I’d been hearing a lot of praise about the humble-looking Ohto Graphic Liner 0.3. For the descriptions and the look of the pen, I was expecting something that performed similarly to the Pilot Precise V5. The size, smooth barrel and long flat clip makes it look quite similar to the V5 and all descriptions suggest that there might not be a difference between the two, but there is.
The Ohto Graphic Liner is silkier on the paper than a V5. At first I was worried that I might have trouble with it — me and rollerball pens don’t always see eye to eye (I’m talking to you, Uni-Ball Vision) because of the overwriter position I use to write. After a few minutes of scribbling, the Otho Graphic Liner worked great though — I think it just needed a little priming since it was new and hadn’t been used.
There were no issues with skipping or any other writing faux pas. The thing I like best about the gel/hybrid/rollerball pens is that they are usually waterproof or at least fairly water-resistant. I decided to compare the Ohto Graphic Liner to the Pilot Envelope Pen and the Pilot Precise V5. The Ohto Graphic Liner 0.3 is just a tiny bit broader than a V5 but much finer than a fine Envelope Pen. They were all equally water-resistant with only minimal smearing. I find the Envelope Pen to be almost too slick on paper sometimes — like writing on an oil slick. Alternately, the V5 can feel a little sticky on paper so the Ohto Graphic Liner definitely hits the sweet spot between the two. Its smooth on the paper, water-resistant so it can be used on envelopes or in art journaling or mixed media art-making without issues but its not so slick that the pen gets away from you.
The Ohto Graphic Liner is available in 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.5 and 1.0. The finest size is $2.65 and the rest are $2.50.
For comparison, read what Brad at The Pen Addict has to say about the Ohto Graphic Liner.
(writing test done using my trusty A5 Miquelrius grid notebook.)
