Zebra Sharbo X TF12

[cytherian]

Hey Diego, I also find that the lack of detent on the Sharbo X isn’t a deal breaker. But when you use a Surari… it’s just so nice having it. I wish there was some feasible way to transplant the internals to a Sharbo X.

I’ve sometimes seen the TS10 discounted used for really low prices, sometimes costing the same as a new Sharbo X from JetPens. Occasionally, Amazon Japan selling on Amazon USA has featured them for ridiculously low prices, the lowest I’d seen being $13 in plain white (without inserts). I almost picked up a TS10 but balked. I’ll be curious to know what you think, given your love for the Sharbo X.

[RPD]

The TS10 for $13 is absolutely nuts, that’s less than a fifth of the MSRP!

This is a table I did one day I was bored. You can see how the TF12 is the thinnest and the TS10 is the heaviest and thickest. I guess that the complaints about the TS10 stem from that? Personally I like thick pens as long as they have a reasonable heft (thick & light pens feel cheap) so I think I’ll like the TS10. Another difference between models is the connector piece, the cheap models have a plastic connector while the more expensive ones have a metal connector.

A family picture of my multifunction pens. If someone wants a pen with detents for retraction, then I also recommend the vintage sharbos. Millions of them were made so they’re relatively easy and cheap to find. For some reason I can’t understand the 2000 yen model mechanism feels tighter than the 3000 yen one, but it may just be my pen which is a bit loose.

Some eye candy

[cytherian]

@RPD

The TS10 for $13 is absolutely nuts, that’s less than a fifth of the MSRP!

Sorry for the confusion – that’s for the Sharbo X, plain white. The lowest I ever saw a good condition used TS10 was about $35 USD.

[ulfesharpe]

@cytherian

Personally, I’m perfectly happy with 3 inserts.

I didn’t mean a 4th component in the Sharbo LT3 either — just a 4th position that closes the pen.

3 inserts is more than enough.

[cytherian]

Ah, OK. I understand you now. Physically with the Sharbo X it actually means 6 positions (there would be a detent between each insert, as on the Surari).

[ulfesharpe]

[Linus2K]

CL5 & SL6 are not leather grip, I think the grip is metal tube with leather pattern, plus paint job, it feels completely solid. Some dealers maybe or maybe not intentionally used misleading descriptions, but Zebra official never said so, they describe it as screen printing.

LT3, SL6, TF12, they have the same size. (Their caps are actually interchangeable with the first gen sharbo)
(ST3, ST5, AL5, SC5, CL5, LC5 are of another type)

TS10 used to have a slightly lighter model, SB21-A, 19.4g, aluminum body, other TS10 are brass body. It’s discontinued now, SB21-B, SB21-C are still available. My complaint about TS10 (and GS40th) is the plastic thread and a sticky rotation feeling. I know maybe Zebra thinks their executive model need a steady tone, but I’m just not happy with the result. It will stuck if you try to rotate it quickly, I disassemble it, and add some grease to improve it to a usable level.

As for the selection of materials in some parts, what happens is completely confusing:
Full metal body: LT3, SL6, CB8, TF12, SW15 (star war limited edition, based on CB8)
Plastic connector in the middle (the first few also have plastic tail cap and thread): ST3, ST5, AL5, CL5, SC5, LC5, TS10, and even their top price model, 20k yen, GS40th, is still palstic thread.

So the material here has nothing to do with the price. A 3k LT3 with metal, 20k top model with plastic, huh. Like Zebra never really thought about it, or at least not for those earnest collectors. (meanwhile, still launched anniversary model GS40th?)

@RPD

For some reason I can’t understand the 2000 yen model mechanism feels tighter than the 3000 yen one, but it may just be my pen which is a bit loose.

Normally they are the same. In my experience, for vintage sharbo, if it looks okay, most of the time it works as good as new.

For TF12, I got one for 4k yen, its market price is around 6k, which is a reasonable price I think. Overall I love it, it does have a sense of luxury.
Except for the problem you mentioned, another is that despite Zebra uses promotional words such as “ultra precision, high skill” on it, the fact is that it’s just okay level. There are visible burrs on the edges of each lattice, and it does make the touch slightly worse.

Upper rod and the grip of TF12, somehow the upper part looks nice while the grip is sick.

[Linus2K]

AL5, as one of the first products of the SharboX series when it was released in 2007. Smooth brushed aluminum body in 4 colors, it has been discontinued for years.

From an earlier catalog

One of my regrets is that they discontinued a lot of colorful D1 refill, and now any brand offers almost no more than the basic four colors.

[drifand]

Colorful gel inks run out waaaay too quickly when packaged in D1 format…

[cytherian]

Great write-up, Linus! Nice to see all of this info in one place.

@Linus2K

CL5 & SL6 are not leather grip, I think the grip is metal tube with leather pattern, plus paint job, it feels completely solid. Some dealers maybe or maybe not intentionally used misleading descriptions, but Zebra official never said so, they describe it as screen printing.

I can confirm that as well. I managed to get a white “leather” Sharbo X, frankly by mistake. I thought it was smooth white and got a really good deal on it (all refills installed, in box). A close examination revealed that it’s a faux-leather. And a relief. I much prefer that. Platinum had a period where it went crazy with many pen offerings featuring leather bodies and grips. They do not age well!

[cytherian]

Btw, anyone here know anything about some of the other Sharbo X variants?

A while back I’d stumbled by accident across a dotted Sharbo X (SB14, ST3). White with dark gray dotted matrix pattern. There was another also up for auction at the time, which was all black and light green dots in a matrix pattern. I bid on both but only won the white version. I’ve only seen this pattern one other time.

I don’t see this one showing up in the catalog screenshots above, so it has me curious.

There was another dotted version, more of a polka-dot design. I’m not sure of how many color variations were made, but this one was a kind of copper color with white dots.

It was up on YAJ for well over a year, possibly two! I had a search going for dotted Sharbo X models and would fire it periodically, then check closed auctions. This one kept coming up over and over, until someone finally bought it.

[Linus2K]

It has been more than ten years since the release of SharboX, there are so many limited editions. I think it is enough to focus on the most special or favorite models, for the rest, I don’t need to take them too seriously. Some of these are rather rough combination of elements or outdated designs.

[cytherian]

Are those photographed dotted ones from your collection, or photos you’d grabbed online?

[Linus2K]

Just online photos, I am rather inactive to list the source cited