Review: Sailor Gel Ink Pen in Black, Blue, & Red - 0.38mm

Overall Look	6
Writing Smoothness	9
Overall Value	9
Overall Rating	8

I've always had an affinity for paper goods, office supplies, and stationary but these Sailor Gel Ink pens were probably my first Japanese pens that I collected. It's been a while since I have used or seen these because I have since moved on to other pens. They've been buried beneath several other pens in a box that I keep in my room, but I'm glad I've found them again. 

Like many of my pens, I first found these Sailor Gel Ink pens from a Japanese dollar store. These are from Daiso Japan.

I really do like these pens, but they don't look as great as other pens that I currently buy.
The barrels are clear, plastic like most other gel ink pens but are shaped funny because the ends are thicker than the middle portion, which makes it difficult to keep too many of them in a small pencil case.
Part of the barrel and also the grip has deep ridges, which is not something seen on any pen that I've encountered recently.

Aside from the fact that they're oddly shaped, the Sailor Gel pens are very long. Here's my retractable  Sailor Gel in black next to a Zebra Sarasa Clip and Pilot G2.
You can also see the Sailor Gel's dumbell-like shape and ribbed sections.

These pens may look a bit funny, but they for sure make up for it with how nicely they write.

Compared to other 0.38mm gel ink pens that I own,  the line is a slightly thicker. But I actually like that about these pens.  The lines look a little bolder, which makes my hand writing look less small. haha. 

The ink flow is smooth, but does smear. 
And I've had minimal problems with the ink skipping or blotting while I write.

Considering that I bought these pens for $1.50 each, I don't have much to complain about. The ink flow is smooth enough and it writes well more often than not. It also comes in a few non standard colors, which I will review in a later post. One thing I do dislike about it's design is that the cap is easily snapped on the inside from pushing the pen too far. A few of my pen caps don't stay on the pen too well because the inner part is broken. 

I was looking for these online, but I couldn't find them, unfortunately.
The pen brand, Sailor, only makes fountain pens and has one line of multi-ballpoint pens.
I do have a black and blue ink, capped version still in package that I'll save for something special. :)

Review: Pilot Hi-Tec-C in Black, Blue, & Red - 0.28mm

Overall Look	9
Writing Smoothness	8
Overall Value	6
Overall Rating	8

Finally opened these Hi-Tec-C Gel Ink pens last week after having letting them sit for a couple months still in their box.
I know that these are a favorite in the pen community but I'm still not totally sold on them.
Overall though, I am satisfied. One thing to note is that I've titled the post as 0.28mm even though the box says 0.3mm.
I tested the black in Hi-Tec-C next to my 0.28 Uni-ball Signo and my 0.38 Uni-ball Jetstream. As I expected, the line made by the Hi-Tec-C was more close to 0.28mm, so I just rounded up.


I bought the 10 color set of Hi-Tec-C gel ink pens a while back from a Maido Stationary Store.  They were on sale though and I ended up paying roughly the same price that Jetpens.com sells this same set, which is $32. The colors included in the set are: red, orange, yellow, green, light blue, blue, violet, pink, brown, and black. In this review, I will focus on black, blue, and red ink. Check back soon for the review of the non-standard colors.

The Hi-Tec-C pens are very simple in their look. Their clear plastic bodies showcases the ink inside. The tip of the cap and bottom of the barrels are colored the same as the ink. I really like the colored dots on the the pen cap next to the simple Hi-Tec-C logo -- its cute. 


There are a few drawbacks to this pen. 
The barrel is made of plastic, as is the grip. So, this pen is not ideal for long periods of writing, like essay exams or taking notes for a lecture heavy class. If this is a real problem for you, there are always those soft or rubber grips you can slip onto a pen or pencil. Or actually, there is a line of Hi-Tec-C pens that have a grip.  The downside to those are that they are only sold in black, blue, and red.
Another thing that irks me about Pilot's Hi-Tec-C Gel Ink Pen, is the pen's tip.

The tip is incredibly small in comparison to other pens that I've used. My normal handwriting is cursive, so if I'm not putting enough pressure on the point while writing with the Hi-Tec-C there is a very faint, thin line connecting all my words. It's especially noticeable when I dot my i's and cross my t's. A little frustrating because it makes my very small handwriting look messy -- which it definitely is not! But the tips can be fragile, so I'm always afraid that putting too much pressure on the point might break it. 

These are also capped...I'm not a huge fan of capped pens.

As for the Hi-Tec-C's writing ability, I like it...mostly.

It took a couple lines of writing before the ink would flow smoothly. Even after that, the tips scratched against the paper still. The line it lays down is very fine and nice once the ink "gets started".   
A few reviews that I've seen mention that their Hi-Tec-C just stops working even though the barrel is full of ink. Though I have not yet encountered this problem, I hope that I never will. 

If you are thinking of getting yourself a Pilot Hi-Tec-C, I'd say go for it. 
Though they are one of the more expensive gel ink pens I own, at $3.00-4.00 per pen, the Pilot Hi-Tec-C is a very popular choice among pen enthusiasts.
They come in a variety of colors and in four different point sizes (0.25mm, 0.3mm, 0.4mm, & 0.5mm); I'm sure one of them can end up as your favorite.

Pen Review: Pilot G-2 Gel Ink Roller Ball Pen - 0.38mm

Overall Look	9
Writing Smoothness	10
Overall Value	9
Overall Rating	9

The Pilot G2 pens are probably the most common pens I see being used around campus.  I definitely used these pens too, way back when I didn't have much of a preference for what kind of pens I liked. The point sizes that I usually see are the 0.7mm (pilot g2-07) and the 0.5mm (pilot g2-05) so I was pretty excited when a friend mentioned that Pilot G2 pens are also available in 0.38mm.  

There isn't much to complain about with regards to the look of these pens. Like most gel ink pens, the body is clear plastic with colored rubber accents.  The rubber grip on the pilot G2 is softer than my Sarasa Clip pen, which is nice if you're writing for long periods of time. 

For a 0.38mm point pen, the ink deposition is really smooth.  I usually have problems with the ink bleeding, smearing, and blotting on the paper as I write with smaller points.  I am thoroughly satisfied with how well the ultra fine point Pilot G2 pens write. These pens aren't scratchy either! 

I first saw these pens at Target, which is where my friend mentioned she had bought her pilot g2 pens.  
Target sells them in a 3 pack of pens for ~$7, which comes out to $2.30 per pen -- which is a  reasonable price when compared to the Sarasa Clip zebra pen or the pilot juice, both also gel ink pens. 
Pilot G2 pens in 0.38mm, which pilot classifies as "ultra fine point" can also be purchased from office supply chains like Staples or Office Max.  I was browsing through Staples the other day and found these in a 5 pack for $7.79, a much better price than what I paid at Target.

Ultra fine point Pilot G2 pens only come in standard pen colors (Black, Blue, Green, Red).
If you like having color options, the Pilot G2 -07 come in 15 different colors, but that is a larger point size.

I really like these pens, and I'm glad that there is a 0.38mm point pen that I can buy without having to go to a Japanese stationary store (which is where I usually buy my finer point pens). 

If you like fine point pens, but 0.5mm is still too thick for your liking, the 0.38mm Pilot G2 pens are just the thing you need!

Written with my new favorite 0.5mm Sarasa Clip Gel Ink Pen in Cobalt Blue.

Hopefully my handwriting isn't too terrible! 
Find me on instagram and twitter !

Review: Zebra Sarasa Clip Gel Ink Pen in Cobalt Blue, Light Pink, & Red Orange - 0.5mm

Hey everyone!
Sorry for the lack of posts this past week or so.
But I am back after a long, relaxing spring break and a very hectic week of project work.

I have already reviewed the Sarasa Clip pens, so click the link if you want an in depth review.
This review will only cover these three new colors I picked up a couple weeks ago at a Japanese store.

As I mentioned in the first review, I absolutely love how bright the colors are in these pens.
I love all three of them, but the cobalt blue is the color I use most frequently.  The color is what I typically think of when I see blue inked pens -- or in America at least.  Japanese blue-ink pens are much darker.

One reason I have so many of these pens is to help organize my notes and planner.  Having multiple colors helps me prioritize and format things in a similar way that I would on a word processing program -- or on blogger!
But another reason is because I just really like colors.
I mean...look how pretty!  haha.

I found them at a Japanese dollar store for $2.00, but you can also find them online on Jetpens.com and other online retailers. 
They are well worth the money, if you're in the market for some new pens.

Pilot Juice vs. Zebra Sarasa Clip: Which is the better gel ink pen?

There is no doubt that I absolutely love the Sarasa Clip gel ink pens by Zebra. 
But I was definitely interested in the Pilot Juice pens when Jetpens.com started stocking them. 
Both pens are incredibly similar, so which of the two are better?

**Please note that this review only discusses these two pens in 0.5mm points.

Specifications

	Pilot Juice	Sarasa Clip
Body Material	Plastic with rubber grip	Plastic with rubber grip
Length (without point)	14.0cm	13.9cm
Refillable?	standard pen colors only	standard pen colors only
Available Point Sizes	0.38mm, 0.5mm, 0.7mm	0.3mm, 0.4mm, 0.5mm, 0.7mm, 1.0mm

Appearance

If you can't see the labeling, the Sarasa Clip and Pilot Juice look almost identical.
The most obvious difference is in their clip.  The Zebra pen's clip matches the color of the pen's ink but the Pilot pen has a clear clip. The clip on the Pilot Juice also has a small hole to string pens together with a loop or lanyard - a convenient feature, but one that I do not use.

Another difference, though not readily visible in this picture is the rubber grip. 
Though both grips match the color of the pen's ink, the grip on the Zebra pen is more opaque. Whereas the Pilot pen has a grip that is slightly translucent. The opacity of the rubber grip on makes the color more vibrant, which in my opinion makes the color also more vibrant. 

Writing Performance

For the most part, there are minor differences between the two -- at least, in my experience with them.

One thing I will note is that the Pilot Juice pens seem to glide across papers better than the Sarasa Clip.
But that is not to say that the Sarasa Clip doesn't write smoothly, because it certainly does (for me)!
I have not experienced skipping or ink blotting with either of these pens, so points to both for that. 

Other Noteworthy Points

Both brands come in a crazy amount of colors.  Zebra Sarasa Clip pens come in 29 different colors. With only metallic colors and standard pen colors (black, black-blue, red) available in 1.0mm. Pilot Juice pens come in 36 unique colors, but metallic and pastel only available in 0.5mm points. 


The price for these pens vary across the web and in store.
Jetpens.com offers the Sarasa Clip for $2.20 and the Pilot Juice for $1.65 -- and as always, free shipping on orders over $25!
JStationery.com sells both pens for $1.60, but limited selection on point sizes.  They also offer free shipping, but on orders over $20.
If you're lucky enough to live near a Japanese Stationary store, like Maido, they ususally have great selection of these pens.  However, they are more pricey.

Final Verdict

I love having multiple shades of of one color for writing class notes - which is one thing that love about Pilot Juice pens.
Aesthetically though, I much prefer the look of the Zebra Sarasa clip pens. 

From week or so that I have been using both pens, I am still very partial to the Zebra Sarasa Clip pens. 

However, if you're looking to buy a gel ink pen, I would consider buying a couple of the Pilot Juice.
These pens may not be my personal preference, but for the price you pay, these pens are great.

Review: Uni-Ball Roller™ Roller Ball Pen - 0.5mm

Overall Look	8
Writing Smoothness	7
Overall Value	9
Overall Rating	8

I found a box of these in my room. I haven't used them in a while, but they were my go-to pens a couple years ago -- long before I started using Japanese pens.

However, the Uni-ball Roller was not an instant favorite for me.
I did like that the pen had a simple and sleek design, and was thin enough to fit comfortably in my pencil case, which at the time was much smaller. 
I also liked that the pen wrote smoothly with any type of paper I used -- just as it advertised on the box. 


But what I didn't like was how unbearably inky the pens were for the first few uses.
Though this wasn't the case with all the pens in the box, it was a good number of them.
The ink would bleed through and blot on the paper while writing. 
Often, it would look like the lines were far thicker than the 0.5mm the box claimed. 
The ink bleed through would eventually stop after enough use, leaving a nice, bold line without skipping!
 

Aside from black, Uni-ball Roller pens are also available in blue, red, and green ink.
And for you ink lovers that prefer a larger point size, Uni-Ball Roller pens can be bought in 0.7mm points.
Another great aspect about these pens is that the ink is smear free -- which is often not the case with my other pens. 

Major office supply chains carry these pens in 12 count boxes.
The cheapest price I found online was at Staples. They sell the box of dozen pens for $8.89; with each individual pen costing $0.75. 
Hopefully not all Uni-Ball Roller pens start out as inky as mine were.
Let me know if you've ever used these pens before and had the same experience!

Either way, I think these pens are worth the cost.
If you've been looking for a new pen for your everyday writing, I'd definitely consider the Uni-ball Roller!