The Pilot G-2

The Pen That Began an Era

Pilot G-2 0.7mm & Pilot G-2 0.38mm pens

My introduction to the realm of the gel pen was with the Pilot G-2.  The G-2 began from humble beginnings, coming in only two colors and one size (0.7 mm).  The clear smokey barrel with ink colored complimentary grip and clip is a pen nearly all offices have seen for the past decade.  The Pilot G-2 has become as commonplace as the “stick” pen.  They are a non-flamboyant simply designed pen that like their predecessors functioned right out of the packaging.

I’ve never had too many issues with the Pilot G-2.  These pens have worked for me for years without any hesitation and have become a “work horse” for many offices.  The rubber grip is textured and tapered permitting a better grip.  The “click” is strong and the clip secure.  Though I couldn’t see it used in a board meeting it is a significant upgrade to the common “stick” pen.

The ink quality on most office paper is good however, there is a bit of a wait time when writing in a Moleskine and other better quality paper.  Below are a few samples of paper I use regularly that show the dry times…

Overall quality of the ink is good.  I fell in love with gel inks ever since my first Pilot G-2 in blue.   Nowadays, the pen comes in an assortment of colors:

·         Blue

·         Black

·         Red

·         Green

·         Navy

·         Purple

·         Orange

·         Brown

·         Burgundy

·         Pink

·         Turquoise

·         Periwinkle

·         Teal

·         Lime Green

·         Hunter Green

I’m still hoping for purple/black though.  Pilot also diversified the point size, pleasing even the finest of lined writers like myself.  The Pilot G-2 is offered in 1.0, 0.7, 0.5 and 0.38 mm sized.  Though all colors are not available for all sizes there are workarounds for the imitated.  I have taken the tip section off the ink chamber and secured it onto various colors in the past…this was until I discovered JetPens. 

The pen is a very light weight pen and balances in the hand effortlessly.   In the original and “standard” size of 0.7mm writes smooth and flawless.  The lines are bright and vibrant and stand out on the page and I’ve never had a Pilot G-2 skip in a 0.7 mm.  I have had some skip while using a 0.5 mm and more so with the 0.38 mm.  Though a bit frustrating the love I had for the pen overcame even the most extreme cases of skipping. 

The Pilot G-2’s are inexpensive enough not to be concerned with carrying them in a pocket or just throwing them in a pack/bag on the way out the door.  Because they are plastic they are durable little suckers, the only time I’ve broken one was by running it over with a forklift inadvertently.  It crushed the pen completely and left a blue stain on the concrete that remains 5 years later.  I’m still a little sad when I see the stain, it was my first Navy dark blue inked pen. 

I can’t continue without pointing out one major defect in the design of the pen, the grip.  I completely understand this is a manufacturing defect and just a pet peeve but, the Pilot G-2 has two small “nibs” from where the grip must have been in the mold.  I find them completely annoying and think they should have designed them to be on the inside of the mold and not the outside.  It’s been a few years since I’ve pick these pens up so that might have changed. 

Still, the pen is a solid writer and that’s all that is expected of it.  For under $2.00 I can’t really get too fussy.  Thank you Pilot for introducing me to the gel pen.