Although it seems that the Pilot Frixion rollerballs have been out for about a year, the first I knew of them was while looking for stocking fillers in a local newsagent’s. Pilot claims that these are erasable but I suspect many of us have purchased erasable pens in the past only to find that they erase by scratching a hole in the paper.
In this instance, Pilot says that it’s the heat generated through friction between the pen’s “eraser” and the paper which rubs out the ink. And it actually does work. Take a look at the two pictures below – the top one shows the writing, the bottom one shows where I’ve rubbed out the ink.
Ok, so you can see a faint trace but in practice, if you re-wrote over the (erased) writing, you’d never know. You’ll also see that the paper is undamaged. The “eraser” on the end is a rubberised nub that doesn’t seem to wear out or leave bits of rubber behind.
So if you are looking for an erasable pen, pick up one from your nearest good stationery retailer. Available in 8 colours and also in a stylish executive version.