Pilot Hi-Tec-C: Needle Tips from 0.25 mm Explained

The Hi-Tec-C 0.4 mm, drawn to scale from JetPens' 13.6 cm capped length.

Product facts

Product: Pilot Hi-Tec-C Gel Pen (0.25 / 0.3 / 0.4 / 0.5 mm; LH-20C)
Brand: Pilot
Brand origin: Japan
Made in: Japan^*
Material: Resin barrel and cap (Pilot); metal pipe tip
Released: 1994^*
Price range: $under $5 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count)

Notes on these facts

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.
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's Japanese catalog lists three sizes, 0.3 mm (LH-20C3), 0.4 mm (LH-20C4) and 0.5 mm (LH-20C5); the 0.25 mm (LH-20C25) is no longer in it but is still sold by some shops.
Pilot lists every size at 136 mm (5.4 in) long, 11.6 mm at the widest and 10.2 g, for ¥220 (about US$1.40) including tax.
Pilot's Japanese site dates the Hi-Tec-C to 1994, when it says its 0.3 mm ball was the smallest of any gel pen in the world.
Pilot Japan says it offers no refill for the Hi-Tec-C, though export refills are sold outside Japan.
Yoseka counted 19 colors in the 0.4 mm size in 2019, out of about 35 made since 1994, with the current range cut to about 10.

What is the Pilot Hi-Tec-C?

The Hi-Tec-C is a capped gel pen from Pilot Corporation of Japan, famous for its long, thin needle tips as fine as 0.25 mm. An article on Pilot’s Japanese site dates it to 1994 and says its 0.3 mm ball was then the smallest of any gel pen in the world. It adds that the three-point-supported pipe tip came from Pilot’s 1980 Hi-Tecpoint water-based pen. JetPens says the Hi-Tec-C was the first pen the store ever sold.

In the US, the Hi-Tec-C is mostly bought as an import from shops like JetPens, so this guide covers the Japanese model, LH-20C. Pilot’s catalog notes that the Hi-Tec-C has won Japan’s Good Design Long Life Design Award. Outside Japan the 0.4 mm is sold as the G-Tec-C4.

Pilot Hi-Tec-C specs

Spec	Value
Maker	Pilot Corporation (Japan)
Type	Capped gel pen with a needle tip
Tip sizes	0.3 · 0.4 · 0.5 mm in Pilot’s current catalog; 0.25 mm still sold by some shops
Line width (Pilot)	0.15 mm (0.3) · 0.2 mm (0.4) · 0.25 mm (0.5)
Model codes	LH-20C25 · LH-20C3 · LH-20C4 · LH-20C5 (add a color letter, e.g. -B black)
JAN (black)	4902505126208 (0.3) · 4902505126321 (0.4) · 4902505162763 (0.5)
Length	136 mm (5.4 in), per Pilot; JetPens: 13.6 cm capped, 12.6 cm (5.0 in) uncapped
Diameter	11.6 mm at the widest point, per Pilot; 9.0 mm, per JetPens
Weight	10.2 g, per Pilot (all three sizes); 10 g with ink, per JetPens
Barrel and cap	Resin, per Pilot
Ink	Water-based biopolymer gel ink, per Pilot
Refill	None offered in Japan, per Pilot
Launched	1994 in Japan (per Pilot’s site)
Japan list price	¥220 (about US$1.40) including tax
Made in	Japan (per retailer listings)

Pilot’s Japanese catalog pages for the 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5 mm black pens each give 136 mm, 11.6 mm at the widest and 10.2 g, at ¥220 (about US$1.40) including tax. Pilot’s 11.6 mm is the widest point, which probably includes the clip; JetPens’ 9.0 mm is the barrel. JetPens’ figures match Pilot’s to within 0.2 g.

Which Hi-Tec-C size should you choose?

Choose 0.4 mm for most small writing, 0.3 or 0.25 mm for the tiniest lines, and 0.5 mm if the finer tips skip for you.

To-scale drawing of the four Pilot Hi-Tec-C ball sizes at 280 times: 0.25 mm (LH-20C25), 0.3 mm (LH-20C3), 0.4 mm (LH-20C4) and 0.5 mm (LH-20C5) — The four Hi-Tec-C sizes at 280×; the 0.5 mm ball is twice the diameter of the 0.25 mm.

Pilot’s Japanese catalog describes the 0.3 mm as 激細 (extra-fine), the 0.4 mm as 超極細 (ultra-fine) and the 0.5 mm as 極細 (fine); retailers call the 0.25 mm 超激細 (ultra-extra-fine). Pilot catalogs the 0.5 mm as “Hi-Tec 05” without the C, and its article explains that the C is used only for the finest sizes.

0.25 mm: the size the pen is known for, now sold off from remaining stock in Japan. The finest line and the least ink, so it also skips most.
0.3 mm: nearly as fine, a little more forgiving.
0.4 mm: the size Yoseka lists in the most colors.
0.5 mm: the widest Hi-Tec-C line; the larger ball puts down more ink, so it’s the one to try if finer tips skip.

The number is the ball diameter; the line on paper depends on paper and pressure.

The 0.25 mm is one of several fine pens people still hunt for after they left production; see our discontinued pens list.

Why does the Hi-Tec-C skip?

Its tips are so fine that ink flow can be inconsistent, which JetPens notes in its guide to the pen. JetPens says it may skip or flow too much at times, and that scribbling on scrap paper usually fixes it.

A needle tip is a thin metal tube, so heavy pressure or a drop can bend it. Write lightly, keep the cap on, and try the 0.4 or 0.5 mm if a 0.25 mm keeps stopping.

What ink and colors does the Hi-Tec-C have?

Pilot calls the ink a water-based biopolymer ink, and JetPens says it is more viscous than usual and less likely to feather or bleed. That suits thin planner paper.

In August 2019 Yoseka counted about 35 Hi-Tec-C colors made since 1994 and stocked 19 in the 0.4 mm size, from black, blue and red to shades such as Blue Black and Lavender. The same shop said Pilot had cut the range to about 10 colors, so availability varies by size.

Is the Pilot G-Tec-C4 the same pen?

Yes, the G-Tec-C4 is Pilot’s export name for the 0.4 mm Hi-Tec-C. Unsharpen calls the Hi-Tec-C the Japanese original of the G-Tec pens sold in Europe, and the University of Waterloo store sells the G-Tec C4 as a 0.4 mm ultra-fine needle-point gel pen with a cap and a clear barrel. The Hi-Tec-C Maica (G-Tec-C Maica in export markets) is a variant that keeps the standard needle tip and ink.

Can you refill a Hi-Tec-C?

Not in Japan: Pilot’s Japanese catalog says it offers no refill for the Hi-Tec-C, so it is sold as a disposable pen there. Outside Japan, Unsharpen says the stick-type Hi-Tec-C, G-Tec and Maica share one standard refill, and JetPens sells Hi-Tec-C refills by size. The Hi-Tec-C Coleto multi pen uses a different refill with the same ink.

How does the Hi-Tec-C compare to other fine pens?

It’s finer than most retractable gel pens, but less forgiving.

	Pilot Hi-Tec-C	Pilot G2	Zebra Sarasa Clip
Finest size	0.25 mm	0.38 mm	0.3 mm
Tip	Needle	Cone	Cone
Body	Capped	Retractable	Retractable
Made in	Japan	Japan	Japan

For a liquid-ink needle tip, see Pilot’s Precise V5. For fine pigment lines in drawing, many people use a fineliner like the Sakura Pigma Micron. Our best gel pens roundup picks the Hi-Tec-C for the finest line.

Where is the Pilot Hi-Tec-C made?

Retailer listings give Japan as the country of origin. Unsharpen lists Japan for the line. Pilot’s Japanese catalog pages for the 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5 mm pens don’t state a country of manufacture.

How much does a Hi-Tec-C cost?

It falls in our lowest price band, $ (under $5 per pen). Imported single pens cost more than a Pilot G2 in a multi-pack, but still sit in the same band. In Japan, Pilot’s list price is ¥220 (about US$1.40) including tax.

Frequently asked questions

What is the finest Pilot Hi-Tec-C tip?

The 0.25 mm, model LH-20C25, among the finest gel pen tips widely sold in the US. Pilot's current Japanese catalog no longer lists it, and a Japanese retailer sells it while stock lasts, so the 0.3 mm (LH-20C3) is the finest size Pilot still catalogs.

Why does my Hi-Tec-C skip?

JetPens notes that Hi-Tec-C ink flow can be inconsistent, especially in the finest tips, and suggests scribbling on scrap paper to restart it. Store it capped and avoid pressing hard, which can bend a needle tip.

Is the Pilot G-Tec-C4 the same as the Hi-Tec-C?

It's the export name for the 0.4 mm Hi-Tec-C. Unsharpen calls the Hi-Tec-C the Japanese version of the G-Tec pens sold elsewhere, and a Canadian store sells the G-Tec C4 as a 0.4 mm needle-point gel pen with a cap and clear barrel.

Can you refill a Pilot Hi-Tec-C?

Not officially in Japan: Pilot's Japanese catalog says it offers no refill for the Hi-Tec-C. Outside Japan, Unsharpen says one standard refill fits the stick-type Hi-Tec-C, G-Tec and Maica, and JetPens sells Hi-Tec-C refills by size.

How long is the Pilot Hi-Tec-C?

Pilot's Japanese catalog lists 136 mm (5.4 in), 11.6 mm at the widest and 10.2 g for the 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5 mm. JetPens lists 13.6 cm capped, 12.6 cm (5.0 in) uncapped, a 9.0 mm barrel and 10 g.

Where is the Pilot Hi-Tec-C made?

Retailer listings give Japan as the country of origin, and Pilot Corporation is based in Tokyo. US shops import the Japanese version rather than a US-made model.

Is the Hi-Tec-C good for drawing and small writing?

Its needle tips suit small handwriting, planners, annotations and fine line work. Pilot calls the ink a water-based biopolymer ink, and JetPens says it is thicker than usual, so it is less likely to feather or bleed on thin paper.

Sources (15)

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