Zebra pens aren't as widely known as other brands but in most cases they are just as good. Their permanent marker, the Z-PM isn't going to put Sharpie out of business any time soon but it has some sweet perks. The bullet styled shape of the barrel gives it a good look but looks aren't everything when it comes to markers and pens. This is a bump up in size from a fine point marker; it isn't fat so it's perfect for using on manila envelopes and smaller boxes. It is a permanent ink so it is not something that you are going to want to let kids use even if they are marker-smart. As a whole this is a nice permanent marker that provides a lot of coverage without squeaking and with almost no scent or smell to it.

I got this in black because I needed something that wasn't too thick or thin for addressing some padded mailers. It would have been impossible to print up stickers for them because of their odd size and using a large permanent marker would have been too hard since there were four lines to each address. I grabbed a couple thin and fine point permanent markers for the task and out of the three the Z-PM worked the best. This is not going to be the perfect pick for every single job so you are going to have to have other permanent markers around. The design of it is nice; the comfort grip is textured so when you are writing with it there is a slight break between your skin and the grip area. That helps prevent sweating which leads to a more comfortable write.

These aren't something that I would suggest using for writing unless you are working with thick paper; it will bleed through most copy, loose leaf and notebook paper. One of the problems most permanent markers have is the smell. Some people can really be affected by it and try to avoid them. This is not scentless but unless you are a couple inches away from the tip you aren't going to smell anything coming off of it when you are writing. It's a capped marker so you are going to want to make sure that it gets replaced after each up and that it is snuggly on the barrel; even though this is not a fat tip if the cap isn't on all the way it will end up smearing all over everything in your bag or backpack.

The Z-PM comes in a couple different colors; I was only interested in black but I might get purple or pink if they are ever released. It's rare to see a permanent marker that is made in retractable format because it's too hard to keep the point from drying out; if Zebra made the PM retractable I'd buy it just to try it out and see if it worked better than the others I have had in the past. I am impressed with his well this wrote and that it didn't pool up on the mailers. I didn't have to press on them to get them to write so I didn't end up wasting any of the mailers due to puncture holes. I might buy a couple more of these to have around the house and shop because it's a nice size for those in-between jobs where you need something with permanent ink but not something with a huge chisel tip.

At about $1.50 a piece they are reasonably priced and something that is going to provide you with a lot of use. I'd recommend these to people who are looking for a finer point tip from a permanent marker or those who want something with a low odor rating to them for working in confined spaces.


^V^ ©Freak369 - 2012 ^V^


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Zebra Z Grip Max Gel Pen

Recommended: Yes