Posts filed under Sarasa

Zebra Sarasa Grand Gel Ink Pen Review

I’m a big fan of stationery companies adding upgraded barrel options for their main line products. Pilot does it for the G2 and Hi-Tec-C, Uni-ball does it for the Signo 207 and Jetstream, and Zebra now does it for their ever popular Sarasa Push Clip lineup.

The Zebra Sarasa Clip Grand succeeds where many of the products I mentioned above fail. It is a good product, where outside of the Hi-Tec-C Cavalier, the other upgraded barrel options are mediocre at best.

Zebra kept the functionality, style, and feel intact with the Grand barrel. It is made from brass and maintains a not too heavy, not too light feel. I was concerned at first that the grip section might be too slick - it is lacquered just like the rest of the barrel - but I had no slipping problems with dry or slightly sweaty fingers. They latched on well.

I was impressed with how solid and quiet the knock felt. It gives a sturdy click when engaged, and it never rattled regardless of what position it was in. The clip mechanics are essentially the same, with a curved metal attachment on the Grand that either sticks out further than on the Push Clip, or at least appears that way. The functionality is exactly the same, and may work even better on the newer pen.

People love the Sarasa Push Clip because of how well the refill performs, and of course you get that same excellence with the Grand since it uses the same refill. And that is the point of this pen anyway. Use any of your favorite Push Clip refills in the upgraded barrel of the Grand.

If I had to do it over again, I would choose the Black barrel over the Pink. The color is more of a light metallic red instead of any type of pink that pops. There are Navy and Gold options to choose from as well.

The Zebra Sarasa Grand is $16.50 at JetPens, which make it a no-brainer to recommend to Sarasa Clip fans. You are buying a lot of refills anyway, so you may as well give them a nice home.

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

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Posted on January 23, 2017 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Zebra, Sarasa, Pen Reviews.

Zebra Sarasa Push Clip Vintage Blue Gray Gel Review

When I discuss my favorite gel ink pens, the Pilot Hi-Tec-C and the Uni-ball Signo DX hog the spotlight. And for good reason. They are both fantastic. The Zebra Sarasa Clip is on par with those, something I am reminded of the moment I take one out to use.

The latest addition to the lineup, the Sarasa Clip Vintage Color series, brings four new colors into the mix: Green Black, Red Black, Brown Gray, and Blue Gray. Five if you count Blue Black, but that is one color that is common across the gel ink spectrum, including previous Sarasa Clip releases.

I chose the Blue Gray model to test out, and the performance of the pen is as excellent as ever. The lines are consistent, sharp, and clean, making the Sarasa Clip lineup a pure joy to write with. Note that I say Sarasa Clip when referring to this Zebra gel ink pen. The regular Sarasa is not as nice as these. Long-time readers are aware of this, but it bears bringing up once again for new readers.

Blue Gray as an ink color wasn’t something that I ever thought I needed in my life, but the shade is better than anticipated. It is darker than I thought it would be, and looks fantastic on the gray grid of my Rhodia Ice Pad.

According to the name of the pen, the Clip is a feature, and it lives up to that billing. It is spring-loaded, giving it a tight fit while clipped to a pocket yet allowing it to open wide and clamp down on larger folders and pads of paper. It works well, and I’ve never had one break on me.

Historically, Zebra fights for third place in market share (or at least mind share) behind Pilot and Uni-ball. They are equally as high quality and inventive in my book, and don’t need to play third fiddle to anyone. Zebra, and the Sarasa Clip especially, are well worth checking out.

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Posted on December 26, 2016 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Zebra, Sarasa, Pen Reviews.

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.