Zebra Sarasa Grand 0.4 mm Gel Ink Pen Review

One of my favorite things about standard pens is finding a good one you like, and then finding out they make fancy pen barrel for it. The Zebra Sarasa Push Clip is a perennial favorite of mine, so there is no doubt that I am going to love the Zebra Sarasa Grand, aka the Fancy Sarasa.

The only question to answer in this review is: Am I going to love it, or am I going to LOVE it? As with love in the real world, it’s complicated.

The Sarasa Grand is a heck of a good upgrade for the standard plastic barrel Sarasa Push Clip. The brass barrel gives is a fantastic writing weight, especially when compared to the Push Clip. The metal clip and knock add to the durability that is built into this upgrade, and all of the barrel color options are great. Even the price is fantastic, with models ranging from $8.25 for standard barrel colors and $12.50 for Zebra’s Vintage Color series.

(Sidebar: There is no difference that I can tell between the two, other than Zebra is drinking their own Kool-aid with regards to the popularity of their Vintage series and feel they can get away with a sizable premium. They aren’t wrong (just look at what’s sold out at JetPens), and luckily - no matter the version - this feels more like a $20 pen across the board, so I’m not going to ding them on the pricing mismatch too badly.)

So, what is my hangup between love and LOVE for my personal use? The grip, and the style.

If the standard Push Clip had never existed, I would be singing the praises of the Fancy Sarasa from high upon the mountaintop - “I AM A BELIEVER!” It uses one of the best performing gel ink refills on the market, especially on the micro tip side of the ledger. But, the Push Clip came first, and I’m forced to compare the two.

And when comparing them, I can’t help but long for the soft, tactile rubber grip of the Push Clip. The Fancy Sarasa uses the same vertical stripe design, but it’s the same paired brass as the rest of the pen. I can’t help but think of the Push Clip grip when I’m using it, and longing for something a little more different.

The style is another thing. The Fancy Sarasa looks amazing! It’s very classy, very well designed, and never looks out of place. The Push Clip is an oddity, with its translucent barrel, ink color-matching grip, and obnoxiously large clip. It’s weird in all of the right ways, and I love it for that. It’s the Aggretsuko, compared to the Sarasa Grand’s Retsuko.

I want heavy metal karaoke.

The Zebra Sarasa Grand is a killer pen. In a vacuum, it’s about as close as you can get to a 10/10 gel ink pen. I’m not sure I could even put that number on the Push Clip, but personally, I’ll pick up the Push Clip first every time. Something about that style works for me.

My Fancy Sarasa comes with an 0.4 mm black refill in the black barrel, but that is no longer an option it seems. The good news is all of the refills are compatible between the Push Clip and the Sarasa Grand lineup, so feel free to toss a Neon Pink refill into a Turquoise body. Maybe I can have it both ways?

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

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Sailor 1911L Kagero Green (Pen Boutique Exclusive): A Review

Anyone who reads my reviews knows that I am a blue fountain pen girl. If a fountain pen is blue, I probably own it. But every once in a while, I surprise myself and fall in love with a different color. That's what happened when I saw pictures of Pen Boutique's exclusive Sailor 1911 Kagero Green. The pen is a deep olive green with gold accents that complement it perfectly.

Kagero means "mayfly" in Japanese and this was the inspiration for the color of the pen. According to the Pen Boutique website, mayflies can live for years as nymphs before they molt and become adults. They live only one month during the summer, during which they mate in huge swarms and lay their eggs. Because mayflies are eaten by various species, they are important to the ecosystems in which they live. In fact, they are a sort of "canary in the mine" because they react quickly to changes in water acidity and pollution.

We chose this naturally inspired color because we appreciate the outdoors. We value efforts to protect the environment and educate the next generation about the importance of conservation.

The pen comes in a typical Sailor box. But I was happily surprised to find a Yak Leather pen sleeve in matching green slipped in along with the warranty card and cartridges.

I opted for the 1911L, which is a cigar-shaped pen, measuring 5.5 inches/140mm capped, 4.84 inches/123mm uncapped, and 6.02 inches/153mm posted. It weighs 25 grams posted with ink. The 1911 is a cartridge/converter filler and comes with two ink cartridges and one converter.

The clip, cap band, and lower barrel ring are all gold plated. The engraving on the cap band reads: "Sailor Japan Founded 1911."

The 1911L pen comes in a variety of 21k gold nibs (EF, F, MF, M, B, Zoom, and Music), and I chose a Zoom nib. The Zoom nib is unique to Sailor. It has a triangular shape that allows for different stroke sizes depending on the angle you hold the nib.

I love the design of Sailor nibs. They are beautifully adorned and, of course, are high quality. This nib is a smooth writer, and I've had great fun writing and drawing with it. I inked it with Robert Oster Eucalyptus Leaf, which matches the pen perfectly.

You can see the different line widths you get when you change the angle of writing in the photos below. The lowest angle creates a double broad line. A medium angle creates a broad line. A high angle creates a medium-fine line. And, you can turn the pen upside down for an extra, extra fine line.

I found that the pen is easiest to write with at a low or medium angle, but I love the variety of widths it offers for writing and drawing.

The Kagero Green Sailor is a stunning pen, and I think Pen Boutique did a wonderful job choosing this color for their exclusive. The pen comes in two sizes: 1911S for $220 and 1911L for $312.00.

(I purchased the Sailor 1911L Kagero from Pen Boutique at full price with my own funds.)

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Lamy Studio Glacier Fountain Pen 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 latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)

I haven't been a big Lamy fan, in the past. I think they're good pens, but they don't beckon to me the way some other brands do. I'm rethinking that after spending a few weeks using this Lamy Studio. The Glacier color is gorgeous, of course, but it also writes wonderfully and feels overall very well made.

The pen body is aluminum, coated with a matte finish in this lovely frosty blue. The accents are super shiny chrome. There is no step between the cap and the barrel, and you can barely even feel the seam where the two meet, it is machined so precisely. The slight taper at each end of the pen creates a look that is somehow futuristic and retro at the same time. The clip may be my favorite feature--it almost looks as if it's twisted, with the end of the clip pinched out into a propeller shape. It's a firm clip, but flexible enough to be useful.

The cap pulls off rather than twisting, and closes with a very satisfying click. A surprising feature is that it also clicks in place to post, held in such a way that it is secure, but doesn't actually touch the metal against the pen's finish, so it won't scratch. That is some thoughtful design.

The grip section is chrome, and it's the only part of the pen that I don't like. It's quite slippery, and follows the tapered design, so your fingers naturally slide down the grip toward the nib after any extended use. I've solved this a little bit by actually keeping a more relaxed grip on the pen. My hands are less likely to slip if I'm not squeezing the grip.

The nib is steel, and it is the same nib used on the Safari and Al Star (which means you can swap it out easily if you want to play with other sizes). I've had mediocre luck with Lamy nibs as far as QC goes, but this one writes very well. The EF is nicely fine with excellent control without feeling too dry. I've been using it with the included blue cartridge, though the pen also came with a proprietary converter. I didn't want to mess up the converter, because I assumed I'd be gifting this pen to a friend or stranger after my review was complete. Because, you know, I'm not a Lamy person. Except maybe I'm a Lamy person and this pen is totally staying in my collection. In fact, I'm now mad at myself for missing some of the past special edition colors.

This one is also quite limited, so if you fancy this icy blue, don't wait too long to grab one. The MSRP is $99, but you can snag one for about $79. It is well worth that. That actually seems low. I'm not complaining, though, because I might need another one.

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

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Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!