Compiled from 14 sources; we haven't tested these products ourselves yet. How we research
Quick answer
The Jetstream RT is a ballpoint whose low-viscosity oil-based pigment ink uni markets as quick-drying and water-resistant. The Pilot G2 is a gel pen with a wetter line, a 0.38 mm size and up to 41 colors. Pick the Jetstream if you smear ink or sign documents; pick the G2 for color and fine lines.
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Nearly the same size: 141.4 mm (uni-ball UK) and 143 mm (JetPens), drawn at 1 mm = 4.2 px.
Pilot G2 Premium Retractable Gel Pen (0.38 / 0.5 / 0.7 / 1.0 mm)Pilot
Japan
Japan*
Price range: $under $5 per pen
Notes on these facts
uni-ball Jetstream RT Retractable Ballpoint (0.5 / 0.7 / 1.0 mm; SXN-210): Made by Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd.. Made in Japan: per US business-supplier spec sheets for items 62152 (0.7 mm black), 62153 (0.7 mm blue) and 73834 (1.0 mm red), all listing Japan; Unsharpen also lists Japan. uni's US store, uni-ball UK and Mitsubishi Pencil's Japanese site don't state it. Source. Price: example listing. Released: Mitsubishi Pencil's February 17, 2011 press release says the Jetstream Standard went on sale in Japan in July 2006; we found no separate US launch date for the RT.
Pilot G2 Premium Retractable Gel Pen (0.38 / 0.5 / 0.7 / 1.0 mm): Made by Pilot Corporation (Japan); sold in the US by Pilot Corporation of America. Made in Japan: per US retailer spec sheets (Stop & Shop, OnTimeSupplies for item 31171). Some grocery listings for a 4-pack say "Japan, USA", so origin may vary by pack. Pilot's US site doesn't state it in the sources we found. Source. Price: example listing.
Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026.
Key takeaways
Ink: Mitsubishi Pencil classes Jetstream as a low-viscosity oil-based ballpoint with pigment; Pilot sells the G2 as a gel ink pen and doesn't publish its formula.
Sizes: the Jetstream RT comes in 0.5, 0.7 and 1.0 mm in the US; the G2 adds a 0.38 mm Ultra Fine to the same three.
uni-ball UK lists the 1.0 mm Jetstream RT at 141.4 mm and 13.8 g; JetPens lists the 0.7 mm G2 at 14.3 cm and about 11 g.
Refills don't cross over: the RT takes SXR-5, SXR-7 and SXR-10, the G2 Pilot refills such as 77240 (0.7 mm black).
Both sit in our $ band (under $5 per pen), and US retailer spec sheets list Japan as the country of origin for both.
Is the uni-ball Jetstream a gel pen like the Pilot G2?
No: the Jetstream is a ballpoint and the G2 is a gel pen, and that ink difference decides almost everything else. Mitsubishi Pencil classes Jetstream ink as low-viscosity oil-based ink, a thinner version of ballpoint paste with pigment in it. Pilot sells the G2 as a gel ink pen; gel ink is water-based and thickened so it doesn’t feather.
uni’s US packaging calls the Jetstream RT a hybrid: it aims for gel-like smoothness with ballpoint drying speed. The Pilot G2, launched in 1997, is the gel pen Pilot calls America’s #1 selling gel ink brand.
How do the Jetstream RT and G2 compare?
They’re almost the same size and price; the ink, the size range and the colors differ.
uni-ball Jetstream RT
Pilot G2
Ink
Low-viscosity oil-based, pigment
Gel (water-based)
Ball sizes (US)
0.5 · 0.7 Fine · 1.0 mm
0.38 · 0.5 · 0.7 · 1.0 mm
Colors
No count published; US items include black, blue and red
Up to 41 core colors (Pilot USA)
Water, fade, check-washing claims
Yes (uni, Super Ink)
None published
Length
141.4 mm (5.6 in), 1.0 mm (uni-ball UK)
14.3 cm (5.6 in), 0.7 mm (JetPens)
Weight
13.8 g (uni-ball UK; Unsharpen: 11 g)
About 11 g (JetPens)
Refill (black)
SXR-5 / -7 / -10; US 1.0 mm 2-pack 35972
77287 / 77232 / 77240 / 77289
Launched
2006 (Jetstream line, Japan)
1997
Made in
Japan (retailer sheets)
Japan (retailer sheets)
Price band
$ (under $5 per pen)
$ (under $5 per pen)
Both are click-retractable with a rubber grip, and both use the ball diameter as the size.
The G2 adds a 0.38 mm size; Pilot's names also run one step finer (its 0.7 mm is "Fine").
Which smears less when you write fast?
The Jetstream, by maker claims and user reports. uni markets Jetstream ink as quick-drying and smudge-resistant and recommends it to left-handed writers.
Reviewers and left-handed writers often report G2 smearing in 0.7 and 1.0 mm, and in a 2011 blog test Mark Dominus at leancrew.com saw the G2 leave smeary blobs. Neither maker publishes a dry time in seconds, and we haven’t timed them yet.
Which writes the smoother, bolder line?
The G2 gives the wetter, more saturated gel line; the Jetstream feels smooth for a ballpoint but lays down less ink. Mitsubishi Pencil says Jetstream ink has up to 50% less writing friction than its conventional oil-based ballpoints and about twice their black density. That comparison is against older ballpoints, not gel pens.
The G2’s extra ink is also why it smears: more ink takes longer to dry. If you like a bold G2 line but hate smearing, a finer 0.5 or 0.38 mm G2 is a fair middle ground.
Which is better for checks and documents?
The Jetstream RT, because uni markets its ink as resistant to water, fading and check washing. uni calls Jetstream RT ink its Super Ink and says it resists document alteration. Pilot makes no such claim for the G2; Pilot’s own Japanese explainer notes that water and fade resistance depend on whether an ink uses pigment or dye, and Pilot doesn’t say which the G2 uses.
Each takes only its own maker’s refill: uni’s SXR family for the Jetstream RT and Pilot’s G2 refills for the G2.
Size
Jetstream RT refill
G2 US refill (black 2-pack)
0.38 mm
No US RT (SXR-38 refill exists)
77287
0.5 mm
SXR-5
77232
0.7 mm
SXR-7
77240
1.0 mm
SXR-10 (US 2-pack 35972)
77289
Unsharpen lists the SXR-7 at 11.2 cm long. G2 refills also fit Pilot’s G2 Limited and G2 Pro, per an office supplier’s compatibility list.
Which should you buy?
Pick the Jetstream RT if you smear ink, write left-handed, sign checks or write on cheap paper; pick the G2 if you want color, a 0.38 mm line or the boldest, wettest stroke.
uni-ball Jetstream RT: quick-drying, water-resistant by uni’s claim, and Wirecutter’s long-running ballpoint pick according to uni’s own store. Our best ballpoint pens roundup ranks it among other ballpoints.
Pilot G2: four sizes, up to 41 colors and refills in every US office aisle.
Is the Jetstream better than the G2 for left-handed writers?
Usually, yes. uni markets Jetstream ink as quick-drying and smudge-resistant and recommends it for left-handed writers, while reviewers report G2 smearing in the 0.7 and 1.0 mm sizes. Neither maker publishes a dry time.
Is the uni-ball Jetstream a hybrid pen?
That's uni's US marketing term. Mitsubishi Pencil classes Jetstream as a low-viscosity oil-based ballpoint, thinner than ordinary ballpoint paste, which is why it feels closer to a gel pen.
Can I put a G2 refill in a Jetstream RT?
No. The Jetstream RT takes uni's SXR refills (SXR-5, SXR-7, SXR-10) and the G2 takes Pilot's G2 refills, such as 77240 in 0.7 mm black. Each fits only its own maker's pens.
Which ink is more water-resistant, Jetstream or G2?
The Jetstream, by the makers' claims. uni markets Jetstream RT ink as its Super Ink, resistant to water, fading and check washing; Pilot makes no water-resistance claim for the G2.
Does the Pilot G2 come in a finer tip than the Jetstream RT?
Yes. The G2 is sold in 0.38 mm Ultra Fine, while the finest Jetstream RT in the US is 0.5 mm. uni does make a 0.38 mm Jetstream refill, the SXR-38, but we found no US RT body in that size.
Are the Jetstream and G2 made in Japan?
US retailer spec sheets say yes for both. A few grocery listings give the G2 4-pack as Japan and USA, so check the package you buy.
Which is cheaper, the Jetstream RT or the Pilot G2?
They cost about the same. Both are in our $ band, under $5 per pen in typical multi-packs, and refills for both are sold in 2-packs.
