Zebra Sharbo Nu Nature Color Wood Brown: A Limited-Edition Multi-Pen Worth a Second Look

Introduction

The Sharbo Nu Nature Color is a limited-edition line from Zebra, and the Wood Brown variant reviewed here was released on February 10, 2022. It is a multi-pen equipped with red and black ballpoint refills plus a 0.5 mm mechanical pencil, priced at 1,980 yen.

The pen is offered in two tip configurations. The 0.5 mm version comes in Amber Orange, Marine Blue, and Cloud Gray, while the 0.7 mm version comes in Wood Brown, Moss Green, and Midnight Blue, for a total of six colors. The included mechanical pencil is only available in 0.5 mm. If you buy online, it may come with a gift box, though the pen can also be purchased as the body only.

Design and Build: Calm, Natural, and Quietly Elegant

True to the name, the Wood Brown finish has a very calm and pleasant hue that blends in naturally. Among darker pens with wooden-barrel styling, it would hardly stand out at a glance. For someone who usually favors black-toned pens, it makes a refreshing change while staying understated.

The tip and clip are finished in glossy silver. The clip is not too stiff, making it easy to attach, and it functions well. The grip area has no special texture, but the paint on the barrel is non-slip and easy to hold, with a smooth frosted-glass-like feel.

The core specs are modest and desk-friendly: 143 mm total length, 25.2 g in weight, and a maximum barrel diameter of 12 mm.

The Clear Section and the Top-Load Pencil Mechanism

Two features define the Sharbo Nu. The first is the clear section in the middle of the barrel. You can see through it to check which color is showing when you rotate the barrel to deploy a refill, so no printing on the top of the barrel is needed. This clear section also serves as the knock for the mechanical pencil, an efficient and clever design.

The second standout feature is the top-in mechanical pencil mechanism. Normally, replacing refills or adding lead requires taking the barrel apart. With the Sharbo Nu, you remove the knock cap by turning it left or right, pull out the eraser, and insert lead from the top, just like a regular mechanical pencil. For frequent pencil users, this is very convenient.

The mechanism itself is a rotating type that turns continuously in either direction with a firm feel. Rotating multi-pens are often unstable when refills are retracted, but the Sharbo Nu clicks into place nicely both when the refill is extended and when it is retracted.

Writing Performance

The black ballpoint refill is extremely smooth. The initial refill is an ESB-07 using emulsion ink, a water-in-oil type ink Zebra spent over five years developing. Through a special formulation, oil-based and water-based ink are emulsified in a 7:3 ratio, with water droplets dispersed in oil. The result combines the smooth feel of water-based ink with the water resistance and quick-drying properties of oil-based ink, and it stays very smooth even under heavy pressure.

The mechanical pencil is also very easy to write with, and among multi-pens, this one ranks highly for writing feel. Tip wobble is minimal. There is some play in the mechanism, but it is very small, which allows for stable writing.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The good points are clear: the pen is simple to use in a variety of situations, the texture is pleasant, the grip is secure, and tip wobble is minimal. The clear section is an efficient design that is genuinely useful day to day.

The main point of concern is the rotary mechanism. It is quite stiff, with a clunky sensation and no smoothness at all. The positive spin is that it clicks firmly into place whether the refill is out or retracted, but this is a feature people will either love or hate. It is the only real issue worth flagging.

Buying Advice

If you rotate between red, black, and pencil throughout the day and dislike disassembling your pen to refill lead, the Sharbo Nu’s top-load system alone justifies a look. The Wood Brown limited edition adds a calm, natural look that suits a wooden desk setup beautifully. If a smooth, buttery rotation mechanism matters more to you than secure click positioning, test the feel first if you can.

Conclusion

The Zebra Sharbo Nu Nature Color Wood Brown is a well-rounded multi-pen with excellent writing performance, a clever clear window, and a genuinely practical top-load pencil mechanism. Its stiff rotary action will divide opinions, but the overall package is strong enough that it belongs on any shortlist of well-designed multi-pens.