PILOT Precise V5 RT Retractable Liquid Ink Rolling Ball Pens - Extra Fine 0.5mm Black Ink - 2-Pack (26050) - Perfect for Office, School & Note Taking

This is hands down, my absolute favorite pen to write with. I am painfully particular about pens to begin with. I will look for gel pen for at least an hour even if I have 20 ballpoint pens surrounding me. I legitimately cringe when I'm forced to use a ballpoint....hell, I even cringe a little bit when when I'm forced to write with a 1.0MM gel pen. And if it's something I have to turn in, or even just a small note to my partner or family member's... I'll write whatever it is I need to remember with the pen i dislike, so that I can re-write it in a 0.38-0.5MM gel pen when I come across one, all before giving it to the intended recipient. I can't believe I'm revealing this very strange and embarrassing quirk about myself knowing hundreds, if not thousands, will now know my deep, dark secret that I've only shared with maybe 2-3 family members at most... lol this is hilarious......Anyway, I said all that, to say this: considering the self-diagnosed, obsessive compulsive, pen connoisseur I claim to be: the Pilot Precise V5 Needle Point 0.38MM has remained my first choice since trying it for the first time 3-4 years ago. Despite its very small nib, it's not the least bit scratchy like it's competition tends to be. It almost has a little bounce to it as you write. In addition, it's comfortable to hold in my carpal tunnel hands and it's best feature is how long lasting the ink is... maybe I have too many of them in rotation to be a good judge of how long the ink lasts in each one, but after trying. many other brands/models my biggest complaint is how quickly all the others run out of ink with regular use.Be careful, these pens are addictive! They are easy to hold, write with a smooth, clean stroke. The V-5 point is "fine" so makes writing a real pleasure. Some of these pens come with a V-7 point which is a bit more like a medium point. I can't imagine writing with anything else. Either one is exemplary!I love fine-point pens and couldn't find any in our local stores that were 0.5mm in multiple colors. I like the different color options because it makes my note-taking for school more interesting and visually appealing. These will definitely be ones I keep buying for the future!!I love these pens. I first bought them at Stapels, but they are not always available. So glad to find them on Amazon.I’ve had an obsession with the Pilot Precise V5 for quite some years.On the product page I had the color black selected but apparently the description said blue. So I now have some extra blue when I needed black. I won’t let them go to waste…just pay attention to what you’re actually getting!Best pen to use in my cricut. The printing is very crisp. Wouldn’t go without it.best pen. Love the needle tip for my writing styleIf you want to feel like a medieval chronicler, scratching away slowly in order to make sure your strokes don’t look thin ore sloppy, then this is the pen for you. However if your are looking for a smooth writing experience, keep looking.Now let me be clear, these are not bad pens; they just aren't particularly enjoyable to use. The tip scratches and digs into the paper, resulting in a scraping feeling; this can not be avoided, as in order to get the right amount of ink, you must press harder than when using ballpoint or gel pens.When it works your strokes will be bold and deeper than ballpoints, but this requires a slow and steady stroke. Writing quickly results in what is tantamount to chicken scratch. For smooth lines you’ll need to be methodical and deliberate.So far I haven't experienced any leaking or excessive ink blotting; the delivery seams to be quite good. The ink dries/soaks into the paper rapidly, and I haven't encountered any smudging. Finally, if bleeding through the page is a worry, you need not fret; while using thin paper, the visible bleed through is exceptionally minimal.While the Pilot Precise V5 is certainly better than the pens I was using, it is unfortunately not the smooth experience I was looking for. For Just over five dollars for two pens, I was expecting better. I most certainly can see this product appealing to others though; so while it isn’t for me, it may be for you.SummeryPros:-bold deep lines-quick dry ink/no smudging-page bleed is minimal-product materials are adequateCons:-writing is scratchy and rough (not smooth)-must write slowly for best results-not very comfortable in the hand-a bit overpriced for what you get-aesthetic design is simplistic (subjective)I haven't found a flow or gel pen yet that operates as smoothly as these do for left-handed people. I have been using them since 1996, and no other pen surpasses this one for lefties. The only time they smudge is on glossy or semi-glossy paper, but any pen will do that. Otherwise, there are not dots left behind to smudge on the side of your hand, and there is no gel or ball roller to get stopped up by pushing your pen forward (vs. the smooth flowing away of the ball when you're right-handed). I find that some pens also can't handle any amount of residue from skin and will skip over it like ink to wax on a batik cloth or painting. These pens flow smoothly even over that.I have used Pilot V5 and V7 pens for at least 15 years since my university days. And, now I purchase these by the box for my work. This multi-color pack is great and writing greeting cards etc. These pens are very good for precise and beautiful handwriting. I love the consistent and even ink flow and handwriting is simply beautiful. Lately I have started liking V7 more than V5. Now Pilot have come out with many different pens, but this classic still remains my favorite. The point is very smooth out of box and totally smudge-proof. It requires no pressure and writing is very smooth and natural.These pens flow very smoothly and are comfortable to hold. The design is classic and has not changed for years. I know many people like me who have been using these classics for years. Many people at work started buying these pens as they see print like writing I produce from these pens.The only warning I have is that once you try this pen you may not like any other pen! Amazon price is usually better than local stores.I've been using Pilot V5 Techpoint pens for years and absolutely love them.The roller ball design allows these pens to write smoothly with very little pressure or hand fatigue making them ideal when writing for long periods of time.Being left handed I was concerned that the ink from the V5 pen would bleed into the paper, smudge or smear, but I was surprised at how little ink bleed there is from these pens and also how resilient they are to smearing. Sometimes this V5 pen will smear every so slightly but 99% of the time I can write left handed without any smearing.Note: I have also used the V7 version of this pen which does have more ink bleed and does smear noticeably more.The V5 pen writes great on thermal paper making it a favorite for cashiers, waiters and waitress just be careful not to leave it alone with your customers or you might not get it back. The hard steel needle tip on the V5 pen is also great for making carbon copies and works great for things like bank deposit slips.Unlike regular ball point pens or gel roller pens the needle tip on the Pilot V5 can bend, crack or break which can cause ink to leak out. The V5 pens can also be sensitive to changes in air pressure, so you should carry them with caution when flying as the changes in pressure can cause the ink to leak. In five years of use, I've had two pens leak, which can be messy.I was concerned that cold weather may cause the ink to freeze and affect the performance of this pen but so far I've used this pen in freezing weather and it still wrote as good or better than ball point or gel pen.One other feature I like is the convenient built in ink window which lets you see how much ink is still remaining in the penOverall for me, The Pilot V5 Techpoint is the perfect pen for me, my wife seems to like it too, since she's always borrowing it from my desk.The pen is suited to a higher grade paper, based on how the (great) rolling action of the ball is hurt by cheap notebook paper. Students, don't use this with your Hilroy 80-page notebooks! It'll start drying up the roller real fast, leading to skipping. Look for notebooks with the kind of paper that feels super smooth and slick to the touch.To write with a 0.5mm line on this one you'll need to follow calligraphy rule #1: use a comfy, nearly-90° hold on the pen, and rule #2: let the pen's weight dictate pressure (don't smash it). My one issue is how strongly it bleeds at a more innocent acute angle, leading you to do believe it's supposed to be that thick if you write in such a pose.