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18 reviews
Less than expected
The bad:
I should have read the description more closely. I love my Zebra F701. It’s all steel, robust, solid, and writes very well. I was expecting an ALL STEEL pen. The only steel part was the barrel and it is very thin at that. The mechanism is plastic. The tip is plastic. The filament is plastic, and the grip is plastic.
The Good:
The plastic parts are quite sturdy, certainly more substantial than a typical plastic pen. The clip is a better design, in my opinion, and stiffer metal than the F701 clip. I do not think it will bend as easily. The grip is very comfy. The filament allows for writing upside down, on water, and oil/dirt. I tested these very things and it performed reasonably well.
Final thoughts:
It’s a great pen. It performs well in a harsh environment but don’t expect it to be a good EDC tertiary weapon after your piece or knife. It is mostly plastic. Get an all steel F701 for that. I will say that it is still quite sturdy and the added lanyard loop could be quite useful in the field. It should take a beating.
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Verified purchase: Yes • Condition: new • Sold by: mmmom52
If you know and LOVE Zebra pens don't disappoint yourself with this one.
I have used, LOVED and been 100% dedicated to Zebra for almost 3 decades now. I have always loved the metal barrel and how smoothly they wrote. I love them so much that even though there in runs out I can't make myself throw away the body, even if I can't find a refill (which eventually I will find). The X-701 is designated such in reference to supposedly being an "extreme" version of the "F-701". I'm sorry to say that this pen is not an"extreme" version of anything more than a disappointment (yes this is going to the Zebra home page). It weighs about 1/3rd of what the F-701 does. And if you are addicted with the same love of an all metal pen or at least a metal barrel as I am then you know very well that weight means a lot when it comes to how it fits and feels. It's a lot like a watch. If I can't feel that watch on wrist it has no business being there.
Now, the ads and listings say it has a pressurised barrel and that is how it is capable of writing at extreme angles, upside down with. I fail to see how a barrel is pressurised considering the to unscrews to change the ink cartridge and there are no O-rings or seals and there is no way to pressurised it at home. And the cartridge itself is open at the end so it is incapable of retaining when a minute amount of pressure other than that if the current atmosphere.
If the barrel is indeed stainless steel it has to be paper thin. The tip, when removed front the body, is metal and can be seen on the inside. The tip appears to be metal that has either been powder coated or had a layer of plastic applied. The barrel though it's a different story. As much as I tried I can't determine what the barrel is made from and am simply unwilling to destroy a $15 pen to satisfy my curiosity. However I am sure if something doesn't change and some aspect of the X-701 doesn't make me fall in love with it then I will do exactly that when the ink rings dry. And I can usually drain a Zebra I'm cartridge in 3-5 days as I am constantly finding a reason to put pen to paper. No way is it because I just love writing and the way it feels as my pen smoothly glides across paper and each stroke adds to the overall completed piece of work.
However, the X-701 was meant for harsher conditions than my Lazy Boy and heated seats. And that being what it is then what better place for it to reside than clipped to the visor of my truck. Maybe, just maybe, having this pen where it will most likely be used in a manner consistent with it's design will speak that piece inside me that will show me that the X-701 can meet and best the challenging writing needs of those their which its design was intended.
Please don't read my review and rely solely on it to make your decision. There are many other reviews out there, a lot of which are outstanding even glowing reviews recommending this pen as your EDC. This is one person's opinion, a very picky person at that.
If you do purchase this one then by all means enjoy. I hope it is what you where looking for. But if you want a heavy pen that is controllable as well as comfortable then you may consider the F-701. My next Zabra purchase will be the F-xMD, and I CAN'T WAIT!!!! Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes • Condition: new • Sold by: hughhoney
Good pen
I am very picky with pens. Normally used the zebra fine tip blue 701. But since a co-worker dropped my old 701 in some “bad stuff” that I didn’t want to risk getting on me by cleaning pen, I bought this new pen.
This is a Nice pen. Has a big pen feel without being too heavy. The barrel is metal but the grip is plastic. If the entire pen was metal and came in blue ink it would have gotten 5 stars. I like the matte finish and fine tip. The majority of the time that I use a pen it in the outside. I have not dropped the pen in the snow yet so can’t speak on the operational temperature claims. we’ll see how this winter goes. I have since purchased this pen a few times as gifts for co-workers and they seem to like it.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes • Condition: new • Sold by: the_ink_well
Not all steel.
The only steel is the barrel, tip, and clip. The rest is plastic including the grip.
The 701 and 402 are better pens. This cold be a nice pen but not being all steel makes the pen a disappointment. Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes • Condition: new • Sold by: the_ink_well
good to go
very ligth but feel really good in hand very well made
Verified purchase: Yes • Condition: new • Sold by: beachaudio
excellent
light weight material writes any where
Verified purchase: Yes • Condition: new • Sold by: ezfinds2012
Zebra tactical pen
Light weight but durable. Writes smooth easy to carry unlike many other heavy tactical pens.
Verified purchase: Yes • Condition: new • Sold by: the_ink_well
It writes
It works as planned, and doesn’t break in my pocket. If I can avoid losing it, it should last a long time.
Verified purchase: Yes • Condition: new • Sold by: savingsfairy
Great product and value!
Pen writes a fine line for a .07mm, performs great with good tolerance between pen tip & refill. Definitely recommend!
Verified purchase: Yes • Condition: new • Sold by: wehavedeals-6
New Favorite Pen
Excellent Pen - high quality materials, sturdy construction, and most importantly smooth writing.
Verified purchase: Yes • Condition: new • Sold by: pensavings