A couple of weeks ago a friend of mine got back from Japan with a very healthy supply of stationery, and I was fortunate enough to receive a number of shiny new pens and pencils to try out. (Thanks Jordan!)
The Zebra Sharbo X ST3 was one of these gifts, and I quickly decided it had to be the first I would write about.
I have already been using a Sharbo X LT3 for the last six months, so I know how great the Sharbo X line of multi-pens pens can be. Of course, I was not disappointed.
The beautiful glossy-white painted finish is different to my standard choice of black, and having something out of the ordinary has made this pen stand out even more as one of my favourites.
All Sharbo X multi-pens can be filled with compatible D1 refills ranging from gel, ball point, emulsion and pencil and stylus. The ST3 is in the same price range and extremely similar to the LT3. There are a few differences though:
- The ST3 is thicker than the LT3, though this isn’t necessarily a bad thing as I’ll discuss below
- The threading in the ST3 is plastic, compared to the brass in the LT3
- The logos and labels on the barrel have a slightly different style
- The clip joins to the barrel in a slightly different way
The thicker body may mean that it probably fits a wider variety of D1 refills – when I first got my LT3 the thickest of my refills actually scraped on the inside of the barrel.
Above you can see how the side of the LAMY refill has rubbed off inside the LT3 (front), and it seems that the ST3 (back) will not have this problem.
I also have a feeling that the thicker barrel will allow me to write for longer periods of time. The LT3 is a bit skinny for extended use, and over time I noticed that it is less comfortable to use than my Jetstream Prime, even though there are only a couple of millimetres difference in the circumference.
For my refills, I have gone for the same setup as a my LT3:
- Position I: 0.5 mm B Nano-Dai Lead
- Position II: Black 0.7 mm Jetstream
- Position III: LAMY Orange Highlighter
Overall I’m thrilled with this pen and it has already made its way into my all-time favourites. For the moment I am using it in place of my LT3, but I am not sure which one I will use as my daily pen moving forward. As they’ve both got the same setup I can easily swap between them or keep them in different bags.
Pros
- Sturdy construction and no rattle
- Standard D1 refills with the trademark Sharbo twist selection
- Great pencil implementation with lead width selection, knock, and eraser
- Feels incredibly well made and expensive
- Beautiful white finish
Cons
- Not the cheapest multi-pen body, your budget may vary
- D1 refills are small and don’t hold much ink, especially gels
- You cannot swap the pencil out for another component
- Thicker than a standard pen
- The white finish can be an ink magnet!
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