Pilot

Why r/BuyItForLife recommends Pilot

64 mentions from real owners

• #1Dec 20, 2025

  Gel Pens: 9+ year old Sakura Gelly Roll Silver Shadow

  Yeah, "look how well these pens I forgot about still work" doesn't qualify as a BIFL post, for me. I've got cheap bics in my drawer that still work from 20 years ago. But I learned I like the Pilot G2 pens for good, smooth writing without streaks or fussing.

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• #2Dec 5, 2025

  Is there anything you're convinced is "the cheaper the better"?

  Sharpie Pen. (felt) and Pilot G-2 PENSTYLUS (gel)

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• #3Dec 5, 2025

  Is there anything you're convinced is "the cheaper the better"?

  I can think of items that I won't go rock bottom price but I am offended when seeing prices beyond logic Pens! The prices skyrocket fast for the good stuff. I like Pilot ballpens and gel pens just fine. I like Bic too So many things in the general office supply category. Post-it notes, paper, art materials like paints. If I'm not an artist, I'm going to be happy at the good enough range

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• #4Nov 4, 2025

  Which brands/products have gotten better over time?

  Pilot Kakuno, Pilot Metropolitan, and Platinum Preppy for a notable few. Check out the fountain pen page if you are interested.

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• #5Oct 9, 2025

  BIFL Japanese brands. For any and all products.

  Pens - Uniball, Pilot, and Pentel Pens all made in Japan. Uniball Signo 207+ Blue Ink is my favorite pen of all time Nail Clippers - Kai, Kiya, & Greenbell (all come from steel manufacturing cities) Fishing Reels - SHIMANO & Daiwa are the perennial GOATs of the fishing world (there are other great brands but these brands will always impress other anglers) Fishing Line - Varivas Powertools - Makita Knives - there are so many japanese knife brands, it depends on budget, but if it's made in japan it's gonna be good quality All these brands have stood the test of time

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• #6Sep 5, 2025

  Help me get the perfect present for my boyfriend (28M)!!

  Leaning into the fountain pen idea is a great move. A good pen can last literally a lifetime and becomes a really personal tool. If you're worried about the design, maybe just a simple engraving of his initials would be perfect. Brands like Lamy or Kaweco are amazing and built to last without breaking the bank. Or, if you wanted to go for a true heirloom piece, you could look at something from Pelikan or Pilot. He'd get to use it for decades! And the exlibris stamp is such a cool, classic writerly thing to have. It's something he can use to make his entire library feel truly his own. You can find some incredible artists on Etsy who could design something unique for him, maybe even blending his love for science and writing. You could pair it with a beautiful, refillable leather journal from a place like Galen Leather. That way, he has a permanent cover for all his future thoughts and stories. If he does most of his writing on a computer, you could also think about a really nice mechanical keyboard. They feel amazing to type on and are built like tanks compared to regular keyboards. It's one of those "once you try it, you can't go back" kinds of things that he would use every single day.

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• #7Sep 5, 2025

  What's a purchase under $50 that has genuinely improved your daily routine?

  Pilot explorer fountain pen. I’m an analog planner and list maker and i’ve used one of these pens daily for the last few years. Refills are cheap and it writes well. I’ll never go without one around.

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• #8Sep 4, 2025

  What's a purchase under $50 that has genuinely improved your daily routine?

  I’ve somewhat just gotten into the FP game recently. Been using Pilot Kakunos mostly, and just picked up the Safari a few weeks ago. It writes really smoothly. I do like that the nibs are fairly easily interchangeable as well.

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• #9Sep 4, 2025

  What's a purchase under $50 that has genuinely improved your daily routine?

  Lamy Safari, and if you are concerned about a plastic pen, i guess you could go for a Pilot Metropolitan or Lamy Al-Star, which are metal bodies.

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• #10Sep 4, 2025

  What product would you seriously stockpile if you found out they weren't going to sell it anymore?

  Whoops, I missed a word! They’re the “be green” line. https://www.jetpens.com/Pilot-BeGreen-Precise-V5-Rollerball-Pen-0.5-mm-Black/pd/2338

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• #11Sep 4, 2025

  What product would you seriously stockpile if you found out they weren't going to sell it anymore?

  [These?](https://www.target.com/p/pilot-3ct-precise-v5-rolling-ball-pens-extra-fine-point-0-5mm-black-ink/-/A-10805586) they are also my favorite pen, but I don’t think they are refillable.

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• #12Sep 4, 2025

  What product would you seriously stockpile if you found out they weren't going to sell it anymore?

  It’s the pilot precise v5 extra fine for me… it’s refillable, so I suppose it’d be more accurate to say I’d stock up on the refills of it! But my emotional support pen is for drawing, the tombow Fudenosuke brush pen. 

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• #13Sep 4, 2025

  1950s Sheaffer Valiant Snorkel pen in pastel blue. Fully functional, and better looking than most modern pens. It has a medium 14k gold conical "triumph" nib with platinum masking on the tip for better ink flow.

  I'm a lefty. Its possible to use one. You just need an extra fine nib (JP from Pilot or Sailor are typically 1 size smaller than Euro. E.g. JP M is a EU F). For black ink, Bernanke Black from Noodler's is an amazing ultra-quick-drying ink. Only issue is that you need to constantly use or it will evaporate in the pen within 3 weeks

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• #14Aug 9, 2025

  What's the best BIFL item you own?

  Pilot vanishing point foundation pen. Daily driver for over a decade and not a single issue. It has replaced all of my other fountain pens the day I got it.

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• #15Aug 6, 2025

  Brainstorming for souveniers from my Japan trip

  A really nice Japanese fountain pen -- Pilot, Sailor, or Platinum. You can go from $100 "lasts-forever writing tool" all the way to "$10,000 work of art."

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• #16Jul 4, 2025

  Your Top 3 BIFL Items

  A good fountain pen like a Pilot Custom 74 or Kaweco Sport Brass Vitamix VTI (vanguard total US stock market ETF)

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• #17Jun 13, 2025

  Refillable pen suggestions

  Pilot Coletto!!! Multi-barrel so you can have many colors, thicknesses, including pencil eraser and white gel pen.

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• #18Jun 10, 2025

  Refillable pen suggestions

  I know the VP is very popular, but it didn't hit for me. The weight, the balance, the clip position, the included nib... My trusty old Pilot Metropolitan, though? Well balanced, easy to hold how you like, quality nibs, and inexpensive. The only problem I ever have with it is that the stock reservoir is small.

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• #19Jun 10, 2025

  Refillable pen suggestions

  Non-expert pen nerd here. BIFL would be fountain pen, I love my Sailor with fine nib, I guess you can get ink for left-handed writers. But probably not a good choice for EDC pen that you just throw in a bag. Of course it has refillable ink cartridge, but the prefilled cartridges of Sailor are proprietary, so more future-proof may be another brand that uses standard ones. I also like MUJIs, I have a large collection of them including refills from many years ago. The red ones seem to dry out quicker than other colors though and I'm wondering how many years will the refills remain usable. They seem to stick to the design for a long time, so that's good. But to be honest, there are more ergonomic alternatives that don't necessarily follow the minimalist style and unsure about how available the refills will be: I'm currently using uni-ball Signo DX 0.38 (says "ultrafine waterproof" on it), for a long time my favorite pen was Pilot Synergy Point. Of course I used G1, G2, Sharpie S-Gel, PaperMate InkJoy and many others - all fine and more-less the same, the only issue I have with those is that click pens with rubberized grip don't go well with notebook pen loop. I thought the Fisher Space Pen would be my EDC one, but it sits on a shelf as a curiosity. If I want to be sure a "tactically placed" writing instrument will work in possibly more distant future when needed, I choose \[mechanical\] pencil. If the question is availability of refills in future, just intuitively I'd choose something like G-2.

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• #20Jun 10, 2025

  Refillable pen suggestions

  Try Pilot Acroball. They have refills for about 50 cents each. Also writes really well and is very comfortable to use. I've been keeping the same pen for 2 years now while working in healthcare so I consider it my lucky charm lol

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• #21Jun 10, 2025

  Refillable pen suggestions

  you can put these cartridges in a metal body Pilot G2 Limited which is much nicer

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• #22Jun 9, 2025

  Refillable pen suggestions

  Pilot EF nibs are the best. You’ve good taste my friend.

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• #23Jun 9, 2025

  Refillable pen suggestions

  So, my understanding is first one sort of needs to pick the cartridge one likes (which is what you're saying, you like the Muji .038 cartridge) and then find a place to order them. Then, the barrel choice is up to what fits the cartridge and your comfort/taste/budget. I'm a huge fan of the Pilot G2 Extra fine (.05) cartridge. (G2 .38 is "ultra fine") I've heard similar things about the Bic Gelocity but haven't tested. Fancier barrels for each can be found online, I haven't bothered though because I lose pens too frequently to be replacing fancy barrels.

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• #24Jun 9, 2025

  Refillable pen suggestions

  Pilot vanishing point. Best pen I’ve ever owned. Love it so much i Bought three. Ok now for a serious answer. Parker Jotter. It’s been around forever. You can find them dirt cheap and there’s a plethora of types of refills. From roller ball to basic ball point to gel. Highly recommend.

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• #25Jun 6, 2025

  What’s one item you bought that way outperformed its price?

  All the big ones. Pilot, Platinum and Sailor pens. Travellers Notebook, Hobonichi, Kokuyo, Midori, Maruman, and Plotter paper and planners. Jet Pens have a great selection. But I go to Japan at least once a year and stock up at Tokyu Hands, Loft and Itoya (I’m in Australia. It’s not that expensive to get to Tokyo). But the pencil I got was a no name brand at the airport. Has a little sushi charm hanging off it. And even something like that has lasted for way long than I expected it to. I’ve no doubt some of their manufacturing has been outsourced these days but the design and quality is still there in my opinion.

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• #26Jun 5, 2025

  What’s one item you bought that way outperformed its price?

  Japanese fountain pen - Pilot Custom 823 to be precise. Been going on about 15 years now and is still fantastic to write with.

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• #27Jun 4, 2025

  Some of my favorite BIFL EDC items.

  It's fine, idk my other one just wrote a bit wetter. If you are going to spend around this price range on a pen (Kawaeco Brass has gotten pretty expensive) I would recommend spending a bit more and getting a Pilot 95s instead. The barrel is plastic, but it writes amazing and the slip cap is very convenient for an everyday pen.

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• #28Jun 3, 2025

  What are your favorite niche BIFL items that are currently available?

  i always lose my pens so i can only stick with cheap ones but pilot g2 is a godsend for a cheap gel and pilot bp1rt is my favourite ballpoint one

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• #29Jun 3, 2025

  What are your favorite niche BIFL items that are currently available?

  Fellow lefty, Pilot G2 are my favorite. They sell a nice metal body premium refillable version that's my go to

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• #30Jun 3, 2025

  What are your favorite niche BIFL items that are currently available?

  Building on this, sort of, pilot fountain pens, just about any of them will last a super long time

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• #31Jun 3, 2025

  What are your favorite niche BIFL items that are currently available?

  Pilot makes a metal body G2.

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• #32Jun 2, 2025

  What are your favorite niche BIFL items that are currently available?

  Pilot G-2 pens. They are literally the only pens I've ever had that don't dry up quickly, and you can use them to the end. And you can even buy refills for them, which is great!

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• #33May 10, 2025

  Brands you swear by that have Buy It For Life quality products

  The truest proof for Pilot: there’s still a ton of their vintage fountain pens around, and many write like a dream. I’ve got several that are much older than me and only another fountain pen collector would be able to tell (from subtle design changes). Platinum and Lamy can say the same — although one does have to dip test modern Lamy nibs because the widths can be inconsistent. Modern Esterbrooks are also extremely well made, though quite different from their more budget vintage ancestors.

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• #34May 10, 2025

  Brands you swear by that have Buy It For Life quality products

  I prefer Conid with a Pilot / Sailor / Pelikan Nib. Bulkfiller for life!

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• #35May 10, 2025

  Brands you swear by that have Buy It For Life quality products

  +1. Man, I got a Pilot Kakuno ($10) after using a Montblanc ($1000+) for years. And now, I reach for the Kakuno over the expensive one, every time. Well, except at some important formal-type meeting.

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• #36May 10, 2025

  Brands you swear by that have Buy It For Life quality products

  Pilot for pens

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• #37May 1, 2025

  Pilot metropolitan fountain pen, and a bell and Howell filmo 70, two things I own that will probably outlast us all.

  This is amazing! I did a general search for the Filmo series on Reddit. I was surprised to find this recent post. I am also an owner of a Bell & Howell FIlmo 70 and a Pilot Metropolitan Retro Pop SIlver. To add to my mechanical acquisitions, I also recently snagged a Mamiya RB67. Cheers, friend!

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• #38Apr 13, 2025

  This 1980's marker, still better than any modern equivalent

  You can still buy the og Pilot ink with Xylene in the little glass bottles. The ones with the green stripes on the label are the new alcohol based ink.

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• #39Apr 12, 2025

  What is a pen that you have bought for life and you actually use it everyday and it is your first go-to, as if it’s become an extension of your arm and you feel connected with the page?

  Pilot g2, I like the thicker ones. Cheap enough to lose or have stolen, good enough to be great.

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• #40Apr 12, 2025

  What is a pen that you have bought for life and you actually use it everyday and it is your first go-to, as if it’s become an extension of your arm and you feel connected with the page?

  Pilot G2

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• #41Apr 12, 2025

  What is a pen that you have bought for life and you actually use it everyday and it is your first go-to, as if it’s become an extension of your arm and you feel connected with the page?

  I'm a Pilot G2 0.7 guy, my wife likes the 0.38, so we made a compromise and all G2s that are black are 0.38, all that are blue are 0.70. I prefer to write in blue, she prefers to write in black. In college I'd take the cartridge out of a blue G2 and pop it in a red pen, so it would never walk off and, if it did, I always knew which pen was mine. In one calendar year, when I first started at my company as an intern during uni, I wrote seven 0.7mm cartridges to empty. They say they can draw a 2000m line, so I wrote/doodled/scribbled 14km in a year, about 40m/day (about 5-6 pages per day, which feels about right). Since they were either attached to my badge or my notebook, I didn't lose a single pen that year. I still have the Pentel Sharp 1.0mm drafting pencil I got on my first day (4 June 2007), but I have no idea how much lead I've gone through. Dozens of refill packs. Although I've gotten some fancier drafting pencils over the years, that Pentel is still clipped on my badge right now. Sharpie makes a 0.7mm gel pen that is the smoothest writing I've ever felt with a gel pen, but it does tend to smear a bit more than the Pilot. I can't attest to its BIFL status as I've only used a bit over the past year (it's my desk pen at work).

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• #42Apr 12, 2025

  What is a pen that you have bought for life and you actually use it everyday and it is your first go-to, as if it’s become an extension of your arm and you feel connected with the page?

  Pilot vanishing point. I have had it in daily use for about 11 years or so. A lot of the brass is showing thru the coating but it has never had an issue. I also keep a G2 in my pocket

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• #43Apr 12, 2025

  What is a pen that you have bought for life and you actually use it everyday and it is your first go-to, as if it’s become an extension of your arm and you feel connected with the page?

  Pilot G2 when I'm at work. When I'm home my go to is a titanium bolt action.

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• #44Apr 12, 2025

  What is a pen that you have bought for life and you actually use it everyday and it is your first go-to, as if it’s become an extension of your arm and you feel connected with the page?

  Pilot Kakuno- refillable fountain pen designed for Japanese children. I’ve had mine for nearly 5 years and use it daily, super durable as it’s for kids and I find it really comfortable to hold! I think they’re less than $15 on Amazon

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• #45Apr 12, 2025

  What is a pen that you have bought for life and you actually use it everyday and it is your first go-to, as if it’s become an extension of your arm and you feel connected with the page?

  Pilot G2s have been my love since middle school. Pilot in general is good

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• #46Apr 12, 2025

  What is a pen that you have bought for life and you actually use it everyday and it is your first go-to, as if it’s become an extension of your arm and you feel connected with the page?

  Pilot g2 .05 My wife like the TUL .07 they’re both good, I find a finer point makes my handwriting more legible.

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• #47Apr 9, 2025

  What is your current BIFL item you recommend to everyone?

  Victorinox Multi tool. Pilot Metropolitan fountain pen. Uni ball Kuru Toga Mechanical pencil. The pen and pencil both have decent built quality and they both are re-fillable thus increasing their life. Cast iron cookware - even the Amazon Basics ones are quite good. Casio wrist watches.

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• #48Apr 5, 2025

  Pilot metropolitan fountain pen, and a bell and Howell filmo 70, two things I own that will probably outlast us all.

  I use the medium nib, I don’t like fine nibs very much

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• #49Apr 5, 2025

  Pilot metropolitan fountain pen, and a bell and Howell filmo 70, two things I own that will probably outlast us all.

  Maybe I should have gone with the medium tip, I found the Metro fine tip was a little scratchy, but not as scratchy as my Lamy Safari. The TWSBI fine tip feels super smooth though. Both pens write beautifully though, I wasn't trying to knock the Metro.

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• #50Apr 5, 2025

  Pilot metropolitan fountain pen, and a bell and Howell filmo 70, two things I own that will probably outlast us all.

  While the ink does not last as long, nothing writes smoother, it’s like a 1970 Cadillac deville, guzzles gas but rides smooth as butter

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• #51Apr 5, 2025

  Pilot metropolitan fountain pen, and a bell and Howell filmo 70, two things I own that will probably outlast us all.

  They were so cheap I ended up getting a few so I could write in different colours, lol. I don't have the gold, but I do have lime green, purple, red, orange, and turquoise. Plus a couple TWSBI ECO pens, those have a neat filling mechanism and hold more ink than the Metros. Fountain pens are so frickin cool.

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• #52Apr 4, 2025

  Pilot metropolitan fountain pen, and a bell and Howell filmo 70, two things I own that will probably outlast us all.

  I love mine, feels good in the hand, and is built like a tank, these shouldn’t be as cheap as they are

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• #53Apr 4, 2025

  Pilot metropolitan fountain pen, and a bell and Howell filmo 70, two things I own that will probably outlast us all.

  Metropolitan is great!

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• #54Apr 4, 2025

  Pilot metropolitan fountain pen, and a bell and Howell filmo 70, two things I own that will probably outlast us all.

  I have the same pen! One of my favorites.

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• #55Apr 1, 2025

  Unpopular opinion: AliExpress is great ... for some products, like simple metal items.

  The pilot G2 is the standard for a decent ballpoint pen, I've yet to be disappointed by one.

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• #56Mar 3, 2025

  Where Does "Buy It for Life" Not Make Sense?

  Buy pilot g-2 1.0 blue pens in bulk once every few years and don’t hate using pens anymore.

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• #57Mar 3, 2025

  Where Does "Buy It for Life" Not Make Sense?

  I've managed to hold onto my current Pilot G2 through multiple refills. I've tried more expensive pens, but always come back to this basic bit of quality.

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• #58Mar 3, 2025

  Where Does "Buy It for Life" Not Make Sense?

  I think there are a lot of things that, however good you buy, will not last for life. But there is still a huge difference between a shitty pen that lasts a year and barely writes half the time, and a decent pen that lasts maybe 5 years with refills and writes perfectly every time you need it. Clothes WILL wear. But its a difference if your tshirt is fucked after a year or look worn but still wearable after 5. We dont talk nearly enough about reasonable life expectancy for products. Even things that wont last for life can be well made or cheaply made. (Just get a pilot g2 07 pen, they're 3€. Pricey enough to work, cheap enough that its not a huge deal if one goes missing.)

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• #59Mar 3, 2025

  Where Does "Buy It for Life" Not Make Sense?

  My pilot pen is my absolute favorite. Amazing pens

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• #60Feb 8, 2025

  What brands do you trust to always deliver a high quality product?

  Tom Bihn bags. The company sold a few years ago, and quality of construction hasn't dropped (though prices have gone up). Pilot fountain pens. Even the less expensive ones are fantastic. My favorite is the Prera. You can find them for $20-$25.

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• #61Feb 6, 2025

  [REQUEST] Whiteboard markers

  México teacher here! I’ve been using expo and those are good. Even tried crayola’s white eraser crayons but i would Need a moist rag to clean them from the Board. This Month i’m trying Pilot’s Vision Board Master refillable markers and they glide and pigment perfectly

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• #62Feb 1, 2025

  What’s one item you bought that has lasted for YEARS and was worth every penny?

  I’ve fallen down the fountain pen rabbit hole and bought way too many of them, but love that I should be able to use them forever and donate or sell some if I so choose later on! Truthfully some of the entry level ones (LAMY Safari, Pilot Explorer) are some of my favorites

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• #63Jan 1, 2025

  BIFAsLongAsPossible?

  I buy the PILOT Pen Precise V5 RT Liquid Ink Refill For Retractable Pens, Extra Fine Point, 0.5mm, Black Ink and just keep refilling the pens. These pens work great on bumpy train rides where you are trying to write.

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• #64Feb 9, 2015

  The last stapler you'll ever buy. Pilot 400 Series

  The stapler on the left is a model 404 from my Mom's desk at a Firestone plant in the 70's and the stapler on the right is a model 402 from WWII which is built with noticeably less metal. The 404 has seen decades of nonstop use and still looks brand new and the history of the 402 is unknown to me. I just found it in a thrift shop for $2.99. It sure looks like it's seen some use though. Staplers may be a simple thing, but it this is certainly a buy it for life tool.

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