Is the SCRIB3D P1 3D Printing Pen Worth It?
Worth it, with supervision
around $35price at time of review — check Amazon for current
- Worth it ifYou want an affordable, beginner-friendly way to try 3D pen drawing
- Skip it ifYou need a durable tool for frequent, heavy use
Amazon shoppers rate it 4.4 out of 5 across 23,940 ratings. That is their number, not ours.
By Errol Whitfield, tools & DIY · updated 2026-07-30
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Picture a thin wand pushing out a warm ribbon of plastic that stiffens in mid-air into the shape you just traced. That's the trick every 3D printing pen is selling, and it's also where the doubt shows up: is the SCRIB3D P1 a real little tool, or a hot glue gun in a fun jacket that jams, melts itself, or gets abandoned after one afternoon.
Here's what's actually happening inside it. A heating element brings the nozzle up to melting temperature, somewhere between 320 and 455 degrees Fahrenheit depending on whether you've loaded PLA or ABS filament, and a small motor feeds the plastic strand through at whatever rate you set. That's the whole mechanism, and it's also the whole reason the two controls matter more than anything else on the pen. The temperature dial has to match your filament or you get stringy mess or a clogged nozzle. The stepless speed slider is what separates fine detail work, slow and controlled, from filling in a shape quickly. A ceramic nozzle is doing the unglamorous job of resisting buildup so the pen doesn't clog mid-project, and a two-minute auto-sleep function cuts power if you set it down, which matters a lot given how hot that tip actually gets. None of this requires a manual to understand once you've watched it happen once: heat, push, shape, cool. That's genuinely the whole learning curve.
So you're not really buying a pen, you're buying a small, controllable stream of molten plastic, and the temperature dial and speed slider are the only two things standing between a smooth line and a stringy mess. Get comfortable with those two controls and the rest is just tracing. Ignore them and any 3D pen at any price will frustrate you.
Worth it if
- You want an affordable, beginner-friendly way to try 3D pen drawing
- You're supervising a kid or teen who likes hands-on making
- You're fine learning the temperature and speed settings before expecting clean results
Skip it if
- You need a durable tool for frequent, heavy use
- You want to hand it to a young child without supervision
- You're expecting print quality close to an actual 3D printer
Not for unsupervised young kids or anyone expecting a precision tool that holds up to daily heavy use.
If you're getting this for a kid who likes making things and you're willing to sit nearby while the nozzle is hot, this is a quiet yes at this price. It's not for anyone expecting durable daily-use precision or planning to hand it to a young child unsupervised, that heated tip is the one part of the fun that needs a grown-up in the room.
Check price on Amazon · around $35 or Add it to your Amazon cart to sit on it
Before you go
How long does it take for a Scrib3D pen to heat up?
About two to three minutes from plugging it in, indicated by a red warm-up light before it's ready to feed filament.
Does the Scrib3D pen need to be plugged in?
Yes, it runs corded through the included power adapter rather than on a battery, so you'll need it near an outlet while you work.
What age is the Scrib3D pen for?
It's built as a beginner-friendly kit for kids and adults alike, but because the nozzle runs hot enough to melt plastic, younger children should use it with an adult supervising.
Full spec sheet
| Brand | SCRIB3D |
|---|---|
| Item Weight | 12.9 ounces |
| Product Dimensions | 4.61 x 7.87 x 1.97 inches |
| Color | Blue, White, Black |
| Closure | Button |
| Pencil Lead Degree (Hardness) | F |
| Material Type | Plastic |
| Number of Items | 1 |