Pens & Writing Gifts
Pilot G2 vs Zebra Sarasa Dry: The Same Width, Different Promises
Two retractable gel pens at the same nominal width, sold in the same quantity, at the same sort of price. One of them publishes something specific about how fast the ink dries.
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The answer first
Buy the Sarasa Dry if smearing is your problem, and the G2 if refilling matters more. Zebra publishes a rapid-dry claim and names left-handed writers in it; PILOT publishes a refillable body. Those are the two real differences - at 0.7 mm the line width is identical.
How we compared them
This site has written with neither. Both are 0.7 mm retractable gel pens sold twelve to a pack, so the comparison runs on the four things the makers actually publish differently.
| Zebra Sarasa Dry X20 | PILOT G2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Point | 0.7 mm, called medium | 0.7 mm, called fine |
| Ink | Gel, black | Quick-drying gel |
| Drying claim | Rapid Dry Ink; Zebra states it dries in seconds on most surfaces and calls it "an ideal pen for the left handed" | The maker states it helps prevent smudging - no figure, no named use case |
| Refillable | Not published | Yes, published |
| Grip | Soft, latex-free rubberized grip | Contoured rubber grip |
| Count | 12 pens | 12 pens |
Quick picks
Ranked for the person doing the buying. Every pick names who it is wrong for.
| # | Product | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Zebra Sarasa Dry X20 Retractable Gel Pen, 0.7 mm, 12-Pack The one gel pen here whose maker makes a drying claim and names left-handed writers while doing it, which is a specific promise rather than a general one. | Gel ink a left hand can actually use | |
| 2 |  PILOT G2 Premium Gel Roller Pens, 0.7 mm, 12-Pack Twelve refillable gel pens with quick-drying ink, which is the most-used gift on this site by a distance. | Filling a planner without ruining it | |
| 3 |  uniball Jetstream RT Retractable Ballpoint Pens, 0.7 mm, 12-Count A ballpoint that writes with far less drag than a cheap one, which matters because ballpoint ink is the ink that dries fastest on the page. | The fastest-drying ink type, in a fine point | $20.12 - View on Amazon #ad Price as of September 27, 2026. How this is funded |
1. Gel ink a left hand can actually use
Zebra Sarasa Dry X20 Retractable Gel Pen, 0.7 mm, 12-Pack
The one gel pen here whose maker makes a drying claim and names left-handed writers while doing it, which is a specific promise rather than a general one.
Gel ink is the ink most likely to smear, because it sits wet on the surface longer than a ballpoint's oil-based paste. A gel pen sold specifically on drying speed is therefore aimed at exactly one problem, and it is the problem a left-handed writer has every single line.
Read the claim carefully. Zebra says seconds, on most surfaces. That is not the same as instant, and it is not a controlled figure you can hold the pen to. What it does tell you is which of two gel pens the maker built for this.
The 0.7 mm point is described as medium, which is a wetter, broader line than the 0.5 mm in the same family. If drying speed is the whole reason you are here, the finer point is the safer buy.
| Point size | 0.7 mm, medium pointSource: Amazon listing - Zebra Pen Sarasa Dry X20 Retractable Gel Pen, 0.7 mm |
|---|---|
| Ink | Gel, blackSource: Amazon listing - Zebra Pen Sarasa Dry X20 Retractable Gel Pen, 0.7 mm |
| Count | 12 pensSource: Amazon listing - Zebra Pen Sarasa Dry X20 Retractable Gel Pen, 0.7 mm |
| Maker's drying claim | Rapid Dry Ink; Zebra states the ink dries in seconds on most surfacesZebra's own wording, not a figure this site has measured. There is no stated number of seconds.Source: Zebra Pen - SARASA dry X20 Gel Retractable |
| Maker's left-handed claim | Zebra calls it "an ideal pen for the left handed"Worth knowing because almost no other gel pen maker says it out loud. It is still a marketing claim.Source: Zebra Pen - SARASA dry X20 Gel Retractable |
| Grip | Soft, latex-free rubberized gripSource: Zebra Pen - SARASA dry X20 Gel Retractable |
What it does well
- The maker makes a drying claim and names left-handed writers, which is rare.
- Twelve pens, so it is a supply rather than a single object.
- Rubberized grip at a price where most pens have a bare barrel.
What it does not
- The dry-time claim has no published number of seconds behind it.
- 0.7 mm is the wetter of the two common widths, which works against the drying argument.
- Black only in this pack - no color range without buying another set.
- Gel ink still soaks into cheap copier paper and shows through more than a ballpoint.
Skip this: if the paper is the real problem. A quick-drying gel pen on 70 gsm office stock still bleeds through to the reverse, and no pen fixes that. See ink and bleed-through.
2. Filling a planner without ruining it
PILOT G2 Premium Gel Roller Pens, 0.7 mm, 12-Pack
Twelve refillable gel pens with quick-drying ink, which is the most-used gift on this site by a distance.
0.7 mm is the everyday gel width and the one that suits planner boxes without feeling scratchy. 0.5 mm is finer and better for very small grids; 1.0 mm is for signatures.
Quick-drying matters disproportionately for left-handed writers, who drag their hand across what they just wrote. It is the reason a gel pen can be a thoughtful gift rather than a filler one.
Understand the trade before you pair this with a thin-paper planner. Gel puts down more ink than a ballpoint, so it shows through more. On 80 gsm and up it is fine; on unstated-weight planner paper it is a gamble.
| Point | Fine, 0.7 mmSource: Amazon listing - PILOT G2 Premium Gel Roller Pens, 0.7 mm, 12-Pack |
|---|---|
| Quantity | 12 pensSource: Amazon listing - PILOT G2 Premium Gel Roller Pens, 0.7 mm, 12-Pack |
| Ink | Quick-drying gel; the maker states it helps prevent smudgingSource: Amazon listing - PILOT G2 Premium Gel Roller Pens, 0.7 mm, 12-Pack |
| Refillable | Yes, with a contoured rubber gripSource: Amazon listing - PILOT G2 Premium Gel Roller Pens, 0.7 mm, 12-Pack |
| Show-through on 70 gsm paper | Not publishedNo maker publishes this. Gel ink lays down more ink than a ballpoint and will ghost on thin planner paper; how much depends on the paper, not the pen. |
What it does well
- Twelve pens, so it is a gift that keeps working for a year.
- Quick-drying ink, which genuinely helps left-handed writers.
- Refillable rather than disposable.
What it does not
- Gel ink shows through thin planner paper more than a ballpoint does.
- A twelve-pack is a practical gift, not a ceremonial one.
Skip this: Skip this as a standalone gift for someone you want to impress. It is the perfect second item beside a planner and a slightly flat first one on its own.
3. The fastest-drying ink type, in a fine point
uniball Jetstream RT Retractable Ballpoint Pens, 0.7 mm, 12-Count
A ballpoint that writes with far less drag than a cheap one, which matters because ballpoint ink is the ink that dries fastest on the page.
#ad Price as of September 27, 2026. How this is funded
The useful fact about a ballpoint is not the brand, it is the chemistry. Ballpoint ink is an oil-based paste; gel ink is water-based. The paste sets on the paper surface in a fraction of the time, which is why every serious answer to the smearing question starts here.
What separates this from a supermarket ballpoint is drag. Ordinary ballpoint paste is stiff enough that you press to keep the line going, and pressing is what makes long writing sessions hurt. This one lays down with noticeably less force for the same line.
Twelve pens is the right unit for a pen like this. It is not an object to be looked after - it is the pen you leave in three bags and a coat pocket so there is always one to hand.
| Point size | 0.7 mm, fine pointSource: Amazon listing - uniball Jetstream RT Ballpoint Pens, 0.7 mm, 12 Count |
|---|---|
| Ink | Ballpoint, blackOil-based paste rather than gel, which is the whole reason it dries as fast as it does.Source: Amazon listing - uniball Jetstream RT Ballpoint Pens, 0.7 mm, 12 Count |
| Mechanism | RetractableSource: Amazon listing - uniball Jetstream RT Ballpoint Pens, 0.7 mm, 12 Count |
| Count | 12 pensSource: Amazon listing - uniball Jetstream RT Ballpoint Pens, 0.7 mm, 12 Count |
| Stated dry time | Not publishedNo dry-time figure appears in the product data this site can cite, so the case for it rests on ink type rather than on a number. |
What it does well
- Ballpoint ink, which is the fastest-drying ink type on the page.
- Far less writing pressure needed than a standard ballpoint.
- Twelve pens, so it is a year of pens rather than one.
What it does not
- No published dry-time figure to hold the claim to.
- A ballpoint line is thinner and grayer than gel - it never looks as black on the page.
- Plastic barrel, so it has no presence as a gift.
- Black only in this pack.
Skip this: if the writing is meant to look like something. Ballpoint ink is the palest line of the three ink types here, and for a journal or a card a gel or fountain pen puts far more ink on the page. See gel vs ballpoint.
The label trap: fine against medium at the same width
Both pens are 0.7 mm. Zebra calls that medium; PILOT calls it fine. Neither is wrong - there is no standard behind those words - but it means a shopper comparing a fine G2 with a medium Sarasa is comparing two identical widths and thinking they are choosing.
Buy on the millimeter figure and ignore the adjective. It is published on both, and it is the only number in this comparison that describes what lands on the page.
Why the drying claim decides it for some people
Gel ink is water-based and sits wet on the surface longer than a ballpoint's oil paste. That is the whole reason gel smears, and it is why a gel pen sold specifically on drying speed is aimed at one problem rather than at general quality.
Zebra's wording is specific: rapid dry ink, dries in seconds on most surfaces, described as ideal for the left handed. PILOT's is general: quick-drying, helps prevent smudging. Neither has a published test method behind it and this site has timed nothing - but one maker named the use case and the other did not, and that is the honest basis for the ranking.
If smearing is genuinely the problem rather than an annoyance, the better answer may be to leave gel entirely. A ballpoint is effectively dry on contact, which is why one sits third on this page - pens for left-handed writers ranks the whole field on it.
Refillable is the G2's real advantage
PILOT publishes that the G2 is refillable. Zebra publishes nothing about refills for the Sarasa. Over a twelve-pack that difference is small; over years it is the difference between a pen you keep and a pen you replace.
It matters most if you like the barrel. A refillable body means the grip that suits your hand stays in your hand, which is the same argument pen refills and cartridges makes for the more expensive pens on this site.
What neither of them publishes
Show-through. Both are 0.7 mm gel pens, both will mark the reverse of thin paper, and neither maker says a word about it. That is normal for the category and it is the one thing most likely to disappoint somebody writing in a cheap notebook.
Neither publishes water resistance, fade resistance or any archival claim either, so neither is the pen for anything signed and kept. What gsm means explains the paper side; pens for signing documents covers the other.
Questions people actually ask
Is the Pilot G2 or Zebra Sarasa better?
The Sarasa Dry if you smear - Zebra publishes a rapid-dry claim and names left-handed writers in it. The G2 if you want to keep the pen, because PILOT publishes that it is refillable and Zebra publishes nothing about refills.
Are they the same width?
Yes, both are 0.7 mm. Zebra calls it medium and PILOT calls it fine, which is a labeling difference rather than a real one - there is no standard behind those words.
Which gel pen dries fastest?
Zebra publishes the more specific claim - rapid dry ink, in seconds on most surfaces. Neither claim has a published test method and this site has timed nothing. A ballpoint beats both outright.
Do gel pens bleed through paper?
On thin paper, often, and neither maker publishes anything about it. At 80 gsm and above it mostly stops being an issue - see what gsm means.
Which is better for left-handed writers?
The Sarasa Dry of these two, because Zebra names left-handers in its own wording. But the honest answer is that a low-drag ballpoint beats both - see pens for left-handed writers.