Zebra V-301 Review

[PolarMoonman]

Pen: V-301

Make: Zebra

Cost: $4

Nib: Medium

 

Packaging & Accessories: (2/10)

Pen came in blister pack with two ink cartridges, that were a nice bold black color. But flow was atrocious had to empty the cartridges, the pen skipped like an excited schoolgirl.

 

Appearance & Design: (6/10)

Love the design of this pen except the wick feed. I like how it looks posted and love the steel barrel. My only modification would be to have the cap cover the black plastic grip section. I think it would look better if it did. But overall I like how the pen looks.

 

Construction & Quality: (4/10)

I do not care for the wick feed, it seems to make flow difficult. I am also a bit concerned about the plastic threads that connect the grip section to the barrel. I have had Zebra pens where the threads stripped and I had to throw them away because the two parts wouldn't stay together. Also when posted the cap will spin it does not stay the way you put it.

 

Weight & Dimensions: (8/10)

The pen is not heavy, but not too light either. When posted balance is wonderful. No complaints or issues with the weight and dimensions.

 

Nib & Performance: (1/10)

This is where the pen crashes and burns..... I had soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much trouble with this pen. And a less determined individual probably would have thrown it away. I got this pen February 3rd. It is now the 8th and the pen still doesn't write perfectly. When it does work it writes smoothly and nicely, but I have soaked it and flushed it over and over for almost a week, and flow is still not as good as I'd like. It sometimes works well other times it skips on almost every other word. So performance is very sporadic.

 

BUT

 

I have found the secret for 100% perfect writing! If you hold the pen in your hand over the paper and flip it over so the black curved plastic part of facing up instead of the shiny metal side, it writes perfectly and does not skip ever. Which I do not understand...... :hmm1: So in reality I may hold onto this pen just because of this odd quirk....

 

 

Filling System & Maintenance: (5/10)

Cartridges that come with the pen are terrible, refilled them with Parker Quink ink. Zebra does not carry a converter for it, but I've heard platinum preppy ones work. Though I personally cannot justify spending $10 on a converter for a pen of this quality.

 

Cost & Value: (0/10)

I can't even give it a 1. It's an awful pen, for someone starting out it would turn them off to fountain pens in a flash. Which would be a true tragedy.

 

Conclusion: (26/70 37%)

This pen is not a good pen for a beginner or an expert. Where I am an intermediate user and am up to the challenge of messing with my pens, it's alright. And using my unorthodox method it works fine....

[bulbboy]

Mine wouldn't write and the cap wouldn't go back on the pen.

 

Chunked it in the garbage

[PolarMoonman]

I have found the main design flaw with this pen. The cartridge has a plastic ball in it and when I put the cartridge with the punctured hole facing down and shake it nothing comes out it forms a nearly perfect seal. This cuts of all consistent flow. I changed it out for a sheaffer cartridge and now flow is perfect.