These are very good options for students. They write very well and smooth. I have been using Energel and Sarasa for years now. Infree is my fav of them. 😁
I can't believe how much time I've spent watching a man talking about pens and pencils given I'm not technically an enthusiast or collector. The most high end implement I own is a 5 dollar Rotring Tikky and I think I have a bottom of the range Parker ballpoint in an unpopular colour someplace.
Been using the Sarasa Grand barrel with the EnerGel 0.5 refill. Best of both worlds. Thinking about picking up an Infree barrel because EnerGel has slowly taken over my life. Pilot Precise V5 RT is also a daily for me.
I've been using the Energel for years. Then I decided to try the Sarasa dry. Now they're both my go-to pens. I just buy the refills to use in my EDC pens.
What pen is your main EDC? I currently have an Energel Alloy (with Sarasa dry ink lol), But I'm considering trying another. Maybe a Sarasa grand vintage
I've just recently gotten back into nice pens for the first time since gel became mainstream, and I'm really enjoying the Energel in 0.7 and the G2 in 1.0. For 0.5 I'm currently using a Pilot Precise rollerball and it seems more scratchy than I'd prefer, but I still like it better than a ball point. Looking forward to trying a Hi-Tec-C soon, and maybe even a Platinum Preppy fountain pen.
Fairly surprised to find a video about gel pens and I thank you for sharing it. I've used 207's for a while now and after watching your video I gave the Energel RTX a try. It's an excellent pen also, especially for a lefty. Thanks again!
I've been getting more into pens. But to me a gel just writes like a rollerball except more scratchy. They're perfectly fine, but I guess I just prefer rollerball. This is a nice showcase though and I might try some out.
I dislike all gel and rollerball pens now that I've gotten into fountain pens. Try a Lamy Safari or a kaweco sport and you'll never go back to rollerball.
I bought a Zebra Sarasa and I immediately loved it. Too bad that in my country Zebra doesn't really exist so there is no way other than Aliexpress to get the original refills but I noticed that Energel refills work perfectly so now I have - in my opinion - the most comfortable grip with the best writing refill.
In my country, Pilot G-Tec is very popular for students. I thought that’s the best, but I would like to try the Pentel Energel with different casing. Hope you can upload more. Thanks!
I don't understand the hype behind the G-2. Everyone I work with uses them. Its a comfortable pen and the ink has great color and is smooth. But it smears like crazy. For Gel pens, I always reach for a Signo in the .05mm.
The G-2 is quite a divisive pen! It's popular (best selling) but a lot of people hate it. It's not one for lefties, as the ink has a slow dry-time. I'm a G-2 fan... but the quality control seems hugely patchy over the last few years. @Unsharpen - do you find the G-2 07 Blue refills differ wildly? Ink is smooth/consistent on some yet mixed on others. The Blacks also seem less dark/deep than previously.
Do you know of a Parker style g2 refill that is as fine as the Hi-Tec-C 0.3mm? The gel 0.5 or extra fine refills I’ve tried so far are not near as fine tip as I would like. Thanks so much for your excellent content.
Hey! Thanks for this review! As it turns out, quarantine has re-kindled my love affair of handwriting and lettering. Your info helps me make better purchases. I love a good pen! (or 30) I've just discovered you so I apologize if this info is right in front of my face on your channel--just wondering your thoughts on Muji pens? Everyone seems to geek out over them and the resulting popularity has created a market in which it's easier to get a knock off than the real deal. Are they that amazing? Worth it to seek them out? Thanks for your time!
Muji pens are very good, and probably a little worse than Energel or Sarasa pens. That said the Muji ones are easily findable if you have a Muji store nearby and you can test them out. Plus many Muji products are a great deal so they have won over lots of fans.
Oh, any Multi select gel pens, like the ballpoint ones? (Admittedly the gel ink barrels are probably too thick to be multi select, but they can try a small gel reservoir, but sell refills?)
I like the uniball signo & the sharpie s gel with metal barrel but I'm fine with either variant pentel energel? not my go to because I don't like the variety of colours it's made in.......I've tried papermate gel but I'd only use them as a last resort if 1 of my other favourite type weren't available
This is exactly what I needed right now. Love your reviews! :) Maybe someone has the same issue as me: lately I've been using the broad Uni Ball Impact with a 1.0mm tip (might be listed differently in other countries), which uses the UM-153 refills. They are quite lengthy with 12.8cm. My issue is that I do not love the design of the pen itself as much as I love the refills. Has anyone had the same 'problem' and has found a solution? I'd prefer a much nicer looking pen, something that seems a bit more 'luxurious' (actually, just simple, clean and not cheap-looking). And no, the Energel 1.0 wouldn't work for me as it's not document proof as far as I know. :/ Thanks for recommendations. :)
I'm with you. I love to write with a pen that uses the UMR-10 refill that comes in the UM-153 pen. So much better quality line and consistency than the Energel. I've also been trying to find a nicer pen to accommodate the refill - to no avail. I have a nice pen but need a custom mod to make the wider tip of the UMR-10 fit. If I find someone to produce one I'll get back to you.
307 is the best. The G2 is always on the list of best pens. I'm sorry if it's cool to not like them, they are great. You left off the Zebra G350 which is unacceptable.
Energel 0.7 mm puts down A LOT of ink, so 1.0 is overkill even for me, lover of medium and broad pens. Anyway, Pilot G2 is great utilitarian ink and refill but Pentel Energel is so smooth and enjoyable, when I cannot use fountain pen, I use Energel, mostly in Energel Alloy or modded Lamy Vista. Only thing is that they run out pretty quickly...
I'm going to end up with a pile of pens to try after this lol. Thanks for the video. I have a big pack of g2's for refills of my machine era pen. I like using off dark colors since my work hasn't noticed lol. Forest green etc.
Energel is one of my favorites, G2's are good and smooth(0.7mm) but get rather scratchy if you go any lower in tip size. They also seem to vary in quality within the same pack, like 1 or 2 out of the 5 write how they should, while others are scratchy and more like there 0.5mm not their 0.7mm, maybe I'm the only one who has experienced this issue, plus there hard to highlight over if your into that, just ordered some zebra sarasa clips, cant wait to check those out!
I prefer the Sarasas but I have used almost every one you mentioned. I don't love the 207/307 and since I tend to use the refills in nicer bodies, I don't use the Hi Tec C very much but I do enjoy the pens. I've had more failures with Energels than any other refill though all of those were with unusual colors. I like the Sarasa in Cobalt Blue, the G2 Teal, the Energel Violet and for blue, black and blue black, I really like the Sarasa stuff the most. Thanks for all your work.
The only Sarasa I tried was the 0.5mm Vintage Dark Gray, from Jetpens. Dried fast, but it wasn't as smooth as the 0.7 Pentel Energels I own. I used to mainly use the Uniball 307, which I still like a lot, but I think the Energels are all I really need.
This was a great review! I really love gel pens but their longevity is a big issue for me. Do you have any recommendations for gel pens that last a bit longer?
Sadly, this just comes with the territory. The best way to get one or last longer is to go with a small writing tip. If you get a Juice Up or 207 in a 0.38mm size, you'll get a great writer with a much longer life than a 1.0mm
Recently purchased several Sarasa Fineliners and a Sarasa Dry X20 .7 at DOLLAR TREE @ $1.25 ea!! Noticed their INC R2's (gel & roller b) are creating comments via the web but have yet to acquire. Yes, the Sarasa Dry was surprising!! Manufactures have have created great lines (_____) thru tech, now its all bells & whistles
I like the Sarasa Clip because its waterproof and so is the Signo ink (my absolute favorite). Energel has really bright colors but I prefer a small tip size and I feel like it is very smooth at 0.7 but not as nice as the others at like 0.3mm or 0.4mm. The sarasa Dry is super smooth and nice but just like the Energy it is not waterproof :(
Have you ever tried Paper Mate Gel pens? Not the Ink Joy ones.. the older ones? Paper Mate doesn’t make them anymore but you can find some on Amazon. Try those. I think they are the smoothest..
OMG, I didn't realize the Jetstream is a ballpoint pen! It writes do smooth I always thought it is a rollerball or maybe even gel? Mine was given to me so I had no idea. Alternatively, back to school sale in Aug and I fell in love with Papermate Ink Joy, surprised you didn't include it in the video, is it not as great as those Japanese ones? (I've only had a Uni-Signo and JellyRoll in white for black craft paper). There seems to be a lot of lovers of the ink Joy online, especially given their 14 bright colors.
What is the best pen that can hold a parker style g2 refill? I like the Parker Jotter, but when writing for long periods of time it is annoying because the barrel is too thin. What would be a good alternative?
Anyone else bothered by his hand writing? Lol like you hear him thanking about writing and pens he likes and so on. But then his hand writing looks like that. Idk why but i just assumed that his writing would be better..
Second the Ink Joy suggestion down below, 14+ (more now?) bright colors, just found them at back to school sale while shopping for kids. They come in a multi pack for
Pilot G2 was my gateway drug, but I've moved on to Pentel Energels which don't smear as badly. Uniball 307 and Energel Permanent are HORRIBLE for highlighters. I let my test ink dry over 2 hours and they bled and smeared incredibly badly.
@@unsharpen I LOVE the Mark ON. But it's only available in 0.4 and 0.5 and you can't find it in stores etc. The Energels have impressive smear resistance even at the 1.0mm. The InkJoy and Sharpie S-gel are also nice, but they can bleed through thin paper. :/
Zebra SARASA. Pentel Energel. Pilot G2. Uni JETSTREAM. I miss a 5th one for a TOP 5, but that's the best I know! As for Pencils, Faber Castell TK-Fine Executive, (Not the Vario, neither the cheaper TK-Fine, the TK-Fine Executive) with Pentel Ain Stein 2B leads on it, is by far, the best writting experience, I ever had with a pencil.I also make way more beatiful letters with that Pencil, than any other I have tried so far.
These are very good options for students. They write very well and smooth. I have been using Energel and Sarasa for years now. Infree is my fav of them. 😁
I can't believe how much time I've spent watching a man talking about pens and pencils given I'm not technically an enthusiast or collector. The most high end implement I own is a 5 dollar Rotring Tikky and I think I have a bottom of the range Parker ballpoint in an unpopular colour someplace.
Im interested in the color of that Parker now haha
Been using the Sarasa Grand barrel with the EnerGel 0.5 refill. Best of both worlds. Thinking about picking up an Infree barrel because EnerGel has slowly taken over my life. Pilot Precise V5 RT is also a daily for me.
I've been using the Energel for years. Then I decided to try the Sarasa dry. Now they're both my go-to pens. I just buy the refills to use in my EDC pens.
What pen is your main EDC? I currently have an Energel Alloy (with Sarasa dry ink lol), But I'm considering trying another. Maybe a Sarasa grand vintage
My main on is a Sarasa Clip with the Sarasa Dry refill. I'm thinking of trying the Sarasa Grand Vintage as well.
@@Emu_Emu What do you mean by Pentel is better? Do you mean the refill or is there a body style of there's I need to check out?
@@Emu_Emu Cool. I'll check out the infree.
Bic Gel-ocity is great price/quality
I've just recently gotten back into nice pens for the first time since gel became mainstream, and I'm really enjoying the Energel in 0.7 and the G2 in 1.0. For 0.5 I'm currently using a Pilot Precise rollerball and it seems more scratchy than I'd prefer, but I still like it better than a ball point. Looking forward to trying a Hi-Tec-C soon, and maybe even a Platinum Preppy fountain pen.
Fairly surprised to find a video about gel pens and I thank you for sharing it. I've used 207's for a while now and after watching your video I gave the Energel RTX a try. It's an excellent pen also, especially for a lefty. Thanks again!
Thanks for watching! Subscribe for pen videos every week
Getting the Energel Infree and Sarasa Dry. Thanks!
Good picks!
I've been getting more into pens. But to me a gel just writes like a rollerball except more scratchy. They're perfectly fine, but I guess I just prefer rollerball. This is a nice showcase though and I might try some out.
I dislike all gel and rollerball pens now that I've gotten into fountain pens. Try a Lamy Safari or a kaweco sport and you'll never go back to rollerball.
@@forceghostanakinskywalker575 I don't like fountain pens. I have tried them and I prefer ballpoint pens.
I just picked up a pack of Pentel Ener-gel KURO pens. 0.7 mm. Haven't written much with them, but so far so good.
I bought a Zebra Sarasa and I immediately loved it. Too bad that in my country Zebra doesn't really exist so there is no way other than Aliexpress to get the original refills but I noticed that Energel refills work perfectly so now I have - in my opinion - the most comfortable grip with the best writing refill.
In my country, Pilot G-Tec is very popular for students. I thought that’s the best, but I would like to try the Pentel Energel with different casing. Hope you can upload more. Thanks!
Have you moved to a different audio setup? Seems better than previous videos.
Yes, new mic. I'm still dialing it in though
I don't understand the hype behind the G-2. Everyone I work with uses them. Its a comfortable pen and the ink has great color and is smooth. But it smears like crazy. For Gel pens, I always reach for a Signo in the .05mm.
Fair point. It’s by no means a perfect pen yet many many people have a soft spot for it
The G-2 is quite a divisive pen! It's popular (best selling) but a lot of people hate it. It's not one for lefties, as the ink has a slow dry-time. I'm a G-2 fan... but the quality control seems hugely patchy over the last few years. @Unsharpen - do you find the G-2 07 Blue refills differ wildly? Ink is smooth/consistent on some yet mixed on others. The Blacks also seem less dark/deep than previously.
Is it weird liking pilot g2 more than others because of how it feels more "scratchy"? sarasa is great, but the g2 felt just right.
Not at all. I think smoothness is often over-rated and some scratchiness or feedback is great
@@unsharpen u think so?? Glad that someone also have that kind of opinion :)
I like the cartridge of the Pilot G2 in the body of the Sharpie.
Do you know of a Parker style g2 refill that is as fine as the Hi-Tec-C 0.3mm? The gel 0.5 or extra fine refills I’ve tried so far are not near as fine tip as I would like. Thanks so much for your excellent content.
I really like the zebra sarasa specially the grand vintage version
I wish they would make high end bodies ($100+) for these refills.
Hey! Thanks for this review! As it turns out, quarantine has re-kindled my love affair of handwriting and lettering. Your info helps me make better purchases. I love a good pen! (or 30)
I've just discovered you so I apologize if this info is right in front of my face on your channel--just wondering your thoughts on Muji pens? Everyone seems to geek out over them and the resulting popularity has created a market in which it's easier to get a knock off than the real deal. Are they that amazing? Worth it to seek them out? Thanks for your time!
Muji pens are very good, and probably a little worse than Energel or Sarasa pens. That said the Muji ones are easily findable if you have a Muji store nearby and you can test them out. Plus many Muji products are a great deal so they have won over lots of fans.
@@unsharpen Thank you! No muji store near me but it looks like there are a few reputable looking online sellers. I appreciate the help! :) 😊
Oh, any Multi select gel pens, like the ballpoint ones? (Admittedly the gel ink barrels are probably too thick to be multi select, but they can try a small gel reservoir, but sell refills?)
my favorite pen is the pilot precise v5 rt. are any of these like that but better?
I like the uniball signo & the sharpie s gel with metal barrel but I'm fine with either variant pentel energel? not my go to because I don't like the variety of colours it's made in.......I've tried papermate gel but I'd only use them as a last resort if 1 of my other favourite type weren't available
What do you think of the uniball signo gel pen?
Quite good!
This is exactly what I needed right now. Love your reviews! :)
Maybe someone has the same issue as me: lately I've been using the broad Uni Ball Impact with a 1.0mm tip (might be listed differently in other countries), which uses the UM-153 refills. They are quite lengthy with 12.8cm. My issue is that I do not love the design of the pen itself as much as I love the refills. Has anyone had the same 'problem' and has found a solution? I'd prefer a much nicer looking pen, something that seems a bit more 'luxurious' (actually, just simple, clean and not cheap-looking). And no, the Energel 1.0 wouldn't work for me as it's not document proof as far as I know. :/
Thanks for recommendations. :)
You should check the big idea design pens!
I'm with you. I love to write with a pen that uses the UMR-10 refill that comes in the UM-153 pen. So much better quality line and consistency than the Energel. I've also been trying to find a nicer pen to accommodate the refill - to no avail.
I have a nice pen but need a custom mod to make the wider tip of the UMR-10 fit. If I find someone to produce one I'll get back to you.
I would add the OHTO Flash Dry to this list too, don't you think?
I’m thinking about another video for refills specifically.
I think the G2 is overrated. I've had smearing issues with them.
Great review
Thanks!
@@unsharpen And definitely noticed the new audio quality.👍
Pentel Infree refill fits Sharpie S-Gel no mod... just saying
ほぼ、日本製のペンで驚いた。
アメリカ人は愛国心あるから日本製のペンなんて使わずに、アメリカ製のペンしか使わないと思ってた。
一番最後のSHARPIEって初めて知りましたけど、アメリカの会社が作ったボールペンかな？
Thanks for pen videos
307 is the best. The G2 is always on the list of best pens. I'm sorry if it's cool to not like them, they are great.
You left off the Zebra G350 which is unacceptable.
Also, Sarasa Grand Gel is the best.
Gellyroll are my favorite!!
It's the original. Gotta respect that.
Too much talk bag bag bag
Thanks for the feedback
I love the Energels but hate the Pilot G2s because they scrape the paper and skip on me.
Energel 0.7 mm puts down A LOT of ink, so 1.0 is overkill even for me, lover of medium and broad pens. Anyway, Pilot G2 is great utilitarian ink and refill but Pentel Energel is so smooth and enjoyable, when I cannot use fountain pen, I use Energel, mostly in Energel Alloy or modded Lamy Vista. Only thing is that they run out pretty quickly...
Sounds like you have a new microphone. Also might be a little close to your mouth. I'm not complaining, but just wanted to make you aware.
You are quite right. I’m trying to figure out the whole microphone thing
I'm going to end up with a pile of pens to try after this lol. Thanks for the video. I have a big pack of g2's for refills of my machine era pen. I like using off dark colors since my work hasn't noticed lol. Forest green etc.
The Machine Era Classic is a fantastic pen!!
Energel is one of my favorites, G2's are good and smooth(0.7mm) but get rather scratchy if you go any lower in tip size. They also seem to vary in quality within the same pack, like 1 or 2 out of the 5 write how they should, while others are scratchy and more like there 0.5mm not their 0.7mm, maybe I'm the only one who has experienced this issue, plus there hard to highlight over if your into that, just ordered some zebra sarasa clips, cant wait to check those out!
G1 is much better, 0.5 of course
Totallly agree. Its a hit and miss with the G2. Not so with the Energel or the TUL.
I prefer the Sarasas but I have used almost every one you mentioned. I don't love the 207/307 and since I tend to use the refills in nicer bodies, I don't use the Hi Tec C very much but I do enjoy the pens. I've had more failures with Energels than any other refill though all of those were with unusual colors.
I like the Sarasa in Cobalt Blue, the G2 Teal, the Energel Violet and for blue, black and blue black, I really like the Sarasa stuff the most. Thanks for all your work.
I have so much enjoyment with the energel 1.0! Goes quick!
Energel in electric blue with a fine .7 tip is orgasmic
The only Sarasa I tried was the 0.5mm Vintage Dark Gray, from Jetpens. Dried fast, but it wasn't as smooth as the 0.7 Pentel Energels I own. I used to mainly use the Uniball 307, which I still like a lot, but I think the Energels are all I really need.
obviously, the bigger the tip the more smoother, no shit sherlock 0.7 is gonna be smoother than 0.5
0.7 is just more inkier and is more likely to smudge/smear
@@griefer5846 I've used both 0.7s and the Pentel is still better.
@@qwe1231 yeah i know, just dont compare 0.5 pens to 0.7 pens, unfair comparison
Inkjoy gel is good also. Preferred it against G2 and as good as the energel at 0.7 mm. I have the inkjoy refill in my Philography ( Pentel).
This was a great review! I really love gel pens but their longevity is a big issue for me. Do you have any recommendations for gel pens that last a bit longer?
Sadly, this just comes with the territory. The best way to get one or last longer is to go with a small writing tip. If you get a Juice Up or 207 in a 0.38mm size, you'll get a great writer with a much longer life than a 1.0mm
Recently purchased several Sarasa Fineliners and a Sarasa Dry X20 .7 at DOLLAR TREE @ $1.25 ea!! Noticed their INC R2's (gel & roller b) are creating comments via the web but have yet to acquire. Yes, the Sarasa Dry was surprising!! Manufactures have have created great lines (_____) thru tech, now its all bells & whistles
Great find
I like the Sarasa Clip because its waterproof and so is the Signo ink (my absolute favorite). Energel has really bright colors but I prefer a small tip size and I feel like it is very smooth at 0.7 but not as nice as the others at like 0.3mm or 0.4mm. The sarasa Dry is super smooth and nice but just like the Energy it is not waterproof :(
omg what is this production quality
Thank you for noticing!
more videos plz
Working on it!
Have you ever tried Paper Mate Gel pens? Not the Ink Joy ones.. the older ones? Paper Mate doesn’t make them anymore but you can find some on Amazon. Try those. I think they are the smoothest..
EVERY 207 I've ever used started skipping after about 3 days. Shame..
You didn't include the zebra G750 in this list? I thought that was your favorite gel pen body!
I have alot of sarasa pens recently , I picked up a pentel energel recently and its perfect... the ink is just soooo smooth
I have had Sharpie S-GEL pens show up dry but it tends to fix itself most of the time.
Hey love your reviews man, what r ur thoughts on uni click gel.
The sharpie S gel is well made with a good ergonomic grip. The refill and the spring were garbage
I've been using the Pentel Energel refill in my Ti2 Techliner and besides my fountain pens, it's pretty much the only pen I love writing with
do you have to hack the energel to fit it in the techliner? i though it could only use jetstreams
@@beanie0026 you only need to cut about 2 mm off (little more than 1/16th) super easy to do
i bought a sarasa zebra 0.5 mm but it is scratchy for me pilot g2 0.7 is more smooth and cheap bic crystal 1.6 mm is very smooth
I like these pens. Have you tried the Mitsubishi Jetstream oil-based ballpoint pen?
Yes, I love the jetstream. It'll be featured in my best ballpoint video
OMG, I didn't realize the Jetstream is a ballpoint pen! It writes do smooth I always thought it is a rollerball or maybe even gel? Mine was given to me so I had no idea.
Alternatively, back to school sale in Aug and I fell in love with Papermate Ink Joy, surprised you didn't include it in the video, is it not as great as those Japanese ones? (I've only had a Uni-Signo and JellyRoll in white for black craft paper).
There seems to be a lot of lovers of the ink Joy online, especially given their 14 bright colors.
@@winifredxu Yes! It is gel!
I really like the 207
What is the best pen that can hold a parker style g2 refill? I like the Parker Jotter, but when writing for long periods of time it is annoying because the barrel is too thin. What would be a good alternative?
I'd suggest looking at my videos about the Rotring RapidPro and Rotring Tikky
I prefer the feel of the Parker Jotter XL to the original Parker Jotter.
Pilot G3 Gel 0.7
I always enjoy and appreciate your videos.
Thanks!
Excellent video. Thank You!!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
My favorite video 👍🏼
Thanks!
Anyone else bothered by his hand writing? Lol like you hear him thanking about writing and pens he likes and so on. But then his hand writing looks like that. Idk why but i just assumed that his writing would be better..
Second the Ink Joy suggestion down below, 14+ (more now?) bright colors, just found them at back to school sale while shopping for kids.
They come in a multi pack for
G2's are horrible...once I discovered the Zebra Sarasa I never looked back.
Great reviews!
Thank you!
@@unsharpen based on our reviews I've purchased quite a few different units
Pilot G2 was my gateway drug, but I've moved on to Pentel Energels which don't smear as badly. Uniball 307 and Energel Permanent are HORRIBLE for highlighters. I let my test ink dry over 2 hours and they bled and smeared incredibly badly.
Have you tried this Sarasa? ua-cam.com/video/pcU6lcbNWPI/v-deo.html
@@unsharpen I LOVE the Mark ON. But it's only available in 0.4 and 0.5 and you can't find it in stores etc. The Energels have impressive smear resistance even at the 1.0mm. The InkJoy and Sharpie S-gel are also nice, but they can bleed through thin paper. :/
Zebra SARASA. Pentel Energel. Pilot G2. Uni JETSTREAM. I miss a 5th one for a TOP 5, but that's the best I know! As for Pencils, Faber Castell TK-Fine Executive, (Not the Vario, neither the cheaper TK-Fine, the TK-Fine Executive) with Pentel Ain Stein 2B leads on it, is by far, the best writting experience, I ever had with a pencil.I also make way more beatiful letters with that Pencil, than any other I have tried so far.