The Zebra Sarasa Grand (buy via JetPens) is a premium version of the Zebra Sarsa that has a brass body and comes in four different colors. Even the package itself is pretty fancy with its multi-faceted design. Just as a reminder this pen was provided as a part of our sponsorship with JetPens, however that does not impact the honest opinions expressed in this review of the Zebra Sarasa Grand pen.
Any premium vertion of a pen is usually going to be made of a more sturdy material, which is brass in the case of the Zebra Sarasa Grand. This results in a pretty significant weight of 23.55 grams. The only parts of the pen that aren’t brass are the clip and the plunger. The plunger has a small black plastic disc that covers the top, and the other colors of the pen have appropriately matching tips. Personally I really like the heavier weight of this pen, and it gives that sometimes misleading perception of quality. You will also notice that the pen is pretty limited in its branding, which is great. There is just a small “Zebra Sarasa” printed above the grip and “Sarasa” on the clip.
This breakdown of the pen shows all of the basic components, but I mostly took it to try and show the “window” that shows the ink level. The majority of the window can be seen behind the clip, with a small portion extending below the end of the clip. The problem with this “window” though is that its nearly impossible to really see the ink cartridge or ink level at all. In looking at the pictures of the other colors of the Zebra Sarasa Grand on the JetPens website, the gold version is the only one that appears to have a window that actually lets you see the ink level because of its lighter color. It also looks like the window in the Red version is more transparent if you look at Brad’s recent review of the pen here.
The clip on the Zebra Sarasa Grand has some serious space for gripping onto things. The above picture shows the pen attached to about 70 of the 140 pages in my Black n’ Red notebook, where it held pretty well. It will pivot or slide a little the more your tests its limits, but for most average users the clip should be plenty capable. The clip is attached to the pen with a solid flat piece of metal that has a very sturdy feel to it. I would expect it to hold up very well if you are pushing its limits. I don’t generally use pen clips to attach my pens to anything so it isn’t a hugely important feature for me.
Zebra Sarasa Grand Writing Sample:
The Zebra Sarasa Grand has the same ink as the other Zebra Sarasa pens you are probably familiar with, so the quality is still superior to many other gel ink pens in my mind, particularly when compared to the Pilot G2. The main difference when writing with the Sarasa Grand as compared to the the regular Sarasa comes as a result of the weight of the pen. To me the more solid weight makes for a more enjoyable writing experience. The pen just feels more solid in your hand and I believe it translates into a more crisp and consistent result in my writing.
The one nag I have always had with the Sarasa line though is that there is a slight rattle in the tip while writing. Although its not incredibly distracting, it is noticeable and tends to come and go which probably has to do with your personal writing style. Overall though the quality of the build and the quality of the ink in the Zebra Sarasa Grand is definitely worth the price and its a great looking pen to top it off. Check it out over at JetPens in one of the four available colors.
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