Pilot Precise V5 RT Liquid Ink Pen Review
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Pilot Precise V5 RT Assorted Colors
I’ve always been a fan of the Pilot Precise line of pens, and these Pilot Precise V5 RT Retractable Liquid Ink Pen (from Office Max, great service btw, I’ll post about that some other time though) are the first ones I have bought in a long time because they always seem to last for such a long time. I was reminded of them by @Speedmaster who writes the fantastic blog, Amateur Economist which is full of interesting news about watches, pens, economics, mens fashion, and other great stuff, its kind of like GQ Magazine, but better…a must read if you want to be well-informed about interesting things.
The Sleek and Modern Looking Pilot Precise V5 RT Retractable Pen
Having already been a big fan of this line of pens from Pilot, I was excited to see the nice new design of the Pilot Precise V5 RT which also kept some of the same styling elements of the older version. It has great visual appeal with its smooth shiny clip, and vibrant body colors that match to the color of the ink. The lettering and graphics on the body of the pen along with its design somehow seem to convey a message of speed, it could be the italic font and “swoosh” marks that go up the barrel of the pen, but whatever it is, it just makes for a really cool looking pen.
The Pilot Precise V5 RT Comes with a Very Soft and Comfortable Grip
A close look at the tip and grip section of this pen are in order for two reasons. First, the tip is the main design element that reminds me of all the older Pilot Precise V5 and V7 pens that I have enjoyed in the past. It has that stacked series of discs or fins that I’ve always thought just looked really cool, and will always associate with the Pilot brand. The grip of the pen is very simple, yet very effective. It has a smooth rubbery feel with some subtle dimples in it that are more frequent as you travel down the length of the grip. It is super comfortable to hold and write with, and with the rest of the pen feeling very balanced in your hand, I’m pretty sure that this is one pen that you wont get tired from writing with.
The Pilot Precise V5 Refill in Red
Now that we know that the Pilot Precise V5 RT not only looks cool, but is comfortable to write with, it also is refillable. In the past when I’ve used the regular Pilot Precise Stick, I was seriously impressed with the longevity of the ink, although those versions are not refillable. I think that those versions will probably last longer than this one because their bodies are entirely filled with a ton of ink, while these refill cartridges look like they have a slightly smaller capacity.
Pilot Precise V5 RT Writing Sample on Levenger Paper
Writing with this pen was, and is an absolutely great experience. They put down a very smooth line and seem to glide across the paper, while leaving a bright line that dries almost instantly. The line doesn’t seem to spread, smear, feather, or bleed on the Levenger Circa paper that I used, and it preformed quite well on a few other papers that I used during the course of trying out these pens. The fantastic looks, the comfortable grip, and the superb writing experience with the newer retractable version of these Pilot Precise V5 pens reminded me again why these are such awesome pens, and why they should be one of the top go to pens when you are looking for a dependable every day work horse. Oh, and also, the Pilot Precise V5 RT (also available in a V7 wider tip) is airplane safe, a claim I have not had a chance to test yet, but I will be traveling later this month and will be sure to test it out and report back.
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This is a great pen. As much as I love my gel inks and their funky colors, this is probably my favorite pen when I’m in a journaling mood.
I found these pens about a month ago in Office Depot. I have always loved the original V5 pens, but lately have been using the G2 pens. I still use the G2′s at work, but now have been using the retractable V5′s at home and love them.
Very cool, thanks for the shout out! I have been all over locally looking for these in blue, can’t find them anywhere!!! Staples, OfficeMax, Target, WalMart, no luck. ;-(
I’d even be happy if I could find some blue refills to stick in the black model I have!
First, I like these pens, but I have a few “buts” to add. It seems to me that there isn’t much ink in these things – I burned thru a red in record time. The tips pick up debris somehow – I’ve had 2 clog irreparably and I threw them away, and there is some, almost imperceptible yet there, vibration while writing (depends on the paper). Are refills available in stores? The grip at the end d/n make a big difference, but it is better than others in that it d/n turn around on the pen. And finally the point on the V5 is about 1MM longer than the V5RT, and it makes a difference.
I will stay with the V5, but I do like the RT.
The Pilot Precise line has always been amongst my favorites (really, they’re the first pen I ever preferred to the degree that I went out and bought them for to use at work despite having pens supplied by my workplace), and the RT versions have become my favorite of the Precise line.
I haven’t tried tested these on an airplane either because the original version of the Precise line definitely weren’t, but based on my understanding of how and why pens go nuts on an airplane, I think the RT should work fine (though the liquid ink is especially smudgy on the glossy pages of an inflight magazine’s crossword puzzle, which is the main reason I reach for a pen on an airplane, but that’s a problem with a whole lot of pens).
@dowdyism – And a vote from the Pen Addict says a lot!
@Nimrodd – I would pick these over the G2 any day, but Im not really a huge fan of the G2.
@Speedmaster – No problem, I love our blog, I think it should be required reading for people.
As for the refills, they are pretty hard to find, I know my local stores dont carry them, OfficeMax has them to order online, but their free shipping requires a $50 purchase, but I do have to say their delivery service is pretty good. Here is a link to them at OfficeMax: Pilot Precise V5 RT Refills.
@threehourzsleep – Those are probably fair criticisms. I wonder if the clogging issue is more related to the paper than the pen? If the paper you are using has really fine and loose fibers, I could see how they might get caught in the roller ball tip while you write with them. Have you tried using different paper?
I’ve got a link just above in the response to Speedmaster for the refills from OfficeMax online, but I have not really seen any in stores.
@Mark Kawakami – I totally know what you mean about them being one of those first pens that kind of changed your view and made you want a specific pen. When I first found them back in the day, they really stood out visually, and just wrote so nicely…and still do. I have not tried it on a plane, but I wonder if the Uniball Power Tank would be of use for you with the glossy pages of a crossword/magazine? Its a ballpoint, but it writes really nicely.
@OfficeSupplyGeek I consider my touch to be fairly light – I don’t want some spy to come behind me and get any phone numbers from the page beneath. Standard fare for paper – Sams Legal pads, Gold Fiber top bound notebook (left handed you know), copy paper, steno pads, sticky notes, etc I lost a blue to Bic White out tape, and the other 2 just clogged up. I tried hot water, shaking, to no end, garbage can.
BTW I had a .7MM metal tip Pentel (BL77-C) Energel retractable, that got low mileage as well as far as ink goes; and I compare this to the V5 .5mm, or a Bic Z4 needle .5 that keeps going and going. Garbage can for the BL77 today, the grip bugged me too – didn’t stay put. (PenAddict has heard all this before). I have a black energel .7 with the capped end that I like but now wonder how long it will last.
PS for any crossword anywhere, get a Bic ball point, 10 for a buck. My dad uses erasables, but come on, that’s a bit chicken, right?
@threehourzsleep – I have not used all of the types of note pas that you mention, but I think the papers in them are similar. I can see how you might be limited though with being left handed if you are looking for the top bound type note pads. If you can find a notepad with 70gsm or better paper, it might be worth a try to see if those clog the pens as well…assuming its the paper and not the pens, but I could be wrong.
The Bic X4 are nice pens, but in my experience, the ink tends to spread a bit when you write, so even the narrow point is a little wider than I like.
I agree with you on erasables for crosswords, although you could easily classify him as cautious instead.
Nice review…do you have a post of your favorite pens? Maybe, like a running top 10 list?
@cinco – I dont have a list like that, but I do have my annual pick for the best office supplies of the year or you can also check out The Pen Addict and his top pen list.
is this refill the same as the gel refill ?