Pen Review: The Juice Up, the Juice Plus, and Pilot's "Synergy Tip"

I first discovered Pilot’s “Synergy Tip” gel pens a few years ago, when I picked up a pack of “Synergy Clicker” Frixion pens. This innovative tip format immediately improved my writing experience with the Frixion pens, reminding me of the smooth-writing liquid ink “V” rollerball series that I’ve always loved, with the added precision of the Hi-Tec-C gel ink. Of course, given the limitations of erasable Frixion ink, the pens weren’t quite as smooth or dark as I would’ve liked, so of course I kept looking. I soon discovered that Pilot also uses the Synergy Tip in their excellent “Juice” gel pen range, available in the U.S. as Japanese imports (including now from T.G.S.!). The two main options are the “Juice+” and the “Juice Up” lines, both of which use the same cartridge, with the primary differences being color range and barrel design. The Pilot Juice+ / Juice Plus features a matte white barrel that’s lighter-weight than the heftier Juice Up. Why I Like the Pilot “Synergy Tip” Gel Pens…