Finest point pen??

Robocop · Aug 12, 2008

I have always used the Pilot G2 for report writing and believe me I do plenty of them. Last month I had 22 days in patrol with 289 calls for service and out of these 110 required a report.

Many of these reports require very small print (accident reports) and as such I have always used the 0.5 tip G2 rather than the 0.7. Just recently I found that G2 now makes a 0.38 tip and I love it. Problem is that I can not find them anywhere local and the place I did find them at before said it was not a regular stock item (got a box in by mistake)

So it looks as if I am to order off line however if I do this I wanted to make sure there was not something better to be had before I placed an order. So basically I am looking for the smallest tip black ink pen I can find. I go through them like crazy so the cost must be close to the G2 which is something like 1.50 each or 15.00 for a dozen. I also like the gel ink and again the smaller the tip the better......is the 0.38 G2 the smallest out there?

I tried searching on line and all I could find was links to the world record for smallest fountain pen???

e2x2e · Aug 12, 2008

I like fine point pens, and I've found these to be really good: http://www.uniball-na.com/main.taf?p=2,3,9 . Get the 0.7mm. You can pretty much ignore the width differences between different manufacturers. The Uni Jetstream 0.7 is an extremely PRECISE pen, delivering just the right amount of ink. This way, you can almost write infinitly small just by varying the pressure.

Robocop · Aug 12, 2008

Thanks for the link and after looking around at the Uniball brand I see they make a Uniball Signo Bit 0.18mm Pen....holy smoke that sounds great for what I need however it seems to not be available in a retractable design.

It also seems the smaller tipped pens (in any brand) are hard to get and are mostly known as Japanese pens. The internet says some dealers are importing a few models however I could not find much else online.

I just found out Uniball also makes a 0.28 tip and this also sounds perfect for my needs. I am making a trip tomorrow to Office depot again to see if I may try another brand and if they have the Uniball 0.28.....ok change that idea as I realized the 0.28 does not come in a retractable either.

So let me add this.....anyone know of a retractable pen with a tip smaller than or equal to at least 0.38mm.

VegasF6 · Aug 12, 2008

DX sells a .3 gel pen as well as a .5, I bought them both and really like them. Made by Gilfia. They don't retract though. Very good price.

Retinator · Aug 12, 2008

I've always loved gel pens. For glossy paper they're not good but I like the consistent colors.

I didn't know you could get gels that fine, from what I see when you write, it expands slightly, as the ink is more liquid than a ballpoint (oil based).

I'm using a Dr Grip Gel (G2 refill). It says G2-7, so I'm assuming a 0.7. They do flow nicely. I used Cross (Ion) and found the refills always died on me with over half the ink left in them. Just ship a bunch back to cross, get replacements, same thing.

As a LEO, I would have though a fine ballpoint (or Space pen) would be preferred. Gels don't do well in wet environments, only ballpoint seems to AFAIK.

Hmm wonder about the Surefire pen, but for that price I'd rather have a light :grin2:

Marduke · Aug 12, 2008

You can get some of the fine tip Parker-style refills. It's one of the most common refill styles made by a zillion manufacturers, and it works nicely in the Parker Stainless Jotter ($7 at WalMart).

Gatsby · Aug 14, 2008

AFAIK the Uniball Bit .18 and the Pilot Hi C .25 are the finest points - neither are retractable however, probably a result of supporting the super fine point.

www.jetpens.com carries them both

Samuel · Aug 14, 2008

I think it was on CPF that I saw a thread https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/119983
where, with very minor modification, you could use a Montblanc rollerball refill in a Pilot G2. I now have a couple of G2s with the MB inner - if I could use that type of ink at work, I would. Unfortunately, I can't, so I just use a sturdy no-name pen that takes fine point Parker refills...

These are kinda pricey but look pretty "interesting"...

Fisher refills too...

http://www.benchmade.com/products/product_detail.aspx?model=1100

Robocop · Aug 17, 2008

The Mont Blanc fine tip refill is actually a very nice writing pen and I saw a 2 pack this weekend for 15 dollars. I was tempted to try the mod to make it fit my G2 body however decided to wait.

I did buy a 2 pack of the Uniball .05mm and it is very smooth yet a little too smooth for my taste. It has no resistance at all and as such makes my style of writing show up very shaky on paper....gave them to a co-worker who loves them.

Finally at a local Target I was able to find a 3 pack of the G2 .38mm tip and I bought the last two packs. I really like these and now have 6 to go through however it will not take me that long. Thanks for all the help on this anyway however for now I am set up pretty good.....

Greta · Aug 17, 2008

Retinator said:
I'm using a Dr Grip Gel (G2 refill). It says G2-7, so I'm assuming a 0.7. They do flow nicely.

This is the one I use. It's a "needle point" and fits into most of the Pilot Dr. Grip pens. I used to hate gel pens and wouldn't go near them until I found this one. The only problem that I've ever had with it is when writing on certain kinds of Post-it notes. Otherwise, it never fails me and I can write as tiny as I want in those little boxes on insurance claim forms. I've had no problems buying the refills at Staples. They are always in stock at our store here.

Retinator · Aug 17, 2008

Sounds good. I'm not really picky on width, as much as smoothness.

I used to like the ultra fine pens, but anything up to medium is good enough for me. There are times (forms etc...) where you need a fine point still, so they are good to have.

I also try to keep 1 ballpoint, 1 gel pen available, you never know.

Nice to see ya in the forums Greta, they don't let you out much do they? :grin2:

Robocop · Aug 20, 2008

Thanks for the link Greta and I picked up a pack of the pens you mentioned tonight after work. I Have not used them as of yet however will try one tomorrow at work. The tip does look very small and sturdy and the actual pen I bought is the Q7 ultra fine....I cant seem to find the actual size in mm for the tip however it does seem to write very thin lines.

rsilvers · Apr 15, 2016

I just went through this - I wanted the finest / smallest tip pen I could find.

I started with a 0.03mm tip Le Pen pigment liner from Amazon. Much to my surprise, it made 0.2mm lines, and the tip was about 0.18mm. My opinion is that they misrepresent their specs. I returned it to Amazon.

I then tried a Staedter pigment liner set that had a 0.05mm, 0.1mm, 0.2mm, 0.3mm, 0.5mm, and 0.8mm.

The 0.05mm made 0.2mm lines and the tip was also about 0.2mm (I use a Mitutoyo reticle and a Nikon stereo microscope, as well as a Mitutoyo micrometer). My opinion - they are not honest with their specs.

The Signet Uni-Ball 0.28mm ball point made a 0.2mm line that was just a tad thinner than the line from the "0.05mm" Staedter pigment liner.

So in conclusion - Signet Uni-Ball 0.28mm is the finest I have found so far. I guess pen-tip size is like Chinese lumens.

mcnair55 · Apr 15, 2016

My passion for pens is crazy,have winning bids on several pens at present.A make that maybe worth a look are Rotring.They are a German company with excellent history.

For example...

Tikky Graphic Fineliner with nib from 0.1 to 0.8 mm

bykfixer · Apr 15, 2016

Robocop said:
I have always used the Pilot G2 for report writing and believe me I do plenty of them. Last month I had 22 days in patrol with 289 calls for service and out of these 110 required a report.

Many of these reports require very small print (accident reports) and as such I have always used the 0.5 tip G2 rather than the 0.7. Just recently I found that G2 now makes a 0.38 tip and I love it. Problem is that I can not find them anywhere local and the place I did find them at before said it was not a regular stock item (got a box in by mistake)

So it looks as if I am to order off line however if I do this I wanted to make sure there was not something better to be had before I placed an order. So basically I am looking for the smallest tip black ink pen I can find. I go through them like crazy so the cost must be close to the G2 which is something like 1.50 each or 15.00 for a dozen. I also like the gel ink and again the smaller the tip the better......is the 0.38 G2 the smallest out there?

I tried searching on line and all I could find was links to the world record for smallest fountain pen???

My local Staples carries the pen but not the refill. They carry the 0.5 and up refills.

When some clients I consult for complained the "ink isn't black enough" on documents I'd fill out and/or sign I switched to the Zebra 301.

Now I just use Cross pens like the Tech3.

I had stocked up on the Pilots a while ago thinking American companies always change stuff that works. This thread makes me glad I did.

KITROBASKIN · Apr 15, 2016

Does the kind of paper have an effect on line width? Maybe some are more absorbent and cause the ink to spread wider than the point of the pen.

CLHC · Apr 15, 2016

KITROBASKIN said:
Does the kind of paper have an effect on line width? Maybe some are more absorbent and cause the ink to spread wider than the point of the pen.

There is some truth to this, and most especially with Fountain Pens. Quite possibly would this be the case with Gels and Rollerballs. This of course, is from my own observations with different papers and with writing with FPs, RBs, and Gels. Not so much with BPs. Then again, Your Methods May Vary Accordingly so.

Write On Folks!

scout24 · Apr 15, 2016

Wow, I thought I was fine point with the 0.38 G2's that my son turned me on to. Going to have to look i to these!

KITROBASKIN · Apr 16, 2016

Don't know if this applies to fine point pens, but the speed of pen movement also has an effect on line width, from my experience.

ShineOnYouCrazyDiamond · Apr 16, 2016

I love fine point pens and have been using the G2 0.5mm for a while. The problem is that gel ink is only good on regular paper - if there is any glossiness to the finish the ink sometimes won't dry or lines will start to break up.

For those of you who may be filling out forms that have carbonless copies I'd be concerned with something too fine. You have to press harder to get the copies to go through and if the point gets too fine with a water based ink you may start ripping through the thinner paper.

A 0.5mm ball point would be great, but I've only seen that small size in gel.

Finest point pen??

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