Zebra X-701 Tactical Retractable Ballpoint Pen

I’m currently writing with the all metal silver pen & it’s my EDC but find myself alternating.
In my opinion, the F-701 writes a bit smoother than the X-701 along with it being more comfortable, less bulky & there’s no paint to chip off. Personally, I like the chipped paint look that my X-701 has gotten but others won’t like that. The refills for both pens are cheap & easily available too, win-win! Nothing to really dislike here, they’re great quality pens.

Better than Bic but I don’t see the reason to spend more than what the X/F-701 costs when it’s so smooth, ink is affordable/accessible, etc.

Was looking for a replacement for a Fisher Space pen after the plastic clip broke off. The Zebra pen is a close second. The plastic end of the barrel is a tad wider than the Fisher but about the same length. The top end is metal and the Zebra pen does have a metal clip. The Zebra pen comes with TWO .7mm refills that are pressurized, and it writes a fine line. I would prefer somewhat thicker lines, but there are no medium refills through Amazon. So far they write on about everything I have tried. It is represented to write under extreme temperatures. I have not tired it in very hot or cold environments. If you like the design and fine point, this is a good everyday ballpoint pen. It is NOT tactical and will not break a car window or be much use for self-defense. It is just a nice ball point pen. I suspect it will last awhile if you don’t abuse it. Fischer Space pens have better ink cartridges. Decide between the brands based on looks.

I love this pen. I think I could be a pen salesman, and my target market would be sales teams who are hiring. They play into your hand effortlessly: “Sell me this pen”. You whip out a X701. You extend your arm and give him the pen. “Write with it”. As soon as he grabs the military grade pressurized stainless steel barrel, he feels he is writing with something important, something meant for a purpose. But he won’t be sold that easy. He scribbles on the paper…. The pen glides so effortlessly, it feels as if he’s not touching the paper, but gliding over it…impressive for weight. He doesn’t even know why the barrel is pressurized, what he’d do with the lanyard loop, or that the pen preforms at 100% at temperatures between -30 to 250 degrees. He doesn’t know the black matte finish has been engineered to be unchippable, or that it comes with refills at purchase in blue and black. He doesn’t know the pen has been through countless tests to ensure not only that it preforms perfectly at challenging angles, but also on challenging surfaces. Surprisingly enough, he doesn’t know it’s a ballpoint, as it’s so smooth to write with, being a ballpoint seems inconceivable. He doesn’t know the pen is made by a company that is over 100 years old and makes huge charitable contributions to The National Breast Cancer Foundation, City of Hope, and Kids in Need. What he knows is he is writing with a quality tool. The room has been quiet. He continues the interview. “Sure…” he says, denying the sale “so tell me a little about your..” “12 dollars!” I exclaim. “Excuse me…?” He says inquisitively. “You’re still holding my pen, and I’m going to need it back, however I do have a few cases of them with me. 12 dollars each, but we can get that down significantly if you buy in bulk. He is a salesman. He’s more careful than that. But he does want the pen. “I have a card reader if you’d like, but I really must be going” I say, as I stand up and dawn my coat. “Hey ya know what, let me get one of those pens”. Fish in a barrel. With this pen, every customer, is a return customer.

Great, solid pen. Writes smooth, and very well built. Feels very light, but deceptively solid.

I’ll be very upfront, I dislike “Tactical” as a name given to anything that is not a plan. It is something that applies to military planning, sports, video games, a style of story.

Not an object.

That said, this pen is pretty awesome, I like a pen that has slightly more girth where I hold it, compared to thin pens that give me cramps in the hand. I also like black. This pen matches me very well, always in black; simple, clean, perfect! (nooo! not ME, I’m as far from perfect as they come, the BLACK on the pen is PERFECT!) SCHWARZ!!!!

The pen simply looks good; is light, but feels solid and writes very well. Whether you need or want pressurized ink cartridges, that’s kind of something you decide. I noticed I never get “air bubbles” in the ink, so when I write, it ALWAYS writes. Sometimes though, I’ve noticed that, maybe due to the pressurized nature of the ink, that on rare occasion, some extra ink would build up at the tip. Temperature changes? It’s never leaked though, I never took out the pen and found ink on my hands.. I only noticed that when writing alot on dirty paper, scribbling and notepad. So maybe getting dirty paper dust on the tip and then as you write some buildup occurs.

Otherwise, what’s to say?! It’s a damned pen! It writes perfectly, it looks perfect and I didn’t need to break into the federal reserve to be able to afford it.

I’ve always had good experiences with Zebra pen, still use a F-301 from 18 years ago.. it’s just the thin design I cramp up if writing for hours on end.

You find this pen looks good? Why are you still reading this… open thy wallet!

This is my daily carry pen. Very durable. Highly recommend this for EDC.