Zebra Clip-on Multi 2000

One of my co-workers is leaving for greener pastures, and as he also happens to have been my assistant for the past four years I wanted to get him something special. A fountain pen wouldn't work too well, but then I saw this Zebra Clip-On multi at Kinokuniya, with four pens and a pencil, and decided to go for it.

I should note that D stands 6 ft 4 inches tall and has large hands, so while a Hi-Tec-C would be my first choice it would probably look like a toothpick if he used it. The rollerball pens he uses tend to be big, like the Staples Opti-Flow. So a big pen would be in order, and since he's a writer I thought a multi pen would be a great gift.

When I saw the Zebra Clip-On Multi 2000 I knew this would be ideal for D. Kinokuniya had several color choices, and I decided on the matte black (the matte red was beautiful but a little showy, and the silver didn't impress me at all). I also decided to take a few pictures and give it a test drive on some 80gsm bright white paper.


This is a big pen, and as JetPens notes it is the high-end version of the standard Clip-on multi. The black matte body is still plastic, but thicker and more substantial although it isn't very heavy in the hand.



There are four different 0.7mm ink colors (they look smaller in the writing sample, more like 0.5mm or less) and a 0.5mm pencil that emerges when you push down the clip. The eraser is underneath the cap, keeping it safe and invisible.

Trying the ballpoints on a Rhodia notepad, I thought the colors were a bit pale, but that may be due to the vibrant fountain pen inks I tend to use rather than a dilution of the oil-based color.

The pencil takes a bit of getting used to, as it descends via plunging the clip--which is also how the lead feeds into the pencil. Pushing down on the clip brings the pencil down but may also give you half an inch of lead you weren't expecting to see.

This is definitely one of the nicest multi pens I've ever seen, although my Hi-Tec C pens will always take first place. It makes a statement by it's size and looks, the black matte finish reminding me of certain "stealth pen" models but at a much lower price point.

The Zebra Clip-On 2000 is durable-looking yet its design is pretty spare except for the clip, which is substantial yet somehow lean and elegant. If you like multi pens and are interested in adding to your collection, give this a try.

Zebra Eco Sarasa Clip Gel Ink Pen

A favorite pen for many of us is the Zebra Sarasa Clip, a retractable gel ink pen with a push clip so you don't break the plastic when slipping it on your pocket or notepad. I love this idea, as I do tend to break this part of the pen.

This new Sarasa Clip is the Eco, a green pen using 81% post consumer waste material. I do like this design quite a bit, with the black rubber grip, clear barrel, and the extra-wide clip giving a hit of color in white, blue, and green. For whatever reason I think it's an elegant and modern-looking pen.



Like all the Sarasa pens this gel ink is a smooth-writing instrument. The 0.7mm tip is definitely wide, and doesn't lose any width when you angle the tip. The ink works well on many papers, including a standard-grade notepad I had in my office. No bleed through but a shadow, so double-sided writing may not be available depending on how thin the paper is. But all in all this is a great pen, and a new favorite in the daily arsenal.

Zebra G-301 Gel Retractable Pen

The Zebra G-301 gel ink retractable has one of the better designs among re-usable pens that I've seen, all black rubber and stainless steel with a substantial clip that won't snap off or get tangled up in fabric. It's a spare, modern look that works well in the office (with the grown ups) or on your own just doodling.


The medium gel ink retractable has a 0.7mm tip that seems a bit wider to me than others I've used. On blank paper it would be fine, but with smaller line widths or gridded paper it might seem too large for writing within the space alotted.

Whatever else, the Zebra G-301 is a great addition to the pen line up: reliable, readable, and comfortable.

Zebra Lafleche Scented Ink Pens

Trying out some pens in the stationery aisle I smelled something sweet and looked around for the source, then realized it was the pen I was holding. Zebra Lafleche Sweet Scents Gel Ink Pens smell and taste sweet, and come in 6 flavors: strawberry, blueberry, chocolate, lemon mousse, green tea, and chestnut.

Trying out the blueberry and chestnut on a Mnemosyne notepad, I found the ink flowed well with no skipping. The 0.7mm tip seems wider, and I liked the dark blueberry and chestnut brown colors. I don't know how long the scent and taste last, but long enough to be noticeable in my bookbag.

Finally, the pen design is quite interesting. The barrel of the pen is round, but the cap is square so it won't roll off onto the floor. I liked that a lot, and hope Zebra incorporates this design into a few more pens that aren't quite as noticeable.

Zebra Sarasa Clip 0.5mm Gel Ink Pen

I have different Zebra Sarasa gel ink pens in use, but didn't see the Clip until a few days ago in a stationery store looking for something different. Once I tried it I was very taken by it, particularly with the clip design which is rounded and substantial and has a definite mechanism that pushes down to open. Not a thin rectangle of hard plastic, which I tend to break sliding a fingernail under it to pull it open. Or else idly playing with it until it breaks off, something I do too often with my pens. This clip looks like it's rugged enough for even my destructive tendencies.

What really caught my attention was the enormous choice of colors, including my all-time favorite blue black ink. The Sarasa's gel ink flows smoothly and cleanly, and the 0.5mm tip is just the width I like when writing with a non-fountain pen. These elements and the detailing on the clip (which for some reason reminds me of a school emblem) makes this an attractive pen as well as a practical one.

Zebra Techno Line 0.4mm Ballpoint Pen

The Zebra Techno Line Ballpoint Pen has a lot going for it: small enough to fit into a purse or back pocket, great styling (the steel section below the grip is tapered and curved), complementary colors on the barrel (clear) and grip (darker matte) that gives it a coordinated look, a hard-plastic clip that's rounded, and an oil-based ink that really doesn't smudge.



Minuses? Pretty minor: the 0.4mm tip is much thinner than that, and the ink is just a touch too light for me--this may be more a function of the thin line, so I'd like a really dark black that I can see better. Otherwise, it's a great ballpoint pen.

Zebra Sarasa 0.7m Gel Ink Pen in Red

I like the Zebra Sarasa gel ink pens for their distinctive look and sharp line, as well as some of the great colors in the line. This one really caught my eye, a very distinctive, deep red that at first I thought had some brown in it. But on looking more closely, it seems to be a very deep wine color but not in the purple family at all. Burgundy is the closest I can come up with but there may be another name for this color.

The pen itself has a soft rubber grip in matching dark red, and the ink line is thick and crisp. A great writing pen, and the color really gets your attention. Match it with a Doane Paper notepad and you're set.

Update: Per Zebra Pens, the official name of this color is Mahogany. My pen just said "red/rouge" so that's good to know. There is some brown in it.

Zebra Airfit Jell Ballpoint Pen

There are great reviews of the Zebra Airfit Jell Gel Ink pen, such at the Pen Addict, and now here's a look at the Airfit ballpoint pen. The Airfit ballpoint feels great in the hand and the 0.7mm ink cartridge has one of the smoothest ink releases I've ever felt. It is more like a gel ink pen than a ballpoint, no skips or blotches and the oil-based ink doesn't streak. For a 0.7mm the line is very fine, and the blue ink gets lost on the Doane Paper so that a black ink cartridge might be better. But it's a great looking pen, and the clip opens and closes like an alligator clip so that attaching it to a pocket is easy. I really like the yellow color, as well.

JetPens carries the Airfit Gel Ink Pen and Mechanical Pencil but not the Ballpoint Pen. As I'm usually more inclined to use a gel ink I'll be looking at those in different colors.

Blue Uni-ball Vision and Orange Zebra Sarasa

I was looking at pens at the stationery store and decided to try a Uni-ball Vision and a Zebra Sarasa. There were some standard blacks, blues, and red, and then I found the wild colors section and picked up one in neon blue and another in orange. The Uni-ball Vision fine point is a smooth gliding pen, I loved the way it felt in my hand--great balance and very light. The neon blue color is lovely, reminds me a bit of a J. Herbin's Bleu Pervenche in a rollerball. The line is a bit wide for a fine point, but that's a minor point. It's a great pen, and is added to the line up.

Then there's the orange Zebra Sarasa retractable 0.7mm medium point gel ink pen. The pen has a soft rubber grip, stylish design, and orange ink is edgy but not too far out. But for some reason I just couldn't bond with this pen. The Sarasa just didn't feel like writing on this Doane paper, and after awhile I felt like I had a death grip on the barrel I was holding it so tight. The color is refreshing, but the pen is going back into the box to wait for a second chance and a change of paper.

Zebra Sarasa Stick Pens 0.7m and 0.3m

I was reading through the Pen Addict's blog on the Japanese Zebra, an intriguing animal that comes in many varieties and shades, and read his review of the Zebra Sarasa Stick 0.3m with its interesting needle point. Then off to do some shopping, ending up the afternoon at Kinokuniya looking over their large pen selection. I spotted the Zebra Sarasa Stick pen section, with a large amount of the 0.3m in 8 to 10 different colors. I finally went with blue black, spruce green, and bright blue, then decided to add a Stick pen in 0.7m in blue black as a comparison. The two are so different in both looks and writing that I'm surprised they are both labelled Sarasa Stick pens.

The 0.3m pens are all needle points, and feel funny to write with when I'm used to a much wider tip or a rollerball. The blue and green wouldn't write at first, and I spent a good few minutes on each trying to get the ink to flow. When I finally did, I almost couldn't see what I was writing. They were great for making lines, although the blue black is the best color to use just because it is dark and can be seen. Then there is the Sarasa Stick 0.7m, a different pen altogether. It has a ball point ink refill and writes smoothly, with a nice wide line. I enjoyed writing with this pens, didn't feel like I was scratching into the paper. I'll stick with the wider point and put the 0.3m pens aside for further thought.

Zebra Sharbo at JetPens

I couldn't even imagine spending $150 on any pen let alone a multi, but if I did it would be this Zebra Sharbo X TS10 in Bronze Ocher (bottom pen). Then again, three pens plus a pencil, so that's really "only" $37.50 per writing instrument, just a touch higher than the Lamy Al-Star I'm thinking of purhasing. Well anyway, that is a beautiful looking multi and a fantastic color. JetPens really has the coolest stuff to make a pen-and-paper-addict lose her wits.

Zebra Disposable Brush Sign Pen Fine Point

I've been intrigued by the brush pens at JetPens but didn't want to get one before I could try it. So while browsing at Kinokuniya I had the chance to play with a Zebra Disposable Brush Sign Pen with a fine point, and decided on the spot to adopt. This is amazing, it feels like I'm writing with liquid silk. The pen glides smoothly across the paper with no drag, and has two different looks to it, depending on whether I hold the pen at a 90 degree or 45 degree angle. The 45 degree angle has a wider line, but both look really nice.

There was no bleed through on the Doane Paper but there was a very definite dark shadow, making this pen ineligible for double-sided writing. But somehow I don't think the pen minds very much; it doesn't look or feel like a delicate writing instrument.

I am definitely going to get a few more of these, and I know they have the Extra Fine version at Kinokuniya as well as several Pilot Brush Pens I've been thinking of purchasing. The only drawback, and it is minor, is that I feel I'm going to crush the brush tip if I press too hard. So I am holding the pen very lightly, and my hand is starting to cramp. Tho' I suspect the pen is meant for a light grip, built to dance over the paper the way a brush with black ink on it does.