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!

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: Pilot Juice Gel Ink Pen - 0.5mm

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

I had no intention of buying these pens before walking into the store last weekend, but I saw them on my way to the register and couldn't help myself.  Last time I visited the store they weren't carrying these pens, so I was pleasantly surprised when I noticed them. 

One of the first things I noted about the Pilot Juice was how similar they looked to my go-to Zebra Sarasa Clip pens (Look out for my comparison post in the near future!)  One thing that they both have in common that I really like is the clip! But there are definitely some differences between the two though. Most notable, for me, is how many colors this pen comes in! Pilot Juice pens are available in an impressive 36 different colors.  I am a big fan of having different shades of one color while writing, and with so many options and colors the Pilot Juice pens already win some points from me. The store I purchased the pens from didn't have all 36, but they had a decent selection.

I bought a total of five pens, if you remember from my last post.

And you can see these are the colors I picked up last week.

I started using one of the black in pens on Monday, and to be honest, I wasn't super into it.  Unlike other reviews I've read for this pen, it didn't scratch my paper -- which is good.  But it seemed like it was depositing more ink than I was expecting for a 0.5mm pen.  I opened up the blue, red, and green pens to test them out and didn't have that problem.  I hope that the other black pen that I bought doesn't have the same problem though.  

I paid $2.00 for each pen, which is a fair price.  Jetpens.com lists their stock of individual Pilot Juice pens $1.65 but also have color sets for $9.90 or all 36 colors bundled together for $59.40.

I haven't quite decided if I like these pens that much, but when I get a chance I will definitely be buying a Pilot Juice in dark red, and maybe checking out the 0.38mm Pilot Juice pens. 

New Pens! : A Follow Up Post

Check out the new pens I scored today.
Here's what I picked up, all of them are 0.5mm:

• 3 Zebra Sarasa Clip pens in cobalt blue, red orange, and light pink.  
• 5 Pilot Juice pens in black, blue, red, and green. 
• 2 Uni-ball Jetstream black in pens in the apricot & sky blue barrels.  

I looked up the prices for each pens online, and I bought all except the Pilot juice pens at a price less than the online retailer's selling price.  Not bad, if you ask me!

I can't wait to start writing with them.

New pens!

I checked the Ichiban Kan, a Japanese dollar store, on my usual Sunday trip into the city and saw that they carried both new Zebra Sarasa colors in 0.5mm and the uni-ball jetstream pens in 0.5mm! They also started carrying Pilot Juice pens.

I couldn't resist and bought a few of each.
Check in later this week for their reviews !

Review: Pilot Neo-Gel, Gel Ink Roller Ball Pen - 0.7mm

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Overall Look	7
Writing Smoothness	5
Overall Value	6
Overall Rating	6

I found a dozen of these pens in my room and figured I've test them out in a review.

Since I found these in an unmarked box, mostly untouched, I don't believe that I had bought them myself. (otherwise, I would have used them already! hah)  My guess is that someone in my family or a friend bought these and gave them to me for whatever reason.  But anyway, back to the review. 

At first glance, I was not that impressed with these pens. 
In comparison to my other pens, which also have clear barrels, there is just something about the Pilot Neo-Gel that is unappealing to me. 

Maybe its the colored plastic of the caps.  Maybe its the caps themselves (the curve of the clip bothers me a bit). Whatever it is exactly, I would not have picked these up if I was browsing the pen section at an office supply store.

One of the first things I noticed when writing with the Pilot Neo-Gel pen was a strange scratching sound.
It doesn't happen every time I write, but it happens more often than not. It's probably because it is a roller ball pen.
Aside from the scratching noise, in my normal cursive handwriting, this pen does not cut it. 

It may be partly because when I write, I don't put much pressure on the point but even when printing the ink skips or does not lay down a solid line. 

For a 0.7mm point, I knew it was going to be thicker than I normally write with, but for some reason the lines made with the Pilot Neo-Gel seem bigger.

Like I said, I'm pretty sure I'm not the one who bought these.
But Looking online, these pens are available in 12-count boxes for $13. 
Not a bad price, but I would not spend my money on them.  

I definitely won't be using these to take notes or anything.
The Pilot Neo-Gel is the kind of pen I would lend out to people that I knew would not return it to me. 

That is how much I dislike this pen.

But if you like gel ink pens and are have a habit of losing pens frequently, these pens aren't the worst pens you can choose.