[Pen/Pencil Review] The Pilot B2P Retractable - Shades of Green
Originally published at Rhonda Eudaly. You can comment here or there.
My moderately convenient Staples is closing. This situation is a whole different rant/post for a later date. We visited to see if we could pick up anything good - I did two more of the Pilot B2P (Bottle to Pen) pens from a 2 for $2 display at the register in shades of green. I know I’ve already review a version of this pen, but what the heck…
According to the website, The B2P comes in both 0.5mm and 0.7mm point - I’ve only seen the 0.7, which is what I bought (or I would’ve TOTALLY gone for the 0.5mm still). This time we’re dealing with the 0.7mm primary green and apple green.
At first glance, it’s kinda cool. The plastic barrel is color-matching tinted and has wavy ridges in it to mimic a water bottle. The barrel isn’t too thick or too thin to feel comfortable in the hand. The Ink cartridge runs the full length of the barrel, promising a long-lived writing instrument. And it’s 5.5 inches long, making it long enough to balance in a hand. Which is all good - especially with the recycle factor.
The upside to these are the fact they’re gel ink. The primary green is solid, dark, and rich. The apple green is one of the darker tints for the lighter colors. The apple green is actually easy to read. Both write very smoothly through the metal conical tip. There is still ink smearing to deal with, but not as much as with the first pens of this line I dealt with.
Why does this matter? I don’t like having to pay that much attention to my gel ink. Fountain pen ink is different, it’s liquid. You expect some drying time. It’s been a while since I’ve had smudging and smearing issues with gel ink - especially from a PILOT product. I will continue to use the pens - I don’ t give up pens that easily, but I’m wary of them. The pricing was also right on these - $1 each. I’m just sorry that I will have to hunt harder for them.
The numbers:
1. How does it work? - 0.5 - This is a fairly solid working pen. The ink is well-pigmented. The point is solid. The ink smears a bit much for my taste
2. Look and feel - 1 - It’s a basic retractable pen. There’s a nod to ergonomics. The clip is metal, so that’s solid.
3. Material - 1 - It’s recycled plastic with a plastic clip. It is what it is.
4. Overall Design - 0.5 - It’s functional and recycled. It’s refillable and eco-friendly
5. Price Point - 1 - This pen is refillable and were available for $1 each.
I give it 4 out of 5 Bronze Pencils
