I was chilling in a coffee shop when I suddenly decided I needed to write something. No pen was in sight. I asked the barista for a writing instrument and he passed me this plastic, average looking thing. I humbly accepted his offering and began to write.
I wrote a line of words and was hooked. The fine lines - so crisp, so sharp. What kind of sorcery was this cheap looking piece of plastic? This, my friends, was the day the G-TEC-C3 entered my life and changed it forever.
How do they write?
Like a dream. The lines come out smooth, fine, and sharp. I was once asked if the contents page of my bullet journal was printed because of how sharp my writing looked. A great ego boost I must say. The fine lines allow for great precision and enable you to fit a million words into one line. According to Cult Pens, the 0.4 draws a 0.2mm line.
In my first few weeks of use, I found that the G didn’t need warming up or anything. I’d take the cap off and get straight to business. After a few weeks of use, I found that they do need a little bit of priming before use. Frustrating at times, but not the end of the world.
Pilot claim that this is the only pen made with their ‘bio-polymer’ ink which is said to be smudge and smear free - they still smudge. I’ve found that this is really dependant on the kind of paper you use. In my Leuchtturm journal, the ink takes a few seconds longer to dry than on average writing paper. The ink dries almost instantly on Rodia paper. I’ve also found that the red and blue take far longer to dry than the black; the red being the worst of the two. See the image above for some smudge action.
Tip Sizes
0.4 (C4), 0.3 (C3) and 0.25.
The 0.25 is part of the Hi-TEC-C range which is the same thing. Unfortunately, the 0.3 in black isn’t available in UK based stores and websites anymore, but can be found in the US, Japan and other places. I got mine from the Philippines which is the main reason why I had to resort to other sizes when I wanted more - a blessing in disguise as the 0.4 is now my weapon of choice.
As much as I like the 0.25, I can’t use it. I have to adjust how I hold the pen in order for it to not scratch or skip, thus taking away any comfort. Maybe ‘hyperfine’ is a step too far?
Are they scratchy?
Like all gel pens, yes, they can be. In my experience, the 0.4 suffers from this problem the least. The 0.3 and the 0.25 can become especially scratchy. I’ve found that the smaller you go in terms of size, the more likely you will be to face such problems. If you tend to press down hard whilst writing, you might want to find an alternative (Zebra Sarasa) as the stainless steel tips can bend and get damaged fairly easily (see the image above). This is a pretty big let down but can be excused once you experience the G at its best.
Colour Range
the 0.3 comes in black, blue, and red. The 0.25 and 0.4 on the other hand come in a variety of colours. Though not extensive like Pilot’s Juice collection, you can get the 0.4 in black, blue, red, green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, and brown. You can find this 10-pack here.
Price
They’re not cheap. They’re actually quite expensive in my opinion. On Cult they’re priced at £2.65 each and average out to around the same price on Amazon and eBay. A pack of 10 costs over £20. Refills are available on Cult and are priced at £1.75 each. While they are expensive, they’re a worthy purchase without doubt. You get what you pay for in life - most of the time. This is one of those times.
Highlighter Test
All tip sizes can generally handle one swipe from a highlighter. Two swipes is a bit much IMO and will cause a slight smudge. Anything more than that is just overkill and you need to chill out. Having said that, it really does depend on the type of highlighter you use. Mildliners, in my eyes, are just glorified felt tips so one swipe with those and it’s game over. Highlighters by Staedtler, Stabilo, and others work well. As a rule of thumb, one swipe is sufficient. For reference, I used a Stabilo Flash in the image above.
The Body
The body is made of plastic and for the most part is fairly strong. However, after prolonged use, they can crack - especially the lids and ends. The clips on the lids aren’t the strongest so if you have a habit of playing with them, just be mindful that they can snap.
Conclusion
If I’d have come across the Zebra Sarasa before the G-TEC-C, that would be my go to pen, but it’s not. It’s this. While it’s definitely not perfect and has its issues, it’s still a formidable tool. I’ve ditched pretty much every other type of pen I own for these - and with no regrets. They’re quite pricey but I’d say they’re worth the money. Just buy yourself one and you’ll see. Again, if you have a heavy hand, you may want to consider other options as they perform at their best when there’s minimal pressure on the tip. Pilot could increase their colour range but I guess that’s what the Juice is for.
Overall, I’d recommend starting off with the C4 (0.4) as it makes for a great introduction into the G-TEC series.
7.5/10
8/10 out of bias.
P.S. I’ll be giving away a 10 pack of these (+ other random bits and bobs) if this review gets 2,000 notes.
P.P.S. You have to be a follower, and only reblogs will be counted as entries.
I hope you found this useful. If you’ve used the G or HI-TEC-C before, drop us a line and let us know what you think.
