Posts filed under Pen Reviews

Zebra G-402 0.5mm Gel Pen Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

Back in my high school and college days, the Zebra F-402 was one of my prized possessions. It was classy, dependable, and comfortable. In that period of my life, the 0.7mm ballpoint didn't bother me too much, but I did wish for a bolder line and smoother feel.

Many years later, Zebra have delivered on that wish. The Zebra G-402 is the same pen with one very important difference: the refill. Instead of the classic ballpoint refill, this pen is equipped with a Sarasa refill. The possibilities for refill tip size and colors are much greater with this refill type, and that's really exciting.

The included refill is a 0.5mm black refill that writes smooth and leaves a bold, crisp line on the page. I've always been a fan of the Sarasa line, and this variant is no slouch.

The rest of the pen is identical to the older ballpoint version, so if you've ever used one of those, you'll have a great idea of what to expect with this one. For me, the grip is comfortable for most short writing sessions and the weight feels great in my hand. The clip is strong enough for most circumstances and the stainless steel barrel is resilient to scrapes and bumps. Over the course of its lifetime, the steel develops more character and the rubber grip starts to shine a bit more from use.

The G-402 uses the same refills as the Sarasa multi-pen line, which are easy to replace. One thing I'll mention is that the direction of the spring actually matters with this pen! If you install it the wrong way, it slips down the body of the refill too far and doesn't provide and resistance.

The Sarasa multi-pen line of refills isn't as extensive as others, but it certainly provides more options over the standard black and blue that Zebra offers on the ballpoint variant.

JetPens stock all the various options, so you're sure to find a combination that fits your style or need for every situation.

I've been so delighted to use an old favorite with a fresh refill. I'm sure if I'd never used the F-402 years ago that I'd still think this was an attractive pen. It has a classic and professional design that a lot of people can appreciate. While the pen isn't available on JetPens (as of this writing), you can pick them up at Amazon and peruse the various refills from the selection that JetPens keep in stock.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on February 6, 2019 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Zebra, Gel, Pen Reviews.

Pavarotti Arco Verde ASC Limited Edition with Music Nib: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

I’ve been aching for an Arco Verde fountain pen for a long time. I owned an Omas Brown Arco, but I stupidly sold it right before Omas went out of business. I miss that pen, but I actually preferred the Arco Verde color. I thought I was out of luck or that I would have to pay over $1,000 to get an Omas version.

Happily, the Armando Simoni Club (ASC) saved the day! They purchased the remaining stock of Omas celluloid rods, and they’ve been making various pens with the celluloid for the past few years. However, those pens have been oversized versions, and I wanted an Arco Verde in a regular-sized pen. When the Luciano Pavarotti series was announced, I was excited that maybe “my” pen was on the way. Sure enough, the Pavarotti is an Ogiva shape and size, and it’s priced under $1,000!

There are three Pavarotti pens: Arco Verde with rhodium trim and a rhodium-plated 14k gold nib, Blue la Royale with rose gold trim and nib, and Wild Celluloid with gold trim and nib. A couple of other Pavarotti pens also made an appearance in Saft Green and Brown Arco, but these are neither piston fillers nor do they have music nibs.

My pen came in a classy-looking black box that unfolds to reveal the pen and the ASC motto.

The pen itself is sealed in plastic between two black frames. I couldn’t help but think of Han Solo (cue Star Wars theme). Anyway, the pen came out of the plastic “carbonite” in pristine condition.

The words “ASC Armando Simoni Club Pavarotti” along with the number of your pen are engraved on the front of the pen. This engraving is so subtle that it does not mar the celluloid (more on the celluloid later). I love the limited edition number I lucked out on: No. 07 out of 70.

The Pavarotti is a large pen, measuring almost 6 inches/150mm capped and 5.4 inches/137mm uncapped. It is not meant to be posted. It’s a hefty pen (I don’t have a scale to weigh it), but it is well balanced.

The cap has a rhodium clip with the special roller ball to make it easier to attach the pen to papers or a pocket.

The cap band has Pavarotti’s name engraved along with music notes and a treble and bass clef. All of this looks really nice. It’s not overstated or gaudy. In fact, you have to look closely to see the music notations.

The bottom of the barrel unscrews (below a plain silver ring) to reveal the piston knob.

The piston works beautifully--nice and smooth, with none of the problems associated with old Omas pistons. It even has a fail-safe mechanism to prevent over-tightening the piston. If you go too far, you hear a ratchet sound and you know to stop. I honestly thought I had broken the pen when I first heard this horrifying sound, but another owner told me what it was--what a relief!

The barrel steps down to the grip section (all made from one piece of celluloid). The step down doesn’t bother me in the least because it is far from where my fingers rest. The grip is topped with another rhodium ring which is engraved with “Pavarotti Edition 2018.” My fingers touch the threads while I’m writing, but they are smooth and are not bothersome.

In my view, the two most exciting features of this pen are the celluloid and the music nib.

Arco Verde celluloid is like nothing else (well, except for Arco brown, of course). It is a deep, spinach green with silver lines that run through it like grain in wood. One thing I didn’t know about Arco celluloid until I had one in hand is that the front and back of the pen have the striking lines of silver that you see in most photos.

The sides of the pen have very subtle lines that you actually cannot see except in bright light.

The celluloid is simply mesmerizing. It’s hard to do it justice in photographs.

When I purchased my pen from Chatterley Luxuries, I stipulated that I really wanted the celluloid to line up perfectly. I’m very impressed that, if I make sure to match the clip with the top of the pen when I thread the cap, the celluloid lines up every single time. I don’t have to guess where to start threading in order to make things match (I have some pens that require several tries to get patterns lined up). The celluloid on my Arco almost lines up perfectly. It’s just a smidge off, as you can see in the photo below. I only noticed it when I looked closely at my pictures before posting my review; it’s not so drastic that it will drive me crazy, OCD as I am!

The other special aspect of the Pavarotti is the music nib. Unlike other ASC pens that feature a flex nib, the Pavarotti has a three-tine music nib without flex.

It’s a gorgeous nib, adorned only with the ASC logo, the words “music nib” and the gold content.

I was a little worried that this nib would be too wide for my tastes, but it isn’t at all. It measures exactly 1mm wide, and it writes like a nice juicy stub.

The vertical lines measure about 1mm and the horizontal lines measure maybe .25mm.

It’s a very usable nib. I can write large letters with it when I want to do calligraphy:

And I can write in my normal handwriting as well:

The nib is smooth and problem free, though it does have a sweet spot. Occasionally, I will shift the pen a bit and miss a downstroke. But it’s not because the nib is misaligned, I just have to hold the pen correctly. When I do, this beautiful pen sings!

I inked my Pavarotti Arco Verde with Sailor Epinard ink, and it’s been a good combination. I plan to try Robert Oster Eucalyptus next.

Only seventy Pavarotti pens in each celluloid are available. Chatterley Luxuries has one in the Arco Verde celluloid in stock at the time of this post. If you want this pen, don’t hesitate. I’m not sure how long they’ll be around.

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Posted on January 25, 2019 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Sharpie Cosmic Color Permanent Marker Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter.)

Sharpie is a household name--like when you ask for a Kleenex when you need a tissue. When you need a permanent marker, the odds are good you're asking for a sharpie. In the past, I've turned to them more for utility than for fun. I've labeled boxes, school supplies, children's clothing. But now, in this analog renaissance, Sharpie is still doing what it does best, but with a new fun twist.

Now you can get dozens of colors in a variety of tip sizes, and my favorites yet are these Ultra Fine Cosmic Colors. These markers have the ultra fine tips of my favorite fineliners, but with the magical formula that is Sharpie ink. It's quick-drying, permanent, fade-proof, water-resistant, and non toxic. The colors are bright and vivid. This set has Aqua, Boysenberry, Jupiter Read, Navy, and Venus Green. It's a great variety, and the 12-pack has bunches more of these bright, modern shades. Of course, Sharpie ink does have its downsides. It smells awful. Even these teeny tips emit headache-inducing fumes. And, the ink bleeds through most paper. The pigment soaks right through like a hot knife through butter. So these aren't great for any project where you want to use both sides of your paper.

The 5-pack is $6 and the 12-pack is $14 at JetPens, so it's great value you're getting, especially for the quality of these pens. The markers are very well built in the traditional Sharpie grey plastic, with the Sharpie brand logo in black. The caps and endcaps are in the color of the ink, so it's fairly easy to see what color you're reaching for. The caps snap closed and post securely. The one thing I don't like about Sharpie's build is the plastic clip. It's molded as part of the cap. There's no spring to it, just the bend of the plastic. They don't stay clipped to things very well at all, and the clips are prone to snapping off.

Still, they're the best permanent markers I've used, and now that I can get them in fun colors with truly fine points, I'll get more use out of them. There's nothing better than when the best tool for a job is also a fun one.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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