Posts filed under Zebra

Zebra Click Bright Highlighter Review

(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 her latest book, Root Rot, is now available for pre-order!)

Where were these all my life? Bookworms rejoice, there's finally a wee chisel-tip highlighter that's perfect for highlighting fine print and closely printed text. I didn't know I could be so delighted about highlighters, but here we are.

Zebra, king of the school supply isle, has brought us the Click Bright Highlighters, which are both bright and clickable. This set of six comes in the classic neon colors: yellow, pink, blue, orange, purple, and green. They're not overly pigmented to the eye-searing level that some highlighters achieve, but they're a good balance of bright enough to draw attention. Unlike the standard capped highlighters, these are a click-retract model, which is so perfect for when you're holding a book in one hand and marking it with the other. No more removing the highlighter cap with your teeth! We've all done that, right? And despite the lack of cap, these still have a sturdy clip, so they can become the clip-on bookmark that all highlighters are destined to be.

The tip on these is also very good. It's a slightly angled chisel tip that is only 2 mm tall, which makes it so perfect for dainty work. It can even be used as a marker for writing, if one wants some neon calligraphy.

The ink is water-based, but not too wet or overly-juicy, so it doesn't bleed through paper. It makes me very sad when highlighters bleed through, so I was glad to see that these don't. They do feel a little dry when using them, but they don't actually dry out, even with their capless design.

I have to nitpick to find anything wrong with these, and the only thing I can come up with is that there's so much text on the body that it makes them look very cluttered and cheap. And to be fair, they are cheap, or at least inexpensive. The set of six sells for $10.50, with colors available individually for $1.75. That's a very decent price for what are now my favorite highlighters.

How much time have I spent slowly and carefully using the tip of a regular highlighter to mark fine print or novel text? So much time! These I can just swipe across the page without a care in the world. They're also perfect for color-coding in planners, even those with tiny grid lines. These have made my day literally and figuratively brighter.

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

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Posted on April 4, 2024 by Sarah Read and filed under Zebra, Highlighter, Pen Reviews.

Zebra Disposable 0.6mm Fountain Pen Review

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

There are many reasons that Zebra is a household stationery name, but fountain pens aren't among them. Gel pen, ballpoints, pencils, and multi-pens are easy to come by in Zebra's product line, and there only a couple of fountain pen options to pick from. But just because there aren't many options doesn't mean what they do offer isn't any good. At least with the entry level disposable fountain pen, it definitely serves a good purpose.

The Pilot Varsity is probably the most well-recognized disposable fountain pen. It's also very similar in size, design, and price to the Zebra featured here today. With both of these pens, I think they fill an important spot for two kinds of people: those that are apprehensive to trying fountain pens, and those that want a disposable fountain pen that they don't have to worry about losing or maintaining.

At just under $3.50 a piece, these pens are a dollar or so more than comparable gel refill counterparts. What you get for those three and half dollars is a fantastic writing experience with zero fuss.

For many of us, the fountain pen platform is so alluring because of how customizable and infinite it can seem. You can choose practically every small element of your writing experience and dial in your personal preferences to an exact point. That same endless intersection of choices can be daunting for someone who isn't entirely sure if they want to test the water. For anyone in that situation, this really is one of the best ways to try it out.

While the Zebra fountain pen is a great fountain pen for what it costs, it's not difficult to spend just a few more dollars to find a superior pen — and one that you can refill and keep for many, many years. What I really appreciate about this pen is that it offers a great introduction to what you can expect from other fountain pens in terms of how they write and operate. It would be a shame if this entry-level experimental pen was so cheaply made that it failed to deliver a decent writing experience. That would turn away any would-be fountain pen fans immediately. I appreciate that Zebra and Pilot put enough cost into these disposable pens so that you can test drive a fountain and determine if you want to go deeper or not. Well done on that front.

And this is where I think the pen excels — it's perfect for someone who doesn't mind spending a few bucks to see what the fuss is about, or for fountain pen fans to keep on hand to give out to people that are interested in testing the water. It's simple because all you have to do is uncap the pen and start writing. There's no ink cartridge to install, no waiting several seconds for the ink to reach the tines, no chance of user error.

The writing experience with the Zebra fountain pen is good. The nib and feed system are fantastic, but the grip and body materials feel cheap and don't provide the best gripping performance. Still, it works as well as any other pens that fit in the same price bracket. Visually, these pens are similar (look and feel) to the Uni-ball Vision rollerball pens, but the Zebra writes so much better than those rollerballs.

The steel nib lays down a 0.6mm line, which is close to a Japanese medium nib. I'm not sure why Zebra went with 0.6mm instead of using a traditional nib size nomenclature, but at least they went with a good average size. The nib is stiff and smooth. There's not much in the way of flex, and the lines are crisp and dark. The turquoise version that I have is a beautiful, bright blue that looks really good. The feed system integrated into the pen does a great job at feeding the ink into the nib regardless of how fast I write or scribble. And, the good seal that the cap provides means it should last quite a while when not in use (and capped).

Overall, the Zebra fountain pen (and the Pilot Varsity) is a great fountain pen that fits a specific need. Want to try out a decent fountain pen for minimal money and zero hassle? This pen is a great choice for you or your fountain-pen-curious friend. Want a fountain pen that you won't mourn being stolen or lost? This is also a suitable pen as long as you like the ink options and 0.6mm nib size. Already have fountain pens and inks? This pen isn't for you (unless you want it just to give away)!

(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on September 20, 2023 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Zebra, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

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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