Posts filed under Zebra

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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Posted on September 28, 2020 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Zebra, Sarasa, Pen Reviews.

Zebra Clickart Knock Sign 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!)

These Zebra Clickart pens have all the joy of a felt-tip marker with the convenience of a clicky pen. The 6mm tip is fine enough to use for writing or sketching, while the side of the bullet-shaped tip also works for coloring and filling in. They're very versatile and perform better than I expected.

The pen body is in white plastic with a molded roll-stop, but no clip. I wish they had clips, but the lack of one does mean they fit more nicely into overstuffed pen pouches. Since this pen is available in 36 colors, your pen pouch is bound to need all the extra room possible. The tip of the pen is conical in plastic the color of the pen's ink, and the clicky knock is also in the ink color, so you can easily see what color you're selecting from either end. The clicky knock has a very satisfying click. An A+ on the fidget scale.

The felt tip is a fine bullet shape. The tip makes a nicely thin line, and holding it at an angle creates a bolder line. It has the feel of a marker, with that familiar feedback and scritchy sound.

I was skeptical about a click marker's ability to not dry out, and even more surprised to see these don't have any sort of trap door that closes off the tip when it is retracted. The tip just retracts, chilling there in the barrel, open to the air. The secret lies in the ink, according to the specs. It will apparently not dry out for a year, so long as it is kept retracted when not in use. This magical ink absorbs moisture from the air, so it may not work as well in arid climates.

The ink performs beautifully on paper, with rich colors and good coverage. It does feather and bleed a bit on cheap copy paper, though--like just about any marker will. I think these would be excellent for sketching and art, perfect for coloring books, and super fun for planner decorating. I have blue-green, peach-pink, and dark brown here. They cost $1.65 in open stock, or $41 for a set of all 36 colors. I think that's a very good value and I definitely want all the colors.

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

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

Posted on August 27, 2020 by Sarah Read and filed under Zebra, Marker, Pen Reviews.

Zebra Sarasa Push Clip Vintage Color Set Giveaway

The Zebra Sarasa Push Clip gel ink pen is a personal favorite of mine. On top of being an excellent writing pen, Zebra offers it unique colors, as seen in the Vintage Series. There are two sets, appropriately named Vintage Color 1 and Vintage Color 2, and I’ll be sending both of those sets to one winner of this giveaway. Read the rules below and enter away!