Posts filed under Pen Reviews

Zebra G-450 and G-750 Gel Ink Pen Review

Zebra G-450 and G-750 Gel Ink Pen Review

Before I left my day job to focus on The Pen Addict full time, I was in the IT field. I was with the same company for around 15 years, 12 of that in the same facility. I knew a lot of people there, and a lot of them knew me as the pen guy.

For the few that were interested past the “oh, that’s nice,” phase, there were two pens that were their favorites: the Pilot G2, and the Zebra F-301.

I understood the love for the G2. Still do. It’s a rock solid gel ink pen that writes smooth and has dark ink. Wide availability on store shelves expanded its popularity. If you liked school supplies when you were a kid, you were prone to grab a pack of G2’s when you saw them, and sung their praises once compared to the general office supplies you were stuck with at work.

The F-301 was different. There is no doubt that it looked cool, and while not near as ubiquitous as the G2, it was reasonably available at office supply stores, if not grocery stores. And F-301 fans? The ones I met were passionate about this little pen. I’m never one to yuck someone’s yum, but let’s just say my feelings were not as strong about this pen as the G2 at the time.

The biggest failure with the design of the F-301 is the grip. It looks great on the shelf, but once you unpack the pen and hold it, it becomes evident how uncomfortable the plastic ridges are on your fingertips. For a quick note it is passable, but any longer writing is out of the question.

Still, the F-301 proved to be popular due to its construction. It is a durable pen, and the refill was good enough. And I’m happy that this pen has been a success for Zebra, because they took what worked well with the F-301 and improved on it. There is a softer grip model in the F-402, and they eventually added gel refill options in the various G-series models, including the two I’m going to talk about today.

Zebra G-450 and G-750 Gel Ink Pen

The G-450 and the G-750 are a continuation of the F-301 family tree, and pretty darn good ones at that. The G-450 is the shorter of the two pens by just under a half an inch, and features a rubber grip. The G-750 features a similar full-metal exterior, with the addition of a knurled metal grip. It also has a subtle triangle-shaped upper barrel, while the G-450 is essentially round. The G-designation on both pens mean they use gel ink, 0.7 mm black gel ink to be specific.

Zebra G-450 and G-750 Gel Ink Pen

Comparing these two pens is difficult because there is not much that separates them from each other. The G-450 rubber grip is the superior of the two, which is hard for me to say as a knurled grip fan. The G-750 knurling is so fine and tight that the grip feels smooth. That’s not how I ever want to describe knurling. There has to be some grab in there, and there isn’t.

I will say that the nose cone design of the G-750 catches my eye. It has four angled steps down towards the tip of the pen, which allows for a great view of the tip and the page you are writing on. There’s nothing wrong with the front-end shape of the G-450, but the G-750 had me inspecting it, wondering why I liked it so much.

Zebra G-450

With matching 0.7 mm black gel ink refills, there is obviously no difference in writing performance between the two. The ink is dark, and the tip is smooth on the page. There are minimal swappable refill options for these pens, but JetPens does list a few, including 0.5 mm choices. I don’t think you will be successful hacking refills into either of these barrels, as the interior barrel opening for the refill is narrow. In fact, I had a hard time putting the refill back in one of the pens when I removed it for inspection.

Zebra G-450 and G-750

Between the two, the G-450 is the clear winner. The grip is more comfortable, and combined with the shorter length, it felt better in my hand while writing. Plus, it is $7.00, while the G-750 runs $9.50.

Zebra G-450 and G-750

If you like gel ink pens with upgraded metal barrels, I think you will be happy with either of these options from Zebra. Myself, I’m happy that they keep building and iterating on an interesting product lineup that differentiates them from the competition. I hope that continues.

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


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Zebra G-450 and G-750
Posted on July 18, 2022 and filed under Zebra, Gel, Pen Reviews.

Gioia Alleria - A Review

(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)

My first introduction to Gioia Pens was when I got a Gioia Partenope for my birthday last year at the SF Pen Show. It isn’t a pen that screams “Kimberly!!!” but it quickly became a favorite because it looked so different from my other pens and because it wrote so nicely. Not surprising, I was excited when the Bossman had Luxury Brands of America send me a Gioia Alleria for review.

The review pen is the Gioia Alleria in the Grotta Azzurra color which comes in Ruthenium trim. The material is a darker teal blue with swirls of lighter and darker colors and with a bit of pearlescence. The name “Alleria” comes from the Neapolitan word for “happiness” and “Grotta Azzurra” means “Blue Grotto.

Gioia Alleria Fountain Pen

Gioia Alleria, Grotta Azzurra.

Gioia Alleria Fountain Pen

You can see the different shades of blue of the Grotta Azzurra.

The Alleria is similar to the Partenope but since I do not have the latter with me, you may wish to check out some of the comments/pictures from the Partenope review. The two pens are similar in size and weight but with a different filling mechanism. The Alleria uses a piston, while the Partenope uses a cartridge or converter. The Partenope’s converter adds a bit to the weight so if you prefer a lighter pen, the Alleria might be a better fit. The Alleria does not have an ink window, which I generally prefer with piston-fillers so that I can tell how much ink is left. It is not a dealbreaker for me but something to note if that’s important to you.

Like the Partenope, the Gioia Alleria uses Jowo 6 nibs engraved with their branding. Their nib units can be easily swapped as the nib units are screwed in. This makes cleaning a breeze as you can remove the nib, and syringe it clean (be sure to move the piston a few times during cleaning as ink can get on the edges of the piston valve. The Gioia Alleria is available in Extra Fine to 1.5mm stub (the “Stub” size is 1.1 mm). This pen has a medium nib and wrote beautifully out of the box (my usual lazy self did not clean the pen prior to inking). I inked it up with Colorverse #47 Ham, which is a great match color wise and I had no problems with the ink or the pen, despite a period of 2-3 weeks where I didn’t get a chance to use it.

Gioia Alleria Fountain Pen
Gioia Alleria Fountain Pen

Writing sample with Colorverse #47 Ham on Tomoe River 68 gsm paper.

The cap has an inner cap sleeve which minimizes evaporation. The pen also screws into the cap at the end of the grip; my understanding is that this also helps with evaporation as less of the writing end is exposed to air. This does mean that there are threads near the nib end, which might bother folks who write close to the nib. I am a “close to the nib” writer, but I didn’t even noticed the threads which are smooth and not sharp or bulky at all. In fact, some users might like that because it provides a bit of a “stop” to prevent your fingers from sliding downward.

As I said above, the Alleria feels very similar in girth and length to the Partenope. I like the slightly girthy grip and am glad that it is not heavy. Some folks expect girthier pens to be heavier, and this is not that pen. The Alleria cap is lighter because it doesn’t have the Partenope’s thick clip band, so it doesn’t feel as back-weighted for those who like to post their pens. For comparison, I have included a few similarly sized pens that are with me in my currently inked binder.

Gioia Comparison

Comparison with Lamy 2000, Leonardo Momento Zero, Narwhal Voyage, Gioia Alleria, TWSBI 580, Pilot Custom 74 and Platinum 3776.

Gioia Size Comparison
Gioia Posted

Note that the Narwhal does not post at all and that the Gioia and TWSBI pens do not post very well.

The Gioia Alleria has an MSRP of $240 USD and a street price around $190. Gioia is discontinuing some of the colors to make room for new resins that will be exclusive to them. As such, some of the colors of the Alleria are being discounted; the Mare Blue, Vittoria, Nuvola and Tramonto colorways will be discontinued and pretty heavily discounted (I’ve seen them ~$150-160). The Amaranto, Crepuscolo, Grotto Azzurra and Mare Chiaro colors are not being discontinued, so they will remain at their current pricing. I, for one, don’t love seeing different pen brands using the same acrylics, so I am looking forward to seeing Gioia’s new exclusive materials.

Pro:

  • Nice, lightweight piston filler
  • Good nib
  • Good value for a steel nib piston filler, but some models being discounted makes for an even better value.
  • Lifetime warranty

Neutral:

  • Piston filler does not have an ink window so you can’t see ink levels
  • Clip design may not suit everyone’s aesthetic

Con:

  • Pen may be too girthy if you prefer slimmer pens
  • Pen may be too light if you like girthy pens with more heft

In summary, I really enjoyed using the Gioia Alleria because it is a nice writer and is very comfortable for me. The cap seal means that I can pick up the pen after weeks of non-use and know that it will write right away. I am looking forward to seeing the new versions of the Alleria with their exclusive resins when they come out later this year.

(Thank you to Luxury Brands of America, who sent this pen at no charge for review.)


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Posted on July 15, 2022 and filed under Gioia, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Pilot Kakuno Fmaily Series Fountain Pen Review

Pilot Kakuno Fountain Pen

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)

I love a good theme, and while I don't love having my stationery unnecessarily gendered, these are pretty cute. And cuteness aside, the Pilot Kakuno is a good pen.

It's a pen that's perfect for kids or beginners, but it is also very at home in the collection of experienced Pen Addicts. The low price point and ease of use it offers makes it a great gateway pen for those looking to get into the hobby. It's not too precious to entrust to young writers, and it can be guiltlessly tossed into a pen pouch or backpack without much worry.

Pilot Kakuno Fountain Pen

The pen body is made out of 85% recycled plastic, and this model is in a lovely transparent pink. There are lots of other colors to choose from as well. The clear body lets you see all the inner workings and even watch the ink flow through the feed, which is always fun.

The cap snaps to close and is shaped to make it easy to remove and also prevents the pen from rolling on a desk. It does post securely. The grip section is slightly shaped to promote a "proper" grip, but it isn't as obtrusive as some brands. It suggests a certain hold, but I can comfortably hold it several ways.

Pilot Kakuno Fountain Pen

The best thing about the Kakuno, though, and the thing everyone knows it for, is the smiley nib. The family series gives these nib faces characters, all members of a smiley pen family. A dark blue dad, dark pink mom, light blue boy, light pink girl, and green baby. They all have some accessory etched in addition to the smile--the girl pen has a ribbon and long eyelashes. It's cute and also a little creepy in a Stepford kinda way.

Pilot Kakuno Fountain Pen

Cute or creepy, it writes well. The nib is smooth and the ink from the included cartridge flows well. I wish they came with fun ink colors instead of black, but Pilot Black is a very good black.

This pen costs $12.50, which is quite a bit more than its main competition--the Platinum Preppy, which is also excellent and sells for under $5, AND comes with fun ink colors. The Preppy doesn't stare at you, though--unblinking and smiling, while you write. So if you're into that sort of thing, you definitely need a Kakuno.

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


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Pilot Kakuno Fountain Pen
Posted on July 14, 2022 and filed under Pilot, Kakuno, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.