Zebra Airfit LT Ballpoint Review

I reviewed the first incarnation of the Zebra Airfit many years ago and it is one of those pens that has stood the test of time. Granted, I don’t use it as often as some of my other more recent purchases but has a sturdy design and is great writer. It even takes Zebra Sarasa Clip refills as an added bonus.

The Zebra Airfit LT Ballpoint is the latest addition to the Airfit line. It is designed with the female writer in mind, but the way it is built it would suit anyone. The barrel diameter is noticeably smaller when compared to the original, but that just makes it normal-sized while the original is over-sized. I found it very comfortable to hold and write with.

Ballpoint ink cartridges tend to be all over the board performance-wise and this one has to be near the top of the list. I never expect ballpoint pens to perform well but the Airfit cartridge sports a tight, clean line that I compare to the Pilot Dr. Grip. I enjoy writing with it very much.

The Airfit grip features a cushion of air between the grip and the barrel for added comfort. I like it because it is not too soft (like the Uni-ball Alpha Gel can be) nor too firm like the Dr. Grip. It is just right.

If you are looking for a good quality, comfortable ballpoint pen then the Airfit might be just right for you too.

Zebra Tapli Clip Ballpoint Pen 1.6 mm Blue Review

I love my micro tip pens but I do get asked from time to time to review pens on the opposite end of the spectrum. With a 1.6 mm tip size, the Zebra Tapli Clip Ballpoint is waaay out there compared to what I normally use.

How does a pen like the Tapli stack up to some of my favorites? Not very well. It is not just that it has a wide tip that I don’t care for it - if a pen is a good pen I will say so - it is that the performance is poor regardless of the tip size.

The ink is very messy when writing with the Tapli. You can see several blobs of ink on the page even in the smaller size photos. It is consistently bad, and the 1.6 mm tip actually made it worse because there was so much ink coming out of the tip. There was even some bleed through to the back of the page which I have only seen one other time with a ballpoint.

Once you cross the 1.0 mm threshold you really need to temper your expectations. There is only so much good that a tip size that large can do. Yes, it will be very smooth and probably dark, but the ink flow might also be unmanageable.

Do you have a ballpoint, gel, or rollerball pen 1.2 mm or greater that consistently works well for you?

Zebra Arbez Piirto Ballpoint Pen 0.7 mm Review

It is great to see manufacturers branch out from the norm and come up with fresh pen and pencil designs. Zebra takes it a step further by holding an annual contest for young designers around the world, and the Zebra Arbez Piirto was the winner of the 2011 event.

The winning design is based around the slim and simple form of an ice pick, which makes sense when you realize the designer is from Finland. It is quite stunning, especially when you consider that part of the design process was to make it as inexpensively as possible. Mission accomplished on all fronts.

Many pens use a rotation or twist mechanism to extend and retract the pen but where the Piirto differs is that the mechanism is in the grip area as opposed to the upper barrel area. It functions quite well and does not get in the way of the writing experience at all.

What does get in the way of the writing experience is the ballpoint ink cartridge. This is your basic cheap ballpoint refill, so set your expectations accordingly. A Zebra Surari refill would make this pen a knockout but would also raise the price, which goes against the reason the Piirto was created.

The Piirto ballpoint is available with black and red ink cartridges as well as a black barrel design. There is even a mechanical pencil version that is designed similarly. While it may not perform like a world beater, the design and price made it an easy choice to add to my collection.