Zebra CLiCKART Retractable Marker Pen Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

It's been years since I've tried a new type of marker, and after trying the Zebra CLiCKART markers, I can only conclude that I need to try markers more often. Felt tip markers aren't my favorite writing instrument for day-to-day notes and doodles, but they're just so much fun to use.

The particular variant I have is a 12-pack of CLiCKART markers that cover a basic range of colors. At around $14, this set is a great value for what I consider to be excellent markers.

Taking a look at the exterior, each marker features a white body paired with a color-coordinated nose cone and click mechanism. There isn't a clip, but there is a nub where a clip would be that prevents the markers from rolling on your desk.

Zebra CLiCKART Retractable Marker Clicked

There's also a round window in the barrel (close to the nock) that is black when the marker tip is retracted, but red when the tip is extended. This is a cool feature, but I'm a little confused as to why it was included since you can tell the tip is extended by looking at the length of the nock button (and also by looking at the tip). The nock button sits low when the tip is extended, but it looks fully extended if you turn the pen upside down. Either way, I'm not complaining about the little window — it's a great feature!

The pen barrel diameter is a great size that fits comfortably in my hand. The plastic material provides plenty of grip without getting slippery after a little use. The nose cone is short and doesn't cause me any issues with the way I grip the marker. I actually found myself wanting the nose cone to be smaller so I could use the broad side of the felt tip to make a wider line. The large nose makes this nearly impossible.

Now, getting to the felt tip that makes this pen so great. Out of the box, the felt tips lay down a 0.6mm line that is a sharp and crisp. I imagine the line definition may get a little larger and maybe a little fuzzy as the felt tip wears down with use. I've been drawing and writing with these pens for a couple weeks, and the tips show no sign of wear yet. That said, I've been consciously trying to use light pressure when using them.

The colors are vibrant and solid. No wishy-washy colors here. A couple of the colors are light by design, but the only one that is hard to see on white paper is the yellow. This color works best on a dark paper or in conjunction with other dark inks on a light paper. Still, when you use the right paper or approach, the yellow is vibrant.

Felt tip pens are great, but most of them use caps. Caps are easy to lose — especially when you have several different colors on your desk at once while working on something. The convenience and practicality of a retractable felt tip marker is amazing. The only downside I can think of is the felt tips drying out prematurely since they're exposed to air constantly. Well, Zebra have thought that through and claim that these markers don't dry out. In fact, they supposedly absorb moisture through the air to remain viable. I haven't had these markers long enough to vouch for this claim, but I hope that the marketing lines up with real-world performance because markers deserve some popularity and notoriety.

Like I said at the beginning, felt tip markers aren't really my thing, but I've really enjoyed using these Zebra CLiCKART markers over the past couple of weeks. My drawings aren't any better for it, but at least I've had a lot of fun making them!

Zebra CLiCKART Markers are available as individual colors for $1.75 each, and in various 12-color multi-packs, and one 36-pack of all the colors, both of which bring the price down closer to $1 per pen.

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

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Posted on November 16, 2022 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Zebra, CLiCKART, Marker, Pen Reviews.

TWSBI ECO Glow Purple Fountain Pen Giveaway

Fine TWSBI, I’ll bite!

The ECO Glow Green was the obvious glow in the dark choice, but to follow that up with a purple cap and piston knob that glows blue? Count me in. And count one of you in, as well, as I have one Glow Purple with an Extra Fine nib to give away this week. Read the rules below and enter away!

Posted on November 15, 2022 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Giveaways.

Nemosine 0.6 mm Stub Nib Review

One of the turning points in my fountain pen journey was realizing how important the nib is. Not simply nib material or style, but shape and size. And not only that, but specific shapes and sizes that improve my handwriting by just … existing.

My writing style is particular, but not totally unique. It’s a block-print style, which on the page translates to all-caps writing. There is no cursive, no joined up, no lower case. I truly embody the MF DOOM lifestyle.

When I discovered that there are nibs that make by handwriting better, it was open season on my wallet. What nibs, specifically? Stub nibs first, followed later by cursive italics.

The shape of those nibs is flat across the front, as opposed to more rounded nib tipping in a stock Medium nib, for example. So this is why my handwriting looked like a boss when I used chisel tip markers in the before times!

My block print looks best when the edges of the letters are sharp. Stub nibs got me there first, primarily due to their availability. I don’t recall my very first one, but it could have been a TWSBI, who offers them in 1.1 and 1.5 mm widths. The 1.1 mm is more my style, seeing as I write small to begin with. As I learned later, I could have other standard nibs modified by a nib grinder to even finer widths. I won’t tell you how narrow I’ve gone (pretty narrow!) but I will say I’m always excited to find loose stub nib options finer than the usual 1.1 mm.

That’s where the Nemosine 0.6 mm Stub comes into play. I was late to the game in picking one of these up to test, but I’m glad I’m here now. An 0.6 mm stub is nowhere near micro-sized in relation to regular sizes (again, 1.1 and 1.5 mm mostly,) but it is finer, which works even better for my handwriting.

This nib comes in the standard #6 size, and is made from steel. The nib is sold alone for $27, without a feed or housing, so you will want to have an existing pen to swap this into. Bock feeds are the natural fit, although I’ve had followers tell me they can make them work with Jowo feeds and housings with a bit of manipulation.

I went for the Bock swap out with my latest Tesori Venezia, and this nib has found its permanent home. It is wildly smooth, and provides good line variation. As much line variation as a wider stub nib? No. The finer the stub, the less line width variation you will have between your horizontal and vertical strokes. This 0.6 mm hits the sweet spot for the way I write. You may prefer wider.

You may prefer stub nibs in general if you have a mostly print-based handwriting style. Plenty of cursive writers use them, too, adding some wide and narrow line variation as they work down the page. It’s a beautiful visual either way.

That’s the stub nib benefit for me-it makes my handwriting look nice! I don’t have to write faster or slower to get the most from it. My normal pace with a normal ink on a normal page leads to better than normal results.

Thank you, stub nibs!

If you are looking try your own stub nib, these Nemosine 0.6 mm nibs are an option for a slightly more experienced user. They are simple to use, but you need the right kind of pen to fit it in to. For your first stub nib, TWSBI is one of the more widely-available options in a variety of pen models and price points. Some, like the SWIPE, are essentially the same price as the stand-alone Nemosine nib.

Testing and experimentation is the key to finding the proper nib fit for your handwriting style. Give a Stub nib a try the next time you want to change the look of your letters on the page.

(I bought this nib from Birmingham Pen Co. at regular retail price.)

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