, the snap cap can be too tight, requiring too much effort to open and close. In these cases, it can be an annoyance, but it can also cause you to sling ink if you're not careful. Luckily, the Grance does not suffer from these issues. It's just the right amount of snug to keep the cap on securely. It also posts nicely using the same snap mechanism.

The clip on the Grance is much stronger than I expected it to be. It easily keeps the pen secure on almost any material it can fit over. Even when my bag has been thrown around a bit, the Grance stays put where I clipped it.

In terms of ink options, you have plenty. The Grance fits standard Pilot cartridges, but you can also use a Pilot CON-40 converter to use any ink you like.

Now, let's move on to what really makes this pen sparkle for me: the writing experience. The best part about this pen, and the part that also brings the price point into the low-premium arena is the nib. It's a 14k gold nib that feels smooth, bounces a bit while writing, and flows well. I've always really enjoyed Pilot gold nibs, and this one is no exception. In the unit I have, I'm using the FM nib, which is somewhere between fine and medium. It's also one of my favorite nibs due to the size.

When writing with this pen, there's a slight (but noticeable) spring in the nib due to the soft gold material. It doesn't provide much in the way of line variation, but it does give the pen a soft feel when writing, added to the premium experience.

I've been using this pen as my daily driver for several weeks, and I've never once had any issues with skipping, hard starts, or excessive ink flow. It's a work horse - it's simply ready to write the instant you pick it up and uncap it. Even leaving it uncapped for a couple of minutes doesn't faze it. It's incredibly reliable, and I love it for that.

This is true of most Pilot pens I've used, and the Grance is no exception: this nib is incredibly smooth on paper. Writing is pure joy and this pen can keep up with most everything you decide to use it for. It's reliable, pleasing, and delightful.

Overall, I was reluctant to use this pen when I first saw it. It's slim, it uses gold accents, and the color options are few. Despite all this, I've fallen in love with it over the past few weeks. I didn't expect this, but the nib is what caused this. It's an excellent nib, the pen is comfortable to use, and it's incredibly reliable. When that's the case, the exterior aesthetics can sometimes take a backseat.

The Pilot Grance is available in three colors and four nib sizes (EF, F, FM, M). It's in the lower premium price range at $140, but that price is about as low as you can go with a gold nib. If this pen fits your style, then you'll love using it.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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