Pilot Precise V5: Liquid Ink, Needle Tip & V5 RT

The Precise V5: the clear window shows how much liquid ink is left.

Product facts

Product: Pilot Precise V5 Premium Rolling Ball Pen, Extra Fine 0.5 mm (capped; item 35334 black dozen)
Brand: Pilot
Brand origin: Japan
Made in: Japan^*
Material: Plastic barrel with clear ink window, stainless-steel needle tip
Released: 1984^*
Price range: $under $5 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count)

Notes on these facts

Made by Pilot Corporation (Japan); sold in the US by Pilot Corporation of America. Made in Japan: Pilot's own promotional catalog (Pilot Pen Promo) gives Japan as the country of manufacture for both the capped Precise V5 and the V5 RT, and Stop & Shop and Hannaford list the black 2-pack as made in Japan (all read on October 20, 2026). The HD Supply listing cited earlier has been removed. Pilot Japan's own catalog doesn't sell the V5. Source. Price: example listing. Released: Pilot's European site dates the Hi-Tecpoint V5/V7 microball tip to 1984. Pilot's Japanese history dates the first Hi-Tecpoint, its stainless pipe-tip water-based pen, to 1980. We found no separate date for the US Precise name.
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; €1 = US$1.12; £1 = US$1.32; CHF 1 = US$1.21).

Key takeaways

The V5 has a 0.5 mm Extra Fine needle tip; UK retailers say it draws a line about 0.3 mm wide.
JetPens lists the capped V5 at 13.4 cm (5.3 in) long and 10 g with ink; the retractable V5 RT is 14.2 cm and 11 g.
Pilot's European site dates the Hi-Tecpoint V5/V7 microball tip to 1984.
The capped V5 is not refillable; the V5 RT takes Pilot's 0.5 mm RT refill, black 2-pack item 77273.
US retailer spec sheets and Pilot's promotional catalog give Japan as the country of manufacture.

What is the Pilot Precise V5?

The Pilot Precise V5 is a capped, disposable rollerball pen that writes with thin liquid ink through a 0.5 mm needle tip. Pilot Corporation of Japan makes it, and Pilot Corporation of America sells it in the US under the Precise name. Outside the US, the same design is sold as the Hi-Tecpoint V5.

Pilot’s US packaging copy calls Precise America’s #1 selling rolling ball pen brand, citing NPD Group US dollar sales data “on file”. That is Pilot’s claim; we haven’t seen the data, and the copy doesn’t say which year it covers.

Pilot Precise V5 specs

Spec	Value
Maker	Pilot Corporation (Japan); US seller Pilot Corporation of America
Type	Capped liquid-ink rollerball (Pilot says “rolling ball”)
Tip	0.5 mm Extra Fine needle tip (“Precision Point”)
Line width	About 0.3 mm (per UK retailers)
Length	13.4 cm (5.3 in) capped · 12.2 cm (4.8 in) uncapped · 15.4 cm (6.1 in) posted
Diameter	9.2 mm at the grip · 10.6 mm max
Weight	10 g (0.35 oz) with ink
Ink supply	Visible through a clear window in the barrel
Refillable	No (the retractable V5 RT is)
Made in	Japan (per US retailer spec sheets)

Length, diameter and weight are JetPens’ figures. Goldspot lists slightly different ones (134.8 mm closed, about 8.5 g), so treat the last digit as approximate. Pilot doesn’t publish dimensions in the sources we found.

What makes a liquid-ink rollerball different?

A liquid-ink rollerball like the V5 feeds thin, free-flowing ink to the tip, so it glides with almost no pressure and lays down a dark, saturated line. A gel pen uses thicker gel ink, and a ballpoint uses oil-based paste that needs more pressure.

Pilot’s European site says the tip uses a tungsten-carbide microball held in a stainless-steel housing, a design it dates to 1984 and says it patented. Pilot’s Japanese history traces the line back further, to the original Hi-Tecpoint (ハイテックポイント) of 1980, a water-based pen with a stainless pipe tip.

The trade-off is that thin ink soaks into paper more, so paper matters. The Pen Addict called the V5 one of the smoothest writers around in a 2010 review and found it wrote well on Moleskine paper.

Precise V5 vs V7 vs V5 RT: which should you choose?

Choose the V5 for small, crisp handwriting, the V7 for a bolder line, and the V5 RT if you want a click pen you can refill.

Model	Tip	Line (per retailers)	Body	Refillable
Precise V5	0.5 mm Extra Fine	About 0.3 mm	Capped stick	No
Precise V7	0.7 mm Fine	About 0.5 mm	Capped stick	No
Precise V5 RT	0.5 mm Extra Fine	About 0.3 mm	Retractable, rubber grip	Yes (item 77273, black)
Precise V5 BeGreen	0.5 mm Extra Fine	About 0.3 mm	Capped, recycled plastic	Retailer copy says it takes the V5 RT refill

JetPens lists the V5 RT at 14.2 cm (5.6 in) long and 11 g, a little longer and heavier than the capped V5. Staples says the BeGreen version is made from 89.2% recycled content.

For an even finer needle tip with gel ink rather than liquid ink, Pilot’s Hi-Tec-C goes down to 0.25 mm.

Is the Precise V5 sold in Japan?

Not that we could find: Pilot’s Japanese catalog doesn’t list a Hi-Tecpoint V5 or Precise V5. The Precise and Hi-Tecpoint V5 names are for the US and export markets.

Pilot Japan’s own capped liquid-ink pen is the V-Corn (Vコーン), which Pilot’s Japanese site dates to 1991 and calls a direct-liquid water-based pen, “like a fountain pen with a ball”. Pilot’s catalog lists the 0.5 mm V-Corn (LVE-10EF) at 135 mm long, 11.3 mm at its widest and 9.2 g, with a 0.3 mm line, for ¥110 (about US$0.70) including tax, and says it holds a Good Design Long Life Design Award.

It is similar in concept but a different, Japan-market model, and Pilot doesn’t say it is the same pen as the V5. Pilot Japan also sells a retractable V-Corn Knock in 0.5 and 0.7 mm at ¥220 (about US$1.40).

Does the Precise V5 smear or bleed?

It can smear if touched straight after writing, because liquid ink takes longer to dry than ballpoint paste. A ShopSavvy summary of user reviews says some buyers, especially left-handed writers, find it prone to smudging. Pilot doesn’t publish a dry time.

Bleed depends mostly on paper. On thin copy paper, expect a darker show-through than from a ballpoint; on smooth, heavier paper such as a Midori MD notebook, the line should stay crisp.

Is Precise V5 ink waterproof?

Pilot doesn’t make a waterproof claim, and one artist’s test found water reactivated the ink after 25 hours. Some retailer copy calls the black ink water resistant or fade resistant, but that is a store summary rather than Pilot’s wording. For checks, archival notes or ink-and-wash drawing, use a pigment pen such as the Sakura Pigma Micron instead.

Does the Precise V5 leak on planes?

Retailer copy says the V5 is airplane-safe, with an ink feed designed to resist leaks from air-pressure changes. For the V5 RT, retailers credit the retracting mechanism. We haven’t flown with one, so treat this as the maker’s claim.

Where is the Pilot Precise V5 made?

Pilot’s own promotional catalog gives Japan as the country of manufacture for both the capped V5 and the V5 RT. Stop & Shop and Hannaford also list the black 2-pack as made in Japan.

How much does a Precise V5 cost?

The Precise V5 falls in our lowest price band, $: under $5 per pen in a typical multi-pack. It is usually sold in 2-, 4-, 5- and 12-packs, and multi-color sets; check the per-pen price, since small packs cost more per pen.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Pilot Precise V5 a gel pen?

No. It is a liquid-ink rollerball: the ink is thin and free-flowing and sits in an open reservoir you can see through the barrel, rather than a thick gel in a refill tube.

What line does the Precise V5 draw?

The tip is 0.5 mm, which Pilot calls Extra Fine. UK retailers selling the same pen as the Hi-Tecpoint V5 say it draws a line about 0.3 mm wide; one lists 0.5 mm, so the figure varies by listing.

What is the difference between the Precise V5 and V7?

Only the tip size. The V5 has a 0.5 mm Extra Fine tip and the V7 a 0.7 mm Fine tip, which UK retailers say draws about a 0.5 mm line. Both come capped or as retractable RT models.

Can you refill a Pilot Precise V5?

The capped stick V5 is disposable. The retractable Precise V5 RT takes Pilot's RT refill; the 0.5 mm black refill is sold in 2-packs as item 77273.

Is Precise V5 ink waterproof?

Don't rely on it. Some retailer copy calls the ink water resistant, but an artist's test reported that water still reactivated the ink after 25 hours. Pilot doesn't make a waterproof claim in the sources we found.

Does the Precise V5 leak on planes?

Retailer copy says the capped V5 has an airplane-safe ink feed designed to resist leaks from air-pressure changes. We haven't tested it in flight.

Where is the Pilot Precise V5 made?

US retailer spec sheets list Japan as the country of origin, and Pilot's promotional catalog gives Japan as the country of manufacture for the V5 RT.

Sources (24)

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