Sakura Craft Lab 001

Written By Kurashi no Bungu - くらしの文具

Most people who own a Sakura product probably never gave it a second thought. Throughout my childhood, I had numerous Micron fine liners in my pencil case, Cray-Pas oil pastels in a study drawer, and a half used eraser stuck to my ruler. Sakura products are accessible, ubiquitous, and largely invisible.

The same can’t be said for Sakura's premium stationery line—Craft Lab. Launched in 2017, the Sakura Craft Lab introduced a different vision of what Sakura's stationery could be. The pens are made with premium materials, feel substantial in the hand, and are positioned as thoughtful instruments for the discerning user. As of August 2026, there are 11 pens in the Craft Lab lineup.

Sakura Craft Lab 001

One of them, the 001, has been the only non-fountain-pen pen in my case for a while now. I initially bought it with both the intention and expectation that it would get as much use as my fountain pens. Despite my best efforts, it has failed to meet that expectation.

The construction and feel of the 001 are where it deserves utmost praise. The 001 feels nice in the hand. The diameter is large enough to get a comfortable grip. The build is brass throughout: a heavy crown at the top, a lower half machined entirely from it, and a mix of acrylic and brass in between to offset the weight of the crown. The result is a pen that balances on your finger almost exactly at its midpoint. At ~13 cm long, the pivot sits at ~6.5 cm. I surmise this is by design.

The crown dial at the back of the pen, which extends and retracts the pen point, feels well-engineered and pleasurable. It exerts just the right amount of resistance when turned. If turned only partially, the spring in the 001 slowly winds it back counter-clockwise until it stops, and the pen point remains retracted. When I use the 001, I find myself twisting the dial over and over.

The 001’s crown with Sakura’s emblem.

The Craft Lab website states that the lineup is designed to feel like a vintage camera. I understand that comparison. Similar to the SLRs of the '80s, the pen is heavy, feels robust, and delivers a sensory experience when interacted with. If it falls, I have a feeling that it'll crack the concrete before it breaks.

As with any writing instrument, however, the writing itself is the most important aspect. From my own use, this is the area in which the 001 could most improve.

Looking at the sentences I write with the 001 across the page, the amount of skipping would make you think that the pen is running out of ink. I write at about a 40-45° angle to the page. At that angle, the 001 refill (Sakura Craft Lab LGB05A) struggles to lay down ink on the page. If I change my grip to a steeper angle (60°), ink flows out of the 001 without a hitch. But then writing becomes uncomfortable and unnatural.

Sakura Craft Lab’s proprietary refill, the LGB05A.

I believe that both the 001's center of mass and its refill play a part. I laid out a few common refills—without putting them in a pen body—and wrote with them. Between Sakura's LGB05A, Uniball's Zento, Zebra's Sarasa, and even Schmidt's EasyFlow 9000, the LGB05A had the most trouble writing at a lower angle. To produce a similar ink flow as the others with the LGB05A, I have to press harder.

Ironically, the construction of the 001 could have mitigated this issue had it been imperfectly balanced. With a heavier bottom half, the pen’s weight would by itself encourage better contact between the pen point and paper. The 001 would then glide easier across the page. This is a similar technique employed by Sailor’s Black Lustre. If Sakura were to iterate on the 001, I think this would be welcomed by many.

Despite these flaws, I'm still fond of the 001. Maybe I just don't want to admit I spent that much on something flawed. But it's on my desk right now, and it will remain so for the foreseeable future. I think that says everything about the 001 that my writing can't.

Have I mentioned how much I love the dial?

—Sakura Craft Lab 001, LGB05A Brown-Black

Kurashi no Bungu - くらしの文具
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