Where is my Zebra???
Written: Jun 21 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Lightweight, dependable
Cons: None
The Bottom Line: Try one out for yourself.
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| nedipooh's Full Review: Zebra F 301 Ultra Retractable Ballpoint Pen Fine P... |
Why in the world would anyone write a review on an ink pen? Hey, they have ink and they write. Need I say anymore? Well, yes, I do. Pens do have ink and they do write...or at least most of them do. So what would make one pen more special than any other? So glad you asked!
Have you ever tried to wrestle a big, bulky, strong truck driver? Jockeying for position in the constant battle for sole possession of the remote control is one thing. Doing so for the use of a simple pen is altogether different. When that pen is a Zebra F-301 Ultra Retractable Ballpoint Pen, it's worth the fight. There have been times that either Bobby or I have misplaced our pen. That's when the battle ensues because we both depend on having a good, reliable pen to use daily.
So now you're wondering what there is about this pen that would make it so desirable. The Zebra F-301 Ultra Retractable Ballpoint Pen simply is the best pen I've ever used when it comes to writing smoothly. It's also very tough. It has a Stainless steel barrel, which makes it so much stronger than those plastic little cheap-o pens. The Zebra won't break in my purse and spill ink all over everything. That happened to me too many times in the past with the little white Bic pens.
One of the features of the Zebra F-301 Ultra Retractable Ballpoint Pen that I appreciate is its' 0.7mm fine point. It won't glop up like so many ink pens tend to do if you put any pressure on them. If you have the duplicate style checks, you need a pen that will write your check clearly and show up on legibly on your duplicate copy. Without a fine point, the copies can be impossible to read. It's also one of the reasons that Bobby relies on his pen so much. When he makes his entries into his log books, there is carbon between the sheets. It is imperative that he has a pen that will be able to print clearly and carry through the carbon to the next sheet.
The Zebra F-301 Ultra Retractable Ballpoint Pen is also very lightweight in your hand. Just recently the Zebra folks changed the grip. It used to be a black plastic thin grip. Now they have improved it to a soft rubber grip, which makes it even easier to use. At work I have to use the pens that are provided, the Papermate flex-grip pens. I have a lot of writing to do on the job and these pens are uncomfortable after only moments of use. I have had to purchase those little rubber grippers at my own expense, and slip them on the ends of these pens. That is the only way that they are usable for any length, without a great deal of pain.
The Zebra F-301 Ultra Retractable Ballpoint Pen is 5 1/8" long. Compared to one of the plastic Bic pens, which is 6 3/4" long with the cap attached, that's quite a difference. The Zebra pen fits nicely into my purse and it won't wear holes into the bottoms of Bobbys' pocket tees. He clips it on and it just fits the length of the pocket. The clip is something else that the folks at Zebra recently changed. It used to be metal and very thin. Now it is slightly thicker and made of plastic. Time will tell if this clip holds as well as the previous ones did.
The Zebra F-301 does feature a retractable tip, which has never failed to function properly for me. I personally do not like pens that require caps because I tend to lose them. And also because there are times when I only have one hand available. Trying to get a cap off one-handed can be a bit of a challenge.
The Zebra F-301 Ultra Retractable Ballpoint Pen is available in either black or blue ink. We always purchase the ones with black ink and a black barrel. They are refillable, which can save some money. If there is any "con" to this product, it would be that the refills are not always easy to find. Fortunately, the pen itself is relatively inexpensive. I've purchased them for as little as about $1.89 at Walmart to around $2.79 at a higher-priced grocery store.
Hopefully by now I have you wishing to try out a Zebra Pen for yourself. You can find them almost anywhere from grocery stores to drug stores to office supply stores to, yes, even Truck Stops. As a matter of fact, they are quite popular at the truck stops because of their reputation for dependability. Trust a truck driver to know where to find the best food and where to find the most reliable pens. To see a detailed list of the stores and websites that carry Zebra Products, go to: http://www.zebrapen.com/purchase.cfm
The Zebra Pen Corp. does not sell directly to the public, so you won't be able to just call them up and order one pen. Their products are available, however, through mail-order catalog. To contact them you can write to "Boardroom Products, P.O. Box 3114, Warminster, PA, 18974", or call them at 800-739-7818. Their fax number is 888-254-0381. They also have a website at www.boardroomproducts.com.
In closing I should also let you know that Zebra does guarantee the performance of their writing instruments. If yours fails to perform properly, you can return it to them for either repair or replacement. Now this guarantee is going to be void if you use it as a screwdriver in your workshop, or crunch it under your boots. However if it simply won't work, just send it to the Zebra Pen Corp., 105 Northfield Avenue, Edison, NJ 08837. We've never had to do this. Every one we've had has performed beautifully.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
nedipooh
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Member: Nedi
Location: Sittin' in front of the 'puter.
Reviews written: 116
Trusted by: 113 members
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