The Pilot Hi-Tec-C refill has taken on a life of its own on Kickstarter, and I have to say I am thrilled. I have been asked for years about upgrades to the very simple plastic barrel the Hi-Tec-C uses and now I can point readers to at least a half-dozen different options to house their favorite pen.
The Ti2 Pen:
With the Ti2, titanium is the name of the game. The super strong metal is extremely durable and will last you a lifetime. Like they mention in one of their product videos, how many people do you know with a titanium pen?
Another interesting aspect of the Ti2 are the color-coded o-rings. Not only can they match the color of ink refill you are using, they also provide the tension needed to hold the pen cap on both ends of the pen.
Read more about the Ti2 Pen on Kickstarter
The EiMIM Pen:
The EiMIM pen is a sleek aluminum barrel for the Pilot Hi-Tec-C with and added bonus: Neodymium magnets. This allows the pen to not only be portable with a threaded-cap design, but also a desk pen by just standing the pen up vertically in the provided base.
Three different finishes are available on the EiMIM: machined, glass bead blasted, and powder coated. My explanations of all three won’t do it justice, so head over to the project page to see the options. The black powder coated model looks especially slick.
Read more about the EiMIM Pen on Kickstarter
I am working with both of these manufacturers on getting samples to review. Once I have them in hand I will post my thoughts asap. In the meantime, be sure to check out both projects if you are looking to upgrade your basic Pilot Hi-Tec-C barrel.
