pen 40: pilot pro g2

it feels like i spent more time setting up the new format than i did for all the preparation for today's review, and that can't be a good thing, right? anyway, the pilot pro g2 pen is a great example of taking a good basic pen, slapping some extra padding, calling it something like "pro"and then charge five dollars for a pen.  i reviewed the g2 basic pen about a month ago. these pens have proved slowly brought me around to the belief that not all gel pens suck. the basic models are cheap, and reliable, the pro... it will cost about $5 to get your hands on one of these. it looks nice, its retractable, its comfortable to hold for extended use. but all that beauty is skin deep. i don't know if i got a defective pen or not, but some of the issues i have with this pen is that for the price you can get at least two of the basic pens that work at least as well if not better, the pen tends to stutter, spot and makes for a lousy inking pen especially if you're pencils are dark, heavy, or anything softer than an hb (#2) pencil. i found that while writing and drawing with this pen that i had to scribble to get the ink flowing, the glide sucks and it bites into the paper too easily which makes for short stuttering lines and, in my case, a frustration headache. the best thing that i really can say about this pen is that i bought it with a cvs reward coupon and got it for free. if you just have to try one i would hold on to the receipt, but seriously, you might as well save the time and get a few of the regular ones for the same price.