Zebra Surari 4 Color Multi Pen Video Review

This is a guest post by Bryan Gushikawa.

Multi pens are hugely popular and exist in many different formats and styles. This pen basically combines a best-of-both-worlds concept (the gel smoothness with ballpoint ink) with the utility of multiple colors. Aimed at office workers and students, this pen seeks to get people hooked not only on color, but also on performance.

The appearance of the Zebra Surari 4C is sort of a standard style. Translucent barrel, elastomer grip, and ink selection up top. The addition of a spring-loaded clip is a godsend to people who clip to journals and shirt pockets. Although it doesn't have the same visual impressiveness as a Ferrari, it's stylish enough to be at home in the classroom, office or coffee shop. The click mechanism is tight, but sometimes the clip clicker has to be pushed a little hard to stay down. The thicker barrel of the pen fits well in the hand and offers more comfort than skinny pens might.

Where the 4C shines is in the performance department. The Surari ink is an even match for the Jetstream and the colors are rich and vibrant. Zebra's Sarasa gel ink is legendary for smoothness and the 4C Surari ink is likewise smooth. It's like writing on icy glass with a butter-coated Teflon stick. Seriously. It doesn't blob or skip and is a real joy to write with.

Any problems with this pen? Not really, although with similar offerings from Zebra's competition, you might be wondering what sets this pen apart enough to make it worth a purchase. Well, the answer is that there IS nothing really distinct, but this pen is an excellent enough performer in its class to merit a top score...you'd compare other pens to this one. A DEFINITE recommend!

I am glad I have one of these (thanks, Jetpens!) and I'd encourage everyone to go ahead and get one. You'll thank me for it once you write with it!

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Uni-Ball Power Tank Video Review

This is a guest post by Bryan Gushikawa.

Ever wanted a pen that could write in conditions that would ruin other pens and ruin you, too? Ever wanted to write in a hard vacuum, or below freezing? Ever wanted to write underwater or upside down? Well, a certain company invented a certain type of ink back for the original space program that is a pretty big seller and is designed to withstand the harsh conditions in space...but you might have noticed that the pen prices are pretty steep. What's a pen maniac to do?

Uni (Mitsubishi) has the answer in the Power Tank Smart Series. Although this pen has been around for awhile and has undergone several design revisions in the past 7 or 8 years, the newest version has the best styling I've seen in the series. This pen, made from just a little bit of steel, and a whole lot of plastic, has a much lower cost so you don't feel bad about any abuse it might suffer. How does it perform? Let's find out!

First of all, you'll notice the sharp and very classy appearance. Uni's designers really went all out on this and made the barrel a heavy plastic with the refill port in the rear. The spring inside is industrial size and the click is really precise and loud. Good deal! The refill itself is clear and has a steel collar and pressurized insides. The super thick outside shell contains gas inside that presses on the inner refill and keeps the thixotropic ink (solid ink until shear force turns it to liquid) flowing at a constant rate. You'll love this ink because it is fairly smooth and VERY constant in line width (about 0.4mm) and doesn't blob or skip. It's not as smooth as a Jetstream or Surari, but it feels much smoother than a regular ballpoint. It's not dye ink, so the color isn't as dark, but it's still a good looking ink. Dry time is average and there is no bleed through.

I've put Power Tank pens through torture tests (freezing/heating/etc.) and it's written without fail every time. The pressure will also keep the ink flowing right up until the pen is empty. This is MUCH better than the competitor, whose ink basically blobs more than it writes.

Overall, this pen is designed to work in harsh conditions and take whatever abuse you can dish out. I'd definitely recommend this as a daily carry pen because it basically won't leak, won't disappoint and won't ever stop writing. A DEFINITE recommend!

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Pentel Vicuna Video Review

This is a guest post by Bryan Gushikawa.

The Pentel Vicuna is Pentel's entry into the already saturated market that was started by the Jetstream and is now crowded with major players like the Zebra Surari and Pilot Acroball.  Can Pentel capture any market share with its neon-colored entry?  Read the review to find out!

The appearance of the Vicuña is the first thing that is noticeable when the pen is picked up.  The crazy and bright colors and accents make it look like a 100 yen shop cheap special, but the plastic in the barrel is actually quite nice to hold.  It's ridged on the grip area, but the barrel is not elastomerized, so it's not that spongy stuff that attracts dirt and dust.  The handling of the pen is also quite good:  the weight is mostly forward and the tapered design works in the pen's favor.  The refill itself is a slender type with a gel matrix grease ink that is reputed to be super smooth.  The refill inserts via the rear when the click mechanism is twisted off.

As far as writing performance goes, the ink IS super smooth.  It's very similar to the Jetstream in that it's glassy smooth and skip free.  It's also very dark dye ink and lays down a very solid and pleasant line.  You won't have any trouble writing page after page with this pen!  The width is right at about 0.4mm and there is no bleedthrough on the paper.  A quick dry time is good news for southpaws and the consistent line width makes this pen a good daily workhorse.

Where does the Vicuña fall short?  One is the design that doesn't have the same classy styling of a Jetstream.  The neon colors might be really unsuitable for office use.  The ink also blobs a little bit when writing loops, although the ink dry time is short enough to make this just a little annoyance.

Overall, this pen IS a very good entry and, if you don't mind bringing a brightly-colored, plasticky pen with you, then this is a pretty good deal!  A definite recommend on the strength of the writing performance, with reservations on the styling.