Ballpoint pens may not have the very rich ink pigments of rollerballs or the old-school feel of fountain pens. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t get a quality ballpoint that looks expensive and gives a steady flow of ink. (We are so tired of ballpoints that skip!) The X-701 was highly awaited by fans of “everyday carry” pens but it faced problems shortly after its August 2018 release. The pen was in very short supply initially and only sold directly from Zebra, where it sold out. In 2019 Zebra released the X-701 as an a rugged, outdoor-friendly pen. It was highly expected but failed to impress most buyers once it was released. The ink is great and rarely blots, but it can’t write on all surfaces, and it may skip if you try writing on the wall or other unusual angles. If you want to be able to write on any kind of paper, surface, condition, and angle, we recommend you get a Fisher Space pen with pressurized ink. Zebra F-701 Pros and Cons Pros Have you carried the F-701? Did you feel the need to upgrade at all? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this EDC classic in the comments below.

In 2018 the Zebra F-xMD was released outside of the US. This is an entirely steel pen that was basically the same thing as a modded F-701 with a different ink refill. The refill was almost interchangeable with that of the original F-701 but with the change of some internal components the fit of the internals changed slightly as well. We’re glad you dig this post! But first, please take a few moments to sign up as a member of our EDC community below. The stainless steel body isn’t just all style, other. From a practical perspective, it’s easier to sanitize than plastic, and it’s corrosion-resistant. Since I spray almost everything with alcohol now because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this is definitely a big and healthy plus.The heavy-duty stainless-steel barrel with a knurled grip ensures superior writing stability. Rugged and sturdy, this stainless steel ballpoint pen can take a beating and is designed for the serious communicator looking to embody their personal style in their writing instrument.

From a writing perspective, it performs along the same lines as other traditional ballpoints. The ink is a bit splotchy and light, and the 0.7mm size makes a very fine line. It never has issues starting or skipping, and I've never had any defective refills in my years of using this pen. Apart from the normal downsides of a ballpoint refill, this is a top notch example of a great performing refill. Post-release the pen was criticized for its use of plastic components — the grip section in particular which not only is made of plastic but has a plastic-y feel to it that F-701 fans disliked. People have also noted flaking paint on the coated steel body and the large amount of plastic used in the pen’s construction (both inside and out). Now that we have successfully swapped the clips, we now slide the F-701's steel body over the F-402's plastic body. We are almost done. At this point you should now realise that the plastic inside the steel tube is the same as the plastic inside the other pen( the only difference being the pen clips and the metal part we want). Remember, we want that metal peice for our all metal pen, so right now if you want you can just proceed to the next step. But if you are like me, and really like the clip on the zebra F-107, then we have to unscrew the part metal part(and the plastic one with the clip we want) off the tube so we can swap them. The plastic one screws off easy, whereas the metal one needs some encouragement, so let's try using that handy jar opener to remove it. Don't lose that spring inside! The new F-701 uses professional-grade stainless steel from its clip to the tip. It’s part of the Zebra Steel 7 series, which is their top-of-the-line ballpoint pens. The line also has a tactical ballpoint, mechanical pencil, permanent marker, and pen and pencil set.

The F-701 (sometimes written as the F701) is the top-of-the-line retractable ballpoint in Zebra’s Steel Series. It uses an 0.8mm ballpoint refill that is good on lots of surfaces, but is also compatible with the Fisher Space Pen PR pressurized refill. The F-701 is known for it’s rugged build quality and incredible value. It is considered by many to be the ultimate in “everyday carry” value. The refills are easy to get. Aside from the official Zebra refills, the pen is also compatible with Fisher Space Pen refills. What We Don’t Like About Zebra F-701 Having been released in 2018, the X-701 is a relatively new addition to Zebra’s family of rugged pens. It’s the first “X” pen Zebra has released and it was the fourth addition to the top-tier “7” line of Zebra’s Steel Series.