Sakura Craft Lab 009 Review: A Retro-Futuristic Gel Pen With Real Writing Comfort

Introduction

Sakura Crepas released the Sakura Craft Lab 009 on December 10, 2024 as the latest model in its Craft Lab series, priced at 16,500 yen including tax. It is a premium rotating gel pen with a retro-futuristic design concept, and it arrives in two colors: Asteroid Silver and Nebula Black. This review covers what the 009 is like to hold, how it writes, and whether the price is justified.

Who This Product Is For

The Craft Lab 009 is aimed at stationery enthusiasts who want a distinctive, design-led pen rather than a disposable workhorse. It suits writers who appreciate a balanced, heavier instrument and who are willing to pay a premium for build quality and a smooth gel refill. It is not a natural fit for students or anyone on a tight budget, given the price.

First Impressions and Design

Out of the box, the 009 makes a strong visual impression. The overall sense of unity in the design is excellent, built around a retro-futuristic idea of “drawing a futuristic future.” The color names come from space, with Asteroid Silver and Nebula Black offered at launch.

One caveat stands out immediately: the packaging. The 009 comes in a simple paper box that feels inexpensive for a pen in this price range, a clear step down from the nicer packaging of the earlier 006 model. The design direction of the box has also changed from previous Craft Lab releases.

Build Details: Barrel, Grip, and Clip

The shaft is stainless steel, finished with 3D photo etching that creates countless small openings across the barrel. Through these openings you can see the inner color: yellow inside the black shaft and orange inside the silver one. It is a distinctive look, though not entirely unprecedented, as pens with similar perforations have existed before.

The grip area is worth studying before you buy. The 3D photo-etched processing stops partway down the barrel, so writers who hold the pen close to the nib will grip an unprocessed, potentially slippery section. Those who hold higher up are fine. Near the brass nib, the body steps down with vertical grooves that resemble a gear, from which the writing pipe extends straight.

The 009 is a twist-action pen: turning the crown extends and retracts the refill smoothly, and it locks when deployed. The clip inherits an eyeglass motif from the 001 model, with a hole in its center. Unlike the previous version, this clip rotates with the shaft and does not make contact with it during rotation, so there is no worry about the two surfaces grinding against each other. It does, however, struggle to hold very thin paper. The cherry blossom mark on the crown is printed rather than engraved, which raises questions about long-term durability of the marking.

Writing Performance

This is where the 009 earns its keep. It is very comfortable to write with, using the same dedicated Craft Lab refill as previous models in the series, a water-based pigment gel ink available in black, blue black, brown black, bold black, and green black for 220 yen each, plus a jet black at 275 yen.

The notable improvement is that wobble at the pen tip is suppressed compared to past Craft Lab products, making the writing feel smoother and more controlled. Combined with a center of gravity near the middle of the pen and a comfortable knock-like twist feel, it is arguably the most comfortable pen to write with in the Craft Lab series so far.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The price is the main barrier. At 16,500 yen including tax, the 009 is a hesitant purchase even for committed stationery fans, and it is hard to argue students should buy one. The cost cutting on the packaging is also disappointing for a pen at this level, and the printed crown mark seems likely to wear rather than endure.

There is also the question of the black paint. With a barrel covered in perforations, the coating seems likely to peel around the many holes over long-term use, particularly on the Nebula Black version. That said, even a worn, paint-peeled example arguably retains its character, and long-term testing will tell. If the etched section were machined slightly further down the barrel, the grip issue for low-position writers would disappear too.

Buying Advice

If you hold your pen higher on the barrel, value a balanced, heavy, twist-action gel pen, and want the most comfortable writing feel in the Craft Lab series, the 009 is a strong choice. Choose Asteroid Silver if you prefer a cooler look; choose Nebula Black if you are curious about how the coating holds up, knowing it may show wear around the perforations. Budget for the dedicated refills at 220 yen each (275 yen for jet black) and set expectations for the modest box it arrives in.

Conclusion

The Sakura Craft Lab 009 condenses a lot of elements into one pen: a space-inspired color story, a retro clip motif, and a futuristic 3D photo-etched barrel. The concept is a bit muddled, and the cheap packaging undersells it, but the writing comfort is genuinely the best in the series, and the design stays appealing even if the paint wears with use. For enthusiasts with the budget, it is worth a close look.