Compiled from 10 sources; we haven't tested these products ourselves yet. How we research
Quick answer
The Hi-Tec-C and G-Tec-C4 are the same Pilot needle-tip gel pen sold under two names: Hi-Tec-C in Japan, G-Tec-C4 in Europe and G-TEC-C in the US. Both write a 0.2 mm line from a 0.4 mm ball. Japan also sells 0.3 and 0.5 mm; Pilot France sells a BLS-GC4 refill, which Pilot Japan doesn't.
On this page11 sections
One pen, two labels: the Hi-Tec-C drawn to scale from Pilot Japan's 136 mm.
Pilot G-Tec-C4 0.4 mm (BL-GC4), Europe; G-TEC-C Ultra in the USPilot
Japan
Japan*
Price range: $under $5 per pen
Notes on these facts
Pilot Hi-Tec-C 0.4 mm (LH-20C4), Japan: Made by Pilot Corporation (Japan). Made in Japan: Unsharpen lists Japan as the country of origin. Pilot's Japanese catalog pages for LH-20C3, LH-20C4 and LH-20C5 (read in full on October 20, 2026) don't state a country of manufacture. Simple Paper, which earlier listed Japan, blocked our access on that date. Source. Price: example listing. Released: Year of the Japanese launch, per Pilot's Japanese site, Unsharpen and Yoseka Stationery.
Pilot G-Tec-C4 0.4 mm (BL-GC4), Europe; G-TEC-C Ultra in the US: Made by Pilot Corporation (Japan). Made in Japan: OnTime Supplies' spec sheet for the US G-TEC-C Ultra 5-pack (35480) gives JP as the country of origin. Pilot France's G-Tec-C4 page (read October 24, 2026) doesn't state one. Source. Price: example listing.
Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026. Conversions to US dollars are approximate, at October 2026 rates (US$1 = ¥158 = ₩1,330 = NT$32.5 = CN¥6.7 = SEK 9.9 = DKK 6.7 = ₺49.6 = C$1.41 = A$1.43 = CZK 21.7; €1 = US$1.12; £1 = US$1.32; CHF 1 = US$1.21).
Key takeaways
Pilot Japan's LH-20C4 and Pilot France's G-Tec-C4 both list a 0.4 mm ball writing a 0.2 mm line, with water-based biopolymer gel ink.
Japan's catalog has three sizes (0.3, 0.4 and 0.5 mm); the export pen is 0.4 mm only in every European and US listing we found.
Pilot France sells the G-Tec-C4 in 10 ink colours at €3.32 (about US$3.70); Pilot Japan lists 3 colours for the 0.4 mm at ¥220 (about US$1.40).
Pilot Japan offers no Hi-Tec-C refill, while Pilot France lists the G-Tec-C4 as refillable with the BLS-GC4 refill.
Both cost under $5 per pen in the US, our $ band, and a US spec sheet gives Japan as the country of origin.
What’s the difference between the Hi-Tec-C and the G-Tec-C4?
Mostly the name and what each region sells: the pen, tip and ink are the same. Pilot Japan’s catalog lists the 0.4 mm Pilot Hi-Tec-C (LH-20C4) with a 0.4 mm ball, a 0.2 mm line and water-based biopolymer ink. Pilot France lists the G-Tec-C4 with the same 0.4 mm ball and 0.2 mm line, and calls it Pilot’s extra-fine Hi-Tec point with biopolymer gel ink.
People search “hi tec c vs g tec c” because one pen carries three names. It’s the Hi-Tec-C in Japan, the G-Tec-C4 in Europe, and the G-Tec-C or G-TEC-C Ultra on US shelves. Cult Pens puts it plainly: in Europe the G-Tec-C name is used instead of Hi-Tec-C, “but they’re the same thing”.
How do the specs compare?
Line, ink and tip match; sizes, colour count, refills and price differ.
Hi-Tec-C (Japan)
G-Tec-C4 (Europe) / G-TEC-C Ultra (US)
Model
LH-20C3, LH-20C4, LH-20C5
BL-GC4 (Europe); 35491, 35480 (US packs)
Ball sizes
0.3, 0.4, 0.5 mm
0.4 mm
Line width, 0.4 mm
0.2 mm (Pilot Japan)
0.2 mm (Pilot France)
Ink
Water-based biopolymer gel
Biopolymer gel (Pilot France)
Ball
Not stated
Tungsten carbide (Pilot France)
Body
Capped, clear resin barrel and cap
Capped, clear barrel with a textured grip
Size and weight
136 mm (5.4 in), 10.2 g
Not published
Ink colours, 0.4 mm
3 in Pilot’s catalog (black, red, blue)
10 at Pilot France; 5 in the US 5-pack
Refill
None offered (Pilot Japan)
BLS-GC4 (Pilot France)
List price
¥220 (about US$1.40)
€3.32 (about US$3.70), Pilot France
Price band (US)
$ (under $5)
$ (under $5)
Japan's Hi-Tec-C range against the export pen's single 0.4 mm size, drawn at 200×.
Which tip sizes can you buy in each region?
Japan sells three sizes; the export pen is 0.4 mm only. Pilot Japan’s catalog lists the 0.3 mm (LH-20C3), 0.4 mm (LH-20C4) and 0.5 mm (LH-20C5). The famous 0.25 mm (LH-20C25) has left that catalog but is still sold from stock, as our discontinued pens list explains.
Pilot France sells only the G-Tec-C4, and every US listing we found is 0.4 mm, from Staples’ 5-pack to OfficeCrave’s black dozen. If you want 0.3 or 0.5 mm, buy the Japanese pen from an importer.
Do the bodies and colours differ?
The bodies look the same in Pilot’s current photos; the colour ranges don’t. Pilot Japan’s and Pilot France’s photos both show a clear barrel and a clear cap with a white label printed with the name and an ink-colour dot. The labels read HI-TEC-C and G-TEC-C4. Staples describes the US pen’s clear barrel with a textured grip.
Colour choice changes by market.
Pilot France offers 10 inks: black, blue, red, green, violet, pink, orange, yellow, brown and turquoise blue, matching Cult Pens’ count of 10. Pilot Japan’s catalog now lists just black, red and blue for the 0.4 mm. The US 5-pack (35480) holds black, blue, red, green and purple.
Can you refill them, and do the parts interchange?
Pilot France sells a refill for the G-Tec-C4; Pilot Japan sells none for the Hi-Tec-C. Pilot France lists the G-Tec-C4 as refillable and names the BLS-GC4 refill at €1.92 (about US$2.20). Pilot Japan’s LH-20C4 page says plainly that it offers no replacement refill.
US listings disagree with Pilot France: OnTime Supplies’ spec sheet for the 35480 5-pack says “Refillable: No”.
On interchange, Unsharpen says the stick Hi-Tec-C, G-Tec and Maica share one standard refill, 11.6 cm long. A BLS-GC4 should therefore fit a 0.4 mm Hi-Tec-C, but Pilot doesn’t say so. The Hi-Tec-C Coleto multi pen uses a different refill.
How much do they cost?
Both fall in our $ band in the US, under $5 per pen. In its home market the Hi-Tec-C is cheaper: Pilot Japan’s list price is ¥220 (about US$1.40) including tax. Pilot France sells the G-Tec-C4 at €3.32 (about US$3.70).
US shops sell the G-TEC-C Ultra mostly in packs, such as the black dozen (35491) and the assorted 5-pack (35480). Imported Hi-Tec-C pens cost more per pen than at Japanese list price, but still stay under $5.
Which should you buy?
Buy the Hi-Tec-C for size choice, the G-Tec-C4 for refills and colours in Europe.
Hi-Tec-C (import): the only way to get 0.3 or 0.5 mm, plus 0.25 mm while stock lasts. Choose it for planners and tiny handwriting.
G-Tec-C4 / G-TEC-C Ultra: easier to find in office shops, with 10 colours and a refill in Europe. It’s the same line on paper.
If the needle tip skips for you, a capped Pentel Slicci or a cone-tip pen from our best gel pens roundup may suit you better.
Where are they made?
Japan, per the retailer spec sheets we found. OnTime Supplies gives JP as the country of origin for the US 5-pack, and Unsharpen lists Japan for the Hi-Tec-C. Pilot Japan’s and Pilot France’s product pages don’t state a country.
Frequently asked questions
Is the G-Tec-C4 just the Hi-Tec-C with a different name?
Yes, in all the specs that matter. Pilot Japan and Pilot France list the same 0.4 mm ball, 0.2 mm line and biopolymer gel ink; the differences are the name on the cap, the sizes and colours sold in each region, and refills.
What does the 4 in G-Tec-C4 mean?
The 0.4 mm ball. Pilot's Japanese codes work the same way: LH-20C3 is the 0.3 mm, LH-20C4 the 0.4 mm and LH-20C5 the 0.5 mm Hi-Tec-C.
Can I get a 0.3 mm G-Tec-C?
Not as a G-Tec-C in the European and US listings we found, which are all 0.4 mm. For 0.3 mm, buy the Japanese Hi-Tec-C LH-20C3 from an importer such as JetPens.
Does a G-Tec-C4 refill fit the Hi-Tec-C?
Unsharpen says the stick Hi-Tec-C, G-Tec and Maica pens share one standard refill, so a 0.4 mm BLS-GC4 should fit a 0.4 mm Hi-Tec-C. Pilot itself doesn't state this, and Pilot Japan sells no Hi-Tec-C refill.
Why is the G-TEC-C called Ultra in the US?
It's the US retail name. Staples and OnTime Supplies sell the 0.4 mm pen as the Pilot G-Tec-C or G-TEC-C Ultra Gel Pen, for example the assorted 5-pack 35480.
Which is cheaper, the Hi-Tec-C or the G-Tec-C4?
At list price in its home market, the Hi-Tec-C: Pilot Japan lists it at ¥220 (about US$1.40), while Pilot France sells the G-Tec-C4 at €3.32 (about US$3.70). In US shops both sit in our $ band, under $5 per pen.
Is either pen made in the USA?
No. OnTime Supplies gives Japan as the country of origin for the US G-TEC-C Ultra, and Unsharpen lists Japan for the Hi-Tec-C.
Pilot Hi-Tec-C 0.4 mm (LH-20C4), Japan
Pilot G-Tec-C4 0.4 mm (BL-GC4), Europe; G-TEC-C Ultra in the US