Pilot DR Drawing Pen Review

The Pilot DR was one of the first drawing pens I bought because it’s easily available in UK high street shops, together with with Faber-Castell Pitt. I didn’t get along with it very well finding it a little scratchy and dry. However a little while ago I thought I’d get another one and try it again.

I was able to get this pen at a discount thanks to Cult Pens’ support of the site. These are my own honest opinions.

The DR is available these tip sizes: 01, 02, 03, 05 and 08. I’m trying the 02 here to maintain consistency with my other drawing pen reviews. (One day I’ll take the best few drawing pens and test them out across a range of tip sizes.)

The pen has been redesigned since I bought my original one and it looks all the better for it. It’s a pleasant shade of blue and the branding isn’t too excessive. The ink and tip remain unchanged from the earlier version.

In common with most drawing pens there’s a fair distance from the main part of the barrel to the tip itself. This helps keep your fingers out of the way but isn’t very comfortable. Of all the drawing pens I’ve tried, only the Faber-Castell Ecco makes any attempt at a comfortable grip.

The tip held up well in my use but I still found the flow to be slightly on the dry side. It certainly wasn’t as bad as the pen I had before so I was either lucky this time or unlucky last time. The aforementioned Ecco and my current favourite the Aristo GeoCollege have better flow but (certainly with this pen) it isn’t so bad as to be a deal breaker. Likewise, I found it to be a little scratchy on the paper but not terminally so. The line is consistent and black.

The Pilot DR is a reasonable pen. I prefer it to the Faber-Castell Pitt so if you find yourself in a shop and those are your only choices then pick this one. However there are better pens available: the Ecco, which can sometimes be found on the high street; and the GeoCollege, which is readily available online.

Pros

Consistent line
Good black ink
Readily available

Cons

Slightly dry
Slightly scratchy