March 28, 2023 - Posted by Stephanie to Guides, Mechanical Pencils
For those who suffer from tired, fatigued hands, the Dr. Grip is just what the doctor ordered. This high quality writing instrument has an innovative grip design that provides the ideal combination of softness and support. Additionally, the weight balance is optimized for an ergonomic writing experience. To find out more about the different models of the award-winning Dr. Grip, read on.
Table of Contents
Pilot Dr. Grip Characteristics
Grip
The Dr. Grip has a grip section that provides comfort and stability.
True to its name, the Dr. Grip is nothing short of a medical miracle for tired hands. What sets it apart is the double layer grip design. The outer layer is firm while the inner layer is soft, resulting in the perfect moderate softness: not too flimsy and not too hard. This creates a comfortable surface to hold that allows you to have a stable grasp on the pen or pencil. Combined with the barrel’s optimal weight balance, the Dr. Grip is an ergonomic writing instrument that reduces fatigue, earning it an “Ease-of-Use” Commendation from the Arthritis Foundation.
Pen and Pencil Types
Dr. Grip Ballpoint Pens use low-viscosity Pilot Acroball ink.
Dr. Grip Ballpoint Pens use the same low-viscosity inks found in Pilot’s Acro and Acroball series. Acroball ink balances the vibrancy and smoothness of a gel ink with the fast dry time and water resistance of a ballpoint ink.
Dr. Grip Gel Pens feature the same inks found in Pilot’s famous G2 Gel Pens. This smooth flowing, archival safe ink is a perennial favorite for writers of all kinds. G2 ink has some water resistance, so your notes will survive an accidental water spill. Additionally, you can highlight over your writing with only minor smudging. To perform our tests, we drew Xs with a Dr. Grip and applied water with a water brush. We highlighted over the swatches with a Staedtler Textsurfer.
Dr. Grip Mechanical Pencils use shaker mechanisms to extend lead.
Dr. Grip Mechanical Pencils use Pilot’s Fure Fure shaker mechanism. To advance the lead, simply shake the pencil up and down. An internal mechanism extends the lead using a metal weight. You don’t need to adjust your grip to push the clicker and advance the lead, so you can keep your focus while you write. The pencil makes a rattling sound when it’s shaken, and while this doesn’t bother us, you can also extend the lead quietly by pressing on the clicker at the back of the pencil.
The Dr. Grip Multi Pen has four ballpoint colors and a mechanical pencil that can be deployed with the push of a tab.
The Dr. Grip Multi Pen combines four ballpoint colors and a mechanical pencil into one handy writing instrument. To extend the ballpoint refills, press down on the corresponding colored tabs. The mechanical pencil component can be deployed by sliding the clip down. With the pencil tip out, you can press down on the clip again to extend the lead.
Form Factor
All Dr. Grip pens and pencils are made of plastic and feature retraction mechanisms.
| Pilot Dr. Grip Ballpoint Pens | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pen | Name | Length | Diameter | Weight |
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Full Black | 13.8 cm | 12 mm | 0.69 oz |
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G-Spec | 13.8 cm | 12 mm | 0.64 oz |
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G-Spec Flash | 13.8 cm | 12 mm | 0.64 oz |
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Pure White | 13.8 cm | 12 mm | 0.71 oz |
| Pilot Dr. Grip Gel Pens | ||||
| Pen | Name | Length | Diameter | Weight |
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Limited | 14.2 cm | 12.6 mm | 0.72 oz |
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Neon | 14.2 cm | 12.6 mm | 0.72 oz |
| Pilot Dr. Grip Mechanical Pencils | ||||
| Pen | Name | Length | Diameter | Weight |
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Ace Shaker | 14.6 cm | 12.6 mm | 0.76 oz |
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CL Play Balance | 14.3 cm | 11.8 mm | 0.86 oz |
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Full Black | 14.1 cm | 11.8 mm | 0.71 oz |
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G-Spec | 14.2 cm | 11.4 mm | 0.7 oz |
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G-Spec Flash | 14.2 cm | 11.7 mm | 0.7 oz |
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G-Spec Frost | 14.2 cm | 11.9 mm | 0.71 oz |
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Play Border | 14.2 cm | 11.2 mm | 0.7 oz |
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Pure White | 14.2 cm | 11.2 mm | 0.72 oz |
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THE | 15.4 cm | 12.0 mm | 0.81 oz |
| Pilot Dr. Grip Multi Pens | ||||
| Pen | Name | Length | Diameter | Weight |
 |
4+1 4 Color | 14.8 cm | 12.7 mm | 0.94 oz |
Tip Sizes
Dr. Grip Ballpoint Pens, Mechanical Pencils, and Multi Pens are available in a variety of tip sizes. Dr. Grip Gel Pens are only available in 0.7 mm, but you can swap out the refill for any standard G2 refill.
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*Note: The last two columns in the Multi Pens section refer to the mechanical pencil components.
Pilot Dr. Grip Product Lines
The Ace Shaker emphasizes comfort and convenience.
The Ace Shaker is a mechanical pencil that features an “active suspension” mechanism which absorbs the pressure made by the initial contact of putting pencil to paper. It allows the lead to retract slightly to avoid breaking, which gives writing a springy feeling. It’s ideal for those who tend to press down as they write or who accidentally extend too much lead. It also has a transparent window in the barrel that shows an orange warning indicator when it’s running low on lead.
The CL Play Balance has rearrangable metal and silicone metal rings in the grip that allow you to customize the pencil’s weight and feel.
The Dr. Grip CL Play Balance is a mechanical pencil that lets you customize its weight and feel. It comes with silicone and metal rings that can be inserted into the grip. The lightweight silicone rings yield when squeezed, while the firm metal rings add weight to the grip. You can arrange the rings in any order by removing the pencil’s nose cone and clear outer grip.
Pilot Dr. Grip Full Black & Pure White
The Dr. Grip Full Black and Pure White pair accent colors with minimalist bodies.
Full Black and Pure White Dr. Grips are essentially the same, differing only in main body color. Both models feature colored accent rings above the nose cone and below the clicker. Choose from ballpoint pens or mechanical pencils.
The Dr. Grip G-Spec is available in several color series with different finishes.
The G-Spec was the first Dr. Grip model to feature an optimized weight balance. Most of the weight is concentrated near the body’s center of gravity, allowing the rotary motion of the pen to flow naturally with your hand as you write. The G-Spec is available in a standard model as well as several color series with different finishes, Flash and Frost. It’s available as either a ballpoint pen or mechanical pencil.
These Dr. Grip Gel Pens are upgrades to the Pilot G2’s bodies.
These Pilot Dr. Grip Gel Pens are excellent upgrades to the standard Pilot G2 Gel Pen body. The Limited has a stylish matte body, while the Neon features a translucent body that lets you take a peek inside the pen’s inner workings.
You can customize the Play Border by swapping grip colors or adding decorations to the barrel.
Aptly named, the Play Border is a mechanical pencil made to be fiddled with. The inside of the grip has three rings in complementary colors that you can rearrange to your heart’s content. To access the rings, remove the nose cone and clear grip tube. The Play Border can be further customized thanks to a clear plastic insert in the top half of the pencil. You can apply stickers to the insert’s surface, or use it as a guide for decorative paper that can be displayed inside the barrel. A lanyard hole near the clicker allows you to attach keychains and other charms.
THE Dr. Grip is an elevated version of Pilot’s standard Dr. Grip mechanical pencils.
This Dr. Grip is an elevated version of Pilot’s standard Dr. Grip mechanical pencils. Both the top push button and the shaker mechanism have been designed to reduce noise by a whopping 50% compared to typical shaker pencils! The shaker mechanism can be turned off to reduce the chances of the lead from extending while the pencil is in your pocket or pen case. Just twist the barrel so that the notch at the top of the grip section aligns with the Fure Fure Lock logo on the barrel. Note that the lead may still extend slightly if the pencil is shaken with a great deal of force.
The Dr. Grip 4+1 combines four ballpoint inks and a mechanical pencil in one body.
The Dr. Grip 4+1 is a multi pen that’s excellent for students and other heavy note-takers. It includes four low-viscosity Acro ballpoint inks in black, blue, green, and red that make it easy to color code notes. A mechanical pencil component provides an erasable writing instrument, and there’s even a small eraser beneath the cap on the back of the multi pen. We still recommend picking up a full-sized eraser for big mistakes, though.
More Resources
Conclusion
The thought and care put into the design of the Dr. Grip’s ergonomic features set it apart from other pens and pencils. No matter the model, the Dr. Grip is a wonderful choice for a writing instrument.
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