Pilot FriXion Ball 4 Color Gel Ink Multi Pen IN .38!

So, last week I am sitting in a French restaurant in Yokohama, Japan at a business meeting. The guy across the table from me has a monogrammed Pilot Frixion in .38 and I loved it. You may recall that in the past I said that multi-pens tend to do a lot of things...but none of them that well.  

Something clicked and I needed to have this pen. (Not that exact one silly, it was already monogrammed.)  The search was on and I started swinging by the stores, but all I can find are the .5's.  I did find one .38 but it was in some sort of lavender color and I couldn't pull the trigger.

Oh, by the way,  the 7-11's in Japan have a ridiculously awesome array of pens. Anyhow...cut to the airport later that week. .5's everywhere,  but then across the display,  I spy the .38 refills.  BOOM, problem solved. Except for green, I could not find the green refills.  No biggie,  I can deal. 

Elusive little guys

                               

So, for about 3 bucks a color, I made the pen more enjoyable for me. (I am not calling this a hack, that terms is getting overused in the pen circles.)  

I like the Frixions.  I wish the ink was a little darker, but I get it...  It's cool technology with the heat/ friction erasing capability so I will cut them some slack on the darkness level.  I am generally not a .5 anything type of guy, so thinner is better regardless.

 It was a 2 second fix, the same as refilling,  pop out, pop in, screw the top back on.  Easy.  The white ones have the ,38 tip.

Green is .5, blue is .38

It's not coming across on the paper as well,  but it is a subtle enough of difference that I prefer the thinner width. (Blue) I started taking my work notes in different colors (red is for action items) and I have been picking this pen up more and more in my daily writing. I like the weight, I like the feel and this is the most that I have used a multi-pen in forever.

 I have not looked to see if the .38's are available in the US.  I have seen the .5's for sale (Jetpens) and unless you geek out on thinner widths,  the .5 should be fine for you.

Springy Spring

                                                 
The spring clip is a nice touch. It's still a pretty big pen to throw in your shirt pocket, but at least you know it will stay there.  So,  what else is new with me lately?  I bought a TON of pens and notebooks. I bought a lathe to consider making pens with. The Red Sox are on an incredible run and I rescued this little Mastiff/ Lab mix.

Meet Boden the Great. 

My next post will probably be how I have just about perfected the perfect pen cup.  Not the actual cup, but the contents.  It's close to awesome and I will get it there before I post.  Cheers.