GPW #2: Pilot Coletos

Here's Gel Pen(s) of the Week (GPW) #2: Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coletos.

Alas, here's my foray into the world of multi-pens. :)

Long after its release, I've seen photos and read reviews of the Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto from many pen blogs and websites. During that time, I was seriously into populating my meager fountain pen collection, that I did not pay too much attention into this new multi-pen from Pilot. I wasn't (and still am) too fond of multi-pens, and this was another reason why the Coleto wasn't am instant hit with me.

Then the time came when there was a huge discussion about Pilot 78G pens at FPN-P. That discussion convinced me to get my first Pilot fountain pen, the 78G. Oh, wait, this is about the Coletos, right? But it was the 78G pens that brought me to the Coletos through Cosmos Bazaar in Binondo. The colorful packaging of Pilot Coleto refills caught my eye that time, but the 78Gs held my attention, and I bought three of them: teal, green, and black - all medium-nibbed. Perhaps it wasn't in the stars yet for Coletos to come home with me.

And then another trip to the city brought me near Binondo. I didn't let the chance pass by that time, and off I went to Cosmos Bazaar to get my Coletos.

At Cosmos Bazaar, the Coleto refills are available in the usual black, blue, and red in all tip sizes: 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5mm. The other refill colors, green, turquoise, purple, orange, and pink, and available only in 0.3 and 0.4mm tips. I bought black in 0.5 and 0.4, and blue and red in 0.5mm. Then I bought all remaining refill colors in 0.4mm tip sizes. I also got three of the three-color pens: clear, blue, and gray.

Coleto refills: 2 blacks, blue, turquoise, green, purple, orange, pink, and red. There are two colors missing in my collection: blue-black and brown. But I don't have them only because Cosmos doesn't have them.

Above is a simple writing sample of the Coletos on my Moleskine. These pens use gel ink, and they write very smoothly and does not skip. I do not worry about bleed and smudges on my notebook pages, because the ink dries fast. They are easy to hold, and my hand is not so tired after writing for some time.

It's also a joy that the Coleto comes in 2, 3, and 4 color sizes. This multi-pen is an excellent choice for people such as I am who loves writing in different colors. And it's also important that the pen barrels can be bought empty, because refilling them with my choice of color is very easy. I can mix different colors in one barrel, or have different tip sizes of a single color. Fun!