I work in a science lab where we use and often spill stuff like water, alcohol and acetone. I need a pen that won't run when it gets wet with water or solvents. The Black Fine Point Pilot Multiball is perfect for lab use. It doesn't run in any of these solvents and it writes on the slick label tapes (Time Tape for those know) and on metal, glass and plastics of all kinds. On glass and hard plastic, you have to write slowly and sometimes restart the pen with a piece of paper, but it will write on hard smooth surfaces. True the Sharpie can do all this, but it stinks and bleeds through paper too much to use in a lab notebook. The Multiball does not bleed through and doesn't have any odor.

The ability to rely on one pen all day to write on anything and at such a low price and not worry about bleeding through, re-capping, smell, running when wet, etc... makes my life just a little bit easier. We can all appreciate that.

Next, I'm going to test all the colors with solvents and surfaces, but I'm very optimistic about the results. Good job Pilot!

I own over 2500 pens that I used successively for studies, illustration, typography and several design and art projects / jobs and this pens stays on top of my best pens in the world list for several reasons. The first reason is the ink with which it is filled - dries fast, stays on most surfaces that exist - and really solidifies when dries. It is simply awesome to use it on glossy paper for example, like on magazines, but also on bottles when you need to write your name on a bottle, but it is also very versatile and stays perfectly on every type of paper if you need to write a report - and the ink is almost impossible to remove from paper, which makes it perfect to use for signing checks if you are afraid of frauds. In art experiments, I have used it to write onto film strips or photos, to write or draw on several types of fabric and plastic, to ink pencil drawings, and every time I am mind blown by how sturdy the ink remains after it's dry. My art might still exist long after I die because of that, and it's not only an amazing ink to work with, velvety, soft, with deep shades and a beautiful texture almost like water but that hardens - it's also reassuring to see how solid it is ( especially with pen tips medium and up, as the pen exists in medium, broad, and extra broad under the permaball model name). You could almost write under water with it...
The second reason is the sturdiness of the pen itself, and the third reason is its design. It's without a doubt for me one of the most beautifully designed pens ever.
Well, I have nothing but praise for this pen. Get it !

The only thing this pen doesn't wrote on is air and ghosts. I wrote on a wet glass bottle of hot sauce, and it still worked.

I do a lot of network marketing and I have always used a ultra fine tip sharpie to write notes on a person's business card so I can remember who they were. I needed a sharpie due to a lot of cards having a glossy surface. I hated that I had to carry around such an ugly pen. But now I have discovered the MultiBall. This pen is the best compromise of smoothness, fine line, and looks. This pen is only a little more scratchy than a UM 138 uniball .38 tip pen. The ink dries just a tad slower than a sharpie on glossy surfaces. But you wont hear me complain. This pen is worth more than pens triple its cost. I now carry this pen for everyday use

If I ever run out of paper, which probably won't ever happen, it's nice to know that anything around me could potentially become my writing surface. So far, I've tried it on glass and metal, and it really works well. On paper this thing is a dream... it flows great and the ink is super duper jet black! It also feels sharp, which is a bonus in my book!! I think this is destined to become my new favorite pen! I can't wait to try it out on my bathroom mirror!!!