Pilot Juice Up 6 Color Gel Pen Set (0.4 mm) in Classic Glossy ($18) is a sophisticated looking set of gel pens that feature dark colors that are described as: Classic Glossy Black, Classic Glossy Blue, Classic Glossy Brown, Classic Glossy Green, Classic Glossy Red, and Classic Glossy Violet.
The pen barrels feature silicone grips that indicate the color of the ink in each pen. The barrels themselves are pretty much just a smooth tube with the exception of the squishy grip and feature a translucent grey knock/clip. The barrels are very much a standard width, not too wide, not to slim.
The color of the inks are indicated by the silicone grip and, in low light, it is sometime difficult to discern between the black, purple and brown inks.
The tip is tapered and is sort of halfway between a conical tip and a needlepoint tip. It’s a bit unique.
I was fascinated by the fact that the pens were described as “glossy”. What makes them glossy? When doing the squares of swatches, I noticed that there is very fine metallic shimmer in the ink. It’s very subtle and was more noticeable on the Rhodia paper than on the Tomoe River. Under most circumstances, its unlikely that you’ll notice the shimmer but it does add some dimension to the color.
In writing, the ink flows well and is a very rich, dark color. Each of the colors, though described as glossy, look more like red-black, green-black, blue-black, brown-black, purple-black, etc.
Like so many gel pens, I end up wanting to sketch with them so I did a quick doodle of a ceramic candy dish on my kitchen table that was made by my friend Amy at Pigeon Road Pottery. The deep color and easy flow make these pens fun to use.
Bob, who has a heavier hand than I do and prefers wider tips, did not enjoy using these pens. He found that there was too much flexibility or bend when he used these pens. And that he wrote at an angle that felt the edge of the tip might catch on the page.
With both my light handed impressions and Bob’s more heavy-handed style, you can see that these pens might not be for everyone. The Classic Glossy 6-color set is also available in an 0.5mm width which may work better if you write with a heavier hand.
DISCLAIMER: Some items included in this review were provided free of charge by JetPens for the purpose of review. The other items in the review were purchased by myself. Please see the About page for more details
They have been by go-to pens for my Hobonichi Weeks Mega / Tomoe River paper, but I’ve gotten tired of accidental smudges (I’m a lefty). So note that the ink can take a while to dry on some paper. I’ve since switched to a Uni One pens which dry almost instantly on Tomoe River paper. I still prefer the smooth feel of the Pilot Juice Up pens…