Pen Review: Pilot P-700 Fine Gel Roller

I've got this green P-700 that I've been using so much that there's only a thumbtip of ink left in it. It's a wonder that I've still got the cap. This pen's seen a lot of action, and rightly so.

The P-700 has it all. There's a comfortable grip that is ribbed for your pleasure, something which provides a little bit of texture to your writing experience. The tip is strong enough to withstand even the most horrible of paper poking. The rest of the barrel conforms to the hand by being smooth and not too wide, slipping comfortably into the groove between thumb and forefinger.

This gel roller is purely disposable - once it's over, it's over. Maybe the designers at Pilot really wanted their customers to embrace the fleeting nature of life by giving them a high quality pen. The tip is protected by an extra little cap within the cap so it doesn't dry out and force a round of circle dancing.

The lines that the Pilot P-700 draws are absolutely impeccable, neither bleeding nor splotching. There is no bleeding through the paper like you'll see in the Sharpie Ultra Fine. There is no cheapness to the pen, like you may feel in the PaperMate or the disposable Bics. It is quite true that when you have a great writing instrument, you can be on top of the world.

The gel roller really takes to uncoated paper, but it doesn't take well to plastic or coated paper, or skin. For those who draw on their bodies, choose something more apt like the Sharpie Ultra Fine or the Pilot Precise. This pen would be perfect for writing in braille.