Zebra Sarasa Clip 1.0mm Review

It is a well known fact that I am a Zebra Sarasa Clip fan. From placing the 0.3mm at number one on my personal Top 5 Pens list, to ranking the 0.4mm as one of my Top 5 Micro Tip Gel Ink Pens to recommend to new users, it’s pretty clear that I like the pen. The Zebra Sarasa Clip 1.0mm is a little bit out of my range for every day use, but I know many readers are fans of 0.7mm tips and greater, so let’s take a look.

If there is one thing that is consistent across all of Zebras product lines it is how vibrant their ink colors are. All of the colors really pop on the page, and the black is a very deep black. The red ink of the Sarasa is especially nice, and for some reason, I thought the red pen performed better when writing than the blue or black inks. I felt it gave a sharper, cleaner line, but it could just be an illusion.

Another thing that is consistent across all of Zebras products is that their gel ink cartridges run out quickly compared to other gel pens. This has been the case ever since I became a heavy Zebra user over 15 years ago, and still holds true to this day. Based on my experiences with the 0.3mm and 0.4mm models, my initial thought was I am going to blow through the ink on these 1.0mm pens at an epic rate, but Zebra has a little trick up their sleeve. The 1.0mm cartridges have more ink in them than the smaller tip sizes.

I guess this is done so that a 1.0mm cartridge will last approximately as long as an 0.3mm or 0.4mm cartridge, but I sure would like to see this wider ink reservoir in the smaller tip sizes. You can see the differences in the photos - the 0.3mm cartridge has a thicker plastic wall than the 1.0mm. Again, my guess is Zebra doesn’t want the 1.0mm to run out so fast, but I would love to see the 0.3mm last longer.

Ink cartridges be damned, this is still a good pen. And the 1.0mm is refillable in the three colors shown here, so you can always have a backup on hand if needed.

Zebra Surari 4 Color Multi Pen Video Review

This is a guest post by Bryan Gushikawa.

Multi pens are hugely popular and exist in many different formats and styles. This pen basically combines a best-of-both-worlds concept (the gel smoothness with ballpoint ink) with the utility of multiple colors. Aimed at office workers and students, this pen seeks to get people hooked not only on color, but also on performance.

The appearance of the Zebra Surari 4C is sort of a standard style. Translucent barrel, elastomer grip, and ink selection up top. The addition of a spring-loaded clip is a godsend to people who clip to journals and shirt pockets. Although it doesn't have the same visual impressiveness as a Ferrari, it's stylish enough to be at home in the classroom, office or coffee shop. The click mechanism is tight, but sometimes the clip clicker has to be pushed a little hard to stay down. The thicker barrel of the pen fits well in the hand and offers more comfort than skinny pens might.

Where the 4C shines is in the performance department. The Surari ink is an even match for the Jetstream and the colors are rich and vibrant. Zebra's Sarasa gel ink is legendary for smoothness and the 4C Surari ink is likewise smooth. It's like writing on icy glass with a butter-coated Teflon stick. Seriously. It doesn't blob or skip and is a real joy to write with.

Any problems with this pen? Not really, although with similar offerings from Zebra's competition, you might be wondering what sets this pen apart enough to make it worth a purchase. Well, the answer is that there IS nothing really distinct, but this pen is an excellent enough performer in its class to merit a top score...you'd compare other pens to this one. A DEFINITE recommend!

I am glad I have one of these (thanks, Jetpens!) and I'd encourage everyone to go ahead and get one. You'll thank me for it once you write with it!

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#OnePenOneDay Zebra Surari 0.5mm

The Zebra Surari is one of those pens I like but never spend that much time with, so it was a perfect selection for the #OnePenOneDay project. I got a good day of usage out of it, and found it to be as solid as ever. Compared to the Uni-Ball JetStream and Pilot Acroball, the ink tends to blob on some letters a bit more, but it may write smoother than its competition. Depending on what day it is, I'm likely to have a different answer on which one of the three is my favorite.