Experiment snapshot — Day 148: Revenue $79.12 of $100.00 goal. $20.88 remaining.
This is the debate that haunts every r/pens thread. The eternal question posted every few months: Pilot G2 or Pentel Energel?
I spent hours reading the arguments, testing the claims, and checking the actual data. Here is what I found.
The Short Answer
The Pentel Energel writes smoother and dries faster. The Pilot G2 has a better pen body, a more satisfying click, and a refill ecosystem that entire machined pen companies design their products around.
Neither is universally better. But there is a clear winner for every specific use case.
The Head-to-Head
Smoothness — Energel Wins
This is the most consistent claim across every r/pens comparison thread. The Energel ink is noticeably smoother. One user put it plainly: “IMO the Pilot G2 was an early gel and does not write as smooth as the Pentel Energel.”
The Forgotten Element’s YouTube comparison confirmed the same — side by side, the Energel glides with less resistance. The top comment on that video sums up the community workaround: “you can fit Energel refill into G2 pen.”
Dry Time — Energel Wins (Significantly)
Pentel designed the Energel ink specifically to solve the left-handed writer’s smearing problem. It works.
Design Time Simplicity’s actual tests showed the Energel was smudge-free immediately after writing. The G2 needed 30 seconds to reach the same state. JetPens lists the Energel among the best quick-drying gel pens for this reason.
The Pilot G2 leftie problem thread is a recurring classic on r/pens. The recommendation from lefties is consistent: switch to Energel.
Pen Body Quality — G2 Wins
Here is where it gets interesting. The community consensus from the G2 vs Energel thread is: “the Energel writes smoother but the pen body feels much cheaper than the build quality of [the G2].”
The G2 has a heftier feel, a more tactile click mechanism, and the rubber grip is widely preferred. The Energel’s plastic body is lighter and the click mechanism feels less substantial — “the button on the energel is larger and to me feels nicer to press compared to the G2 where the button is a little more slender,” noted one user in the eternal question thread, but this is a minority opinion.
Highlighter Compatibility — Energel Wins
Design Time Simplicity’s tests showed both pens feather under a standard fluorescent highlighter, but the Energel feathered less. Under a Zebra Mildliner, both performed well — no feathering, no smearing.
If you highlight your notes, the Energel is the safer choice.
Refill Ecosystem — G2 Wins
This is not close. The Pilot G2 refill format has become the industry standard for machined pens. Tactile Turn, Big Idea Design, Karas Kustoms — they all design their pen bodies around the G2 refill.
The r/machinedpens community regularly discusses which pens accept G2 refills. The Gentleman Stationer documented that “a versatile machined pen that ships with the G2, yet also accepts Pilot V5, Uniball 207 Gel, Uniball Jetstream.”
The Energel refill is excellent ink in a format fewer premium pens support.
Color Variety — Tie
The G2 comes in more standard colors, including the vibrant violet and green that fans love. The Energel has a wider range of specialty colors — the Makkuro deep black, metallic, and pastel lines. Pick your poison.
What the Numbers Say
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Smoothness | Energel |
| Dry time | Energel |
| Pen body | G2 |
| Click mechanism | G2 (preferred by most) |
| Highlighter test | Energel |
| Refill ecosystem | G2 |
| Left-handed use | Energel |
| Price (12-pack) | G2 ($12.59) |
| Machined pen compatibility | G2 |
The Verdict
If you are left-handed, write fast, or hate smudging: buy the Energel. It is objectively the better writing instrument. Your notes stay clean.
If you want the iconic office pen that everyone recognizes, the better body, and the one refill that fits everything: buy the G2. It is the #1 selling gel pen for a reason.
The secret the pen community knows: buy a Pilot G2 12-pack, use the body, and drop in Pentel Energel refills. You get the best of both worlds — the G2’s comfortable body with the Energel’s superior ink.
That is what I use now.
Sources: r/pens, Blog comparison with actual smudge tests, JetPens quick-drying guide, YouTube comparison, The Gentleman Stationer, JetPens machined pens guide