[Pen/Pencil Review] Zebra Sarasa Multi – 4 Color + Pencil 0.5mm

On my Christmas trip to Kinokuniya, today’s multi-function pen caught my eye. This is the Zebra Sarasa Multi 4 color gel ink Multi-Pen with Pencil – all 0.5mm. I got the black barrel.
This is rapidly becoming a favorite and a “go to” instrument. I keep my Uni Jetstream in my purse – but this might be my go to at work – where things can spin up quickly. Having the four color AND pencil option in one case is almost a necessity when you might need to change color or medium for whatever reason on the fly. This one turns out to be totally worthwhile – and the pencil was easier to figure out because of the Jetstream before. The clip is the Sarasa binder clip style.

This is a beautiful gel ink pen, unlike the Jetstream which was ball point. The green is strikingly dark for 1) a ballpoint, and 2) a 0.38mm. All the colors are equally robust. The roller in the super fine conical point (not needle – CONICAL) is smooth. They don’t scratch, skip or glop. The cap with the eraser is the advancer for the pencil. That’s not immediately intuitive, but brilliant to get all the function possible out of one instrument.

The black barrel is just a classic color. The matching cap at the top covers the white, refillable eraser that’s a touch crumbly but otherwise good. The grip is a black rubber for a bit of comfort. It’s a plastic body with little seaming at the connection and push plungers for the activators. It’s just over 6” long, which makes it a comfortable length. It’s got a 13mm (I know I’m mixing my measurements) diameter barrel which is comfortable for long use.

The barrel is obviously wider than a normal barrel to house the reservoirs, but not so wide as to be uncomfortable. It’s got to be to handle all the reservoirs. This pen is refillable with the Zebra NJK Sarasa Multi Pen refill. The refills come in a variety of colors and tip sizes. The instrument is refilled by twisting open the barrel and pulling out the reservoir and replacing either ink or lead.
It’s not cheap at the outset, but being refillable and an instrument that could see lots of use? It’s worth the outlay.

The numbers:

1. How does it work? – 1 – It works surprisingly well for a fine point. The plungers may take a bit of getting used to, especially since the lead mechanism is the clip. You can leave lead advanced while having the point retracted. The lead and ink flow smoothly. The clip is secure.
2. Grip and feel – 1 – For a multi-function, it’s actually comfortable. The diameter is comfortable. There’s very little ridge between grip and barrel to be uncomfortable because of the decorative band. It’s long enough to fit comfortably in the hand. I’m actually surprised by this.
3. Material – 1 – It is plastic and base metal…however with the nice inserts, and sturdy feel, it’s decent. The transparent plastic of the barrel lets you see ink levels. Some might think it’s expensive for plastic and base metal, but it’s environmentally conscious and FIVE good quality writing instruments in one.
4. Overall Design – 0.5 – I am going to knock a half point off here just for the pencil refill. It’s not intuitive. I kept looking for the pencil refill to be through the cap, but it’s not. I had to find out how to do it by looking at another review and trying that and figuring it out. And I had to teach someone how to use it.
5. Price Point – 0.5 – It’s not cheap, but it is SUPER useful. I used it a ton last week when I needed a pencil, and this is what I had. It’s refillable. The ink makes it worth the price. It’s cheaper than the Jetstream. I got mine at Kinokunyia for $9.95, But it’s also available online and at JetPens, it’s $8.25 with refills running $1.95. But for something you might use A LOT? It’s probably worth the investment. This one is one I’m keeping handy – like always in my purse or with a notebook.

That’s 4 of 5 bronze pencils.