Stop what you are doing right now, click this link (Update: No longer available), and then click on the blender icon. Trust me.
The Pilot Juice is a pen imported from Japan by JetPens. This means there are likely import taxes, customs fees, and shipping costs just to get this pen across the Pacific. After all of that, this pen only sells for $1.65. In Japan, I would guess the Juice sells for less than the equivalent of one dollar. This is about as inexpensive of a pen as you can get, and it gets the full marketing treatment with an incredibly cool interactive website.
This is why we can't have nice things in the US.
In Japan, stationery is regarded much more highly than in the US. The tradition is greater, the products are cooler, and the marketing is fantastic. The Japanese people support these products because they are an integral part of their every day life. In the US, stationery is mostly an afterthought.
Why has the Pilot Juice got me so riled up? Because this isn't just some cheap no-frills pen. It is a pen with impressive features like pigmented ink (water-resistant and fade-resistant) and 30 shades of ink. And it is $1.65. This just doesn't happen very often.
The 0.5 mm gel ink cartridge is a solid writer too. I bought the black model and the obvious comparisons to the G2 are apt. The Juice barrel is slightly thinner, especially in the grip area, and has a spring loaded clip. The tip writes very similarly as well - my lines were dark and clean.
The Pilot Juice is a no-brainer. While it may never be the best pen you ever own, it will hold its own in any pen arsenal. You aren't going to find more features at a better price than this.
