The Absolute Best Gel Refill for the Zebra F-701

Getting a gel refill for the Zebra F-701 ( amzn.to/2RxNho5 ) is no easy task. How's how to upgrade the ink in your F-701 into a super smooth gel ink.
I'm using a Zebra Z-Mulsion refill ( amzn.to/2zVTljs ) from a Zebra Z-Mulsion EX Emulsion pen. These don't seem to be for sale any longer, I guess they were discontinued. My apologies! I believe a Surari will work as well - example Surari 300 ( amzn.to/2y0sUrJ ) or search for the Zebra EQ Surari Emulsion Ink Pen Refill.
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[@unsharpen]

Like this video? Please subscribe and stop by the site! unsharpen.com

[@jasonbeymer4025]

As an EDC knife guy, I stumbled upon your Zebra F-701 videos and am now hooked. You do a fantastic job of making efficient and easy to understand videos. I just purchased another F-701 and Space Pen refill and the mod was flawless. Thank you so much.

[@WhenDoesTheVideoActuallyStart]

I'd take a look at the "Uni Power Tank High Grade Refill", it's basically a Space Pen refill with the modern "hybrid" ballpen ink from Mitsubishi's Jetstream line.

[@jasonbeymer4025]

@@WhenDoesTheVideoActuallyStart Is this a substitute for the Pilot hi-tec slim refill?

[@WhenDoesTheVideoActuallyStart]

@@jasonbeymer4025 No. As I said, it's basically a modernized Fisher Space Pen refill, but by Mitsubishi/Uni. Metal body, Parker form-factor, pressurized, et al.

[@kaizen5023]

@@WhenDoesTheVideoActuallyStart Unfortunately the "High Grade" version is only in black :( ?

[@WhenDoesTheVideoActuallyStart]

@@kaizen5023 Might be, never looked for other colours, and either way it's already getting rarer You *might* be able to modify a plastic Power Tank refill (Read: cut/shave off the section where it uses thicker plastic than other parker-style refills), but I don't know how viable/difficult that would be, as I never tried doing it.

[@bighoss7603]

I don’t know why Zebra just doesn’t make the 701 in a gel I mean it would totally sell! Or have they already and I am just not aware.

[@Nblades78]

Stumbled upon this video. Excellent. I picked up a Zmulsion EX pen a few years ago along the way and I really like the pen. I have the F-701 and never liked the OEM refill, put in a Fisher refill, but I've always been a fan of gels and rollerballs.. so I would say the Zmulsion refill is the one I am now looking for for my F701!

[@monkeyseemonkeywho7191]

The company grafton makes a Parker g2 style gel that fits perfect in the f701. Just take the little end cap off (causes no problems). Not the cheapest but they are high quality and very smooth. Both 0.7 and 0.5 I recommend if you love the f701 but must have gel (like me)

[@jb6027]

I just bought an F-701 to try the different refills in it. Woo hoo! Something to do!

[@ixno3]

Thanks for the video. The F-701 ballpoint refill that comes with the pen is terrible in my opinion. I’ve been looking for a gel option.

[@louisgirdler1636]

@@unsharpen The Z Mulsion gel refills cost MORE THAN $7/each! That's more than the cost of the F701. Wouldn't it be simpler and much cheaper to simply trim about 2mm off the end of any Parker-style refill?

[@louisgirdler1636]

If you use a 7/64" diameter steel drill bit to slightly enlarge the opening of the nose tip piece of the F-701 pen, you will be able to use the ITOYA gel 0.7mm refill, which is superb. I just modified two of the new model (all steel) F-704 pens by enlarging the hole. You also must remove the black end cap from the ITOYA refill, which is easy to do with your fingers. You won't need pliers. With the end piece of the ITOYA refill removed it is EXACTLY the same length as the Zebra factory refill. NOTE: Insert the drill bit into the large opening of the pen tip before turning the drill on. Obviously, the spring must be removed. Use a moderate drill speed and a little downward pressure on the pen tip and the steel drill will enlarge the opening exactly the right amount. You can order a twin pack of the DeWalt 7/64" steel drill bits for a few dollars on Amazon.com. You can buy the excellent, moderately-priced ITOYA gel refills on Amazon and elsewhere. They have a needle tip and are very smooth.

[@louisgirdler1636]

In the second line, there is a typo. I'm obviously referring to the Zebra F-701, not the F-704. My bad. LTG

[@marquezo]

@@louisgirdler1636 can you make a video please

[@MrLongboarder87]

The best refill, in my opinion, is the Ohto flash dry gel refill .5. You just have to remove the Parker style end cap. Depending on which variety of 701 you have you might need to shave the diameter of the tail end of the refill just a little.

[@GigaDanMan]

I bought these months ago and were disappointed they didn't seem to fit. Hadn't thought to shave the end down. Just tried it and they're now my new favorite for the 701. Thank you, internet stranger.

[@LouisWinthorpe622]

If that's the PG-105NP needle point you're talking about, I already did it with that. Was going to post about it but you beat me to it. I took it out of a cheap Ohto Rays pen but they're super cheap to buy, as just a refill, probably because they are plastic bodied. I'm liking it a lot. It writes great, quite wet for a 0.5mm, which I like but (probably weirdly) I love how the needle tip looks, coming out of the F-701 nose cone. The part where the refill tip widens, from the needle tip, doesn't show beyond the nose cone of the pen, like it does when it's in a Rays. It lines up perfectly with the end of the nose cone and all you see is the little needle tip coming out of the pen. I can't help thinking it gives it a 'precision instrument' kind of look and vibe, which I really like. Like a pin vice, or something. I just took the, Parker style, black end cap off the end of the PG-105NP and the fit is practically perfection. While you are installing it, just give it a little wiggle, when it seems to have hit a dead end, while you push it in some more, and it goes in some more, locating itself inside a hollow in the mechanism at the top of the pen, near the button. Just thought I would share this, as well.

[@WhenDoesTheVideoActuallyStart]

The best refill is the "Uni Power Tank Higy Grade Refill". Mitsubishi's "hybrid ink" from the Jetstream line, plus the qualities of the Space Pen refill.

[@kaizen5023]

I got this one, it is fairly smooth to write with but about half as dark as a gel. I will keep it in one F701 just for cold temps, Write-in-Rain tablets, and other outdoor EDC use, but I wouldn't call it fun to write with and it isn't dark enough for me.

[@emeltea33]

I put the xeno 'Baby Mikey' .38mm in my F-701. Required trimming about a 1/16" and voila, fits the nose piece nicely! Worth a try if you like fine point.

[@johnarstall]

Another alternative... If you take a plastic-walled Parker style G2 refill and pull off the coloured bit at the back that the pen's knock engages with (I used a pair of pliers), they will work in these pens too. I use a Schneider Gelion 39 refill in my F-xMD. OHTO PG-105NP needle point refills are another option if you prefer a finer line width. I had to take out the plastic insert in the front end of the pen and stretch it out a bit to make the action smooth, but I gather this is necessary with the Fisher refills too?

[@b1lf435]

Sweet! Thanks for the tip, 1mm as Sal prefers in this video is way too thick for me!

[@kaizen5023]

Schneider Gelion, NAYYY! I ordered a 3pack and they are all scratchy skipping garbage!

[@voltron5128]

That noise would drive me nuts...good review

[@ming19910802]

Z-mulsion should be a hybrid ballpoint, like Surari.

[@EE-eg2bp]

I would emphasize that a lot of play between the tip and the pen. The two aren't flush fitting like the G2 refills and that drives me nuts.

[@SasanSB12]

For anyone interested, I could NOT get the F-XMD (without mods) to work with a standard parker Quink Gel refill (metal body) however Schneider's Gelion 39 (plastic body) refill worked without mods (just remove the cap of the refill). The pressure required to activate the pen is slightly higher. Some people suggested filing down the cone section of the parker G2 in case someone wants to get hands-on. If you remove the plastic cone in the pen tip it can be used with normal activation force, but there will be slight play. I've left mine in. You might need to just cut off a tiny bit from the tip, though I have not tested this.

[@unsharpen]

Amazing comment. Thank you!

[@acmramon]

The best is to cut the top end of a parker g2 refill and you ll have the best refill. No need for all those refills that are hard to find

[@b1lf435]

Not really, it’ll fit... but the diameter of the refill is too large especially at the writing end of the pen. It gets caught on the F701 and FxMD - causing the clicking action to not be smooth. I’ve tried this with many different Parker style refills as well as two Zebra F701/FxMD.

[@louisgirdler1636]

Specifically, how did you cut them off?

[@mattlove2110]

Couldn't you essentially get a small rounded tapered file and file the pen opening just ever so slightly? Harbor Freight carries a case of small files if you're interested, I may give this a try. Thanks for the tip on the Parker G2.

[@kaizen5023]

From watching videos, I think you have to remove the little plastic piece inside the steel writing tip of the FX701 for it to click properly.

[@tomnelson8515]

Nice hack! Searching for the 'god-refill' is definitely a sickness. But I agree the top two are the Z-mulsion and the Jet Stream a close 2nd.

[@kaizen5023]

Are they in blue though?

[@carlswanson808]

By the way, another refill that fits is the new(-ish) Ohto Parker-style gel refill, the .5mm needlepoint that comes in the Rays. All you have to do is pull the head off the back.

[@kaizen5023]

It's only in black though :( At least on JetPens

[@carlswanson808]

@@kaizen5023 That is true.

[@artemv4680]

You can use a Uni Jetstream refill breaking off a stabilizing ring.

[@artemv4680]

I cut it off with a pocket knife. But you need to be careful, this ring connects the two parts of the refill. It is necessary to cut from the tip - from bottom to top, so that this part is not separated. I want to solve this problem by applying super glue to the compound.

[@s3v3nx3]

I tried this and found that the barrel of the refill is still too thick to pass through the tip of the pen. I could spend more time with my exacto-knife, but it wasn't worth my effort. However, I found that the slimmer Uniball Jetstream Style-Fit refills work great. I cut off a tiny bit from the edge to adjust length, then used a sliver of glue gun glue to make a ring for the spring to catch on. The longest part of the operation was heating up the glue gun.

[@Alex1130]

I tried the zmulsion refill and it didn't fit on two different f701s i have, one has the black plastic around the clicker and one new all metal version

[@stevencooper9086]

I don't know if maybe these refills have changed since this video or not, but I bought the EQ Refills and also bought a couple of Surari pens and the ink doesn't feel like gel at all. It's a very smooth ballpoint, but definitely not gel feeling. I was super sad about this. I was really hoping for a good refill. :( I have found that the ITOYA gel refills work pretty well in the F-701 though with minimal adjusting of the cartridge.

[@charkee167]

I used to have one and i was extremly disappointed because at the time the pen had a steel sleeve and it was really just a plastic pen. And the ink was very dull. And i bought a crap ton of refils for it which i wasted my money. Though i guess the new variant is actually all metal and kinda intrested in getting it.

[@sameeralazawee7524]

Very nice , Thanks .

[@Nathanchancy02]

Great video

[@beanie0026]

I have a g 301 pen and that gel is pretty good. Is that different then then the one your talking about

[@beanie0026]

I need to pick one up.

[@VykersTechTips]

I'm from the Philippines hard to find those kind of pen. already ordered it from Indonesia. waiting it to arrived.

[@higherground711]

Is there a 0.5mm or smaller ballpoint refill that'll work in the F-701? Thanks. 😃👍

[@seancarraher]

I tried the zmulsion refill. It is pretty good but are there Any refills for the f-701 that write similar to the pilot g2 .7mm gel Or the Mont Blanc medium rollerball ?

[@tben339]

Something has changed at some point... I tried both of these recommended refills and neither would fit correctly through the pen tip. The length/springs weren't the issue; the diameter of the refills was.

[@kaizen5023]

You have to use a straightened paperclip or something to poke out the plastic piece inside of the nose of F701 and remove it

[@thebozzIDW]

Thank you for sharing this video and all your other videos with regards to pens they are very informative. I recently ordered some of the Emulsion pen refills and I just got them today, and was a little lost at the step regarding the spring - are we supposed to stretch the spring width wise so that it can go past the sleeve?

[@Maloha486]

Is there any way to get rid of that wiggle noise?

[@anthonynelson6671]

I have really grown to like the Zebra-F701 knurled metal grips and pen bodies as a great pocket pen but like many have not found their refills to my liking. I much prefer a Jetstream, Signo, or Energel type refill because of the smaller tip sizes and the lefty-friendly inks. But from my experience I have not found those three lines of pens to come in a durable, front-pocket stable, metal body like that of the F-701. I would be ecstatic if the Jetstream Edge came out with an all-metal build as it has such a great design but being that its joint where it screws apart has a plastic foundation I would think it would be more prone to snapping in two in a front pocket, they'd be much safer in a pen bag. Do you or anybody know of great, durable pen bodies like that of the F701 that can work well with any of those three types of refills?

[@s3v3nx3]

I just found a way to combine Jetstreams with the F-701: Use the Uniball *Style-Fit* refills, which are slim. Just cut off a tiny bit from the edge to adjust length (using the stock F-701 refill as reference), then apply a thin sliver of glue gun glue to make a ring for the spring to catch on (also using the stock refill as reference). The longest part of the operation was heating up the glue gun. I hope this works for you.

[@btyhntr]

Hmmm apparently I did something wrong. The Fisher space pen pr4 did not work in my f-701.

[@btyhntr]

@@unsharpen you are quite right. I currently have the retro f701 with the black plastic ring on the back. I have the newer all metal version on the way. Many thanks for your video.

[@cerberus1994]

Is there something similar to the uniball 207 plus that would fit in this?

[@themarcvelazquez]

Does zebra 0.7 jk refill fit this 701?

[@DavidHdz8]

Will a zebra JF refill work?

[@TheAmazingIndianGamerForRealz]

What about the best ballpoint refill?

[@Lcfc67]

Tried the z mulsion on the fxmd zebra ,does not click work properly

[@salehscopes]

Possible to have Sharpie S-Gel pen fill to fit the Zebra 701?

[@unsharpen]

sadly no

[@warrickbelroy3547]

I'm late to the party. I'm about to buy a surari pen and get the spring and ink from that for my F-701. The cut size needs to be the same as the long metal refill right? Can anyone give me the length of that refill in mm? I have the old shorter refill in my F-701 so i might cut the wrong size

[@TheCrathes]

With that title, I expected a more complete test of refills, this was too simple. There are ways of getting several different refills to fit in this pen, but I've never seen a real test of how many of those refills actually work, so with such a bombastic title, that's what I was hoping for. Maybe that's an idea for later? I'm sure it would be greatly appreciated in the EDC community given how popular this pen is and how often questions about good quality refills for it pops up.

[@TheCrathes]

Well, I've read about the Uni-ball style fit refills for example, it seems they will fit with some modification. From previous experience, I like their ink a lot. I just got the pen myself, which is why I've noticed a lack of compiled information on refills. Everyone seems to go with the fisher refill, but I don't really see the need for it, and I don't like how it writes. Many other people seem to be of the same opinion. And, as you've seen, there are several other suggestions in the comment section here. It would be really interesting if you end up making a bigger comparison video.

[@MarcusTheTrekie]

LOOKING FOR ADVICE: I dropped my F701 at work and the pen stopped working properly. Pardon me as I'm new to pen collecting and dont know all the terminology but basically the pen wont lock open and is really rough to click. I tried taking it apart and oiling the inner mechanism, worked for about 30 mins. Then I tried trimming the barrel spring, that made it WAY worse. Any help would be appreciated. I love carrying this pen at work as it is nearly indestructible and the space pen refills have yet to let me down. It would be a shame to have to replace it as it's become sentimental to me.

[@jof_diesel3253]

Need some help....i have the f701 all metal in and out. Just git the rite in the rain cartriage (which is made by Fisher) and it gets stuck in the top of the pen when you click it out. Is there a different tip I could get? Maybe carefully drill it out?

[@jof_diesel3253]

@@unsharpen so i did not realize there was a plastic insert until you replied. After much tweaking and playing around; found out that the cartridge was getting stuck in the insert. i removed it but for the "rite in the rain" ink i got i needed the insert to keep the tip from wobbling around in the tip of the pen. So i machined the inside hole of plastic insert to be SLIGHTLY bigger and it operates smoothly. Only issue i have is that i wish to put a stronger spring in it for a more satisfactory click.

[@rustle9369]

hi can you check out the uni power tank refill its amazing apparently it also fits this pen

[@rustle9369]

yeah i found out today although you can strip off the outer plastic from the refill it almost fits

[@robertmackie1478]

"one dot oh"?

[@admiraljosh]

Don't know if this was a genuine question. But yes, sometimes we use "O" (the letter) instead of "0" (zero) when speaking. Hence "One-Dot-O" , Instead of "One-Point-Zero" Does it make sense? Nope. But we do it anyway. Sincerely, -an American.

[@kaizen5023]

Can anyone point to a source for Z-Mulsion refills or pens in the USA? I'm only finding them in UK or Canada

[@stitch626aloha]

Z-Mulsion refills are ballpoint, and I need gel to work in my refrigerated warehouse job... please help come up with a gel refill?

[@stitch626aloha]

As a reason for gel, I have used gel for 20+ years now and the clarity one gets from gel inks is unparalleled; also, my Dept Head has trouble seeing ballpoint -- especially BLUE ballpoint, which my current F-701 weirdly is ((factory flub-up -- they happen; no harm, no foul)) -- so I want a gel refill, and my G-301's work GREAT in the cold... until the plastic grip breaks INSIDE the tube! ((EVERY time!))

[@Natemire]

Do you find that as a southpaw, a lot of ball points seem to not work very smooth for you?

[@unsharpen]

I tend to size up and it helps

[@Natemire]

@@unsharpen that makes sense. Thanks for the tip LOL pardon the pun

[@jamesbrady4627]

Have you done anything with the fisher infinium or a machine era pen???

[@jamesbrady4627]

@@unsharpen Really like your reviews and respect your opinion. Keep up the great work...

[@dante_gonal]

between the FXMD and F701 is there any difference?

[@unsharpen]

Essentially no

[@dante_gonal]

but is it totally stainless steel or does it have chrome parts?

[@ds2td]

Is the Parker Quink good for the F-701?

[@kaizen5023]

He has a another video on the Quink

[@rusty2330]

I hate the grip its like scraping nails down a chalk board

[@TheAmazingIndianGamerForRealz]

Does the zebra refill smear?

[@TheAmazingIndianGamerForRealz]

thanks

[@kaizen5023]

Will Zebra Sarasa refills work?

[@unsharpen]

No. Very different size

[@northernselfreliance6943]

What is that kind of table you have called?

[@northernselfreliance6943]

@@unsharpen thank you

[@kaizen5023]

It's a drafting/cutting/craft mat. You can get them at art stores.

[@CSQUAR3DsBaCk]

Can you use the refills for the Zebra G301???

[@jasonjulian1]

Yes... Just need to cut them to length in my opinion. I use them in my F701.

[@playeroflife]

Watching you try to write is freaking me out. You wrote like a child. But good to on the refill.

[@unsharpen]

Thanks for the feedback