(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.)
The scented Zebra Sarasa pens are back with new limited editions, this time celebrating Mister Donut in some scrumptious sweet scents. If you missed the last scented gel pen release, definitely grab these. If you already have the last scented set, you can probably skip these, because the colors and scents are mostly repeated. The previous editions had lemon yellow instead of caramel brown. Of course, these versions are decorated with adorable donuts and the Mister Donut characters: French Wooler (set A) and Pon de Lion (set B)--so they're still great fun. I was just disappointed that it wasn't a whole new product. I'm also disappointed, now, that I don't have a real-life matcha donut. But that's one of those problems that stationery can't solve.
These pens have all the fantastic features of the Zebra Sarasa Clip—a lovely, sturdy alligator clip that secures reliably to even fat stacks of paper; fast-drying ink that is water and fade-resistant; a satisfying click mechanism; and a soft rubberized grip. The clips make them a little bulky, but they're functional enough that I think they earn that extra space in the pen case.
They write smoothly and the colors are bright and saturated. I didn't experience any skipping or smudging. The .5 mm tip is great for fine lines while still being easily readable in lighter colors. They're good pens for those who like practical reliability, and the special editions add whimsy that makes writing with them extra delightful. The scents are fun, but not overpowering. I can't say that they smell like what they claim to be--they all have a general "sweet" smell and some are easier to discern than others. But if you had me take a sniff test to determine the scent, I'd fail. The orange and the strawberry are the easiest to identify by smell alone.
Like the previous edition, this one is broken up into two sets of four. Set A has chocolate black, matcha green, peach pink, and vanilla light blue. Set B has caramel brown, milk blue, orange, and strawberry red. Both sets together make a nice array of colors. Individually, the sets seem oddly grouped. It would make more sense, to me, to put the red, blue, and black together--the office-appropriate colors--and then the more wild colors in the other set. Or just make it one set of eight--because who just buys half of the limited edition?
At $10.75 per set, they're a little on the pricy side. But the pens are refillable (just not with the limited scented ink). They're also well-made enough to withstand many repeated uses, so I don't think the price is unreasonable.
(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
I hope the next limited series will include some more new colors and scents, but in the meantime, I'll enjoy these very much.
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