Best Custom Pen Hacks

Ready to do a bit of light pen tinkering? If you have experimented at all, you'll find that many parts in pens are interchangeable, allowing you to create an affordable pen that is completely and totally to your liking. It'll take some trial-and-error, but it's a cheap and simple process that can yield excellent results.

The Original: Pilot G2 Mont Blanc Refill Hack
With a very small amount of work you can fit a Mont Blanc refill into a Pilot G2 body. This is the refill that goes into a $200+ rollerball pen, but it fit's nicely into the $1 G2 that you know and love... and probably have on your desk right now. It's a super easy job that requires nothing more than a razor, a rough surface, and a steady hand.



Pilot G-2 Upgrade
A favorite customization at Penbase is the swap of a Pilot G2 1.0mm refill into a Pilot G-Knock body. The two pens are essentially the same though the G-Knock is a bit more comfortable if used often or for long periods of time. Also the G-Knock is not available in with a 1.0mm variety.

What all this means is that -- at least for us here at Penbase --  is that you can combine Pilot's best (cheap) pen body with it's best refill and have yourself an amazing $3 pen. If you don't like the 1.0mm cartridge then you might think that this hack isn't appealing, but keep in mind that the G-Knock is mainly a US office supply pen, which means it's available mostly in 0.7mm and 0.5mm sizes, so swapping in a 0.38mm refill is possible as well. (Of course, a 0.38mm G-Knock is available, though it's relatively rare!)

Uniball Alpha Gel Pen 1.0mm Hack
Love the Uniball Alpha Gel pens, but hate their cheap ink? Here's a tip for you: the 1.4mm ink refill from the Uni Lakubo is a nearly perfect fit. You'll have to cut down the ink cartridge from the Laknock but a few millimeters, but the cut is well above the ink link, so it's a painless procedure with a great end result!

Just make sure to use something sharp, like an exacto-knife so the ink cartridge stays round at the end (it's a press fit when it goes into the Alpha Gel's ink holder.

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