Posts filed under Sarasa

Zebra Sarasa SE 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.)

To this day, gel pens continue to be one of the most accessible categories for exposing people to the wonders of pens. With so many options, it's difficult to imagine what else can be done in this space to innovate and provide something new and worthy of existence. In most cases, the easiest route of expansion is in offering more colors or more tip sizes. But, it's more rare to see offerings that focus on providing the same great gel pen experience with a dry time that's 85% faster than standard gel pens.

That's right — 85% faster. The Zebra Sarasa SE line of pens is similar to the regular Sarasa line in every way, except these things dry incredibly fast.

If you've never used a Zebra Sarasa pen before, you're missing out on one of the top five gel refills available today. They're available in several different sizes and configurations, but they all deliver vibrant colors, crisp lines, and a smooth feel. Add on super fast dry time, and you've got a seriously impressive pen refill.

I picked up several of these pens to try out, and in that batch I picked black, blue, red, green, and violet to test. Each of these colors is beautiful and vivid. Even the black is incredibly rich and dark — similar in richness and depth as the popular Pentel EnerGel series.

The body and grip of the SE pens are also similar to the other Sarasa lines, which is just fine. They're comfortable to use, the clips are nice and strong, and they perform great in that respect.

When I started writing, I was impressed by the crisp lines and bright colors. It wasn't until I moved my palm across the page to write somewhere else that I noticed that it didn't create any smudges. I was pleasantly surprised, so I started testing the dry times to see just how fast it was. In most cases, the ink was smudge-proof within 2 seconds. In every case, 3 seconds did the trick. This is incredible! Especially considering how wet these 0.7mm tips are. These aren't ultra-fine tips — there's a good amount of ink coming out when writing.

These pens are perfect for jotting notes when you're out. You don't have to worry about immediately closing your notebook because there won't be any excess ink on the opposite page. For left-handed users, this ink is fabulous. I'm mostly right-handed, but I'm working on training my left hand to write as well. When I was using these pens in my left hand, I never had any smudges on the page and there wasn't any ink on my palm when I was done.

I'm not sure how Zebra did this. There's normally a trade off if you market a pen as having an ultra-fast drying ink. In this case, the Sarasa SE line has smooth feel, vibrant colors, and incredibly fast dry times.

The Zebra Sarasa SE is fairly new, but there's already a nice selection of colorful inks. You're also limited to the 0.7mm tip size, so hopefully we see additional options soon. Pick some up the next time you make an order with JetPens! At under two bucks a pop, they're low risk experiments, and I'm willing to bet that you'll love them after writing with them.

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Posted on August 15, 2018 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Zebra, Sarasa, Gel, Pen Reviews.

Zebra Sarasa Clip Mister Donut 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.)

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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Posted on September 28, 2017 by Sarah Read and filed under Zebra, Sarasa, 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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