DIGIT-ARC read-only archive · snapshot: July 23, 2026

Pen Suggestion - Pilot V5 alternative

30 posts · originally from https://geek.digit.in/community/threads/pen-suggestion-pilot-v5-alternative.186010/

skeletor
skeletor Original post #1
Jul 29, 2014 at 3:11 PM
I'm a Pilot V5 pen user. For those who don't know, this is Pilot v5 - Pilot V5 (Pack of 2) - Flipkart.com

The pen is expensive, costs Rs. 50 in pack of 3. Rs. 70 stand alone. But the ink is Rs. 10 and can refill upto 4 pens.

Now the problem which I face these days is, the quality of their inks has diminished and the body colour of the pen "peels" off. I don't mind the body colour peeling off, but I want the pen should work properly after refilling.

I can't use ball pens. I don't "press" while writing. I write in flow. Mainly because I was using fountain pens till I was 14. Then I moved over to Pilot. Blue Gel pens for some weird reasons have a "Turquoise" ink which I don't like and they pose the same issue which Ball pens pose. Flow is less.

The only pen which I know can be a proper replacement is Reynlods Trimax. Reynolds Trimax

What I want to know is, do I have other alternatives? I don't mind paying Rs. 500 for a pen if it is easily & cheaply refillable and also offers me the flow which Pilot V5 offers.

Suggestions please.
gagan_kumar
Jul 29, 2014 at 3:44 PM
I'm a Pilot V5 pen user. For those who don't know, this is Pilot v5 - Pilot V5 (Pack of 2) - Flipkart.com

The pen is expensive, costs Rs. 50 in pack of 3. Rs. 70 stand alone. But the ink is Rs. 10 and can refill upto 4 pens.

Now the problem which I face these days is, the quality of their inks has diminished and the body colour of the pen "peels" off. I don't mind the body colour peeling off, but I want the pen should work properly after refilling.

I can't use ball pens. I don't "press" while writing. I write in flow. Mainly because I was using fountain pens till I was 14. Then I moved over to Pilot. Blue Gel pens for some weird reasons have a "Turquoise" ink which I don't like and they pose the same issue which Ball pens pose. Flow is less.

The only pen which I know can be a proper replacement is Reynlods Trimax. Reynolds Trimax

What I want to know is, do I have other alternatives? I don't mind paying Rs. 500 for a pen if it is easily & cheaply refillable and also offers me the flow which Pilot V5 offers.

Suggestions please.
well i use cello gripper....
seamon
seamon #3
Jul 29, 2014 at 3:49 PM
You can try Parker with a V.Fine refill(not Fine). The ink is rich and dark and tip feels similar to Pilot v5.
skeletor
Jul 29, 2014 at 3:53 PM
You can try Parker with a V.Fine refill(not Fine). The ink is rich and dark and tip feels similar to Pilot v5.
[strike]yes, that is a good suggestion but I think Parker refills are expensive. I can buy a new Pilot V5 for that price!![/strike]

okay, they aren't expensive. Which Parker pen would you recommend? Beta?
seamon
seamon #5
Jul 29, 2014 at 4:06 PM
yes, that is a good suggestion but I think Parker refills are expensive. I can buy a new Pilot V5 for that price!!

With Great quality comes great price. :eek::p

- - - Updated - - -

You can also take a look at Add Gel Achiever.
H
hsr #6
Jul 29, 2014 at 4:09 PM
Parker Frontier stainless steel edition. Best pen ever.
I got it for around 600 bucks, must be lower now...

I assume you're writing records for college "been there, done that" :D

- - - Updated - - -

Parker Frontier Stainless Steel GT Roller Ball Pen - Buy Parker Frontier Stainless Steel GT Roller Ball Pen - Roller Ball Pen Online at Best Prices in India Only at Flipkart.com
~550 bucks
Buy this and I tell you, you won't regret it. It has a 2 years warranty for gods sake!
skeletor
Jul 29, 2014 at 5:05 PM
Parker Frontier stainless steel edition. Best pen ever.
I got it for around 600 bucks, must be lower now...

I assume you're writing records for college "been there, done that" :D

- - - Updated - - -

Parker Frontier Stainless Steel GT Roller Ball Pen - Buy Parker Frontier Stainless Steel GT Roller Ball Pen - Roller Ball Pen Online at Best Prices in India Only at Flipkart.com
~550 bucks
Buy this and I tell you, you won't regret it. It has a 2 years warranty for gods sake!
is it refillable? which ink to buy for that?
sling-shot
Jul 29, 2014 at 5:28 PM
OFFTOPIC:
I have always found the problem of ink flow getting blocked due to paper fibers with those Pilots, UniBalls, sundry gel pens. I finally come back to ball pens.
Currently my favourite is Reynolds CHAMP.
[MENTION=26711]ico[/MENTION]
What sort of paper do you write on?
[MENTION=22610]hsr[/MENTION]
I would like to try that too once Flipkart starts delivering here. Or may be I could find it on Amazon.
H
hsr #9
Jul 29, 2014 at 5:41 PM
Of course it's refillable, but then again being a parker the refill will set you back by 200 or so (depends on the ink type) it lets you write roughly 1000m per refill, mine had an extra black one with it.

- - - Updated - - -

Parker Frontier Matte Black CT Roller Ball Pen - Luxor
This is the non metallic version, directly from Luxor.

Luxor - Search Results for "parker frontier "
Search page with all the frontiers :3
SaiyanGoku
Jul 29, 2014 at 7:19 PM
used Trimax for the last 4 years of school. pretty good pen. used pilot v5 for a year before that and couldn't refill the pen myself. :|

now using Rs 3 use-n-throw ball pens. (for the speed)
skeletor
skeletor #12
Jul 29, 2014 at 7:30 PM
^ it's easy. Just take out that filter and then drop. Put it back in.

Suggest me good ink.

I'm thinking of filling up Pilot V5 with some other inks.
seamon
seamon #13
Jul 29, 2014 at 7:34 PM
^ it's easy. Just take out that filter and then drop. Put it back in.

Suggest me good ink.

I'm thinking of filling up Pilot V5 with some other inks.

Try Parker Ink.
Nerevarine
Jul 29, 2014 at 8:09 PM
How good is pilot v5 compared to Trimax ?
The latter ive used but never got to try the pilot pens
H
hsr #15
Jul 29, 2014 at 8:14 PM
I'd say Pilot gives far more durability compared to Uniballs and Reynolds (peronal opinion). However, Parker is in its own league :D
Nerevarine
Jul 29, 2014 at 8:54 PM
Also check out Rotomac Fluid, cheapest of the lot (Rs 35 pen cost), but also inferior ink as compared to Reynolds..
Id say writing is a little bit smoother as pen is thinner than Reynolds
Chaitanya
Chaitanya #17
Aug 2, 2014 at 9:28 AM
I like stabilo black rollerballs : Stabilo Roller Ball Pen - Buy Stabilo Roller Ball Pen - Roller Ball Pen Online at Best Prices in India Only at Flipkart.com
skeletor
skeletor #18
Aug 2, 2014 at 11:53 AM
I'll try filling Pilot V5 with 'Parker Quink' ink. Let's see what happens. Need to get a syringe first.
Chaitanya
Chaitanya #19
Aug 2, 2014 at 12:23 PM
I can predict it for you...
Firstly fountain pen inks are not waterproof so they can dry up if not used causing clogging in tip
secondly fountain pen inks are a lot more diluted than inks for rollerballs so the resulting writing may be very faint...
Hrishi
Hrishi #20
Aug 2, 2014 at 12:35 PM
I don't have much use of pens these days , but when I was in School and college I fell in love with Uniball pens.
Used to cost around 60-70 bucks , and their ink was dark , and felt smooth.
They don't last very long though.

Currently I am using Parker Vector stainless steel. Probably the best pen I have used till date in terms of Build quality and Precision.
rohitshubham
Aug 2, 2014 at 12:39 PM
Rs 3 pens FTW... for a person like me who loses his pen on daily basis:cool:
Hrishi
Hrishi #22
Aug 2, 2014 at 12:41 PM
BTW , what is with those BIC pens that even a simple pen from them costs like 2,000 Bucks ?
Faun
Faun #23
Aug 2, 2014 at 12:49 PM
BTW , what is with those BIC pens that even a simple pen from them costs like 2,000 Bucks ?
Bic Cristal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Bic Cristal (also known as the Bic pen) is an inexpensive disposable ballpoint pen mass-produced and sold by Société Bic of Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine, France.
skeletor
skeletor #24
Aug 2, 2014 at 12:50 PM
I can predict it for you...
Firstly fountain pen inks are not waterproof so they can dry up if not used causing clogging in tip
secondly fountain pen inks are a lot more diluted than inks for rollerballs so the resulting writing may be very faint...
well, even Pilot's default ink is not waterproof. Let's see how it works out, from what I've seen Parkers write dark.
Chaitanya
Chaitanya #25
Aug 2, 2014 at 2:04 PM
Well i'm too interested in results...
skeletor
skeletor #26
Aug 2, 2014 at 8:34 PM
So, the Parker Quink ink in Pilot V5 has turned out to be really well. :mrgreen:
Chaitanya
Chaitanya #27
Aug 2, 2014 at 10:32 PM
Niiiccceeee....
So now I dont need to go searching for inks, i can simply refill my pen with that. :-D
ithehappy
ithehappy #28
Aug 2, 2014 at 10:59 PM
If anyone wanna know about the Trimax, then you can stay away. I've been using it for past one year or more, and their refills are just pathetic now. When I started using it first the refills were great, but now it won't write anywhere near as smoothly as it would! Honestly those 3 rupees Linc Ocean gel feels better now! Don't know what's going wrong! Only me?
Chaitanya
Chaitanya #29
Aug 2, 2014 at 11:31 PM
may be your writing pressure is too high, causing the tip to clog :chinscratch:
ithehappy
ithehappy #30
Aug 3, 2014 at 1:33 AM
may be your writing pressure is too high, causing the tip to clog :chinscratch:
Maybe! But if there's only one thing where I am good at, that's writing.