Posts filed under Zebra

Zebra Justfit Double-Sided Highlighter 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.)

It's that time of year again. Magic is in the air, the scent is on the breeze: school supplies. So I thought I'd focus on a study tool this week. Namely, this lovely set of Zebra Justfit Double-Sided Highlighters.

This is a nice, practical set to have. The pink, orange, yellow, green, and blue colors make for a good variety for color coding notes. There are also other colors available in open stock, if you need or prefer. The chisel tip (4 mm) at one end and bullet tip (1.2 mm) at the other make it easy to highlight different kinds of texts and add notes as you go. The chisel end has a very narrow profile that makes the felt quite flexible. It's almost like a brush the way it flexes as you move. It's what makes this highlighter unique, and I think it's a nice feature. It allows you to hold the pen at different angles or write over curved surfaces and still get crisp, even lines. I worry that it will wear out, though. I recall, in my school days, running through my highlighters quite quickly, so maybe the tip will outlast the ink supply. These are not refillable, so it doesn't need to last forever.

The highlighters have a white plastic body with the center band and both caps indicating the color. The clip is fairly sturdy and has enough of a gap that you can use it as a bookmark (the highlighter's hidden second purpose in life). The caps snap shut very securely. The bodies are a good diameter, so they'll be comfortable for those long study sessions where it seems like every word of your textbook is important.

The ink is pigmented, water-based, and water-resistant. I didn't do a coffee spill test, though. It performed very well over different kinds of writing: pencil, ballpoint, rollerball, gel pen, and fountain pen. It did well over inkjet and laser printed text. It did seem to cause the liquid inks to fuzz a bit, but they weren't smeared. It worked well in books and textbooks and magazines, and was fast-drying even on coated papers. I did see some issues with bleed- and show-through on thin paper and cheap copy paper. Bleed-through with highlighters is the actual worst, because then you waste time trying to remember what was important about the text that only appears highlighted but is actually just behind the text that you really highlighted. So for lightweight or cheap papers, maybe stick to a pencil highlighter.

The colors themselves are standard and bright. They aren't as eye-searingly neon as some highlighters I've tried, but they're enough to attract attention. I find the lower saturation highlighters to be easier to study with, since there isn't as much eye strain.

This set of five sells for $6.75. More than what you'd pay for a big box store set, maybe, but not by much--and cheaper than a number of high-quality brands. I think these are perfectly practical tools. They may not scream "exciting stationery" but highlighters are the secret heroes of the school supply world, and this is a very solid set. They teach us how to remind ourselves about what's important so we can let the rest go. Life skills in addition to study skills! I think it's safe to say we could all use some of these.

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

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Posted on August 31, 2017 by Sarah Read and filed under Zebra, Highlighter, Pen Reviews.

Zebra Sarasa Grand 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.)

The Zebra Sarasa Grand Gel pen is another entry in the premium barrel category for the budget-friendly refills we know and love. It seems like all of the big brands have a metal, classy version of their popular gel or rollerball offerings, and the Grand Gel is a strong competitor.

Like the competition, the Grand Gel features a sleek, minimal body made from brass which is then topped with a thin layer of aluminum to provide a handful of color options. At the $15 - $20 mark, it feels on par with what you would expect: Nothing mind-blowing, but definitely a welcome upgrade from the normal plastic body.

The Sarasa Grand Gel is most closely related to the Sarasa Clip. The clip on the Grand Gel isn't as springy as the regular Clip, but it's still functional and strong. The length and diameter are roughly the same as well, but the Grand Gel has a bit more heft due to the brass interior.

Branding is minimal, with only a "Zebra Sarasa" mention on the body above the grip section and a "Sarasa" stamp along the clip. Apart from that, the body is clean and sleek. There are some small grooves that follow the length of the grip section, but no other grip material is present. Despite the smooth feel, it offers plenty of grip and control when writing. It also helps tremendously that the Sarasa refills are so smooth — this ensures you can grip the pen lightly while writing since there's very little friction from the point.

The click mechanism is strong and reliable. It makes an audible click, but it's about 50% quieter than the regular Sarasa Clip noise.

The refill that came in this model is the 0.7mm version, which is lusciously smooth and dark. I normally prefer something 0.5mm or smaller, but this has been a treat. The width is similar to a medium fountain pen nib, and it's smooth as can be. I've really been enjoying writing with this pen because of the refill, but also because of the feel of the pen body. The ink is dark and precise, and since this pen fits any of the Sarasa refills, you have a lot of color and size options.

In terms of writing experience, the pen is balanced and sure In the hand. The smooth refill makes the writing experience very enjoyable. Even though the grip is fairly smooth, I haven't had any problems with it becoming slippery or uncomfortable. It's a great writer, and it instantly upgrades the Zebra Sarasa refill that many of us already love.

If you want to dress up your favorite gel refill, and that refill happens to be the Sarasa, then this is a great pen for you. It will perform well and look good doing it with your choice of Black, Navy, Gold, or Pink barrels. At under $20, it's a bit pricey compared to a Sarasa Clip (at less than $2), but the additional weight and sleek aesthetic make this a good deal.

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

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Posted on July 5, 2017 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Zebra, Sarasa, Gel, Pen Reviews.

Zebra Surari Airfit Grip 0.5 mm Review

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

It's been a while since I've tried out a new hybrid ballpoint pen, as I've been really satisfied by what Uniball and Pilot offer in their (respective) Jetstream and Acroball lines. That being said, it's great to see other options out there to keep the competition healthy and in motion.

My most recent exposure to the hybrid ballpoint genre comes from Zebra. The Zebra Surari Airfit Grip ballpoint pen is a comfortable, colorful ballpoint pen that uses Zebra's own Surari emulsion ink refills. Unsurprisingly, the Surari ink puts down a smooth, crisp, and dark line without any problems. It's a great pen, but it does have a drawback or two.

First, though, let's look at what sets this pen apart from the other Zebra Surari pens: the Airfit Grip. This pen features a soft, squishy grip section that makes it more comfortable to write with. I've never been a huge fan of squishy grip sections, so I can't say I enjoy this grip. That being said, it's not so soft that it makes holding the pen steady a chore. It's stable enough to make holding the pen an easy enough task. I can't say with any confidence that the soft grip reduces fatigue, but it's a nice feature. If, like me, you prefer a stiffer grip, check out the regular Zebra Surari pens. The color I have is blue-green, and I think it looks great. Although, you have six other colors to choose from.

Writing with this pen is mostly a pleasure. The lines are crisp and dark, and the ink has no problem keeping up with my fast scribbles. The only problem I've had so far is the tendency for the tip to become scratchy if I hold the pen at too much of an angle. When I write, I tend to hold the pen at a 30-40 degree angle. In my (very) informal testing, the Zebra performs flawlessly between 90 and 50 degrees (where 90 degrees is perpendicular to the paper). This is a problem for me since it means I have to adjust my writing style. The scratching doesn't affect the writing performance of the pen, but it does annoy me. Because of this, I'll definitely reach for a Jetstream or Acroball if they're available.

Another thing to consider with the Zebra line is ink color options. From what I can tell, you can only choose from the standard black, blue, and red. This isn't a bad thing, but when you consider that Uniball and Pilot both offer a few more colors (around seven each), a definite gap starts to emerge. The price point between all three brands is negligible, so it really comes down to personal taste and preference. Finally, when you consider that Pilot and Uniball both offer several multi-pen configurations while Zebra offers none, the gap widens.

For me, the Zebra doesn't really fit in my writing arsenal due to the way I hold my pen when writing. The lack of color options also hurts it when compared directly. The Uniball and Pilot lines make more sense right now, but I'm excited to see how Zebra expands this line in the future.

The Zebra Surari Airfit Grip is a great pen despite my complaints. If you like the design or colors that they offer, do yourself a favor and pick one up. The Airfit Grip line only comes with a 0.5mm refill, but you can purchase 0.5mm, 0.7mm, and 1.0mm sizes separately in black, blue, and red.

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

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