Zebra Sarasa SE 07 Pink

The Zebra Sarasa SE is the upgraded sibling of the well-known and popular Zebra Sarasa.  The two pens are both about the same length, have the same basic layout, and contain the same (excellent) Sarasa ink cartridges.  But after that, the similarities end.

A family get-together.  The Sarasa SE (top) and the Sarasa (bottom).

 The Sarasa SE has an upgraded grip, which is longer than the grip on the standard Sarasa and is textured with a pattern of tiny raised dots.  The dots may not be to everyone's liking, but the grip is not squishy and the dots give the pen a firm feel when writing.  Plus, the fact that the grip is longer means that more parts of my hand actually contact it.

Here's the SE again, hanging out on its own.

The clip of the Sarasa SE is metal, compared to the plastic clip of the standard Sarasa, which probably makes it sturdier and less prone to breakage.  I rarely use the clips on my pens, but I did notice that the clip of the SE seems to have about zero flexibility, making it unlikely that it would be very useful for clipping onto more than a couple sheets of paper at a time.  (But do not despair!  The Sarasa also comes in another flavour that does have a super clip!  Check it out!)

The clip is also shiny.  Very shiny.  Makes it hard to take photos without reflections.

One small quibble I have about this pen is that on the standard pen, the clip bore the words "Zebra Sarasa 0.7", while on the SE, the clip bears only the word "Zebra", while "Sarasa SE 07" is printed on the barrel.  The problem with this is that it appears to be printed in the kind of paint that can chip and scratch easily.  Please keep in mind that mine has not actually started to chip, but I am keeping my eye on it.  It would, I think, defeat part of the purpose of having an upgraded version of a pen if the paint started chipping.  But maybe I'm just being paranoid about the whole paint thing.  Only time will tell.

The Sarasa SE boasts the same excellent writing quality as the standard Sarasa, and is perhaps even a bit smoother (although it may just be my imagination).  Smooth, crisp lines, vivid colours - what I expect from a Sarasa.  And a further note here: those of you who've been reading this blog long enough to recall my dislike of pink ink may be puzzled as to why I chose the pink version of the Sarasa SE.  Well, as it turned out, the store where I bought this pen was sold out of the other colours.  However, I was pleasantly surprised by this ink.  Although I do not particularly care for the colour pink generally, the Sarasa's pink is more of a coral or salmon than a typical pink and I actually don't mind it very much at all.  Hard-core pink fanatics may not care for it, but if you're feeling brave and want to check out some non-standard ink colours, give this one a try.

Overall, the Zebra Sarasa is a great pen and has long been one of my favourites.  The updated SE version is also great, although apart from aesthetics (primarily the grip and the clip), there are few things that really set it apart from the standard version.  Whether SE or standard, however, you can't go wrong with the Zebra Sarasa.

Related reviews: OfficeSupplyGeek, Pens 'n' Paper, David Wasting Paper.