review: Pilot juice 0.5mm gel pens

Whilst in Hong Kong, these Pilot Juice pens caught my eye. They come in a wide array of colours and I found myself spoilt for choice when it came to choosing which ones to purchase. In the end, I chose all but three or four of the ones available to me!

I am a sucker for coloured gel pens (thank you, Muji, for this obsession that started seven years ago!) and the fact that they are retractable is a big plus in terms of ease of use. The design of the barrels are quite fun (if you can describe a pen as such) and I like how playful they all look together.

The rubber grip adds that extra bit of comfort and I do like the clip feature of the pen too:

The mechanism of the clip is almost identical (if not the same) as the Muji pens I featured in a post a few weeks' ago. I like these clips as I have a tendency to clip my pens at the top of my notepad and with the presence of springs in these, it will make this process that bit easier. And also, it will make the clip less likely to snap in the event that I try and fit too many sheets in!

When it comes to writing with them, I find that the ink flows well and there is little friction between the nib and paper. The rubber grip makes holding the pen a comfortable and pleasant experience and I do like the fact that they are retractable gel pens. The pens also dry extremely quickly (could be a good thing if you're left-handed? I'm right handed so I couldn't test this out) and apparently, the ink is water-resistant (I tested this and it is true) and fade-proof (only time will tell).

These are the results of a pen test:

I like how vibrant the colours are. At first, I was skeptical about how different the Leaf Green and Apple Green would be but you can see a distinct difference in the pen test above. In terms of show-through and bleeding, neither were present. The metallic colours can be also used on black paper and other metallic colours available include gold and silver (neither of which I purchased).

Price-wise, I bought each pen for HK$9 each (about 72p each) which, in terms of pens in Hong Kong, is quite expensive but when compared to the prices paid for some pens here, it a bit of a bargain.

Overall, I am really impressed with these pens. The 0.5mm ones were the perfect thickness for me when put to paper and using them really is a great experience. I fear I may have found the gel pens that will inevitably end up replacing my long-term love in the Muji gels!

Have you ever used these pens before? If so, what is your opinion on them? And if not, have I tempted you into maybe giving them a whirl?