Pilot Frixion Revisited: Do I Have a Use for An Erasable Gel Pen?

Pilot’s line of erasable “Frixion” pens has expanded since its initial release in 2006, to the point where it can almost be considered a flagship product line. It hasn’t always been smooth-sailing, however. I recall trying the Frixion early on and disliking the writing experience immensely. The ink skipped and the colors looked washed out. While the erasability factor was convenient for the many different reasons discussed below, the writing experience itself left much to be desired. Fortunately, Pilot has improved the Frixion in recent years, reworking both the ink formulation and the tips of the pens themselves. I find the current version of the Frixion to be quite good, and in most cases almost as good in terms of smoothness and saturation as a standard gel pen.

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My Frixion Ball 3 Multipen is regularly used as a planner pen, shown here with my Roterfaden A5.

Why Might You Need An Erasable Pen?

Based on my own experiences as a user and conversations with customers and other community members who use Frixions, there are a handful of core use cases for erasable pens:

• Planners and Calendars. The most common benefit of the Frixion that I hear about is the ability to change dates, appointments, and tasks in a planner and/or calendar. In fact, I understand that one of the big contributors to the Hobonichi paper controversy from a couple years ago is that their “new” Tomoe River replacement paper was not extensively tested for fountain pens due to Japanese users overwhelmingly favoring the Pilot Frixion and other gel pens for use in planners.

• Math-Intensive Applications and Professions. Engineers, accountants, and students regularly come into our store inquiring about the Frixion due to the advantages of erasability when revising calculations and proofs. I use my own Frixion multi pen for a lot of my business accounting work.

• Left-handed Writers Who Have a Hard Time Using Pencils. I know many lefties who dislike pencils due to the fact that their hand tends to smear the graphite. The Frixion offers erasability without the same disadvantage.

Before you take the plunge and dive into the Frixion line, however, you should consider how these pens actually work. The Frixion ink isn’t “erased” in the traditional sense - it’s formulated to disappear/become invisible when heat is generated by rubbing the Frixion “eraser” on paper. Many people don’t realize that the ink can reappear when the paper is exposed to temperatures below freezing. For this reason, if you live in a very cold climate, have a use case where your notebooks/journals/planners are otherwise exposed to freezing temperatures, or need absolute archivability, the Frixion may not be the best choice for you.

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In addition to improving the ink formulation and writing tips, Pilot has also released Frixion highlighters, fineliners and markers. Of these additional categories, the Frixion highlighters work the best, and actually come in handy if, like me, you tend to be an over-eager annotator and highlighter who wishes they were more selective in their note taking. Frixion highlighters use the same thermal technology as the gel pens - you “erase” the highlighting with the heat-generating eraser on the end of the pen.

The Craft Design Technology Frixion Ball 3 in Dark Green, shown alongside the CDT Highlighters.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

The Pilot Frixion isn’t for everyone, but for those of us with a need for the convenience of erasable ink, it’s now a solid product that I use regularly on a case-specific basis. My personal favorite version of the Frixion gel pens is the Frixion Ball 3 multi pen, which we stock in the Craft Design Technology Dark Green variant. It’s design is similar to other Pilot Multi Pens like the Wood 4+1 and the Dr. Grip line. This pen comes with black, blue, and red Frixion refills in a .5mm tip size.

We also carry certain colors of the Frixion Highlighter (which I use fairly frequently), and the recently released Frixion Waai retractable pens which introduced unique colors, including some pastels. Of the Waai pens, the “Bronze” and “Cherry” inks are the ones I find the most unique, and stand alone as cool gel colors regardless of the Frixion aspect.

You can come see these and more in person at our Nashville shop (including testers)! Our showroom is open 1-6pm Thursday and Friday, and from 10am-6pm on Saturday.

Comparing Two Popular Multi Pen Systems: Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto and Uni Style Fit

One frequent question I receive in-store (and certainly at the San Francisco Stationery Fest last month) concerns the similarities and differences between the two most popular multi pen “systems” on the market: Pilot’s Hi-Tec-C Coleto and Uni’s Style Fit. While both pens look very different, they tend to generally function in the same way and which system works best for you is largely a matter of personal preference as to tip style and ink. I'll thought it might be helpful to give a brief overview.

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The Coleto refill (left) and the Style Fit refill look very different.

Similarities Between the Hi-Tec-C Coleto and Style fit Systems

• Both use proprietary refills. The most common question I received is whether you can use a Hi-Tec-C refill in a Uni Style Fit multi pen and vice-versa. The answer is no (at least not without heavy modification that is beyond the scope of this article). Each refill uses a proprietary design that fits the pen bodies sold by Pilot and Uni, respectively. That said, oddly enough, Uni Style Fit refills will fit inside the excellent Pilot 4+1 wood multi pen.

• Both feature multiple tip sizes from .28mm to .5mm. The Hi-Tec-C Coleto and Style Fit feature a similar range of ultra-fine to fine tip sizes, which is what many people enjoy about these two systems. The Style Fit’s .28mm refill is roughly equivalent to the Hi-Tec-C Coleto’s .3mm, the .38mm to the .4mm, etc.

• Both feature a broad range of colored gel inks. Each brand offers well over a dozen colors from which you can choose (15 for the Hi-Tec-C and 16 for the Style Fit). The color ranges are similar, and most people will be able to find a rotation of colors that works for them. I personally go for a mix of blue-black, red, orange, and green.

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Conical Style Fit tip (left) and Needle-point Hi-Tec-C tip (right).

Differences Between the Hi-Tec-C Coleto and the Style Fit SYstems

• Conical vs. Needle Tip. The Hi-Tec-C’s signature feature is the needle tip, which can be hard to find in a multi pen and is therefore what makes the Coleto system unique. The Style Fit uses a standard conical tip (think Signo DX) and writes more like a traditional gel pen. While a matter of personal preference, I prefer the Hi-Tec-C for the type of writing I tend to do with multi pens.

• The refills load differently. The Hi-Tec-C refills load from the top of the pen body. You flip the cap up and insert the refills into spring-loaded slots, with the matching tabs denoting which colors you have in the pen. The Style Fit pen bodies unscrew from the middle of the barrel, and you insert the refills from the bottom. Most Style Fit bodies feature an ink window so you can see which colors you have loaded into the pen.

• Hi-Tec-C refills have a slightly greater tendency to clog. While gel refills in general are prone to evaporate over time, and it’s therefore best practice to use them regularly once you remove them from the sealed package, the Hi-Tec-C needle tip is more prone to clogging as the refill ages, particularly in the finer sizes. (.28mm, anyone?) Uni uses a slightly wetter ink formulation that tends to flow better but runs out quicker.

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Takeaways and Where to Buy

Both the Coleto and the Style Fit make excellent choices for a fine tip gel multi pen, and which specific pen will work for you ultimately depends on whether you prefer conical or needle-style tips and the feel of the respective Pilot or Uni inks. There’s not a significant cost difference, with both pens available in the $20-25 range even for the most expensive pen body with a set of refills.

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As I’ve mentioned before, the Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto is the multi pen that first hooked me on ultra-fine Japanese gel pens. I personally enjoy needle-tip pens like the Hi-Tec-C and the Pentel Energel, since I feel like these give me more control over my lines when I’m writing small (particularly for annotation). The .4mm refill is my personal sweet spot. That said, the Style Fit is also an excellent gel multi pen, and those who prefer a larger pen body may find the “Meister” more comfortable to hold. The navy blue pen pictured in this review is loaded with five colors in the .5mm tip size, which work well for everyday writing.

We currently carry both the Coleto and Style Fit multi pen bodies as well as refills for both systems, in our online and Nashville shops. Please stop by and see us during normal store hours for the opportunity to test these pens in person!

Multi Pen Versatility: Combining the Pilot 4+1 Multi Pen with the Uni Style Fit Gel Refill

When I had ordered these Pilot 4+1 Multi Pens, I knew that they used the exceptionally good Acro ink BVRF-9 low-viscosity refill. I was NOT aware that Uni’s Style Fit gel refill uses the same format, and therefore fits this pen. For today, I wanted to do a quick post showing off this feature because I love when multi pens are versatile enough to allow you to use both ballpoint and gel inks at the same time, and the contoured grip on this Pilot makes it not only versatile but extremely comfortable to use.

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Here, you can see that I have taken one of the blue Pilot 4+1 pens and swapped in two .5mm Style Fit refills in Mandarin Orange and Blue-Black. The Acro Ink and Style Fit refills are exactly the same size and shape, allowing you to choose from among the 16 Style Fit gel colors in addition to the Acro Ink set.

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The Acro-Ink Refill (left) alongside the Style Fit (right). Note that the Style Fit and Pilot BVRF-8 refills DO NOT fit Uni 4+1 Multi Pens, as these use a shorter Jetstream Refill. It’s also excellent but just a different format.

Both the Uni Style Fit and Acro Ink refills provide a smooth writing experience. Of course, the edge in smoothness and color saturation will go to the gel pen, but Pilot’s Acro Ink deserves a place among the best ballpoint refills on the market. We added one of these Pilot multi-pens to our most recent Patreon Curated Box, and received a ton of positive feedback on the stock refills so these will be a shop staple for as long as we can continue to get them. (They are imports.)

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From top: Pilot Acro Ink in black, Uni Style fit in blue black, Pilot Acro Ink in red, and Uni Style fit in Mandarin Orange.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Personally, I favor the Pilot 4+1 body over the Uni Style Fit Meister 5, though both are good. The contoured wood grip on this Pilot Multi Pen is among the most comfortable I’ve used, and I was thrilled to discover that there is a gel refill I can pair with it that offers .28mm, .38mm, and .5mm options in 16 different colors. (Just to be clear, the reverse is also true - the Style Fit body will take the Pilot refill.)

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The Pilot 4+1 Multi Pen (Top) next to the Uni Style Fit Meister 5 (bottom). I prefer the Pilot’s grip, but the Uni does come in nearly a dozen different colors.

You can get the Pilot 4+1 and Uni Style Fit Multi Pens in our shop, along with the refills for both. As noted above, the Pilot 4+1 ships with four .5mm Pilot BVRF-8 refills (black, blue, red, and green, plus a .5mm mechanical pencil). The Uni Style Fit bodies are sold separately from the refills, so you can assemble your own customized pen.

Come see these pens in person! We are open this week from 1-6pm Thursday and Friday, and 10am-6pm on Saturday. Check out this page for up-to-date hours and news on special hours when we have to travel.

Weekly Drops: Uni Style Fit Meister 5, Even More Multi Pen Madness, and the Annual Pen Show Weekend Discount!

The good thing about travel delays (as long as you can snag a place to work) is that you get some site updates done! Yesterday I managed to get the Uni Style Fit Meister 5 Multi Pens listed, along with all the refills in tip sizes ranging from .28mm to .5mm. The Style Fit has been around for so long that many people forget it exists, but it’s one of the best gel multi pens on the market for those who prefer a classic conical tip over a needle-point like the Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto. We also have refills for the Pilot 4+1 Multi Pens with the contoured wood grips, as well as Pilot Acroball D1 refills that will fit the Pilot Legno 2+1 as well as other D1 multi pens like the Lamy 2000, the Lamy ST, CP1, and Logo.

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We also have plenty remaining Yamamoto Bullet Jotters, though we are sold out of the new Canopus paper refills. (We have the other 5 remaining varieties, including Meringue.) I will also have a small number of the jotters at the D.C. Pen Show, assuming I actually manage to get on a plane.

AND, since it’s Pen Show Weekend, take 10% off most orders with “PENSHOW10” at checkout. (Certain brands cannot be discounted so the discount will not apply.) Note: If you are wanting to order a Roterfaden A5, I brought my entire remaining stock with me to the pen show. Be sure to place an order by tomorrow so I can remove it from pen show stock and hold it for shipment upon return.

If you’ve been following my social media, you’ll have heard that I had to miss the first day of the D.C. Pen Show due to flight delays, which ended up with a cancellation/rescheduling of my travel to Friday afternoon. It’s weather-related, so nothing to be done, but it means that my Friday afternoon workshop is cancelled. I should be there all day Saturday and Sunday, fingers crossed! Also, Brick and Mortar shopping in Nashville is closed Friday and Saturday, due to pen show attendance. Shopping available by appointment Tuesday and regular hours next Thursday-Saturday (8/7-8/9).

1. Uni Style Fit Meister 5 Multi-Pen. For those who prefer a conical tip gel pen over a needle-style like the Pilot Hi-Tec-C or the Pentel Energel, the Uni Style Fit is worth checking out. We have multiple color options in the 5-slot “Meister 5”, and 16 different refill color options from which to choose.

2. Pilot 4+1 Multi Pens. Pilot’s low-viscosity “Acro-Ink” is excellent, and should get equal air time as the Uni Jetstream. In addition to the Acroball/Dr. Grip multi pen refills (which we now stock), I understand that people have been able to get Uni Style Fit refills to fit this pen as well, though I’ve not experimented extensively. Stay tuned!

3. Pilot Legno 2+1. The Pilot Legno 2+1 is a three-slot multi pen that has room for two D1 refills and a mechanical pencil. The wood barrel features a contoured shape and comes in three different tones: red, black, brown, and mahogany. This version of the Legno multi pen has become one of my favorites, especially since the red and brown barrels match the Pilot S20 ballpoint and mechanical pencil, allowing you to build a set.

4. Pilot Acroball D1 Refills. We also have Pilot Acroball refills for the Legno 2+1, which are universal D1 size so they will also fit other D1 multi pens we carry.

5. Yamamoto Paper Bullet Jotter. These Bible-sized bullet portfolios hold two pads of specialty paper, which are perfect for stand-alone notetaking or for hole-punching and inclusion in a Bible-sized planner.

6. Yamamoto Paper Bullet Jotter Refill Pads. As with their paper samplers and select looseleaf paper packs, Yamamoto offers an expansive range of different papers that fit the Bullet Jotter, including Soliste, Sheep Clouds Bond, Slight White, Sanzen Tomoe River, and new additions Meringue and Canopus. (Apologies, but Canopus is currently sold out and I am working to get more.)

7. Yamamoto Paper Specialty Japanese Papers (A4 Looseleaf). We received a restock of the Yamamoto A4 looseleaf sample packs, including additional Slight White, Light Force, and Soliste.

8. Maruman Spiral Notebook Basic Notebook (Now with 150-sheet Options!). We now have the 150-sheet versions of the Maruman Basics Spiral Notebook, in both B5 and A5 sizes.

9. Notsu Notecards and Notecard Systems. The popular Notsu notecards are back in stock, including the Centre Rise box sets, packs of 50 loose notecards in multiple formats, and vegan leather notecard holders.

10. Toyo Stainless Steel Boxes. A popular new addition to our desk/office accessories lineup, these steel boxes from Toyo can hold anything from small office supplies like sticky notes and paper clips to small ink bottles. Toyo boxes come in various sizes and stack easily.

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Look at all those Style Fit refills!