[Pen/Pencil Review Post] Zebra Sarasa Study Retractable Pen
This week’s pen review is a basic, workhorse type pen with some fun little details. It’s the Zebra Sarasa Study – in a 0.5mm point and black gel ink – because they’re good like that. I picked this one up on a JetPens after Christmas shopping order.
The Sarasa Study has a nice, dark black gel ink. This one comes in the 0.5mm point with a metal, cone tip. The plunger is black, but the barrel is clear plastic with a frosted clear rubberized grip for a more comfortable grip. The barrel threading is on the inside, making the barrel smooth and ridgeless for extra comfort. The ink is smooth and doesn’t smear much. It writes quite well.
This pen is about 5.5″ long retracted and about 5.75″ long with the tip extended. This is a typical length for a retractable pen, and it’s well balanced and has a decent diameter.
One of the fun details on this pen is the ink tube. The sleeve holding the gel ink has markings to let you know how much ink you’ve used in the refill. Theoretically, it’s to motivate good study habits by giving the writer a sense of achievement by showing how much ink’s been used. I don’t know if that’s an accurate measure of productivity – but it makes me happy to see. I’ve always been checking ink levels, this makes it easier.
The clip is the other fun detail. They call it a “binder clip”. It’s a spring-loaded, hard plastic clip matching the ink color. It is break-resistant and strong. It does secure well to a wide range of materials. This pen is refillable and economical for a good quality workhorse pen.
The Numbers.
1. How does it work? – 1 – This is a solid, utility pen. It’s inexpensive. It comes in the three primary colors and has a good solid line with smooth ink.
2. Look and feel – 1 – It’s average length with a good diameter. I like the clear barrel and the markings on the ink for “productivity”.
3. Material – 1 – It’s an inexpensive utility pen. It is what it is, and it’s solid for what it is. The clip is metal and plastic and strong.
4. Overall Design – 1 – It’s okay. It’s functional. It’s an average length retractable pen with some fun details.
5. Price Point – 0.5 – These things are relatively inexpensive – though have to be ordered through JetPens. They’re about $2.50 for the pen. The two-packs of refills run $1.45. So you an pretty much use these for the long term. Not sure if the refills have the productivity markings.
4.5 out of 5 bronze pencils.
