US Market Gel Pen Showdown, G2 vs Signo vs EnerGel, and more

[The Elevator]

WARNING: high dosage of Star Wars references ahead.

 

Now we all know that lightsabers, like Fountain Pens, are the elegant weapon for a more civilized age. However, some missions are objectively better served by an expendable blaster or other item. So it is with pens, and during the 2020 pandemic, I decided to spend some of my spare time evaluating the most popular black 0.7 mm gel pens on the US market. Hopefully my results will help you decide which uncivilized weapon is best for your needs.

 

 

Qualifying criteria for competing pens:

1: Black, Gel ink

2: Availability (at time tests were conducted) at 3 of the following retail chains: Target, Walmart, Office Depot, Staples, Office Max.

3: 0.7mm tip size

 

The following competitors were chosen.

Pilot G2

Uni-Ball Signo 207

Papermate Inkjoy Gel

Pentel Energel Metal Tip 0.7

Sharpie S-Gel

Bic Gel-ocity

Pentel Energel Needle Tip 0.7

 

Unless otherwise noted, all tests were conducted on 5 star graph paper.

Values that seem based on general consensus to be "worst" are marked in RED, while those considered to be the "best" are marked in BLUE. Second place finishes are marked in GREEN. Please note that depending on your individual needs, features that the general consensus finds poor may be ideal for you. Read the test procedures to understand exactly what each value means.

 

Test 1: Lifetime Expectancy

Ink cartridge was marked upon opening the pen. This is the "FULL" line.

Pens were used to scribble on a sheet of 5 star graph paper, covering a total area of 25 cm²

Ink cartridge was marked at ink level after scribbling test

Difference in ink level was expressed as a fraction of the cartridge's total inked length (NOT including collar and tip)

Total lifespan in cm² was calculated.

 

Test 1 Results:

 

Pilot G2---------------------------------850 cm²

Uni-Ball Signo 207----------------------871 cm²

Papermate Inkjoy Gel-------------------871 cm²

Pentel Energel Metal Tip 0.7------------662 cm²

Sharpie S-Gel--------------------------785 cm²

Bic Gel-ocity---------------------------575 cm²

Pentel Energel Needle Tip 0.7----------785cm²

 

Test 2: Smudge Test

Pens were used to write numbers on the paper, counting up from 1

After each number, that numbers number of seconds was counted. Then a finger was run over the ink, and any smudges noted.

This process repeated until no smudges are visible.

 

Test 2 Results:

Pilot G2---------------------------------25s

Uni-Ball Signo 207----------------------12s

Papermate Inkjoy Gel-------------------7s

Pentel Energel Metal Tip 0.7------------8s

Sharpie S-Gel--------------------------11s

Bic Gel-ocity---------------------------20s

Pentel Energel Needle Tip 0.7----------6s

 

Test 3: Range of motion.

Pens were written with at an increasing angle from vertical, until the point at which skips and dry spots became visible in writing.

 

Test 3 Results:

Pilot G2---------------------------------45deg

Uni-Ball Signo 207----------------------50deg

Papermate Inkjoy Gel-------------------55deg

Pentel Energel Metal Tip 0.7------------50deg

Sharpie S-Gel--------------------------50deg

Bic Gel-ocity---------------------------50deg

Pentel Energel Needle Tip 0.7----------50deg

 

Test 4: Pressure required to write

Pens were used to lightly mark lines on paper while on top of a digital scale.

The mass at which a consistent line without skips appeared was recorded

 

Test 4 Results:

Pilot G2---------------------------------50g

Uni-Ball Signo 207----------------------35g

Papermate Inkjoy Gel-------------------40g

Pentel Energel Metal Tip 0.7------------30g

Sharpie S-Gel--------------------------30g

Bic Gel-ocity---------------------------50g

Pentel Energel Needle Tip 0.7----------No test result recorded

 

Test 5: Static coefficient of friction

Pens were suspended by a string so that their tips were barely touching the paper.

Angle of the paper was increased until the pen began to slide

Test was repeated 5 times and the results averaged

 

Test 5 Results:

Pilot G2---------------------------------0.13

Uni-Ball Signo 207----------------------0.12

Papermate Inkjoy Gel-------------------0.09

Pentel Energel Metal Tip 0.7------------0.08

Sharpie S-Gel--------------------------0.12

Bic Gel-ocity---------------------------0.19

Pentel Energel Needle Tip 0.7----------0.12

 

Test 6: Bleed through

Pen tips were held gently to a stack of 5 Star notebook sheets for 15 seconds.

Number of pages bled through recorded.

Test was repeated 5 times and the results averaged

 

Test 6 Results:

Pilot G2---------------------------------2.6

Uni-Ball Signo 207----------------------1.5

Papermate Inkjoy Gel-------------------2.2

Pentel Energel Metal Tip 0.7------------3.0

Sharpie S-Gel--------------------------1.0

Bic Gel-ocity---------------------------2.8

Pentel Energel Needle Tip 0.7----------3.0

 

Test 7: Water Resistance Test

Pens were used to write a small swirl, a couple of solid boxes, ABCDE, and 12345 on a sheet of paper.

Ink was allowed to fully dry and set for 14 days in a cool dry location.

Paper was submerged in water for 2 minutes.

Ink lines with no visible change were awarded a PASS

Ink lines with visible lifting, smudging, or ink loss were awarded a FAIL

 

Test 7 results  *no fail deductions awarded this test due to 5 way tie

Pilot G2---------------------------------PASS

Uni-Ball Signo 207----------------------PASS

Papermate Inkjoy Gel-------------------FAIL

Pentel Energel Metal Tip 0.7------------FAIL

Sharpie S-Gel--------------------------FAIL

Bic Gel-ocity---------------------------FAIL

Pentel Energel Needle Tip 0.7----------FAIL

 

I would attach the physical test files, but sadly the website is giving me some sort of error. I will try again later.

 

For every BLUE score a pen gets +2.

For every GREEN score a pen gets +1

For every RED score a pen gets -1

 

 

FINAL SCORES (and some random comments)

 

Pilot G2---------------------------------  -1

Overall a great pen for value, making them the ultimate weapons to fit into increasingly hostile and uncivilized environments. Unfortunately, they don't always do a clean job.

 

Uni-Ball Signo 207----------------------  +4

Excellent or about average scores on everything. But, the ink is not a dark black. This may increase your visibility at night.

 

Papermate Inkjoy Gel-------------------  +6

A good all-around. It's smooth, stylish, easy to use, and has no real weak spots, except that it . The downside? price.

 

Pentel Energel Metal Tip 0.7------------  +3

The smoothest of the bunch, and requires only the lightest touch to unleash its power. The problem is they don't really last very long.

 

Sharpie S-Gel--------------------------   +4

Unremarkable except for the fact that they leave no unsavory stains, globs, or bleedthrough behind. A great weapon for the stealth hunter.

 

Bic Gel-ocity---------------------------   -3

Really can't recommend these for anything. They're unreliable, inaccurate, expensive, and messy. The epitome of uncivilized.

 

Pentel Energel Needle Tip 0.7----------   +1

The fastest of the bunch, and even faster than the conical version, which is good because milliseconds matter when you're locked in combat with an essay prompt.

Edited February 26, 2023 by The Elevator
corrected formatting mistake, updated title to something that better describes the contents

[usk15]

Interesting test, very detailed! My lightsaber is Energel 0.7.

[51ISH]

On 2/25/2023 at 5:53 AM, The Elevator said:

WARNING: high dosage of Star Wars references ahead.

 

Now we all know that lightsabers, like Fountain Pens, are the elegant weapon for a more civilized age. However, some missions are objectively better served by an expendable blaster or other item. So it is with pens, and during the 2020 pandemic, I decided to spend some of my spare time evaluating the most popular black 0.7 mm gel pens on the US market. Hopefully my results will help you decide which uncivilized weapon is best for your needs.

 

 

Qualifying criteria for competing pens:

1: Black, Gel ink

2: Availability (at time tests were conducted) at 3 of the following retail chains: Target, Walmart, Office Depot, Staples, Office Max.

3: 0.7mm tip size

 

The following competitors were chosen.

Pilot G2

Uni-Ball Signo 207

Papermate Inkjoy Gel

Pentel Energel Metal Tip 0.7

Sharpie S-Gel

Bic Gel-ocity

Pentel Energel Needle Tip 0.7

 

Unless otherwise noted, all tests were conducted on 5 star graph paper.

Values that seem based on general consensus to be "worst" are marked in RED, while those considered to be the "best" are marked in BLUE. Second place finishes are marked in GREEN. Please note that depending on your individual needs, features that the general consensus finds poor may be ideal for you. Read the test procedures to understand exactly what each value means.

 

Test 1: Lifetime Expectancy

Ink cartridge was marked upon opening the pen. This is the "FULL" line.

Pens were used to scribble on a sheet of 5 star graph paper, covering a total area of 25 cm²

Ink cartridge was marked at ink level after scribbling test

Difference in ink level was expressed as a fraction of the cartridge's total inked length (NOT including collar and tip)

Total lifespan in cm² was calculated.

 

Test 1 Results:

 

Pilot G2---------------------------------850 cm²

Uni-Ball Signo 207----------------------871 cm²

Papermate Inkjoy Gel-------------------871 cm²

Pentel Energel Metal Tip 0.7------------662 cm²

Sharpie S-Gel--------------------------785 cm²

Bic Gel-ocity---------------------------575 cm²

Pentel Energel Needle Tip 0.7----------785cm²

 

Test 2: Smudge Test

Pens were used to write numbers on the paper, counting up from 1

After each number, that numbers number of seconds was counted. Then a finger was run over the ink, and any smudges noted.

This process repeated until no smudges are visible.

 

Test 2 Results:

Pilot G2---------------------------------25s

Uni-Ball Signo 207----------------------12s

Papermate Inkjoy Gel-------------------7s

Pentel Energel Metal Tip 0.7------------8s

Sharpie S-Gel--------------------------11s

Bic Gel-ocity---------------------------20s

Pentel Energel Needle Tip 0.7----------6s

 

Test 3: Range of motion.

Pens were written with at an increasing angle from vertical, until the point at which skips and dry spots became visible in writing.

 

Test 3 Results:

Pilot G2---------------------------------45deg

Uni-Ball Signo 207----------------------50deg

Papermate Inkjoy Gel-------------------55deg

Pentel Energel Metal Tip 0.7------------50deg

Sharpie S-Gel--------------------------50deg

Bic Gel-ocity---------------------------50deg

Pentel Energel Needle Tip 0.7----------50deg

 

Test 4: Pressure required to write

Pens were used to lightly mark lines on paper while on top of a digital scale.

The mass at which a consistent line without skips appeared was recorded

 

Test 4 Results:

Pilot G2---------------------------------50g

Uni-Ball Signo 207----------------------35g

Papermate Inkjoy Gel-------------------40g

Pentel Energel Metal Tip 0.7------------30g

Sharpie S-Gel--------------------------30g

Bic Gel-ocity---------------------------50g

Pentel Energel Needle Tip 0.7----------No test result recorded

 

Test 5: Static coefficient of friction

Pens were suspended by a string so that their tips were barely touching the paper.

Angle of the paper was increased until the pen began to slide

Test was repeated 5 times and the results averaged

 

Test 5 Results:

Pilot G2---------------------------------0.13

Uni-Ball Signo 207----------------------0.12

Papermate Inkjoy Gel-------------------0.09

Pentel Energel Metal Tip 0.7------------0.08

Sharpie S-Gel--------------------------0.12

Bic Gel-ocity---------------------------0.19

Pentel Energel Needle Tip 0.7----------0.12

 

Test 6: Bleed through

Pen tips were held gently to a stack of 5 Star notebook sheets for 15 seconds.

Number of pages bled through recorded.

Test was repeated 5 times and the results averaged

 

Test 6 Results:

Pilot G2---------------------------------2.6

Uni-Ball Signo 207----------------------1.5

Papermate Inkjoy Gel-------------------2.2

Pentel Energel Metal Tip 0.7------------3.0

Sharpie S-Gel--------------------------1.0

Bic Gel-ocity---------------------------2.8

Pentel Energel Needle Tip 0.7----------3.0

 

Test 7: Water Resistance Test

Pens were used to write a small swirl, a couple of solid boxes, ABCDE, and 12345 on a sheet of paper.

Ink was allowed to fully dry and set for 14 days in a cool dry location.

Paper was submerged in water for 2 minutes.

Ink lines with no visible change were awarded a PASS

Ink lines with visible lifting, smudging, or ink loss were awarded a FAIL

 

Test 7 results  *no fail deductions awarded this test due to 5 way tie

Pilot G2---------------------------------PASS

Uni-Ball Signo 207----------------------PASS

Papermate Inkjoy Gel-------------------FAIL

Pentel Energel Metal Tip 0.7------------FAIL

Sharpie S-Gel--------------------------FAIL

Bic Gel-ocity---------------------------FAIL

Pentel Energel Needle Tip 0.7----------FAIL

 

I would attach the physical test files, but sadly the website is giving me some sort of error. I will try again later.

 

For every BLUE score a pen gets +2.

For every GREEN score a pen gets +1

For every RED score a pen gets -1

 

 

FINAL SCORES (and some random comments)

 

Pilot G2---------------------------------  -1

Overall a great pen for value, making them the ultimate weapons to fit into increasingly hostile and uncivilized environments. Unfortunately, they don't always do a clean job.

 

Uni-Ball Signo 207----------------------  +4

Excellent or about average scores on everything. But, the ink is not a dark black. This may increase your visibility at night.

 

Papermate Inkjoy Gel-------------------  +6

A good all-around. It's smooth, stylish, easy to use, and has no real weak spots, except that it . The downside? price.

 

Pentel Energel Metal Tip 0.7------------  +3

The smoothest of the bunch, and requires only the lightest touch to unleash its power. The problem is they don't really last very long.

 

Sharpie S-Gel--------------------------   +4

Unremarkable except for the fact that they leave no unsavory stains, globs, or bleedthrough behind. A great weapon for the stealth hunter.

 

Bic Gel-ocity---------------------------   -3

Really can't recommend these for anything. They're unreliable, inaccurate, expensive, and messy. The epitome of uncivilized.

 

Pentel Energel Needle Tip 0.7----------   +1

The fastest of the bunch, and even faster than the conical version, which is good because milliseconds matter when you're locked in combat with an essay prompt.

 

Very interesting and very scientific....

 

I've not tried all of these pens but I have tried these three...

 

Pilot G2

Uni-Ball Signo 207

Pentel Energel Metal Tip 0.7

 

While none of them are 'bad'  it wouild be the G2 everytime for me....always done a clean job for me., and available in 1001 colours if that's important to you    And you have the option of G2 EX comfy soft grip,  G2 Pro,  and G2 Unlimited...or as I learnt this week you could pop the refill into a Lamy 2000 RB 👍

 

[The Elevator]

On 3/14/2023 at 6:12 PM, 51ISH said:

G2 EX comfy soft grip

 

Not sure I'm familiar with the G2 EX; Is it by chance the pen that is known as the G2 Limited in the US?  Or is it the Dr. Grip Gel?

 

My personal favourite blaster uncivilized pen of the ones I tested is the Pentel Energel. Not only does it come in lots of colors, but the refills are also available in almost every color available for the original pen. (I think 14) The G2s only have 12 (I think??) different color refills available out of like 50 overall choices. This is not a good situation for me because I am obsessed with color coding and every pen I have must have matching ink. Of course, that's *my* problem, and really is much more of a pet peeve than it probably should be.

 

Energels also write more freely for me (require less pressure) and have the grip placed closer to the tip. For some reason every time I pick up a G2, my fingers want to go to the very end of the grip, where there is an uncomfortable ridge. I used to think this was because of how my hands were shaped, but when it comes to fountain pens, my fingers are very comfortable holding further back. This leads me to believe that pressure required to write and low coefficient of friction are the most important characteristic of my writing experience, and that is what the EnerGel excels at according to the test results.

[51ISH]

9 hours ago, The Elevator said:

 

Not sure I'm familiar with the G2 EX; Is it by chance the pen that is known as the G2 Limited in the US?  Or is it the Dr. Grip Gel?

 

My personal favourite blaster uncivilized pen of the ones I tested is the Pentel Energel. Not only does it come in lots of colors, but the refills are also available in almost every color available for the original pen. (I think 14) The G2s only have 12 (I think??) different color refills available out of like 50 overall choices. This is not a good situation for me because I am obsessed with color coding and every pen I have must have matching ink. Of course, that's *my* problem, and really is much more of a pet peeve than it probably should be.

 

Energels also write more freely for me (require less pressure) and have the grip placed closer to the tip. For some reason every time I pick up a G2, my fingers want to go to the very end of the grip, where there is an uncomfortable ridge. I used to think this was because of how my hands were shaped, but when it comes to fountain pens, my fingers are very comfortable holding further back. This leads me to believe that pressure required to write and low coefficient of friction are the most important characteristic of my writing experience, and that is what the EnerGel excels at according to the test results.

 

 

Not sure I'm familiar with the G2 EX; Is it by chance the pen that is known as the G2 Limited in the US?  Or is it the Dr. Grip Gel?

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pilot-G2ex-Rollerball-Pen-Comfort/dp/B000KJO0VG

[The Elevator]

1 hour ago, 51ISH said:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pilot-G2ex-Rollerball-Pen-Comfort/dp/B000KJO0VG

Interesting; I’ve never seen that variant before. It’s all listed as unavailable; is it discontinued by any chance?

[51ISH]

4 hours ago, The Elevator said:

Interesting; I’ve never seen that variant before. It’s all listed as unavailable; is it discontinued by any chance?

 

Interesting; I’ve never seen that variant before. It’s all listed as unavailable; is it discontinued by any chance?

 

I'm not sure, I think it could be, and I don't think it's available all over the World, I bought 3 off ebay.co.uk a few weeks ago cheaply so could be. Still some about for UK buyers

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/162060577777?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=162060577777&targetid=1404115579093&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=1006601&poi=&campaignid=17218284410&mkgroupid=142217514411&rlsatarget=pla-1404115579093&abcId=9300867&merchantid=429379098&gclid=Cj0KCQjwwtWgBhDhARIsAEMcxeAH7wQOwl__NVKO2R0GBBWZr8VXjCaQNOkbwj9XpvjqbhmyaBDhTv0aAkW5EALw_wcB

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pilot-Retractable-Orange-Barrel-Black/dp/B001IVXH4Q/ref=sr_1_3?adgrpid=72216942643&hvadid=606399429243&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=1006601&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=16178598807896490432&hvtargid=kwd-301295079338&hydadcr=3980_2202501&keywords=pilot+g-2+ex&qid=1679157714&sr=8-3

[The Elevator]

On 3/18/2023 at 12:46 PM, 51ISH said:

I'm not sure, I think it could be, and I don't think it's available all over the World

 

I have never seen that one before, and I thought I had seen all the versions of the G2 that could exist. It seems to me to be mainly a UK product, so that would explain why I have never encountered it. Out of curiosity, which point size do you use on the G2?

[51ISH]

38 minutes ago, The Elevator said:

 

I have never seen that one before, and I thought I had seen all the versions of the G2 that could exist. It seems to me to be mainly a UK product, so that would explain why I have never encountered it. Out of curiosity, which point size do you use on the G2?

 

Out of curiosity, which point size do you use on the G2?

I use the 'standard' 0.7mm  which from Cult Pens webside 'writes a  0.39mm line.

I use them mainly when I just want to make a quick note, or write a list etc.