Review: Pilot Dr. Grip Pen

 Image from samsclub.com

As part of my new category about the tools of a writer’s trade, I’d like to introduce you to a tool I couldn’t do without — the Pilot Dr. Grip retractable pen.

First let me explain why this pen in particular has so completely won me over. Even though I love pens, they’ve never loved me. Maybe it’s because I’m a lefty, but pens have never worked satisfyingly for me. Fountain pens will give me a watery little trickle and then stop completely. Other fancy pens won’t even start, no matter how many times I vainly scratch or swipe at the paper. Other pens that are supposed to guarantee a smooth flow, like gel pens, inevitably work well for about five minutes, then start to show gaps in parts of letters. It’s incredibly frustrating. Sure, a good old Bic ball point will work, but it doesn’t look elegant or feel satisfying. I’ve been longing for a high quality pen for years, and never had one that didn’t become spotty just weeks after getting it.

Enter the Pilot Dr. Grip pen. I first got this beauty in my Christmas stocking, and I was immediately blown away by the writing experience. It’s a pleasantly weighty pen, excellently balanced in your hand, with an elegant design and smooth rubber grip. It is technically a ball point pen, but with a smoother, darker flow of ink than I’ve ever had from a ball point. It feels like a fountain pen — but manages like a ball point. The ink flows so smoothly, with almost no scratching, that it soon became my go-to pen for all important writing. This pen saw me through four years of college exam blue-book writing, an entire notebook of notes on new stories, and much more before I needed to change the ink cartridge. More than any other pen I’ve had, this one made me feel like hand-writing was effortless and fun again.

While everyone’s pen experience is different, I can tell you I’ve gotten three of these pens now and won’t use any other for my important writing. I highly recommend the pen and would like to see it in other colors. Right now I’ve only found it in black, but the design of the pen itself comes in a variety of colors.