Posts filed under Pen Reviews

Zebra Sarasa Push Clip Vintage Colors 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. And check out her first novel, The Bone Weaver’s Orchard, now available where books are sold!)

I've reviewed Zebra Sarasa Push Clip pens a few times, so it's no secret that I love them. It's difficult to pick a favorite one (who can compete with a Sarasa that smells like cake???) but these Zebra Sarasa Vintage sets are by far my favorites in terms of color selection. I love the muted tones that still come across as a bold autumn color palette.

Set one includes the colors: dark blue, blue gray, green black, brown gray, and red black. Set two has: sepia black, dark gray, bordeaux purple, cassis black, camel yellow. Each set runs about $7.50, which is a great deal compared to the open stock price of $1.75. The pens are also refillable, though the refills cost almost as much as a new pen and I haven't been able to track down refills in the vintage colors.

The pens are built well, with solid plastic in the color of the ink, which is handy for easy identification in pen cases. They have nice clicky-buttons to extend the tip, though one of mine is a bit defective and doesn't retract completely. The grip section is cased in firm rubber, which makes for good traction, though it does collect dust. They also have the signature push clip with the brand labeled in a vintage gold color.

Both these sets have 0.5 mm tips on the refills, which makes a very nice fine line. The ink flows incredibly well with no signs of skipping. It looks wet, but dries quickly and shows no feathering or bleed-through. The ink is water-based pigment, and it is waterproof. The gel ink does run out quickly if you're writing a lot, as is the way with any gel pen.

The colors are perfect for adding a bit of excitement when you still need a professional looking document, or for color-coding class notes. They're fine enough to use in coloring books, too, particularly if you're coloring pictures of fall leaves or Victorian fashion plates. These are everyday pens for me, and remain on a perpetual reorder list.

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

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Posted on October 17, 2019 by Sarah Read and filed under Zebra, Sarasa, Pen Reviews.

Ohto Flash Dry Gel Pen Refill Review

This is one you are going to want to try.

I have a lot of pens, and, shockingly enough, I have a lot of refills. But I don’t always want to use the refill that came with the pen, or sometimes, the pen that came with the refill. The Ohto Flash Dry Gel Pen Refill solves the first problem in a big way for one of my favorite pens.

Like many Pen Addicts, I have a fondness for the Retro 51 Tornado. It’s a great feeling pen that comes in fun styles. I find the stock refill for the Tornado - otherwise known as the Schmidt P8127 - to be quite nice. It provides a bold, black, 0.7 mm rollerball ink line. It works on many paper types, but you will hit one eventually where it doesn’t. Water-based inks - like rollerball ink - will feather and bleed on certain papers. Plus, the P8127 is wider than many writers like.

I’ve turned to the slightly smaller P8126 refill (0.6 mm) for most of my Retro 51 needs, and I enjoy it. But, I do prefer a nice, fine, gel ink line the majority of the time. That’s where the Ohto Flash Dry fits into my writing arsenal perfectly.

This is a Parker-style refill - a common type that many pen brands - Parker or not - use in their product lineups. To confuse matters, it is known as the G2 size refill on the international market. What makes this one special is that it offers something almost no other Parker-style refill does: It uses gel ink, with an 0.5 mm tip size. :Head explode: emoji.

Ok, maybe head explode is a little too much, but I understand why it is not commonplace in the grand scheme of things. What it is now though, is commonplace in several of my Parker refill compatible pens, because it is great for me.

This is a shockingly smooth refill, almost too smooth if I had to pick one tiny nit. That means it has more of a rounded tip as opposed to the sharper tip I prefer when I use fine gel ink pens. Regardless, it is an outstanding writer.

Most importantly with the Ohto Flash Dry is that it fits into the Retro 51 Tornado Rollerball with no modifications. Just unscrew the tip of the pen, change out the refill, and screw it back in. It fits like a glove, even in the tip opening where it is flush, with no rattle.

I was recommended this refill by many readers, and I’m glad I finally bit the bullet. I also now have a fantastic refill I can personally recommend to those looking for a fine gel ink line from their Retro 51 pens.

Now, if we can just get Ohto to expand the color lineup. That’s not asking for too much, is it?

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

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Posted on October 14, 2019 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Ohto, Pen Reviews.

Karas Kustoms Vertex (Acrylic): 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.)

The Karas Kustoms Vertex in acrylic is the second release in the company’s Signature Line. The pen comes in either black or dark green acrylic, and you can choose from nine colors for the grip section.

The pen comes in a rectangular machined box with a black, slip-in lid. The box itself is a work of art.

Although my pen didn’t come with a soft pipette or a cartridge, apparently these accessories are normally included with purchase.

The pen has a sleek, streamlined look, with a slip on cap, no clip, and a tapered barrel. It’s a small to medium-sized pen, measuring 5.24 inches/133mm capped, 5.11 inches/130mm uncapped, and 5.9 inches/150mm posted.

The cap posts deeply and securely on the barrel. Because the cap doesn’t have a clip and rolls easily, either post it or set it down vertically. The pen is light, weighing 18.73 grams posted and 12.5 grams unposted (filled with ink).

Although the cap top looks flat from side, it is actually concave, and this adds a little touch of flair to the design.

You have a huge selection when it comes to the grip color. It comes in nine colors: transparent amber, transparent blue, transparent orange, transparent red, transparent smoke, sea glass, Coke bottle, green apple, and UV clear “Italian Ice.” I fitted my pen with the Italian Ice grip. The grip is a nice size, measuring 10.74mm, and it screws onto the barrel seamlessly--no threads, no huge drop from barrel to grip. Another cool thing about the grip is that it acts as an ink window when the pen is capped.

The Vertex is intended to be used as an eyedropper, though you can use a standard international converter if you wish. Three o-rings are in the pen: in the barrel, in the grip, and in the cap, which means you don’t have to use silicone grease to prevent ink leakage. It’s a little hard to see the ink in the black barrel when you’re filling it, so go slowly.

The pen comes standard with a #6 size steel Bock nib. My nib is a medium, and it writes smoothly. The nib sports an etched design with the Karas Kustoms logo and the nib size engraved.

I’ve experienced no burping, hard starts, or dryness when writing with the Vertex. The pen feels wonderful in the hand because of its seamless construction.

The only negative about the design is the slip cap combined with the eyedropper system. You have to be careful when you pop the cap off to avoid spurts of ink on your hands or clothes. So far, I’ve managed to remember to hold the pen with the nib pointed up, but I suspect one of these days I’ll forget and have a mess. The pen comes with a warning about this issue, but I wonder if a screw cap would have been a wiser decision.

The Vertex in acrylic is available from Karas Kustoms at the base price of $130. Steel nibs come in sizes EF, F, M, B, Stub 1.1, and Stub 1.5. You can upgrade to a two-tone steel nib (F, M, or B) for $3.00, a titanium nib (EF, F, M, or B) for $35, and a gold nib (B) for $80. You can also purchase the Vertex in Delrin models (black and white) for the same base price of $130.

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

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