Zebra Sarasa Fujiya Scented Gel 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.)

So, how are your notes smelling these days? Mine are good--really good. Zebra has come out with some new additions to their line of scented gel pens, this time in collaboration with Fujiya, maker of beloved Japanese sweets and treats. Remember, kids--don't eat your gel pens. You're going to want to. Don't.

The new scents come in two packs. The first contains a dark (nearly black) brown scented like Country Ma'am chocolate and vanilla cookies, bright orange scented like orange lollipops, pink scented like Peach Nectar drink, and yellow scented like Lemon Squash soda. The second pack is based on the popular Milky candy (note that the Milky colors here are not pastels, despite the name's similarity to the Sarasa "Milk Series" pastel gel pens), with original Milky flavor in light blue, Soft Cream (vanilla ice cream) Milky in dark blue, Strawberry Milky in a bright pinkish-red, and Matcha (green tea) Milky in bright green. (Thanks for the translation help Mel!]

It's particularly fun to mix the scents into fun, aromatic recipes, my favorite of which was the peach and green tea. The scents are sweet and definitely noticeable, but not overpowering. They do become less pronounced when the ink dries, which is quite quickly, as Sarasas are known for.

The .5 tips are a perfectly practical size--fine enough to write in small spaces, bold enough that even the bright colors are easily readable. They have the signature Sarasa quick-dry ink, though I did experience some slight smudging where I colored in solid squares (you can see it on the dark brown).

The pens themselves are the standard Sarasa Clip model, with the addition of the cute and beloved Peko-Chan mascot face on the press-point and the Fujiya product branding on the barrels. They have the ergonomic rubber grip, alligator clip, and clicky-retract that we've all come to love in the Zebra Sarasa Clip line--a fidgeter's dream pen. With the bright colors and cute branding, these editions are as much a toy as a pen--beyond the degree to which I already think of pens as toys.

The one criticism I have is that the pens are grouped by the Fujiya product type and not by color. It's perfectly logical to group them that way, but not as practical if you're looking for a pack of pens in a variety of colors. If you're shopping for variety, you're unlikely to buy a pack that is 50% blue or one with yellow/orange/pink without much contrast. These work better as expansion packs to an existing Sarasa collection than as individual packs, I feel.

But they are delicious. I mean--they smell delicious. Not for eating.

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

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The Pen Addict Podcast: Episode 224 - My Ink Smells

Myke and I discuss how the Lanier Kickstarter is progressing, how and when to sell a pen, smelly inks, and the wonderfully amazing video above.

Post-show follow up: Anne Trubek is sending me her book The History and Uncertain Future of Handwriting which I will read and then schedule a date for her to appear on the podcast. I look forward to that conversation.

Show Notes & Download Links

This episode of The Pen Addict is sponsored by:

Pen Chalet: Click the ‘podcast’ link at the top of the website and enter the password ‘penaddict’ for this week’s special offer, and to get your code for 10% off.

Criquet: Get 20% off with the code PENADDICT.

The Sheaffer Snorkel

(Ron Gilmour is a fountain pen enthusiast, would-be calligrapher, and librarian. You can find him online at Twitter @gilmour70 and Instagram.)

In the early 1950s, Sheaffer faced significant challenges on at least two fronts. First, there was the tremendous popularity of the Parker 51, with its sleek, modern design. Second, the ballpoint pen was making inroads, boasting ease of use with no messy dipping or filling.

Sheaffer responded with the Snorkel. Its look was clearly influenced by the 51, but with some uniquely Sheaffer elements. Best of all, it could be filled without any mess thanks to a tube that extended from the feed to suck up ink. This meant that the nib need not be submerged to fill the pen.

Most modern fountain pen users are unlikely to be put off by the alleged messiness of filling a pen, but the Snorkel's eponymous tube is unbeatable for getting those last precious drops out of an ink bottle.

Buying a Snorkel

The Snorkel is such a uniformly great pen that your choices in selecting one will be largely aesthetic. Personally, I'm a fan of the tubular "Triumph"-style nib, but Snorkels are also available with conventional nibs.

The original color range was fairly subdued, but starting in the mid-1950s the palette expanded to include colors of Fiestaware-like vibrancy. There were all-metal models (these were rarer), and very attractive "Crest" and "Clipper" models with plastic bodies and metal caps. (See David Isaacson's article for explanations of the 13(!) model names used for the Snorkel.)

For a functional, but "nothing special," Snorkel, you can expect to pay roughly $70-150 US.

Filling

For a pen that boasts the most complex filling system in the history of fountain pens, the Snorkel is surprisingly easy to fill.

Unscrew the blind cap and pull back. This will expose the metal "Touchdown" tube that surrounds the ink sac, and will also cause the snorkel tube to extend. Put the end of the snorkel tube in the ink and push the blind cap back into position. As you tighten the blind cap, the snorkel tube will retract into the feed. You're ready to write.

Cleaning

In principle, cleaning a Snorkel isn't much different from any other sac-filling pen. Just draw water up into the sac and expel it. Repeat until the water comes out clean. In practice, this is easier than cleaning a lever-filling pen, since the Snorkel's filling mechanism can be operated more quickly.

In Closing

The Snorkel is a solid pen that will not disappoint. As with all vintage Sheaffers, the nibs are excellent, though generally very firm. The relatively low cost on the secondary market and the large number of models and colors makes the pen a nice option for a collection as well as a great user.

If you like the idea of the snorkel tube, but don't like the slim body of the Snorkel, you might look at the Sheaffer PFM, a later model that uses the same filling mechanism, but has a chunkier build and a beautiful inlaid nib.

Further Reading

Brian Gray's explanation of his pneumatic filling mechanism discusses how a similar filling mechanism works and includes a helpful video.

David Isaacson's Sheaffer Snorkel Collector's Guide helps to decipher the profusion of model names for the Snorkel.

Richard Binder's extensive profile page on the Snorkel is helpful for determining the age of your Snorkel and lists many of the colors.

Richard Binder's Anatomy of a Fountain Pen III: Sheaffer's Snorkel explains the complex internal workings of the filling mechanism, with detailed diagrams.