Which 0.5Mm Pen Is Better? Uniball Signo Vs. Pilot G2 Vs. Zebra Sarasa?

[muzeec]

Ink quality and writing smoothness are two important aspects.

 

I've used the 0.7mm size for all three of them.

I found the Uniball Signo has the smoothest writing but the ink color is too light.

The Pilot G2 has better looking ink but writing it feels a bit too scratchy.

The Zebra Sarasa 0.7mm seemed like the best since both the ink and writing smoothness was good.

 

So now I'm thinking of getting a 0.5mm pen and wondering if I should go with the Zebra Sarasa. Will it retain the same positive traits or diminish?

Edited August 10, 2013 by muzeec

[Wolverine1]

Arent these gel pens? This is a fountain pen board, the name is "FOUNTAIN PEN NETWORK"!!!!!

[XiaoMG]

As you get smaller, the Signo series shines more and more, and the G2 gets less and less desirable. The Sarasas are generally a middle ground, and compare well (some prefer them, but not me). I use Signo DXs in the 0.38 and 0.28 sizes and prefer them to the Sarasas, but I've had a few pens that flowed too freely and a few that ran dry prematurely. It's generally not wise to make blanket statements about brands or models without having tried many samples of each.

[Jadie]

I think there's a micro-community within the community that likes gel pens/ballpoints, too. I certainly do! At least the pen review section includes them.

 

To answer the OP's questions, I've used both Pilot and Uniball pens and agree with your assessments. I don't have much experience with Zebra, but I do know the few times I borrowed them off friends, they wrote very well, except when I wrote quickly---then the ink felt like it had a little trouble keeping up. Sometimes it even *gasp* skipped!

 

The overall flow just feels "thinner" to me compared to the other two brands, and I worry that in with thinner lines (like your 0.5mm), this little problem may be more obvious.

 

Comparing flow, I'd say Uniball and Pilot are neck-to-neck, with Pilot edging out Uniball in some of the bigger line widths (0.7mm and up). But Uniball wins in my book for overall line consistency and smooth writing experience across all sizes. Just make sure your Uniballs are made in Japan---a friend of mine got a pack from Taiwan once and they were noticeably scratchier. =\

 

For ink color, Pilot is definitely more intense (saturation wise), but Uniball doesn't differ too much to affect me. I daresay the differences will diminish if you're going to write thinner.

 

I'm not sure what you mean by watery. Do you mean the color is too light, or the ink too slippery?

[muzeec]

I think there's a micro-community within the community that likes gel pens/ballpoints, too. I certainly do! At least the pen review section includes them.

 

To answer the OP's questions, I've used both Pilot and Uniball pens and agree with your assessments. I don't have much experience with Zebra, but I do know the few times I borrowed them off friends, they wrote very well, except when I wrote quickly---then the ink felt like it had a little trouble keeping up. Sometimes it even *gasp* skipped!

 

The overall flow just feels "thinner" to me compared to the other two brands, and I worry that in with thinner lines (like your 0.5mm), this little problem may be more obvious.

 

Comparing flow, I'd say Uniball and Pilot are neck-to-neck, with Pilot edging out Uniball in some of the bigger line widths (0.7mm and up). But Uniball wins in my book for overall line consistency and smooth writing experience across all sizes. Just make sure your Uniballs are made in Japan---a friend of mine got a pack from Taiwan once and they were noticeably scratchier. =\

 

For ink color, Pilot is definitely more intense (saturation wise), but Uniball doesn't differ too much to affect me. I daresay the differences will diminish if you're going to write thinner.

 

I'm not sure what you mean by watery. Do you mean the color is too light, or the ink too slippery?

 

Thank you for your assessment. And by watery I did mean color saturation. The Pilot G2 and Zebra has both bolder and darker ink than the Uniball Signo.

 

The only 0.5mm gel ink pen I did try was the Uniball Signo Black because that is the only one I can get in the stores. So far I'm satisfied with the pen.

But to get a pen smaller than 0.7mm in any other brand or color I have to order them online.

 

Right now I'm looking for a blue ink pen and to buy it online I have to buy in bulk due to shipping charges. That is why I have to make sure I'm getting a good pen.

Edited August 10, 2013 by muzeec

[muzeec]

As you get smaller, the Signo series shines more and more, and the G2 gets less and less desirable. The Sarasas are generally a middle ground, and compare well (some prefer them, but not me). I use Signo DXs in the 0.38 and 0.28 sizes and prefer them to the Sarasas, but I've had a few pens that flowed too freely and a few that ran dry prematurely. It's generally not wise to make blanket statements about brands or models without having tried many samples of each.

 

Interesting. But then why is the Pilot G2 such a popular pen?

[Cerbervs]

I find that the Signo is harder to start up while the G2 lays down more ink (this is useing the "normal" versions of these pens i can not say for G2 1 mm or the different sizes of the other pens).

[derevaun]

I've found that the Signo is palpably smoother than either the G2 or Sarasa on cheap copier paper, which I tend to encounter a lot. IME the 0.28 Signo Brown-Black writes about as smooth as the 0.5 Sarasa Tea Brown; possibly smoother. Both are more consistent than the 0.7 G2.

 

The G2 is ubiquitous, maybe due to manifest assumptions about buying habits in particular countries. It benefits from comparisons to the writing mechanisms in many lavish, heavy ballpoints that resemble lavish, heavy, high quality FPs.

[Jadie]

The G2 is ubiquitous, maybe due to manifest assumptions about buying habits in particular countries.

 

Quite. I see Pilot G2s everywhere: Staples, OfficeDepot, Target, Walmart, various drugstores...in packs of two to three to ten...

 

Not enough Uniballs in sight. And barely any sign of Zebra.

 

So maybe it's popular because it's readily available? There are plenty of people who don't care much about pens...they just want something that writes without skipping, and sets down a nice wet line---the G2 fits all of that. But it's not necessarily the only option, or the best, if you have specific preferences for color/size/flow/etc.

 

(Personally speaking, I find them kind of ugly---the black ones, I mean. What is with that weird orange tint at the end of the barrel? It looks like the pen is rusting or something. ^^;; )

[Moshe ben David]

I always have either a roller ball or ballpoint with me in addition to whichever FP I am carrying that day. Sometimes there is simply no choice (think multipart forms...)

 

I also usually am using a gel ink when I am doing the monthly writing of checks in an effort to defeat those who like to wash out checks for fraudulent purposes.

 

One other alternative to the three selections discussed in this thread, for anyone who has a ball point which can take refills by Parker (or the same size Schmidt) -- there are gel ink refills in the same form factor which write with just as much 'liquid' ease as any other gel pen.

 

Moshe

[flatline]

Of those listed, I prefer the Signo. However, I prefer the Pilot Precise v5 RT. I like the shape and ink of the RT better than that of the Signo.

 

--flatline

[mab52]

I'm a big fan of Pentel's Energel refills. I've got them in Pilot Dr. Grips and a whole bunch of Chinese rollerball pens. They make both a conventional rollerball and a needle-point style refill suitable for technical drawing and sketching. I've noticed a small tendency for their refills to dry out sooner uncapped, but I haven't been able to quantify this tendency. Very smooth and solid black lines.

 

The smoothness of the Energel is all the more remarkable given the cost of the refills. Champagne results and performance on a root beer budget.

[Conan the Grammarian]

As you get smaller, the Signo series shines more and more, and the G2 gets less and less desirable.

 

If Pilot still sold the Navy G2, it would be my go-to non-fountain / non-"good" pen. If they sold it in a 0.5 size, I'd forgive the scratchiness even. Alas.

 

As far as the writing experience goes, I prefer the Signo in the 0.5 size and the Pilot in the 0.7 size (the Signo 0.7 lays down too bold a line).

 

The Signo 0.38 is a very nice pen, but I can't find one in a click variety - and it's difficult to find offline. The Pilot 0.38 is too scratchy, but available in your Office Depot type stores (basic colors only). The hard-to-find Signo .038 has much better selection of ink colors in the dark varieties (blue-black, green-black, purple-black, etc.).

 

Signo has come out with a package of black infused pens in the 0.7 size that are very nice, but still lay down too bold a line for me. If only they sold those in a 0.5 size.

 

So maybe it's popular because it's readily available?

 

There's something to be said for being readily available - especially if you find yourself pen-less and don't want to switch pens in mid-notebook.

 

I can find Pilot G2 0.7 pens in supermarkets, office supply stores, drugstores, most places that stock only one or two varieties of pen.

 

Due to that ubiquity and the fact that my office stocks 0.7 G2s in the supply cabinet, I tried to force myself to switch to the PIlot G2 0.7 as my basic (non-fp) writing instrument, but the skipping, longer drying time, and the desire for a thinner line kept leading me back to experimenting the Signo 0.5 and 0.38.

 

Personally speaking, I find [the G2] kind of ugly---the black ones, I mean. What is with that weird orange tint at the end of the barrel?

 

Aesthetically, I prefer the design of the G2 to the Signo. The Signo clip is kinda cheap. The label looks like it could snag on something and break off.

 

The Signo's chrome, plastic, and rubber design makes it look too busy.

 

I agree about the orange block on the inkwell of the black one. Good for Halloween, maybe.

 

 

...there are gel ink refills in the same form factor which write with just as much 'liquid' ease as any other gel pen.

 

 

 

Unfortunately, most of them are available only in a 0.7 size.

 

Moleskine sells a Parker-compatible refill in a 0.5 size, but it's a tad expensive (as are all things Moleskine).

 

Zebra sells a gel version of their 301 pen - only in blue or black ink and only in a 0.7 size (don't get me started on the fountain pen version - ugh).

[heymatthew]

I very much enjoy my Signo DX in 0.38. I like the G2 in 0.38, but not as much as the Signo. I also have used the Zebra in 0.4 with good results. I find the G2 in 0.5 to be too bold for me and the Zebra is slightly better with the Signo being the best of the bunch.

[Jadie]

I very much enjoy my Signo DX in 0.38. I like the G2 in 0.38, but not as much as the Signo. I also have used the Zebra in 0.4 with good results. I find the G2 in 0.5 to be too bold for me and the Zebra is slightly better with the Signo being the best of the bunch.

 

+1

 

I LOVE my Signo DXes. ^_^

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/248800-fade-olympics-2013-sponsored-by-tlvpp/?p=2748761

[seacritasianman]

I'm a fan of the G2.

[derevaun]

I just tried a Pilot Juice gel pen, and it's pretty nice. Smoother (or at least less feedback) than a Hi-Tec-C, and it's retractible like the G2 and Zebra Sarasa, which are nowhere near as smooth or consistent. I like the Coffee Brown color, though the Signo Brown-Black is richer and more saturated.

[Mafia Geek]

I'm a personal fan of the Zebra and Pilot gel pens and not a fan at all of the Uni-ball ones. The main reason for that is that the Uni-ball ink, for whatever reason, is like Noodler's inks for me in that they smear/smudge no matter how long they sit drying. I can go back months after and smear it with my finger, not a wet finger, a dry one. It's particularly bad on higher quality paper.

 

The Zebra and Pilot ones don't do that at all. I suggest either the G2 (which has a good grip) or the Zebra Sarasa Push Clip (which you can get in a huge range of sizes and colours and also has a good grip).

[legume]

I have two whole boxes of the Uniball Signo UM-151 0.38mm in black, blue-black, and golden yellow. The ones I've used so far are smooth, never skip, and require no pressure to write. The particular blue-black I'm using now is a little drier and lays a thinner line but it's not prohibitive. I use mine to write lecture notes and don't feel that I need to look for better options.

 

My Pilot G2s in 0.7mm tended to smudge. Never tried the Zebra.

Edited August 24, 2013 by legume

[Garageboy]

The G2s blob all the time for me

I vote that you try out the Pentel Energel (for the reasons stated above), give the Signo 207 and Signo RT a try